Instructions: The purpose of this assignment is to help you identify a topic for your research project and
consider your search strategy in the library database. Without exception, you will complete the
remaining Research Project assignments using the topic you identify for this Topic Proposal assignment.
1. Topic Statement (5 Points)
Describe your proposed topic and briefly discuss what aspects of this topic you plan to investigate in
your literature review. For example, if you’re interested in depression, you should specify what aspects
of depression or what populations or what treatments, etc. you are going to study. You may include
citations if you’d like but you’re not required to.
Here are some samples:
Sample 1: I want to look at the depression rates in athletes who have participated in contact sports over
the course of their life. Specifically, those who participate in American football are at risk of sustaining
multiple concussion and/or mild to moderate traumatic brain injury. As such, they are at greater risk of
developing post-concussion syndrome, neurocognitive issues, and depression.
Sample 2: There is a great deal of data that reveal with increasing Internet use, discussion networks
shrink and feelings of social isolation rise, thus leading to feelings of loneliness. Moreover, loneliness
may impact our perceptions and behaviors in self- defeating ways. My topic will explore the effects that
online communication has on helping behavior in a subsequent face-to-face social encounter. More
specifically, it will explore whether the mode of communication (face-to-face or online communication)
will have an effect on helping behavior in a subsequent face-to-face social encounter. In essence, to
what degree does time spent using the Internet versus face-to-face interaction affect the degree of
prosocial behavior in a face-to-face encounter?
2. Background (3 Points)
How did you get this idea for your project? Why is this topic interesting and important to you and to
others who might have an interest in this topic (e.g., therapists, clients, policy makers)?
3. Literature Search Strategy (8 Points)
Describe your proposed strategy for finding journal articles, books, and other sources for your literature
review. Please be specific and discuss how you will use Pepperdine’s library resources and databases to
select and document your references. Also comprehensively respond to the following questions: What
keywords do you plan to use? What journals might be most relevant to your topic? What challenges do
you anticipate?
4. Informational Resource Brainstorm (4 Points)
An informational resource is an original resource you could develop to share information about your
chosen topic with an intended audience. A fact sheet, pamphlet, infographic, informational video,
webinar, etc. are examples of informational resources. What are some ideas for an informational
resource you could develop related to this topic? For this portion of the assignment, (1) state 2 specific
resource ideas, (2) provide a rationale for each idea, and (3) describe how you think an informational
resource could convey information about your topic differently than a literature review.
Revised Winter 2024
9
Submission: Submit this assignment as a Microsoft Word file.
TOPIC PROPOSAL GRADING RUBRIC
Topic Statement
(5 points)
● Topic is within the field of clinical psychology.
● Sufficient detail is provided about specific aspects of the
topic that will be researched.
Background
(3 points)
● Information provided demonstrates thoughtfulness in
topic selection.
● Awareness of relevance to the field and stakeholders is
evident.
Literature Search Strategy
(8 points)
● Specificity is provided regarding search terms and
proposed resources to be used.
● Response demonstrates application of course material in
using library resources.
● Response demonstrates effort was made to identify
relevant resources.
Informational Resource
Brainstorm
(4 points)
● At least 2 specific resource ideas are presented with a
rationale for each.
● Ideas for resources are related to the topic statement
and relevant to the field of clinical psychology.
Revised Winter 2024
9
Submission: Submit this assignment as a Microsoft Word file.
TOPIC PROPOSAL GRADING RUBRIC
Topic Statement
The post This assignment requires the student to propose a topic for their research project, discuss their background and interest in the topic, outline a literature search strategy, and brainstorm potential informational resources related to the topic. The assignment requires the presentation of three resource ideas related to the topic statement and relevant to the field of clinical psychology, along with a rationale for each idea.
Criteria
Excellent (4)
Good (3)
Fair (2)
Poor (1 appeared first on Genius essay guide.