Prepare: Prior to beginning work on this discussion forum, review the Narrowing a Topic and Developing a Research Question (Links to an external site.) web page and Integrating Research (Links to an external site.) tutorial. These resources will help you in developing a topic.

It is also recommended that you review these tutorials from the Ashford University Library:

• Database Search Tips (Links to an external site.)
• Evaluating Sources (Links to an external site.)

You may also want to review the Sample Final Paper GEN499, so that you can start preparing your rough draft that is due in Week 4.

Reflect: When considering a research topic, consideran interesting topic that is worth further research. For instance,having a strong opinion on a specific topic may deter you from thinkingmore critically, and therefore the research might end up beingone-sided. It is a good idea to pick a topic in which you can provide agood argument for both sides of the societal issue.

Write: For this discussion, address the following prompts:

• Identify a global societal issue from the following list that youwould consider researching further for your Week 5 Final Paper:
  • Climate change
  • Pollution
  • Religious conflict and violence
  • Rise of artificial intelligence
  • Lack of education
  • Unemployment and lack of economic opportunity
  • Government accountability and corruption
  • Food and water security
  • International drug trafficking
  • Poverty and income inequality
• Describe effective methods you used in identifying and narrowingdown to just one of the topics to further research for your Final Paper.
• Explain three ways you can critically analyze sources to determine if they are scholarly.
• Summarize information from at least two scholarly journal articlesfrom the Ashford University Library that will support your claims foryour chosen topic.
• Explain why scholarly sources should be used to support your writing on the selected topic.
• Download and attach a PDF copy of one of the peer-reviewed scholarlyarticles that you found from the Ashford University Library to youranswer using the “Attach” function located below your response.

Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length, whichshould include a thorough response to each prompt. You are required toprovide in-text citations of applicable required reading materialsand/or any other outside sources you use to support your claims. Providefull reference entries of all sources cited at the end of yourresponse. Please use correct APA format when writing in-text citations.