Determine A Focused A Topic

Instructions

This is a very important assignment, as you will be determining the topic you will use for the rest of the course—to both research and write about. And it could be a topic related to your eventual capstone project at the end of your program. While seemingly simple, it is a challenge to determine a specific, focused topic with clearly related subtopics. At the same time, this is an essential skill that will relate to all future assignments leading up to your capstone project. Use the resources that have been provided to help you with this task.

This week, you will provide a summary of how you went about taking a general area of interest (your degree program) and narrowed that down to a topic of interest, along with two to three specific related subtopics. These will be used in Week 5’s Develop an Introduction exercise, and they will become the main sections of the Week 8 Signature Assignment paper.

Then find peer-reviewed scholarly research articles, at least one scholarly resource to support each of your subtopics. Use these as references (citations) when composing your summary. It may be a good idea to start by considering an outline related to the topic. Remember to include an introduction, APA-style headings (and subheadings if needed), a conclusion, and a references section.

First, reflect on the process you went through to focus your main topic and then how you determined the related subtopics (1 page). 

Second, (2-3 pages)

What is the main topic, and why is it important?
What is the first related subtopic, and how does it relate to the main topic?
What is the second related subtopic, and how does it relate to the main topic?
What is the third related subtopic, and how does it relate to the main topic?
Consider how you will go about further discussing these topics.

Total length: 3-4 pages, not including title and reference pages

References: Include a minimum of 3 peer-reviewed scholarly resources to support your topic