Topic Proposals

What is a Topic Proposal?

A common writing assignment, topic proposals are meant to give you a chance to explore. These often require refining as students complete some brainstorming and background research to see what's viable. At this juncture, students are not required to have a complete argument in mind- in fact, many professors would rather students didn't have a clear opinion one way or the other! Try to look for topics that are interesting or that you have experience with, but on which you haven't "taken a side" yet.

Generally, the final topic chosen should be current, relevant, researchable with credible sources, and not a morals-based arguments. Phrasing this as a question is also helpful to keep students focused on finding answers.

Tips for Topic Proposals

• Read the assignment sheet as many times as necessary to gain a full understanding of it.

• Think about which questions you may need to ask in order to answer your original question. If the original topic is "should pharmacists be able to prescribe antibiotics?" you may also need to ask, "Which states or countries have done this? How has it worked out for them? Can this create superbugs? Can it save patients money?" and more.

• Do not interject your personal opinion into the topic proposal. Just explore the many sides of the topic.

• Think about why this matters- is it relevant to society today?

• If using MLA formatting and citing a few general sources you might use, see our Quotation Marks vs. Italics infographic in the MLA page.

Sample Topic Proposal Assignment Sheet

Sample Topic Proposal Student Papers