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SMART Goals and Objectives for a Capstone Project

Two articles about SMART goals, then three about your own topic, then your objectives. The Measurable and Time-bound letters are where most drafts fail.

Editorial process

Last reviewed · August 16, 2026

01

Summarise two articles about SMART, then write your own

The assignment has two halves and they are graded separately, so give both their weight. The first asks you to summarise two articles on SMART goals — what they are, how they are used, and why they are effective — and that third clause is the one that needs actual literature rather than a definition. The evidence is more interesting than the acronym suggests: specific and difficult goals generally outperform vague ones, feedback is a condition rather than an optional extra, and there is real critique arguing that narrowly specified goals can crowd out unmeasured but important work. A summary that reports the acronym and asserts effectiveness has not read anything. Say what the articles claim, on what evidence, and where they disagree. Two articles that agree entirely are usually two articles you read too quickly, because the goal-setting literature contains genuine argument about how tightly objectives should be specified and what that specification costs.

The second half is your own capstone objectives and the letters that fail are predictable. Measurable means naming the instrument and the data source, not asserting that something will be measured — 'improve hand hygiene compliance from 62 per cent to 80 per cent as measured by the existing audit tool' is measurable; 'improve compliance' is not. Achievable means within your authority and your timeframe, and a student project that requires a policy change at system level usually is not. Relevant means tied to the problem your three peer-reviewed articles establish, which is why the article search comes before the objectives rather than after. Time-bound means a date, and preferably an interim checkpoint so failure is visible early. Write three to five and no more, since each one you add is another thing to measure. Then check each against the evidence you cited, because an objective with no supporting article is a preference.

Likely learning objectives

Inferred from the brief — check these against your own rubric.

  • 01
    Summarise evidence about goal setting rather than restating the acronym.
  • 02
    Write measurable objectives naming instrument and data source.
  • 03
    Judge achievability against your own authority and timeframe.
  • 04
    Ground objectives in the literature that establishes the problem.
Assignment instructionsQuoted verbatim

Read the full question

Review every instruction before using the planning guidance that follows.

Doe J. (2014). How to prevent falls in a long term care unit DQ In this assignment, you will locate and summarize content of 2 articles on the use of SMART goals/objectives: what they are, how they are used, and why they are effective. Assignment must contain citations and references in correct APA format. You will also select 3 peer reviewed articles that address your chosen focus area for your Capstone Project and create 3-5 goals/objectives for your Capstone Project using the SMART Goals/Objective format. Objectives · Summarize 2 articles discussing what SMART goals are, how they are used, and/or why they can be an effective tool. · Select 3 peer reviewed articles addressing chosen focus area to include in the provided grid. · Create 3-5 objectives for Capstone Project using SMART format. Rubric Use this rubric to guide your work on the Module 2 assignment. NOTE: All assignments and discussion posts are expected to be completed on time. Tasks Target Acceptable Unacceptable 1. SMART Goals Article Summary (40 pts) Clear and strong summary of 2 articles on use of and purpose of SMART goals. Writes 2 summaries – one summary for each article. Each summary is 1 paragraph of 3-4 well-written, original sentences. (40 pts) General statements reflecting article summary and/or missing one article summary, missing SMART goal format. (20 pts) No synthesis of articles on use of and formulating SMART goals. (0 pts) 2. Creates 3-5 SMART goals/objectives. (20 points) Creates 3-5 goals/objectives using SMART format including Bloom Taxonomy terms. (20 points) 2 or less goals/objectives utilizing SMART goal format using Bloom Taxonomy terms. (10 points) Goals/Objectives not written in SMART goal format and/or no use of Bloom Taxonomy terms. (0 points) 3. Cites 3 peer reviewed articles related to the chosen focus area of Capstone project (management, education, or clinical specialty) (30 pts) Correctly cites 3 peer reviewed articles for chosen focus area of Capstone project (30 pts) Cites 2 or less peer reviewed articles. (15 pts) No peer reviewed articles cited to support SMART goals/objectives. (0 points) APA format (10 pts) Articles and lists the APA references correctly – no errors. (10 pts) Articles and lists the APA references correctly. 1-3 errors. (6 pt.) Articles and lists the APA references correctly. 4 or more errors. (0 pts) 1. Summarize Articles on SMART Objectives Format (Type in the box below) Summarize content of 2 articles found on SMART goals/objectives. Write your summary in proper APA format. Must include in-text citations and references for both articles. Write one paragraph for each article summary. Should have paragraphs. TYPE IN THE BOX BELOW (Box will expand as you type in it) 2. Create 3-5 Project Objectives (Type in the grid provided below). 3. Cite 3 Peer Reviewed Articles on Chosen Focus Area for Capstone Project Create a minimum of 3 and maximum of 5 objectives based upon Bloom’s Taxonomy (See http://mysite.cherokee.k12.ga.us/personal/drew_lawson/site/Subject%203%20Notes/1/Blooms%20Taxonomy.pdf and/or https://tips.uark.edu/using-blooms-taxonomy/ and you can always “google” Bloom Taxonomy for more information). These objectives reflect the changes you want to see in the behavior of the participants/audience as a result of acquiring the information that you present. Remember: Objectives must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timed (S.M.A.R.T.) and each must include a Bloom term. At a minimum, at least one objective should be “immediate” and one “long term.” Use the table below to record the Objectives and Content for your Capstone Project. (You must create at least three objectives. If you have more, insert rows in the table). Remember that your final project will need at least three references (less than five years old). See the example for how to format this grid. Education on patient safety implementation on staff awearness Example Objectives (3-5 Objectives) Example Content and Citing of Peer Reviewed Articles (Total of 3) 1. By the end of the presentation, 98% of the audience will be able to identify three ways to prevent falls in the LTC until. (Note: this is an immediate outcome, there is a time frame, there is a % of the audience, identify is the Bloom term. This goal is measurable). · Fall prevention Doe, J. (2014). How to prevent falls in a long term care unit. Journal of Fall Prevention, 8(26), 23-32. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. 2. Within three months of the presentation, 95% of the audience will be able to recite three reasons to use a fall assessment form with any change in condition for residents. (Note: this is a long-term goal, there is a time frame, there is a % of the audience, and “recite” is the Bloom term. This goal is measurable). · Fall assessment forms Smith, J. (2013). Why are fall assessment forms important? Journal of Fall Assessments, 7(4), 12-15. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. 3. (Write your third outcome here – it can be either immediate or long-term. Remember it must be SMART and include a Bloom term). · Content Topic Must have at least one reference here as three are required for this assignment – one for each outcome. Please note that for your final project, you will need three references for each outcome that you have for a minimum of nine references. If you have four outcomes, you will need a minimum of twelve references. Grid provided below for assignment completion. Complete this grid with your information. Must have a minimum of 3 and maximum of 5. Project Objectives (3-5 Objectives) Content and Citing of Peer Reviewed Articles (Cite 3 Articles) 1. 2. · 3. · 4. · 5. · Uploading Completed Assignment Template: · Save this completed assignment template with your individual assignment content to your computer in a file you can easily retrieve. · Upload the completed assignment template into Module 2: Assignment 2 of 2 area in Module 2
02

Turn the brief into deliverables

  1. 01
    Summaries of two articles on SMART goals.
  2. 02
    Three peer-reviewed articles on your capstone focus area.
  3. 03
    Three to five SMART objectives.
  4. 04
    A named measure and data source for each.
  5. 05
    A date and interim checkpoint for each.
  6. 06
    APA citations and references throughout.
03

The two summaries, then three to five objectives

01

Article one on SMART goals

Summarise what it claims and on what evidence.

02

Article two on SMART goals

Summarise a second, ideally with a different emphasis.

03

Why they are effective, and where they are not

Report the evidence including the critique.

04

The three articles on your focus area

Establish the problem your objectives will address.

05

Three to five objectives

Write objectives meeting each letter of the framework.

06

Checkpoints

Set interim dates so failure is visible early.

04

Finding literature on goal setting, not just definitions

Recommended databases

  • PubMed Central
  • CINAHL
  • Management and organisational psychology journals
  • Your capstone focus area literature

Search sequence

  1. 1.
    Search goal setting theory rather than only the SMART acronym for the first two articles.
  2. 2.
    Find your three focus-area articles before drafting any objective.
  3. 3.
    Check what your organisation already measures; an existing instrument saves the project.
  4. 4.
    Look for one critique of goal specification for the effectiveness section.
05

Reference shortlist

These are authoritative starting points, not a ready-made bibliography. A qualified reviewer must confirm that each source fits the assignment and supports the claim beside which it is cited.

Nothing here is cleared for citation until you have read it.

  1. 01

    Continuous Quality Improvement

    StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf · 2023

    Continuous improvement, where measurable objectives do their work.

  2. 02

    Section 4: Ways To Approach the Quality Improvement Process

    Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality · 2024

    Setting aims and measures within an improvement cycle.

  3. 03

    Logic analysis: testing program theory to better evaluate complex interventions

    Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation · 2011

    Programme theory — how objectives connect to the change they are meant to produce.

  4. 04

    What is Project Management?

    Project Management Institute · 2024

    Scope, timeframe and authority, for the Achievable letter.

  5. 05

    Reports of unintended consequences of financial incentives to improve management of hypertension

    PLOS One · 2017

    Unintended consequences of narrow targets — the critique your effectiveness section needs.

06

Review before submission

Common mistakes

  • Summarising the acronym instead of the articles' evidence.
  • Writing objectives with no named instrument, so nothing is measurable.
  • Setting objectives that require authority you do not have.
  • Writing objectives before finding the literature that justifies them.

Submission checklist

  • Do your summaries report evidence rather than definitions?
  • Does each objective name a measure and a data source?
  • Is each objective within your own authority?
  • Does each objective trace to one of your three articles?

Use this guide to plan and review your own work. Follow your institution's rules and read our academic-integrity policy.

Written by

Aaron Bishop

MA, Education

assignment interpretation and research-methods coaching across disciplines

Aaron leads the EssayCrackers editorial desk. He works on how assignment briefs are read — what a rubric is actually asking for, and where students most often answer a different question than the one set.

Reviewed by

Dr. Nathan Cole

PhD, Rhetoric & Composition

Argumentation and thesis development

Nathan teaches first-year composition and directs a university writing center. He reviews EssayCrackers guides for argumentative soundness and citation accuracy.

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