Finding Ideal Research Essay Topics
Now that you have a fair idea about the significance of a research paper, this walkthrough will guide you through the process of topic selection. It goes without saying, deciding a subject to study is the first step. Quite often, students are provided with the freedom to choose a topic of interest. It is to help teachers assess your writing skills fairly on the topic you have decided for yourself and not some problematic issue that has been forced upon you.
While you are at it, try not to settle on an area that you seem is reasonably straightforward. Instead, look for something around which you can craft a debatable and engaging thesis statement. You are not the only one if you find this one of the most puzzling parts of writing a research paper. Most of the time, paper topics look enthralling at first glance, but as you dive deeper into the research process, you begin to confront difficulties finding relevant content.
However, you have no reason for being overwhelmed. Keep following the steps below and equip yourself for writing the best research paper among your peers.
Selecting The Best Research Paper Topic
Are you looking for good topics to write your research paper? Follow the steps below and consider half the battle won.
Choose an Area of Interest
The possibilities are endless. You should make this process easier by narrowing your focus to only the field that sparks your interest.
If you are allowed to select a topic of your preference, make the best of it. If you are still confused about settling on one topic, start by shortlisting a few. Prepare a list. This way, it will be easier for you to assess all of them individually. You should weigh the costs and benefits of each and strike off those that do not seem practical. Some ideal fields to explore are history, psychology, ethics, sociology, business, government policy, and criminology. These are not even half the possibilities that you can utilize. If you are currently specializing in an area, that will make a perfect topic to opt for. The key is to figure out where your interest lies. Making a few clicks and choosing the first topic that showed up on the search might be an easy escape at the moment, but it can drag you down and bring you back to the drawing board in no time. If you have committed to do something, why not do it right the first time? A little time and research will take you places. You want to create a masterpiece that is not only captivating but also unique in some way. After all, your objective is to score high in this ever-increasing competitive environment.
Designing a Research Question
A well-thought-out research question will give your research paper a sense of direction and maintain coherence throughout the passages. For a question to be excellent, make sure you choose a subject that is not very broad in scope and challenges a single aspect. Secondly, you should have enough material present on the internet to support your statement. Finally, try only to utilize primary and secondary sources for the research paper.
Brainstorming Ideas
Never jump straight in without having a clear idea in your mind about the topic you want to expand your research paper on. Take your time to come up with as many ideas that make sense to you and are of your interest. In the next stage, consider which one to finalize based on the practicality and content availability.
Developing a Thesis Statement
This statement is usually written at the end of the introductory paragraph. It summarizes the central theme of the research paper and is usually expressed as a one-liner. Always make a thesis statement before you start writing your paper.
Paper Topics Based on Academic Levels
There are a plethora of paper topics to choose from for your research paper. Considering them under one umbrella would make the selection process a messy business, also a time-consuming one. Hence, it only makes sense to categorize them into three educational levels - Research essay topics for High school, Middle school, and college.
Paper Topics For College Research Paper
You are most likely to be assigned a research paper when you are in college. Many students feel lost and anxious during examinations and assignments. All they need is a headstart and a nudge in the right direction. That is precisely the purpose of this roadmap. Here are a few thought-provoking and exciting paper topics to choose from.
- Potential and usefulness of distance learning.
- What are the factors that contributed to the second wave of Coronavirus?
- TOEFL or IELTS?
- Students’ tuition payment plans.
- What is the best degree to pursue?
- Is it easy for a common man to become a politician?
- How does your performance change as a result of substance abuse?
- Is there a need for psychological counseling in colleges?
- Do college dropouts have a better chance of becoming wealthy and successful?
- How can students be prepared to enter the corporate world?
- Should there be class segregation between males and females?
- Should sex ed classes be made mandatory at all school levels?
- Is there a correlation between the consumption of fast food and the rising obesity levels in Western societies?
- How have technological advancements changed the way we interact and communicate?
- What is the correlation between socioeconomic status and access to healthcare?
Paper Topics For Middle School Research Papers
- What are the benefits of having co-ed schools?
- Is banning school uniforms beneficial?
- Do the math formulas ever benefit in real-life issues?
- How did Plato’s philosophy contribute to the field of math?
- Should prayer be made compulsory for students?
- Should leadership training be completed as a part of the school’s curriculum?
- Are all character traits innate?
- How much control does the government have over the food served in schools’ cafeterias?
- Impact of social media on teenage friendships.
- Role of bees in the ecosystem and the consequences of their decline.
- Effects of video games on the behavior of adolescents.
- How do artists use color to convey emotions in their paintings?
- The role of physical exercise in reducing stress and anxiety in adolescents.
- Use of renewable energy sources in reducing carbon emissions.
- The impact of plastic pollution on marine life.
Paper Topics For High School Research Paper
- What are some excellent ways to protect the environment?
- Breaking down the competitive nature of human beings
- How can music be an excellent de-stressor?
- Role of diversity in society’s development
- The ineffectiveness of standardized test
- An influential movie that has impacted generations
- The effects of instant messaging on literacy
- How has technology changed socialization?
- What are some good ways to recycle waste?
- How is Covid affecting economies?
- Portrayal of women in the media: An exploration of gender stereotypes.
- Role of educational institutions in addressing mental health issues among students.
- Impact of global warming on the world's ecosystems: Comparison of the Arctic and the Amazon.
- Economic and social implications of legalization of marijuana.
- The role of artificial intelligence in the future of work.
Paper Topics Based on Categories
Do not be hopeless if you still have not managed to find an exciting topic to write your research paper on. You might find one if categorized differently. Consider the following types.
Argumentative Paper Topics
Argumentative paper topics are one of the most interesting ones while writing a research paper. They require you to take a stance and raise your opinions regarding it. Hence, it can make it quite controversial. However, it would help if you backed your viewpoint using concrete evidence, so it is advised that you choose a topic you have prior knowledge about or have a keen interest in. Read on to find out some provocative ideas about argumentative research.
- Should handguns be banned?
- Should parents have the right to monitor their child’s activities on the internet?
- Has social media become a reason for our deteriorating creativity?
- Should the ban on drugs be lifted?
- Feminism and its effects on society.
- Analyzing the breatharian trend.
- People following the vegan diet live longer.
- Top reasons behind divorces.
- The role of the Chinese in the birth of the Coronavirus.
- Should selling contraceptives and birth control to underage citizens be permitted?
- The ideal age for alcohol consumption.
- Should vaccination be mandatory for all citizens to combat public health concerns?
- Is the use of animals in medical research necessary or should it be banned?
- Is the use of corporal punishment an effective disciplinary method for children?
- Should high schools have a policy of mandatory drug testing for students participating in extracurricular activities?
Persuasive Paper Topics
Persuasive essays or paper topics require you to convince the audience of the viewpoint you are presenting. In contrast, when you are working on argumentative essays, the readers do not agree with you. You need to spend a considerable amount of time doing extensive research for your research paper before choosing a topic in this category. However, a study on these will guarantee your engagement. Following are some options you can look into.
- Animal testing should be banned.
- Dogs make better pets than any other animal.
- Is determining your sexual orientation a choice?
- What makes microchipping unethical?
- For the education system to flourish, the role of AI is significant.
- Ban hunting globally.
- Love is a myth
- You are more productive at night than during the day.
- Prisoners should be allowed to vote.
- One child rule to save the economies.
- The dangers of fast fashion.
- Why remote work is the future of employment?
- How your purchasing decisions impact the world around you?
- Why every citizen should exercise their right to vote in elections?
- The benefits of meditation: Why everyone should practice mindfulness?
Controversial Paper Topics
Arguments and controversies go hand in hand. Have a look at a few controversial yet compelling research paper topics.
- Religions and women's oppression.
- Why are species getting endangered in America?
- Cosmetic surgery should be normalized.
- The wise method of dealing with plastic pollution.
- The future of the Ozone Layer.
- Strict parents raise artful kids. Discuss.
- Religion can make people go to an extreme extent.
- Women to be paid equal to men.
- Effectiveness of the death penalty
- Do video games make children violent?
- Cow’s milk Vs. packaged milk.
- The stigma around the adult film industry.
- Child adoption and homosexuality.
- The ethics and effectiveness of using performance-enhancing drugs in professional sports.
- To what extent are platforms responsible for the rise in anxiety and depression among young people?
Other Areas That Make Good Research Paper Topics
Research Paper on Arts/Culture
- Ancient Egypt and the art forms.
- African architecture.
- The reason behind Egyptians using the same art canon for more than 3000 years.
- Explain the link between philosophy and art.
- The industry of art therapy.
- Mental health and art therapy.
- Should arts be taken seriously at school?
- How can art reflect the world?
- The ways sexism has changed over time.
- How has the media changed when it comes to portraying minorities?
- The evolution of music over the last decade.
- How Bollywood affects lifestyle choices?
- Evolution of graffiti as a form of art and its role in contemporary culture.
- Influence of African American culture on contemporary art.
- Cultural significance of traditional folk art in modern society and its preservation.
Research Paper on Current Events
- Wildfires.
- Police reforms.
- DACA.
- Immigration laws global comparison.
- Implications of the Black Lives Matter movement.
- Development of Cybersecurity.
- White nationalism.
- Discuss Syrian civil rights.
- Russian hacking.
- The controversy about the "Me too" movement.
- Discuss transgender rights.
- Effects of the one-child policy in China.
- Changing relations between countries after Trump’s presidency.
- Benefits of the Affordable Care Act to US residents.
- The impact of social media on political discourse: A study of the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.
Research Paper on Education
- How can bullying be reduced in schools?
- College debts and its effects on students.
- Can children learn better in co-ed schools?
- Does food have a direct effect on your learning capacity?
- Discuss the benefits of No Child Left Behind act
- Do high scoring students perform better in their lives as well?
- Effects of technology on student learning outcomes in K-12 education.
- The role of cultural competency in promoting equity and inclusion in higher education.
- Impact of teacher diversity on student achievement and engagement.
- Effectiveness of alternative education models for at-risk youth.
- Relationship between teacher burnout and student achievement.
- Comparative study of teacher education programs in rural and urban areas.
- Benefits and drawbacks of implementing year-round schooling.
- Impact of virtual learning environments on student engagement and academic achievement.
- The effectiveness of differentiated instruction in meeting the needs of diverse learners.
Research Paper on Ethics
- Does moral behavior satisfy the one who exhibits it?
- What can be some ways to lessen gun-related crime in the US?
- Have the wealthy earned what they have?
- Is selling organs and other "donations’ a display of substandard morals?
- How and why have divorce rates changed over time?
- What, throughout the human timeline, has resulted in the variability in divorce rates?
- Is it worth it to pursue a career one finds fascinating while risking offending the family?
- Does the modern era blame suicide victims for their actions?
- Is the nonacceptance of Muslims in the United States because of recent conflicts justified?
- What is the best methodology to make defiant school students abide by the principles?
- Would you unmask a criminal friend or preserve their secret?
- What steps can be taken to lessen human trafficking across the United States/world?
- How does cultural relativism impact ethical decision-making in international business dealings?
- Should doctors be allowed to disclose patient information to law enforcement without their consent in cases of suspected illegal activity?
- What ethical implications arise from the use of artificial intelligence in decision-making processes?
Research Paper on Government
- Which change by the government in prisons has displayed the most significant shift in criminal activity?
- Examine immigration policies within the borders of different countries, stating their similarities, dissimilarities, and effectiveness.
- Does the quality of governmental reforms and services correlate to public satisfaction?
- Should the government have the right to censorship when it comes to the web?
- What consequence(s) for the underage involved in malicious activities has/have shown to be effective?
- If a minority within the country is oppressed, which is the more critical side to choose?
- Should a government rule a developing country focus on research?
- Is the decision to tighten the security in US airports a more significant hassle than a service?
- What are the effects of gerrymandering on democratic representation in the United States?
- How do legislative term limits impact the efficiency and effectiveness of government institutions?
- In what ways do campaign finance laws influence the behavior of elected officials?
- What is the relationship between corruption in government and economic outcomes in developing nations?
- How can policies to tackle income inequality be designed to achieve the maximum benefit for all citizens?
- What is the impact of increased government surveillance on the rights and privacy of citizens?
- How can we balance national security concerns with the protection of individual liberties in the age of terrorism?
Research Paper on Health
- What actions have shown to be most promising in preventing teen pregnancy?
- Is the Keto diet worth the effort when the implications are put into consideration?
- How successful have exercise plans proven to be when it comes to weight loss and overall fitness?
- How does healthcare vary across the globe? Does its change reflect a fluctuation in the health of the people it concerns?
- Is depression a psychological condition? How can the minds of people suffering from it be revamped?
- Do the benefits of genetically modified food exceed its drawbacks in numbers and significance?
- What procedure has exhibited the most significant change in memory efficiency?
- What steps can be taken to manage the expense of healthcare in the US?
- What resulted in the commencing of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and how disastrous has it proven to be?
- How does the amount of exercise needed to vary across the age group, and why?
- Which methods are most useful to get parents to vaccinate their children?
- Do the environmental advantages of having a strict vegan diet far exceed that of its negatives?
- Can yoga and meditation reduce the risk of developing mental health disorders in individuals with a family history of mental illness?
- What is the correlation between diet, sleep, and physical activity with the development of Alzheimer's disease in older adults?
- How can the integration of alternative medicine into conventional medical practices improve patient outcomes for chronic pain management?
Research Paper on History
- Reasons that led up to the Civil War
- Consider a specific invention and discuss its impact on the history
- How did colonies win the American Revolution?
- Why did Cleopatra fail as a ruler?
- Highlight the conflicts between Palestinians and Israelis
- Impacts of the women’s suffrage movement
- The aftermath of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki attack
- The fall of the World Trade Center
- How did British rule affect India?
- What led to the Mughal Empire’s downfall?
- To what extent did religious beliefs shape the political and social landscape of medieval Europe?
- How did the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus change perceptions of global geography?
- What were the causes and consequences of the French Revolution?
- In what ways did colonialism and imperialism impact the economic and social development of Africa?
- How did World War II transform global politics and international relations?
Introducing a Research Essay
Begin writing your research paper with a problem you have identified. You may also use "term paper" interchangeably as per your preference. An ideal research paper should enable the audience to compare the current work with previous relevant studies. By highlighting the thesis problem and critical points, your research paper should equip the reader with clear and accurate knowledge.
The Process of Writing a Research Paper
One takeaway while learning how to write a research paper is that even if you have successfully identified paper topics with great potential, that does not guarantee an outstanding research paper. You have to ace all the aspects of the paper topics. It can be done by following the three steps below.
Plan Ahead
The first and foremost element that should be clear in your mind while writing your research paper is the thesis statement. Do not move ahead if you have not settled on your thesis yet. It comprises a statement indicating the subject you will be working on and what you will be trying to prove later on. Every point you establish in this research paper should link back to the thesis statement. If it does not, you might be doing something wrong. For example, suppose your selected topic is about student performance in a co-ed school. In that case, the thesis statement can something be along these lines, "according to research, fourth-grade students in co-ed classrooms show higher scores on attempting the standardized examination."
Support Your Research Paper With Concrete Proof
To validate your point and bring credibility to your research paper, ensure you are backing up your statements. To do so, conduct extensive research, learn how to cite correctly, and glean information from authentic sites. You can also acquire professional help with your research paper and get useful insights.
Research Before Writing
It would be a pity if you start working on the research paper, and halfway through, you lack content due to the unavailability of research material on the internet. Another unfavorable situation can be the research contradicting your viewpoint. It is always advised that you get a decent idea about the topic before starting working on the research paper to avoid inconveniences later on.
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