The purpose of Part 3 is to move your research toward action. Now that you have researched an important issue that matters to you and begun applying scientific approaches to addressing it, you are ready to plan for action.
One way to act is to communicate what you have learned to an important audience. Community psychologists might communicate their research in order to raise awareness of an issue, suggest strategies for intervention, or advocate for a new policy. An effective way to do that is using infographics.
Another way to act is to apply what you have learned to understanding how community organizations seek to address important issues by implementing programs, organizing community members, or influencing policy. Community psychologists might critically analyze how community organizations do their work so that they can help organizations improve, plan their next steps, or evaluate how well they are doing.
When you have completed Part 3, you will have taken a science-based approach to community research and action.
Decide whether you want to complete Option A or B
OPTION A – Communication Strategy
OPTION B – Organization Analysis
OPTION A – Communication Strategy
Who do you want to reach with information about your social issue? What do you hope to accomplish by communicating information about your social issue to this audience? What are the main things you want your audience to know?
Step 1: Identifying your intended audience.
Copy and paste the “Key audiences” table below and complete it with appropriate information.
|
Target Audience Ranked by Importance |
Relevant Information |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Example - Social Issue: Homelessness in Atlanta, GA
|
Target Audience |
Relevant Information |
|
According to X Source (in-text citation) Atlanta’s homeless population stands at approximately [X individuals], with a noticeable increase in the number of older adults and unaccompanied youth over the past five years.
Despite current resource investments, major service gaps persist, particularly in emergency shelters, permanent supportive housing options, and integrated support services—such as job training and mental health care—constraining Atlanta’s capacity for comprehensive, long-term solutions (in-text citation). Drawing on successful initiatives from cities like Houston and Salt Lake City, policy changes emphasizing Housing First models, cross-sector collaboration, and enhanced data-driven resource allocation can systematically reduce homelessness and better support vulnerable populations (in-text citation). |
Step 2: Reaching your intended audience
Next, select one target audience from the table above, and outline what you will communicate to that audience.
Write a statement (1 page) identifying the primary audience you want to reach and what you want your audience to learn or take away. Your statement should answer the following questions:
Step 3: Infographic
Your communication product will be an infographic. Your infographic should communicate information you gathered in Parts 1 and 2 concisely, clearly, and accurately. It should provide information that is relevant to your target audience and convey to the audience what you want them to know or do. There is an example in iCollege.
Tip: Canva has free templates
How to Submit
Submit your RAP pt. 3 as follows: yourlastnamefirstinitial_rap3.docx. Use APA formatting, 12-point font, double spaced, with 1 inch margins and include the following:
Note: you can submit multiple files if you need to.
You will be graded on APA citations, be sure you are citing your statements with IN-TEXT citations in addition to your references. Please see here for more guidance.
OPTION B – Organization Analysis
How are community organizations addressing your issue? What strategies are they using (e.g., media campaigns, classes/workshops, presentations) and how do they expect those strategies to make a difference?
Step 1: Identify an Organization and Assess What it Does.
Identify an organization that addresses your social issue. It could be local, regional, national, or international. You need to make sure that you will be able to access the information you need (e.g., a well-designed and informative website or an interview with an official of the organization).
Write a brief description of the organization’s structure and mission (remember to cite this info!). Next, include information from Parts 1 and 2 about how the organization’s definition of the issue aligns with your understanding of it, and the extent to which the organization does or does not address relevant population(s) and contributing factors.
Step 2: Create a Logic Model
Identify and describe the conditions that contribute to the need for the organization, organization’s activities, expected short-term outcomes, and anticipated long-term impacts. Write a brief narrative explaining each element of the logic model. A logic model template will be provided in iCollege.
Conditions: Describe the conditions that contribute to the need for the organization’s intervention.
Activities: Describe specifically what the organization does to address the social problem.
Outcomes: Identify the specific short-term results of the organization’s activities.
Impact: Identify the long-term changes that will occur as a result of the organization’s activities.
Step 3: Evaluate from a Community Psychology Perspective
Strengths of the Approach:
Describe TWO strengths of the organization’s approach from the perspective of a community psychologist. Consider the organization from the perspective of a community psychologist, what is the organization doing well?
Strength #1:
Strength #2:
Weaknesses (Or areas for Improvement/Refinement) of the Approach:
Describe TWO weaknesses of the organization’s approach from the perspective of a community psychologist. Consider the organization from the perspective of a community psychologist, what could they do better?
Weakness #1:
Weakness #2:
Conclusion: Identify additional questions about the organization’s approach and discuss any recommendations for the organization.
How to Submit
Submit your RAP pt. 3 as follows: yourlastnamefirstinitial_rap3.docx. Use a 12-point font, double spaced, with 1 inch margins and include the following:
Note: you can submit multiple files if you need to.
You will be graded on APA citations, be sure you are citing your statements with IN-TEXT citations in addition to your references. Please see here for more guidance.
