TOPIC PROPOSAL AND BIBLIOGRAPHY
Students are required to select a public health topic to research and develop a proposal with an initial bibliography. Topic ideas are listed below. The research paper is intended to enhance students’ understanding of the field and functions of public health with a focus on a special topic of interest to each student. Proposals will essentially be in the form of the final paper outline. Complete the short answers below and include at least one reference (source) for each question.You do not need complete sentences for this outline. Simply answer the questions and provide a source. You may use bullet points, etc., The focus should be finding accurate information from a reliable source. The information for your paper does not need to be totally complete at this point. This proposal will just serve as an initial outline. It will help provide the direction and focus of your paper and ensure that you are using quality sources for each section. I will review your sources to make sure they are appropriate for an academic research paper. All references should be high quality sources that provide accurate and reliable information. See suggested sources below. I may suggest additional sources when I give you feedback on your proposal. You may also use websites for non-profit organizations or other agencies that work to address the problem you are researching. If you are using websites for your sources, you may just include the link for this outline. They will need to be in APA format for the final paper.
Useful websites for research and background materials
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) available at www.cdc.gov
World Health Organization (WHO) available at www.who.int/en/
Healthy People 2020 available at www.healthypeople.gov
National Library of Medicine available at www.nlm.nih.gov/hinfo.html
American Public Health Association available at www.apha.org
Format of Proposal:
What is your proposed topic? What is the public health problem?
How many people does it affect in terms of morbidity and mortality?
What are the symptoms or course of disease?
What are the incidence or prevalence rates?
What is your source(s) of information for this section?
Populations at Risk
Who is at risk for this problem?
Are there disparities – more people at risk than others?
What are the risk factors that put people at risk? Modifiable (behaviors / smoking) and non-modifiable (genetics / age)?
What is your source(s) of information for this section?
Recommendations
What is recommended in the scientific literature to address this problem? Be specific.
Identify specific interventions / programs that have been successful at addressing the problem?
What is your source(s) of information for this section?
Current Initiatives
Identify two or three organizations or agencies that are working to address this problem. What specifically do they do?
What is your source(s) of information for this section?