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One of the hardest parts of writing a research paper can be just finding a good topic to write about. Fortunately we've done the hard work for you and have compiled a list of 113 interesting research paper topics. They've been organized into ten categories and cover a wide range of subjects so you can easily find the best topic for you.

In addition to the list of good research topics, we've included advice on what makes a good research paper topic and how you can use your topic to start writing a great paper.

What Makes a Good Research Paper Topic?

Not all research paper topics are created equal, and you want to make sure you choose a great topic before you start writing. Below are the three most important factors to consider to make sure you choose the best research paper topics.

#1: It's Something You're Interested In

A paper is always easier to write if you're interested in the topic, and you'll be more motivated to do in-depth research and write a paper that really covers the entire subject. Even if a certain research paper topic is getting a lot of buzz right now or other people seem interested in writing about it, don't feel tempted to make it your topic unless you genuinely have some sort of interest in it as well.

#2: There's Enough Information to Write a Paper

Even if you come up with the absolute best research paper topic and you're so excited to write about it, you won't be able to produce a good paper if there isn't enough research about the topic. This can happen for very specific or specialized topics, as well as topics that are too new to have enough research done on them at the moment. Easy research paper topics will always be topics with enough information to write a full-length paper.

Trying to write a research paper on a topic that doesn't have much research on it is incredibly hard, so before you decide on a topic, do a bit of preliminary searching and make sure you'll have all the information you need to write your paper.

#3: It Fits Your Teacher's Guidelines

Don't get so carried away looking at lists of research paper topics that you forget any requirements or restrictions your teacher may have put on research topic ideas. If you're writing a research paper on a health-related topic, deciding to write about the impact of rap on the music scene probably won't be allowed, but there may be some sort of leeway. For example, if you're really interested in current events but your teacher wants you to write a research paper on a history topic, you may be able to choose a topic that fits both categories, like exploring the relationship between the US and North Korea. No matter what, always get your research paper topic approved by your teacher first before you begin writing.

113 Good Research Paper Topics

Below are 113 good research topics to help you get you started on your paper. We've organized them into ten categories to make it easier to find the type of research paper topics you're looking for.

Arts/Culture

Discuss the main differences in art from the Italian Renaissance and the Northern Renaissance .
Analyze the impact a famous artist had on the world.
How is sexism portrayed in different types of media (music, film, video games, etc.)? Has the amount/type of sexism changed over the years?
How has the music of slaves brought over from Africa shaped modern American music?
How has rap music evolved in the past decade?
How has the portrayal of minorities in the media changed?

Current Events

What have been the impacts of China's one child policy?
How have the goals of feminists changed over the decades?
How has the Trump presidency changed international relations?
Analyze the history of the relationship between the United States and North Korea.
What factors contributed to the current decline in the rate of unemployment?
What have been the impacts of states which have increased their minimum wage?
How do US immigration laws compare to immigration laws of other countries?
How have the US's immigration laws changed in the past few years/decades?
How has the Black Lives Matter movement affected discussions and view about racism in the US?
What impact has the Affordable Care Act had on healthcare in the US?
What factors contributed to the UK deciding to leave the EU (Brexit)?
What factors contributed to China becoming an economic power?
Discuss the history of Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies (some of which tokenize the S&P 500 Index on the blockchain) .
Do students in schools that eliminate grades do better in college and their careers?
Do students from wealthier backgrounds score higher on standardized tests?
Do students who receive free meals at school get higher grades compared to when they weren't receiving a free meal?
Do students who attend charter schools score higher on standardized tests than students in public schools?
Do students learn better in same-sex classrooms?
How does giving each student access to an iPad or laptop affect their studies?
What are the benefits and drawbacks of the Montessori Method ?
Do children who attend preschool do better in school later on?
What was the impact of the No Child Left Behind act?
How does the US education system compare to education systems in other countries?
What impact does mandatory physical education classes have on students' health?
Which methods are most effective at reducing bullying in schools?
Do homeschoolers who attend college do as well as students who attended traditional schools?
Does offering tenure increase or decrease quality of teaching?
How does college debt affect future life choices of students?
Should graduate students be able to form unions?

What are different ways to lower gun-related deaths in the US?
How and why have divorce rates changed over time?
Is affirmative action still necessary in education and/or the workplace?
Should physician-assisted suicide be legal?
How has stem cell research impacted the medical field?
How can human trafficking be reduced in the United States/world?
Should people be able to donate organs in exchange for money?
Which types of juvenile punishment have proven most effective at preventing future crimes?
Has the increase in US airport security made passengers safer?
Analyze the immigration policies of certain countries and how they are similar and different from one another.
Several states have legalized recreational marijuana. What positive and negative impacts have they experienced as a result?
Do tariffs increase the number of domestic jobs?
Which prison reforms have proven most effective?
Should governments be able to censor certain information on the internet?
Which methods/programs have been most effective at reducing teen pregnancy?
What are the benefits and drawbacks of the Keto diet?
How effective are different exercise regimes for losing weight and maintaining weight loss?
How do the healthcare plans of various countries differ from each other?
What are the most effective ways to treat depression ?
What are the pros and cons of genetically modified foods?
Which methods are most effective for improving memory?
What can be done to lower healthcare costs in the US?
What factors contributed to the current opioid crisis?
Analyze the history and impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic .
Are low-carbohydrate or low-fat diets more effective for weight loss?
How much exercise should the average adult be getting each week?
Which methods are most effective to get parents to vaccinate their children?
What are the pros and cons of clean needle programs?
How does stress affect the body?
Discuss the history of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
What were the causes and effects of the Salem Witch Trials?
Who was responsible for the Iran-Contra situation?
How has New Orleans and the government's response to natural disasters changed since Hurricane Katrina?
What events led to the fall of the Roman Empire?
What were the impacts of British rule in India ?
Was the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki necessary?
What were the successes and failures of the women's suffrage movement in the United States?
What were the causes of the Civil War?
How did Abraham Lincoln's assassination impact the country and reconstruction after the Civil War?
Which factors contributed to the colonies winning the American Revolution?
What caused Hitler's rise to power?
Discuss how a specific invention impacted history.
What led to Cleopatra's fall as ruler of Egypt?
How has Japan changed and evolved over the centuries?
What were the causes of the Rwandan genocide ?

Why did Martin Luther decide to split with the Catholic Church?
Analyze the history and impact of a well-known cult (Jonestown, Manson family, etc.)
How did the sexual abuse scandal impact how people view the Catholic Church?
How has the Catholic church's power changed over the past decades/centuries?
What are the causes behind the rise in atheism/ agnosticism in the United States?
What were the influences in Siddhartha's life resulted in him becoming the Buddha?
How has media portrayal of Islam/Muslims changed since September 11th?

Science/Environment

How has the earth's climate changed in the past few decades?
How has the use and elimination of DDT affected bird populations in the US?
Analyze how the number and severity of natural disasters have increased in the past few decades.
Analyze deforestation rates in a certain area or globally over a period of time.
How have past oil spills changed regulations and cleanup methods?
How has the Flint water crisis changed water regulation safety?
What are the pros and cons of fracking?
What impact has the Paris Climate Agreement had so far?
What have NASA's biggest successes and failures been?
How can we improve access to clean water around the world?
Does ecotourism actually have a positive impact on the environment?
Should the US rely on nuclear energy more?
What can be done to save amphibian species currently at risk of extinction?
What impact has climate change had on coral reefs?
How are black holes created?
Are teens who spend more time on social media more likely to suffer anxiety and/or depression?
How will the loss of net neutrality affect internet users?
Analyze the history and progress of self-driving vehicles.
How has the use of drones changed surveillance and warfare methods?
Has social media made people more or less connected?
What progress has currently been made with artificial intelligence ?
Do smartphones increase or decrease workplace productivity?
What are the most effective ways to use technology in the classroom?
How is Google search affecting our intelligence?
When is the best age for a child to begin owning a smartphone?
Has frequent texting reduced teen literacy rates?

How to Write a Great Research Paper

Even great research paper topics won't give you a great research paper if you don't hone your topic before and during the writing process. Follow these three tips to turn good research paper topics into great papers.

#1: Figure Out Your Thesis Early

Before you start writing a single word of your paper, you first need to know what your thesis will be. Your thesis is a statement that explains what you intend to prove/show in your paper. Every sentence in your research paper will relate back to your thesis, so you don't want to start writing without it!

As some examples, if you're writing a research paper on if students learn better in same-sex classrooms, your thesis might be "Research has shown that elementary-age students in same-sex classrooms score higher on standardized tests and report feeling more comfortable in the classroom."

If you're writing a paper on the causes of the Civil War, your thesis might be "While the dispute between the North and South over slavery is the most well-known cause of the Civil War, other key causes include differences in the economies of the North and South, states' rights, and territorial expansion."

#2: Back Every Statement Up With Research

Remember, this is a research paper you're writing, so you'll need to use lots of research to make your points. Every statement you give must be backed up with research, properly cited the way your teacher requested. You're allowed to include opinions of your own, but they must also be supported by the research you give.

#3: Do Your Research Before You Begin Writing

You don't want to start writing your research paper and then learn that there isn't enough research to back up the points you're making, or, even worse, that the research contradicts the points you're trying to make!

Get most of your research on your good research topics done before you begin writing. Then use the research you've collected to create a rough outline of what your paper will cover and the key points you're going to make. This will help keep your paper clear and organized, and it'll ensure you have enough research to produce a strong paper.

What's Next?

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These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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500 Good Research Paper Topics

Bonus Material: Essential essay checklist

Writing a research paper for a class and not sure how to start?

One of the most important steps to creating a great paper is finding a good topic!

Here’s a hand-drafted list from a Princeton grad who has helped professors at Harvard and Yale edit their papers for publication and taught college writing at the University of Notre Dame and .

What’s more, we give you some foolproof formulas for creating your own paper topic to fit the requirements of your class.

Using these simple formulas, we’ve helped hundreds of students turn a B- paper topic into an A+ paper topic.

Keep reading for our list of 500 vetted research paper topics and our magic formulas for creating your own topic!

Of course, if you want help learning to write research papers tailored to your individual needs, check out our one-on-one writing coaching or academic writing workshop . Set up a free consultation to see how we can help you learn to write A+ papers!

Jump to paper topics in:

European & Mediterranean History

African history, asian history, history of the pre-columbian americas.

Latin American History

History of Science

Politics & public policy, education & education policy, political theory, science policy.

Health Sciences & Psychology

What is a research paper?

In order to write a good research paper, it’s important to know what it is!

In general, we can divide academic writing into three broad categories:

Analytical: analyze the tools an author uses to make their point
Research: delve deeply into a research topic and share your findings
Persuasive : argue a specific and nuanced position backed by evidence

What’s the difference between an analytical paper and a research paper? For an analytical paper, it’s okay to just use one or two sources (a book, poem, work of art, piece of music, etc.) and examine them in detail. For a research paper, however, the expectation is that you do, well . . . research .

The depth of research that you’re expected to do will depend on your age and the type of class you’re taking.

In elementary or middle school, a “research paper” might mean finding information from a few general books or encyclopedias in your school library.

In high school, your teachers might expect you to start using information from academic articles and more specific books. You might use encyclopedias and general works as a starting point, but you’ll be expected to go beyond them and do more work to synthesize information from different perspectives or different types of sources. You may also be expected to do “primary research,” where you study the source material yourself, instead of synthesizing what other people have written about the source material.

In college, you’ll be required to use academic journals and scholarly books, and your professors will now expect that you be more critical of these secondary sources, noticing the methodology and perspectives of whatever articles and books you’re using.

In more advanced college courses, you’ll be expected to do more exhaustive surveys of the existing literature on a topic. You’ll need to conduct primary research that makes an original contribution to the field—the kind that could be published in a journal article itself.

For a walkthrough of the 12 essential steps to writing a good paper, check out our step-by-step guide .

Working on a research paper? Grab our free checklist to make sure your essay has everything it needs to earn an A grade.

Get the essential essay checklist

What makes a good research paper topic?

One of the most important features of a research paper topic is that it has a clear, narrow focus.

For example, your teacher may assign you to write a research paper related to the US Revolutionary War. Does that mean that your topic should be “the US Revolutionary War”?

Definitely not! There’s no way to craft a good paper with in-depth research with such a broad topic. (Unless you’re in elementary or middle school, in which case it’s okay to have a more general topic for your research paper.)

Instead, you need to find a more specific topic within this broader one. There are endless ways that you can make this narrower! Some ideas generated from this one broader topic might be:

Causes of the US Revolutionary War
Changes in military strategy during the Revolutionary War
The experiences of Loyalists to England who remained in the American colonies during the Revolutionary War
How the Revolutionary War was pivotal for the career of Alexander Hamilton
The role of alliances with France during the US Revolutionary War
The experiences of people of color during the Revolutionary War
How George Washington’s previous military career paved the way for his leadership in the Revolutionary War
The main types of weaponry during the Revolutionary War
Changes in clothing and fashion over the courses of the Revolutionary War
How Valley Forge was a key moment in the Revolutionary War
How women contributed to the Revolutionary War
What happened in Amherst, Massachusetts during the Revolutionary War
Field medicine during the Revolutionary War
How the Battle of Saratoga was a turning point in the Revolutionary War
How different opinions about the Revolutionary War were reflected in poetry written during that time
Debates over abolition during the Revolutionary War
The importance of supply chains during the Revolutionary War
Reactions to the US Revolutionary war in Europe
How the US Revolutionary war impacted political theory in England and France
Similarities and differences between the US Revolutionary War and the French Revolution
Famous paintings inspired by the US Revolutionary War
Different ways that the US Revolutionary War has been depicted in modern contemporary culture
The appropriation of the “Boston Tea Party” by US politicians in the 2010s

This list could go on forever!

good research paper topics about the US Revolution

In fact, any of these topics could become even more specific. For example, check out the evolution of this topic:

Economic causes of the Revolutionary war
The way that tax policies helped lead to the Revolutionary War
How tax laws enacted 1763–1775 helped lead to the Revolutionary War
How the tax-free status of the British East India Company helped lead to the Revolutionary War
How the 1773 tax-free status of the British East India Company helped lead to the Revolutionary War, as reflected in letters written 1767–1775
How the 1773 tax-free status of the British East India Company helped lead to the Revolutionary War, as reflected in letters written by members of the Sons of Liberty 1767–1775

As you advance in your educational career, you’ll need to make your topic more and more specific. Steps 1–3 of this topic might be okay in high school, but for a college research paper steps 4–7 would be more appropriate!

As you craft your research paper topic, you should also keep in mind the availability of research materials on your subject. There are millions of topics that would make interesting research papers, but for which you yourself might not be able to investigate with the primary and secondary sources to which you have access.

Access to research materials might look like:

To the best of our knowledge, the sources exist somewhere
The source isn’t behind a paywall (or you or your school can pay for it)
Your school or local library has a copy of the source
Your school or local library can order a copy of the source for you
The source is in a language that you speak
The source has been published already (there’s tons of amazing research that hasn’t been published yet, a frustrating problem!)
You can access the archive, museum, or database where the primary source is held—this might mean online access or travel! To access a source in an archive or museum you’ll often need permission, which often requires a letter of support from your school.

If you’re not sure about access to source materials, talk to a librarian! They’re professionals for this question.

Finally, pick a research topic that interests you! Given that there are unlimited research topics in the world and many ways to adapt a broad topic, there should absolutely be a way to modify a research topic to fit your interests.

Want help learning to write an amazing research paper? Work one-on-one with an experienced Ivy-League tutor to improve your writing skills or sign up for our bestselling academic writing workshop .

Insider tips to generate your own research paper topic

Use these formulas to generate your own research paper topics:

How did X change over a period of time (year, decade, century)?
What is the impact (or consequences) of X?
What led to X?
What is the role of X in Y?
How did X influence Y?
How did X become Y?
How was X different from Y?
How is X an example of Y?
How did X affect Y?
What were some reactions to X?
What are the most effective policies to produce X result?
What are some risks of X?
How is our current understanding of X incorrect? (advanced)
What happens if we look at X through the lens of Y theory or perspective? (advanced)

A good research paper topic often starts with the question words—why, how, what, who, and where. Remember to make it as specific as possible!

Good research paper topics

These research paper topics have been vetted by a Princeton grad and academic book editor!

How did European rivalries (British vs French) impact North American history?
What was the role of British and French alliances with indigneous tribes during the Seven Years’ War?
Reactions to the 1754 Albany Congress among North American intellectual figures
How the Albany Plan served as a model for future attempts at union among the North American colonies
How did different religious identities (Calvinist, Catholic, etc.) play a role in the aftermath of the Seven Years’ War?
What were the consequences of the 1763 Treaty of Paris?
How did the Seven Years’ War impact British debt and colonial economics?
What were some causes of the US Revolutionary War?
How did military strategy change during the Revolutionary War?
What were the experiences of Loyalists to England who remained in the American colonies during the Revolutionary War?
How was the Revolutionary War pivotal for the career of Alexander Hamilton?
What was the role of alliances with France during the US Revolutionary War?
What were the experiences of people of color during the Revolutionary War?
How did George Washington’s previous military career pave the way for his leadership in the Revolutionary War?
What were the main types of weaponry during the Revolutionary War? How did that affect the options for military strategies?
How did clothing and fashion change over the courses of the Revolutionary War?
How was Valley Forge a key moment in the Revolutionary War?
How did women contribute to the Revolutionary War?
What happened in Amherst, Massachusetts (or any other specific location) during the Revolutionary War?
What was field medicine like during the Revolutionary War?
How was the Battle of Saratoga a turning point in the Revolutionary War?
How were different opinions about the Revolutionary War reflected in poetry written during that time?
What were the debates over abolition during the Revolutionary War?
What was the role of supply chains during the Revolutionary War?
What were reactions to the US Revolutionary war like in Europe? What does that tell us about politics in England, France, the Netherlands, etc?
How did the US Revolutionary war impact political theory in England and France?
What are similarities and differences between the US Revolutionary War and the French Revolution?
What are some famous paintings inspired by the US Revolutionary War? What do differences between these paintings tell us about how the artists who created them saw the war?
What are some different ways that the US Revolutionary War has been depicted in modern contemporary culture? What does that tell us?
How was the story of the “Boston Tea Party” appropriated by US politicians in the 2010s, and why?
What was the difference between the Federalists and the Jeffersonians?
How did the 1797 XYZ Affair lead to the Quasi-War with France?
How were loans from European countries and companies (France, Spain, Dutch bankers) key to the early US?
What were reactions to the Constitutional Convention of 1787?
Why did the US remain neutral during the French Revolution?
How did the Alien and Sedition acts contribute to the election of Thomas Jefferson as president?
What was the US’s reaction to the Haitian revolution? Why did the US not recognize Haitian independence until 1862?
What were the reactions to John Jay’s Treaty of 1794?
How have the remarks made by George Washington in his Farewell Address inspired isolationist policies?
How did interpretations of the Monroe Doctrine change over the decades since its creation?
How did the Roosevelt Corollary and Lodge Corollary change and expand the Monroe Doctrine?
How did the presence of US companies like the United Fruit Company affect US military interventions in Latin America?
How was the Monroe Doctrine invoked in the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962?
How was US culture shaped by the Cold War?
How did ecology play a role in the rise of Ancient Egypt?
How did water management technologies impact Ancient Egypt?
How did bureaucracies function in Ancient Egypt?
How did Egyptian art influence Ancient Greek art?
Who could be a citizen in Athens in the 5th century BCE? What does this tell us about classical Athenian society?
What was the impact of the Peloponnesian War?
What was the impact of Alexander the Great’s attempt to create an empire?
How does the way that Alexander the Great is represented in art demonstrate conceptions about the relationship between the human and the divine?
Was there a conception of race in the ancient world? How were these ideas different from our own modern conceptions of race?
What was the role of debt slavery in the Roman republic? How were these policies ended, and what is the significance of the end of debt slavery? What kinds of slavery remained?
To what degree does the movie Gladiator accurately the Roman Empire in 176–192 CE?
What was the role of slavery in managing the large latifundia ?
How and why did the emperor Constantine I adopt Christianity?
How did patterns of urbanism in the latter Roman empire change? What does this tell us about challenges being faced at that time?
What do reactions to the Byzantine empress Theodora tell us about ideas of gender in 6th-century Byzantium?
How did scientific advancements in Islamic Spain influence the rest of Europe?
What was the relationship between Muslim, Christian, and Jewish populations in Islamic Spain? How does this compare to the experience of Muslim and Jewish populations in Christian Spain?
How did medieval troubadour poetry represent a new idea of romantic relationships?
What are similarities and differences between medieval troubadour poetry and lyric poetry in Ancient Greece?
What do letters between women and popes tell us about gender, power, and religion in medieval Europe?
In what ways was Hildegard of Bingen groundbreaking for her time?
Who produced beer in medieval England, and what does this tell us about society?
How did the adoption of hops affect the production and distribution of beer?
How did beer production allow some women a way to be financially independent?
How was clothing used to mark religious and cultural identities in 15th- and 16th-century Spain?
How did print culture change relationships and courting in Georgian England?
How did churches function as social gathering spaces in Georgian England?
To what degree is Netflix’s Bridgerton series historically accurate?
How did ideas of love change in the 18th century? How did philosophy play a role in this?
When were Valentine cards first commercially available? What does that show us about cultural ideas of love and courtship?
What were the consequences of the desertification of the Sahara?
How did trade links on the Red Sea influence Nubian culture?
How did Carthage build power in Northern Africa around 600–500 BCE?
What was the impact of the Mercenary War (241–238 BCE) in Carthage?
How did the Roman province of Africa play a key role in financing the Roman Empire?
What were the consequences of the Donatist division in the 300s in Northern Africa?
What was the impact of the large-scale movement of Bedouins from the Arabian peninsula into the Maghreb?
How was Mande society organized in the Mali Empire?
What was the role of the book trade in Timbuktu? What does this tell us about culture and learning in the Mali Empire?
How did Aksum use trade to build wealth and power?
What do Nok terracotta sculptures tell us about Nok culture?
How did the Luba Empire create a centralized political system? How did the idea of spiritual kins ( balopwe ) play a role in this system?
How did tax collection work in the Lunda empire?
What does it mean to say that the Ajuran Empire was a hydraulic empire? How did control over water resources allow the Ajuran Empire to build and consolidate power?
What is the significance of diplomatic ties between the Somai Ajuran Empire and Ming dynasty China?
How did the tribute system in the Kingdom of Kongo help to stimulate interregional trade?
What was the impact of the introduction of maize and cassava to the Kingdom of Kongo?
How did women wield influence in the Kingdom of Benin?
How did the Industrial Revolution in Europe help lead to the Scramble for Africa 1878–1898?
What were the consequences of the Second Boer War?
What happened in the Year of Africa (1960)?
How did the Han dynasty consolidate power in frontier regions?
How and why did the Han dynasty nationalize the private salt and iron industries in 117 BCE?
What are the earliest records of papermaking, and what is the significance of this invention?
What was the role of Daoist religious societies in rebellions at the end of the Han dynasty (Yellow Turban Rebellion, Five Pecks of Rice Rebellion)?
What do tomb paintings tell us about ancient Chinese society?
What was the impact of the Sui dynasty’s standardization and re-unification of the coinage?
What was the role of standardized testing in Sui dynasty and Tang dynasty China?
Why is the Tang dynasty often regarded as a golden age of cosmopolitan culture in Chinese history?
What was the role of slavery in imperial China?
How did the rise of jiedushi (regional military governments) undermine the civil-service system? What were the consequences of this?
How did Tang dynasty China exert power over Japan and Korea?
What was the Three Departments and Six Ministries system in imperial China and how did it work?
What does the appearance of Inca, Maya, and Aztec goods in North America (Utah, Canada) and the appearance of goods from the Great Lakes region in Maya and Aztec ruins tell us about trade in the Pre-Columbian Americas?
How did celebration of maize play a central role in Mesoamerican cultures?
How did the Aztec empire use relationships with client city-states to establish power? How did the Aztec empire use taxation to exert power?
How did the luxury good trade impact Aztec political power?
How did the building of roads play a key role in the Aztec empire?
How and why has archaeology played a pivotal role in expanding our understanding of the pre-Columbian Americas?
What are some common misconceptions about the Americas in the year 1491? Why do these misconceptions exist?

Latin American History (post-1492)

How and why did the Spanish appropriate Aztec sites of significance (e.g. Mexico City at the site of Tenochtitlan)?
What were reactions among Latin American intellectuals (e.g. Luis María Drago, Alejandro Álvarez and Baltasar Brum) to the Monroe Doctrine?
How was the US’s involvement in the Venezuela Crisis of 1902–1903 a pivotal turning point in the relationship between the US and Latin American countries?
What were the effects of the US’s involvement in the Cuban War for Independence?
How did the Roosevelt Corollary of 1904 benefit the US?
How did Simon Bolivar’s time in Europe affect his ideas about Latin American independence?
How did 19th century academic societies play a role in the advancement of scientific discoveries? Who was excluded from these societies?
How was music connected to the sciences in medieval thinking?
When was the concept of zero first used, and how was it instrumental for advancements in math?
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Research Paper Topics

Choose your Topic Smart

What starts well, ends well, so you need to be really careful with research paper topics. The topic of a research paper defines the whole piece of writing. How often have you chosen the book by its title? First impression is often influential, so make sure your topic will attract the reader instantly. By choosing your topic smart, the half of your job is done. That is why we have singled out several secrets on how to pick the best topic for you. Also see the list of 1000 thesis topics .

Browse Research Paper Topics by Category:

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What is the Key to a Perfect Topic for a Research Paper?

The key to a perfect topic includes three main secrets: interest, precision, and innovation.

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It is impossible to do something great if you have no interest in what you are doing. For this reason, make sure you choose the topic that drives you. If you are bored by what you investigate, do not expect that your paper will be exciting. Right now, spend some minutes or even hours thinking about what interests you. Jot down all your preferences in life, science, politics, social issues etc. It will help you get the idea what you can write about.

After realizing what drives you, narrow this general idea to a more specific one. A research paper is not about beating around the bush. You will need clear facts and data. You will have to provide evidence to your ideas. You will need to be precise, specific and convincing.

Finally, the idea of any research is that it should be surprising and distinctive. Think what makes your perspective and approach special. What is the novelty of your research?

Use Technology

If you are still stuck, use technology. Today we have an opportunity to make our lives easier with a bit of technology used. You can find paper topic generators online. This software will examine the category you want to investigate and the keywords from your research. Within several seconds, this program generates paper topics, so you can try it yourself. It can help you get started with your assignment.

100% Effective Advice

We will now give you advice that is 100% effective when picking the topic. Firstly, forget about what others may think about your topic. This is your topic and this is your perception of the world. Stay personal and let your personal style get you the top grades. Secondly, never decide on the topic before analyzing the background for your research. By this we mean, investigate the topic before you start the research proper. It happens quite often that students choose the topic and later they realize there is no data or information to use. That is why conduct some research beforehand. Thirdly, read other researchers’ papers on the topic you want to write about. It will help you get the idea of the investigation. Moreover, it will help you understand whether you truly want to write a paper on this topic. Finally, when you have picked the topic, started your research, make sure you dedicate your time and energy. If you want to get high results, you need to study every little details of your research.

Examine Different Ideas

People often come up with genius ideas after analyzing thousands of other people’s ideas. This is how our brain works. That is why you can analyze other people’s ideas for research paper topics and think up your own. If you have never written any paper of that kind, it will help you understand the gist of this assignment, the style and the requirements. By comparing different topics, you can motivate yourself and get inspired with these ideas. Luckily, you have come to the right place. Here is our list of top 100 research paper topics.

What Makes a Good Topic for a Research Paper?

A good research paper topic is the one that is successful and manageable in your particular case. A successful research paper poses an interesting question you can actually answer. Just as important, it poses a question you can answer within the time available. The question should be one that interests you and deserves exploration. It might be an empirical question or a theoretical puzzle. In some fields, it might be a practical problem or policy issue. Whatever the question is, you need to mark off its boundaries clearly and intelligently so you can complete the research paper and not get lost in the woods. That means your topic should be manageable as well as interesting and important.

A topic is manageable if you can:

Master the relevant literature
Collect and analyze the necessary data
Answer the key questions you have posed
Do it all within the time available, with the skills you have

A topic is important if it:

Touches directly on major theoretical issues and debates, or
Addresses substantive topics of great interest in your field

Ideally, your topic can do both, engaging theoretical and substantive issues. In elementary education, for example, parents, teachers, scholars, and public officials all debate the effectiveness of charter schools, the impact of vouchers, and the value of different reading programs. A research paper on any of these would resonate within the university and well beyond it. Still, as you approach such topics, you need to limit the scope of your investigation so you can finish your research and writing on time. After all, to be a good research paper, it first has to be a completed one. A successful research paper poses an interesting question you can actually answer within the time available for the project. Some problems are simply too grand, too sweeping to master within the time limits. Some are too minor to interest you or anybody else.

The solution, however, is not to find a lukewarm bowl of porridge, a bland compromise. Nor is it to abandon your interest in larger, more profound issues such as the relationship between school organization and educational achievement or between immigration and poverty. Rather, the solution is to select a well-defined topic that is closely linked to some larger issue and then explore that link. Your research paper will succeed if you nail a well-defined topic. It will rise to excellence if you probe that topic deeply and show how it illuminates wider issues.The best theses deal with important issues, framed in manageable ways. The goal is to select a well-defined topic that is closely linked to some larger issue and can illuminate it.

You can begin your project with either a large issue or a narrowly defined topic, depending on your interests and the ideas you have generated. Whichever way you start, the goals are the same: to connect the two in meaningful ways and to explore your specific topic in depth.

Of course, the choice of a particular research paper topic depends on the course you’re taking. Our site can offer you the following research paper topics and example research papers:

Moving from a Research Paper Idea to a Research Paper Topic

Let’s begin as most students actually do, by going from a “big issue” to a more manageable research paper topic. Suppose you start with a big question such as, “Why has the United States fought so many wars since 1945?” That’s certainly a big, important question. Unfortunately, it’s too complex and sprawling to cover well in a research paper. Working with your professor or instructor, you could zero in on a related but feasible research topic, such as “Why did the Johnson administration choose to escalate the U.S. war in Vietnam?” By choosing this topic, your research paper can focus on a specific war and, within that, on a few crucial years in the mid-1960s.

You can draw on major works covering all aspects of the Vietnam War and the Johnson administration’s decision making. You have access to policy memos that were once stamped top secret. These primary documents have now been declassified, published by the State Department, and made available to research libraries. Many are readily available on the Web. You can also take advantage of top-quality secondary sources (that is, books and articles based on primary documents, interviews, and other research data).

Drawing on these primary and secondary sources, you can uncover and critique the reasons behind U.S. military escalation. As you answer this well-defined question about Vietnam, you can (and you should) return to the larger themes that interest you, namely, “What does the escalation in Southeast Asia tell us about the global projection of U.S. military power since 1945?” As one of America’s largest military engagements since World War II, the war in Vietnam should tell us a great deal about the more general question.

The goal here is to pick a good case to study, one that is compelling in its own right and speaks to the larger issue. It need not be a typical example, but it does need to illuminate the larger question. Some cases are better than others precisely because they illuminate larger issues. That’s why choosing the best cases makes such a difference in your research paper.

Since you are interested in why the United States has fought so often since 1945, you probably shouldn’t focus on U.S. invasions of Grenada, Haiti, or Panama in the past two decades. Why? Because the United States has launched numerous military actions against small, weak states in the Caribbean for more than a century. That is important in its own right, but it doesn’t say much about what has changed so dramatically since 1945. The real change since 1945 is the projection of U.S. power far beyond the Western Hemisphere, to Europe and Asia. You cannot explain this change—or any change, for that matter—by looking at something that remains constant.

In this case, to analyze the larger pattern of U.S. war fighting and the shift it represents, you need to pick examples of distant conflicts, such as Korea, Vietnam, Kosovo, Afghanistan, or Iraq. That’s the noteworthy change since 1945: U.S. military intervention outside the Western Hemisphere. The United States has fought frequently in such areas since World War II but rarely before then. Alternatively, you could use statistics covering many cases of U.S. intervention around the world, perhaps supplemented with some telling cases studies.

Students in the humanities want to explore their own big ideas, and they, too, need to focus their research. In English literature, their big issue might be “masculinity” or, to narrow the range a bit, “masculinity in Jewish American literature.” Important as these issues are, they are too vast for anyone to read all the major novels plus all the relevant criticism and then frame a comprehensive research paper.

If you don’t narrow these sprawling topics and focus your work, you can only skim the surface. Skimming the surface is not what you want to do in a research paper. You want to understand your subject in depth and convey that understanding to your readers.

That does not mean you have to abandon your interest in major themes. It means you have to restrict their scope in sensible ways. To do that, you need to think about which aspects of masculinity really interest you and then find works that deal with them.

You may realize your central concern is how masculinity is defined in response to strong women. That focus would still leave you considerable flexibility, depending on your academic background and what you love to read. That might be anything from a reconsideration of Macbeth to an analysis of early twentieth-century American novels, where men must cope with women in assertive new roles. Perhaps you are interested in another aspect of masculinity: the different ways it is defined within the same culture at the same moment. That would lead you to novelists who explore these differences in their characters, perhaps contrasting men who come from different backgrounds, work in different jobs, or simply differ emotionally. Again, you would have considerable flexibility in choosing specific writers.

Connecting a Specific Research Paper Topic to a Bigger Idea

Not all students begin their research paper concerned with big issues such as masculinity or American wars over the past half century. Some start with very specific topics in mind. One example might be the decision to create NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement encompassing Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Perhaps you are interested in NAFTA because you discussed it in a course, heard about it in a political campaign, or saw its effects firsthand on local workers, companies, and consumers. It intrigues you, and you would like to study it in a research paper. The challenge is to go from this clear-cut subject to a larger theme that will frame your paper.

Why do you even need to figure out a larger theme? Because NAFTA bears on several major topics, and you cannot explore all of them. Your challenge—and your opportunity—is to figure out which one captures your imagination.

One way to think about that is to finish this sentence: “For me, NAFTA is a case of ___________.” If you are mainly interested in negotiations between big and small countries, then your answer is, “For me, NAFTA is a case of a large country like the United States bargaining with a smaller neighbor.” Your answer would be different if you are mainly interested in decision making within the United States, Mexico, or Canada. In that case, you might say, “NAFTA seems to be a case where a strong U.S. president pushed a trade policy through Congress.” Perhaps you are more concerned with the role played by business lobbies. “For me, NAFTA is a case of undue corporate influence over foreign economic policy.” Or you could be interested in the role of trade unions, environmental groups, or public opinion.

The NAFTA decision is related to all these big issues and more. You cannot cover them all. There is not enough time, and even if there were, the resulting paper would be too diffuse, too scattershot. To make an impact, throw a rock, not a handful of pebbles.

Choosing one of these large issues will shape your research paper on NAFTA. If you are interested in U.S. decision making, for example, you might study the lobbying process or perhaps the differences between Democrats and Republicans. If you are interested in diplomacy, you would focus on negotiations between the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Either would make an interesting research paper, but they are different topics.

Although the subject matter and analysis are decidedly different in the humanities, many of the same considerations still apply to topic selection. In English or comparative literature, for example, you may be attracted to a very specific topic such as several poems by William Wordsworth. You are not trying, as a social scientist would, to test some generalizations that apply across time or space. Rather, you want to analyze these specific poems, uncover their multiple meanings, trace their allusions, and understand their form and beauty.

As part of the research paper, however, you may wish to say something bigger, something that goes beyond these particular poems. That might be about Wordsworth’s larger body of work. Are these poems representative or unusual? Do they break with his previous work or anticipate work yet to come? You may wish to comment on Wordsworth’s close ties to his fellow “Lake Poets,” Coleridge and Southey, underscoring some similarities in their work. Do they use language in shared ways? Do they use similar metaphors or explore similar themes? You may even wish to show how these particular poems are properly understood as part of the wider Romantic movement in literature and the arts. Any of these would connect the specific poems to larger themes.

How to Refine Your Research Paper Topic

One of your professor’s or instructor’s most valuable contributions to the success of your research paper is to help you refine your topic. She can help you select the best cases for detailed study or the best data and statistical techniques. S/he can help you find cases that shed light on larger questions, have good data available, and are discussed in a rich secondary literature. She may know valuable troves of documents to explore. That’s why it is so important to bring these issues up in early meetings. These discussions with your instructor are crucial in moving from a big but ill-defined idea to a smart, feasible topic.Some colleges supplement this advising process by offering special workshops and tutorial support for students. These are great resources, and you should take full advantage of them. They can improve your project in at least two ways.

First, tutors and workshop leaders are usually quite adept at helping you focus and shape your topic. That’s what they do best. Even if they are relatively new teachers, they have been writing research papers themselves for many years. They know how to do it well and how to avoid common mistakes. To craft their own papers, they have learned how to narrow their topics, gather data, interpret sources, and evaluate conjectures. They know how to use appropriate methods and how to mine the academic literature. In all these ways, they can assist you with their own hard-won experience. To avoid any confusion, just make sure your instructor knows what advice you are getting from workshop leaders and tutors. You want everyone to be pulling in the same direction.

Second, you will benefit enormously from batting around your research paper in workshops. The more you speak about your subject, the better you will understand it yourself. The better you understand it, the clearer your research and writing will be. You will learn about your project as you present your ideas; you will learn more as you listen to others discuss your work; and you will learn still more as you respond to their suggestions. Although you should do that in sessions with your instructor, you will also profit from doing it in workshops and tutorial sessions.

Secrets to Keep in Mind when Writing a Research Paper

As a bonus, we have prepared several secrets for you to make your paper perfect. Firstly, always write your paper from scratch. Do not copy the already existing materials, as it can lead to unsatisfactory mark or even expulsion. Secondly, start your research early; do not put off investigating the topic. The earlier you start, the easier it will be to meet the deadline. Thirdly, plan your work and create an outline for your task. A planned work will help you be systematic. Plus, it will help you avoid writer’s block, as you always have an outline to follow. Another secret is following all the requirements. A research paper is an academic assignment, so all these structural and formatting standards are important. Finally, make sure you proofread and edit your task. Check your paper for grammar and spelling mistakes, examine your choice of vocabulary. If it seems too much, you can always ask our professional editors and they will check the paper for you. A mistakes-free paper is essential to get high results.

Custom Research Paper Writing Service

If you still have concerns regarding your research paper, we are here to answer your questions. It is no secret that studying is becoming more and more difficult at college. Every week you have an overload of tasks and assignments. You work hard, sleep little. As a result, you can be at the edge of a nervous breakdown trying to finish all the tasks on time. That is why we are here helping thousands of students to study smart.

24/7 you can contact us and order your paper. We never miss the deadline and always provide our clients with a top-notch quality. When you feel that you cannot handle it on your own, a bit of assistance will do no harm. All our writers are experts with years of experience. They are aware of all the subtleties of academic writing and they know all the recent college requirements. You can turn to us for help any time and we will get down to work immediately. From choosing the topic to writing the whole paper – this is what we have to offer. Getting top grades is much easier when the real professionals help you.

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101 research paper topics.

Why do we sleep ?
How do GPS systems work?
Who was the first person to reach the North Pole ?
Did anybody ever escape Alcatraz ?
What was life like for a gladiator ?
What are the effects of prolonged steroid use on the human body?
What happened during the Salem witch trials ?
Are there any effective means of repelling insects ?
How did trains and railroads change life in America?
What may have occurred during the Roswell UFO incident of 1947?
How is bulletproof clothing made?
What Olympic events were practiced in ancient Greece?
What are the major theories explaining the disappearance of the dinosaurs ?
How was the skateboard invented and how has it changed over the years?
How did the long bow contribute to English military dominance?
What caused the stock market crash of 2008?
How did Cleopatra come to power in Egypt what did she do during her reign?
How has airport security intensified since September 11 th , 2001?
What is life like inside of a beehive ?
Where did hip hop originate and who were its founders?
What makes the platypus a unique and interesting mammal?
How does tobacco use affect the human body?
How do computer viruses spread and in what ways do they affect computers?
What is daily life like for a Buddhist monk ?
What are the origins of the conflict in Darfur ?
How did gunpowder change warfare?
In what ways do Wal-Mart stores affect local economies?
How were cats and dogs domesticated and for what purposes?
What do historians know about ninjas ?
How has the music industry been affected by the internet and digital downloading?
What were the circumstances surrounding the death of Osama Bin Laden ?
What was the women’s suffrage movement and how did it change America?
What efforts are being taken to protect endangered wildlife ?
How much does the war on drugs cost Americans each year?
How is text messaging affecting teen literacy?
Are humans still evolving ?
What technologies are available to home owners to help them conserve energy ?
How have oil spills affected the planet and what steps are being taken to prevent them?
What was the Magna Carta and how did it change England?
What is the curse of the pharaohs?
Why was Socrates executed?
What nonlethal weapons are used by police to subdue rioters?
How does the prison population in America compare to other nations?
How did ancient sailors navigate the globe?
Can gamblers ever acquire a statistical advantage over the house in casino games?
What is alchemy and how has it been attempted?
How are black holes formed?
How was the assassination of Abraham Lincoln plotted and executed?
Do the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks?
How do submarines work?
Do lie detector tests accurately determine truthful statements?
How did Cold War tension affect the US and the world?
What happened to the lost settlers at Roanoke ?
How does a hybrid car save energy?
What ingredients can be found inside of a hotdog ?
How did Julius Caesar affect Rome?
What are some common sleep disorders and how are they treated?
How did the Freedom Riders change society?
How is internet censorship used in China and around the world?
What was the code of the Bushido and how did it affect samurai warriors ?
What are the risks of artificial tanning or prolonged exposure to the sun?
What programs are available to help war veterans get back into society?
What steps are involved in creating a movie or television show?
How have the film and music industries dealt with piracy ?
How did Joan of Arc change history?
What responsibilities do secret service agents have?
How does a shark hunt?
What dangers and hardships did Lewis and Clark face when exploring the Midwest?
Has the Patriot Act prevented or stopped terrorist acts in America?
Do states that allow citizens to carry guns have higher or lower crime rates?
How are the Great Depression and the Great Recession similar and different?
What are the dangers of scuba diving and underwater exploration?
How does the human brain store and retrieve memories ?
What was the Manhattan Project and what impact did it have on the world?
How does stealth technology shield aircraft from radar?
What causes tornadoes ?
Why did Martin Luther protest against the Catholic Church?
How does a search engine work?
What are the current capabilities and future goals of genetic engineers ?
How did the Roman Empire fall?
What obstacles faced scientists in breaking the sound barrier ?
How did the black plague affect Europe?
What happened to Amelia Earhart ?
What are the dangers and hazards of using nuclear power ?
How did Genghis Khan conquer Persia?
What architectural marvels were found in Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire ?
From where does spam email come and can we stop it?
How does night vision work?
How did journalists influence US war efforts in Vietnam ?
What are the benefits and hazards of medical marijuana ?
What causes desert mirages and how do they affect wanderers?
What was the cultural significance of the first moon landing ?
What are sinkholes and how are they formed?
Have any psychics ever solved crimes or prevented them from occurring?
Who is Vlad the Impaler and what is his connection to Count Dracula ?
What are the risks of climate change and global warming ?
What treatments are available to people infected with HIV and are they effective?
Who was a greater inventor, Leonardo di Vinci or Thomas Edison ?
How are the Chinese and American economies similar and different?
Why was communism unsuccessful in so many countries?
In what ways do video games affect children and teenagers?

This is an image of a young woman in a library. She is sitting at a desk with a pile of books and looking toward the ceiling. She appears to be in deep thought.

923 Comments

I like using this website when I assist kids with learning as a lot of these topics are quickly covered in the school systems. Thankyou

Mackenah Nicole Molina

Wow! I always have trouble deiciding what to do a research project on but this list has totally solved that. Now my only problem is choosing what idea on this list I should do first!

Most of these my teacher rejected because apparently ‘these aren’t grade level topics, and I doubt they interest you”

I’m sorry to hear that. Sounds like you will have a potentially valuable character-building experience in the short-term.

Edwin Augusto Galindo Cuba

THIS SITE IS AWESOME, THERE ARE LOTS OF TOPICS TO LEARN AND MASTER OUR SKILLS!

research kid

I need one about animals, please. I have been challenged to a animal research project, Due Friday. I have no clue what to research! somebody help, thanks for reading!

You can do one on bats

For international studies you can do Defense and Security.

This was very helpful.

Research on Ben Franklin? I think THAT will get a real charge out of everyone (hehehehegetit)

Mandy Maher

“Is it possible to colonize Mars?”

maddy burney

these are silly topics

thx for making this real.

Mary Nnamani

Please I need project topics on Language Literature

Marcella Vallarino

I would appreciate a list of survey questions for middle school grades 6-8

I need a research topics about public sector management

I NEED FIVE EXAMPLES EACH ON QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH (EDUCATION, HEALTH, TECHNOLOGY, ECONOMY AND ENGINEERING)

publish research that are interesting please……

hey can you do one on the burmiueda triangle

Anybody know video games effect kids,and,teens. There Fun!!

they’re

I need a topic about woman history if any of u can find 1 please that would be great!

You could research about the history of the astronauts, and of human past (WWI, WWII, etc.)

so about women? Manitoba Women Win the Right to Vote in Municipal Elections, The First Women, January 23, 1849: Elizabeth Blackwell becomes the first woman to graduate from medical school and become a doctor in the United States, Rosa Parks Civil Rights Equal Pay. I have way more. so if you need more just ask.

communism is good

what are you a communist?!?!

Did FDR know about the upcoming attack on Pearl Harbor on 07 DEC 1941.

do you know how babies are born

Christine Singu

kindly assist with a research topic in the field of accounting or auditing

need more about US army

Please can yiu give me a topic in education

I think one should be how can music/Video games can affect the life for people

or How Do Video Games Affect Teenagers?

zimbabwe leader

I think a good topic is supporting the confederate flag!

Need a research topic within the context of students union government and dues payments

do more weird ones plz

joyce alcantara

Hi pls po can you give me a topic relate for humanities pls thank u.

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How To Choose A Research Topic

Step-By-Step Tutorial With Examples + Free Topic Evaluator

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewer: Dr Eunice Rautenbach | April 2024

Choosing the right research topic is likely the most important decision you’ll make on your dissertation or thesis journey. To make the right choice, you need to take a systematic approach and evaluate each of your candidate ideas across a consistent set of criteria. In this tutorial, we’ll unpack five essential criteria that will help you evaluate your prospective research ideas and choose a winner.

Overview: The “Big 5” Key Criteria

Topic originality or novelty
Value and significance
Access to data and equipment
Time limitations and implications
Ethical requirements and constraints

Criterion #1: Originality & Novelty

As we’ve discussed extensively on this blog, originality in a research topic is essential. In other words, you need a clear research gap . The uniqueness of your topic determines its contribution to the field and its potential to stand out in the academic community. So, for each of your prospective topics, ask yourself the following questions:

What research gap and research problem am I filling?
Does my topic offer new insights?
Am I combining existing ideas in a unique way?
Am I taking a unique methodological approach?

To objectively evaluate the originality of each of your topic candidates, rate them on these aspects. This process will not only help in choosing a topic that stands out, but also one that can capture the interest of your audience and possibly contribute significantly to the field of study – which brings us to our next criterion.

Criterion #2: Value & Significance

Next, you’ll need to assess the value and significance of each prospective topic. To do this, you’ll need to ask some hard questions.

Why is it important to explore these research questions?
Who stands to benefit from this study?
How will they benefit, specifically?

By clearly understanding and outlining the significance of each potential topic, you’ll not only be justifying your final choice – you’ll essentially be laying the groundwork for a persuasive research proposal , which is equally important.

Criterion #3: Access to Data & Equipment

Naturally, access to relevant data and equipment is crucial for the success of your research project. So, for each of your prospective topic ideas, you’ll need to evaluate whether you have the necessary resources to collect data and conduct your study.

Here are some questions to ask for each potential topic:

Will I be able to access the sample of interest (e.g., people, animals, etc.)?
Do I have (or can I get) access to the required equipment, at the time that I need it?
Are there costs associated with any of this? If so, what are they?

Keep in mind that getting access to certain types of data may also require special permissions and legalities, especially if your topic involves vulnerable groups (patients, youths, etc.). You may also need to adhere to specific data protection laws, depending on the country. So, be sure to evaluate these aspects thoroughly for each topic. Overlooking any of these can lead to significant complications down the line.

Free Webinar: How To Find A Dissertation Research Topic

Criterion #4: Time Requirements & Implications

Naturally, having a realistic timeline for each potential research idea is crucial. So, consider the scope of each potential topic and estimate how long each phase of the research will take — from literature review to data collection and analysis, to writing and revisions. Underestimating the time needed for a research project is extremely common , so it’s important to include buffer time for unforeseen delays.

Remember, efficient time management is not just about the duration but also about the timing . For example, if your research involves fieldwork, there may specific times of the year when this is most doable (or not doable at all). So, be sure to consider both time and timing for each of your prospective topics.

Criterion #5: Ethical Compliance

Failing to adhere to your university’s research ethics policy is a surefire way to get your proposal rejected . So, you’ll need to evaluate each topic for potential ethical issues, especially if your research involves human subjects, sensitive data, or has any potential environmental impact.

Remember that ethical compliance is not just a formality – it’s a responsibility to ensure the integrity and social responsibility of your research. Topics that pose significant ethical challenges are typically the first to be rejected, so you need to take this seriously. It’s also useful to keep in mind that some topics are more “ethically sensitive” than others , which usually means that they’ll require multiple levels of approval. Ideally, you want to avoid this additional admin, so mark down any prospective topics that fall into an ethical “grey zone”.

If you’re unsure about the details of your university’s ethics policy, ask for a copy or speak directly to your course coordinator. Don’t make any assumptions when it comes to research ethics!

Key Takeaways

In this post, we’ve explored how to choose a research topic using a systematic approach. To recap, the “Big 5” assessment criteria include:

Topic originality and novelty
Time requirements
Ethical compliance

Be sure to grab a copy of our free research topic evaluator sheet here to fast-track your topic selection process. If you need hands-on help finding and refining a high-quality research topic for your dissertation or thesis, you can also check out our private coaching service .

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Top-notch Research Paper Topics List

29 November, 2020

16 minutes read

Author: Kate Smith

You know how they say: “Be strong; the beginnings to great things are always the hardest”? And though you might not consider writing a research paper and choosing a good research paper topic a really great thing, you see our point. If you are having troubles getting started with the composition in question, we have good news for you.

We have come up with a lengthy list of good research paper topics that will come in handy if you are running out of research paper ideas. Sounds like something you can use? Then don’t hesitate to make the most out of it!

And if you would rather order a whole piece from a professional, we can be of much help here too. Our research paper writing service can craft a piece for you at any time and on any topic. Just drop us a line!

But before we dive into various topics we have to offer, consider checking out our recommendations on how to find argumentative research paper topics all by yourself.

What is a Good Topic for a Research Paper?

There are several facets of a good research paper topic. To put it short, your theme should be:

When you pose a topic for your research, be sure that it is clear. A reader should be able to understand its purpose right away. If he doesn’t, you did not do a very good job formulating the subject line.

No kidding: you should do your best to be innovative even if you are writing a paper on something as old as time. It might not be simple, but we’re sure you can find a new perspective if you dedicate enough time to the search.

The paper must contain precise figures or facts. They are at the core of your research. Don’t confuse this type of composition with descriptive writing. They have nothing in common. So, focus on precise data: that’s exactly what your readers expect from you.

How to Choose Interesting Research Paper Topics

Before you take one of the topics we suggest, we recommend you to try to come up with a good topic yourself. It might be easier than you think. Here are several ways to spot an interesting idea:

Think of Something You Find Interesting.

There are always things we find astonishing but don’t have enough time to explore deeper. Maybe this is your chance to give it some time and conduct in-depth research. Of course, take into account the discipline and the academic level required. Thus, it’s pretty clear that you can’t talk about the Vietnam War for the Social Studies class paper (unless you’re looking into the differences of the military operations impact on the civilians and soldiers).

Choose a Topic With Sufficient Data for the Research.

The main point of writing this paper lies in finding information at various credible sources and refining it. Therefore, if you pick a subject that is somewhat new or wasn’t studied well in the past, you’ll have no information to work with. That is why the availability of credible information is vital to the success of the writing process.

Narrow the Subject Down.

The subject you find great interest in might be too broad. Not to sound too shallow, it’s better for you to pick just one perspective of the problem and study it carefully. This way you will be able to dive deep enough into the research instead of just hitting the high spots.

These are our recommendations on how to choose a theme on your own. Now let’s look into other tips we’d like to offer to you before you get down to writing.

Related post: How to write an Argumentative essay

How to write an outline for a research paper

While you can find all the essential information in our guide on how to write a perfect research paper outline , here we’ll introduce you to the basics.

Find an engaging topic. For it, read on to see what subject line we have to offer.
Create a list of credible sources to take a look at. You can either ask you tutor for recommendations, surf the web, or go old school and visit a library for suggestions.
Mark all the elements you will add to your outline.
Briefly explain what each of these components will be about. But don’t bury the blueprint under too many details. Keep it short!
Finally, find good examples to explore.

Now, that you understand how to craft a plan for your paper, have our tips to help you out along the way, your only job is to find good topic ideas to write about. And we can help you with that too!

Note that our company provides academic writing help. You can buy a research paper written from scratch by our essay writer .

Now that you know your ways around crafting good research papers, we want to introduce you to our list of various ideas you can conduct a thorough research on. Use our ideas if coming up with your own is something you don’t want to deal with at the moment.

Psychology Research Paper Topics

Are people with the IQ level above the average really unhappy?
Eating disorders: Are they necessarily associated with the self-image issues?
The impact of stress on the mental health of a person.
The nature and causes of child violence.
Insomnia as a valid excuse for breaking the rules or committing crimes.
Race relations in the USA in the 20th century and today.
The nature and causes of sexual orientation: Different perspectives on the issue.

Easy Research Paper Topics

The glass ceiling: Myth or reality?
Popular ventures started without money.
The history of the social media boom around the globe.
Top tech startups of the 21st century.
Video games and their impact on the development of young people.
Animal testing across the globe.
Is global warming real?
Has the Internet become a safer place with the cybersecurity principles implementation?
The impact of the screen time on a child’s mental development.
The US election system: The history and principles behind it.

World History Research Paper Topics

The life and traditions of the first Gladiators.
Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Bits and pieces of the tragedy.
The history of Singapore: From worst to first.
North Korea: Dictatorship ideology and its complications.
The establishment of the League of Nations.
Racial discrimination origins.
The history of the Gutenberg Bible.
The most powerful opponent of Germany in the WWI.
Egyptian pyramids: The history and meaning.
The history of Christianity.

Controversial Topics for Research Paper

The history of modern Israel.
Abortion: “My body – my rules” or the discrimination of the unborns’ rights?
How Facebook shaped the way people communicate today.
Beauty pageants: Celebration of the beauty or discrimination in disguise?
Death penalty around the globe.
Implications of gun control in the USA.
Creationism against Evolution.
Physical punishment as a core principle of children’s upbringing.
The origins of the “invasion of privacy” notion across the world.
The impact of social media addiction on young people.
Genetic predisposition to committing a crime.

High School Research Paper Topics

School uniform: The good, the bad, and the ugly.
The effect of sexual acts displays on TV.
The American Dream of Generation X and the Millennials.
Biggest cults existing today in the world.
Learning disabilities: Their nature, causes, and solutions.
The history of Somalia.
The portrayal of a woman in the social media today and 20 years ago.
Freedom of expression.
The poorest nations in the world.
The effect of feminism on Europe.
The impact of classical music on one’s brain.

Literature Research Paper Topics

The relevance of the US Literature class choices to the modern youth.
Examples of literature pieces that shaped whole cultures across the globe.
Feminism in literature.
The issue of the Holocaust in the world’s literature.
The first translations of the Bible.
Literature is known to be most effective in the struggle against illiteracy in different cultures.
The brightest images of Death in literature.
The history of slavery in Africa in world literature.
Romanticism in Spanish literature.
The moralism of the British literature of the 20th century.

College Research Paper Topics

Success stories of college dropouts.
The rarest phobias and fears people have.
The history of e-learning around the globe.
Can higher education grant a successful future career?
Should grades be banned from the educational system?
The use and harm of vaccination.
The new emerging specializations and professions of the 21st century.
The most effective teaching methods today.
The History of the Ivy League.
College re-organization for the better future of education.
Private vs. Public colleges in the USA: Pros and cons.

Persuasive Research Paper Topics

Antisemitism origins.
Sex education pushes the youth to involve in sexual relations too early.
The last days of newspapers in our media-controlled world.
The danger of the GMO.
Impact of Instagram on teenagers’ self-esteem.
Pros and cons of studying at a single-sex school.
Overpopulation management.
Deforestation: Are we digging our own grave this way?
People using cell phones while driving should be held criminally liable.
Paying children for good grades: Different perspectives on the issue.

Sports Research Paper Topics

The greatest athlete in the history of the world.
The history of the Olympic Games.
Why are cybersports considered sports?
The history of marathons and their use today.
Doping in sports.
The use of playing competitive sports.
The most dangerous sports from all over the world.
Should sports be used as a therapy in prisons?
Should student athletes be paid for playing sports?
The effect of physical activities on the human’s brain.

Criminal Justice Research Paper Topics

Prisoners falsely accused and then released should receive financial compensation from the state.
Sexual harassment problem in Europe and the USA.
Should corporate abuse be considered a criminal injustice case?
The death penalty in different countries.
Hate crime history in the USA.
Control over the brutal behavior of guardsmen at prisons.
Should mental issues affect the court judgment?
Sex slavery: Should people buying and selling sex slaves be sentenced to the death penalty?
Should the criminals be allowed to vote?
Two sides of the Mandatory Minimum sentencing.

Topics about Technology for the Research Paper

Will artificial intelligence substitute humans at a workplace?
Saving the Earth today with the aid of state-of-the-art technologies.
Self-driving cars development history.
The history of Virtual and Augmented realities.
Positive use of nuclear energy and the future.
How does the lie detector work? Is this a trustworthy technology?
The history of aviation in the world.

Medical Research Paper Topics

Why animal testing should be stopped.
The history of the Placebo treatment.
Euthanasia: What doctors from different countries think about it.
The use of vegetarianism: The myth or reality?
Mental breakdown: Causes and prevention.
The notion of mood in medicine.
Should marijuana be allowed for recreational purposes?
Should vaccination be mandatory?
The history of plague in Europe.
The most dangerous virus of today.

Ethics Research Paper Topics

Religion and morality: Are people with strong moral beliefs more moral than atheists?
Should teachers be allowed to carry weapons to school?
Prostitution across the globe.
Should recycling be made mandatory?
Paparazzi and the invasion of celebrities’ privacy.
Parents should monitor their kids’ Internet use.
Do laws generally patronize women and discriminate against men?
Adoption by single parents vs. adoption by a two-parent family today.
Countries that use child labor: Should we use their products?
Should breastfeeding in public be banned?

Tips on Writing a Research Paper

Write an outline. An outline will help you stay focused. Since this type of writing is quite lengthy, it is easy to lose track along the way. That is why crafting a detailed outline is in your best interest. It will serve as a roadmap or a blueprint of the whole project.
Start bright. You only have one chance to make a positive first impression. That is why you simply cannot afford writing a dull introduction. There are certain rules on how to start a research paper, and you’d better stick to the rules as described in our guide. A bright opening paragraph will ensure the genuine interest of your audience in what you have to say about the topic and will keep them engaged as you write.
Use immaculate grammar and spelling. Nothing kills a good paper like poor grammar or spelling. It distracts the reader from the main point and makes him stumble while reading. And if you’re worried that grammar and spelling checking will take up too much of your time, don’t worry: you can always use technologies like Grammarly to do the job for you in seconds.
Compose a compelling thesis statement. A thesis statement is the central point of your research paper. You need to insert it in the introduction and make sure that this central idea is exactly one sentence long. Make it loud and clear. However, given the length of this vital part of a research paper, don’t bore readers with too many unnecessary details. This means that you should mention what issue you will look into and why but don’t explain in which ways you will achieve this. Here is a complete guide on what is a thesis statement that will walk you through the process step by step. Enjoy!
Stay within the word count limits. This type of writing has a rather strict word count limit. And you need to stay within it. Tutors don’t have all the time in the world to read long pieces. If you can’t stay within word count limits, they’ll assume you didn’t spend enough time filtering the most vital information out of the research (even if you did). So, not to give them that false impression, don’t make it too short or too long. Make it just right. This is the case when the size matters!
Ask for help. After spending long hours crafting this paper, you are likely to miss some important points. The thing is that you know exactly what you wanted to say, and mistakes seem to be left unnoticed. Not to let them slip into your text, ask your peers, friends, or family to take a look at your writing. Their fresh perspective might be of much help to you!

We hope our research paper topics ideas will help you pick a theme you are genuinely interested in. We promise: conducting research and diving into the search can be a lot of fun as long as you choose an engaging subject.

Related posts: Argumentative essay topics | Compare&Contrast essay topics

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150 Research Paper Topics

Whether you’re in high school or college, there will come a time when you’ll be required to write a research paper. For many students, writing a research paper can be a challenging task.

Writing the research paper might seem like it’s the hardest part of the entire paper, but for many students, it’s picking out what topic to write about.

If you’re having a difficult time figuring out what topic to write your research paper about, we’ve compiled a list of 150 topics for you to choose from!

How to Choose a Topic for a Research Paper

Pick a few areas or topics that you’re interested in and narrow it down to the topic that you like the best. You’ll be able to put together an insightful paper if you’re interested in the topic you chose.
Make sure you have enough references for your topic. Doing a quick search will help you see if your topic is discussed enough for you to do research.
Make sure your topic fits within your teacher’s guidelines. Your teacher may have set restrictions on certain topics or even requirements that they may want in your paper.

Health Topics

How can lifestyle habits influence overall health?
How does breastfeeding improve the infant’s health?
Reasons why the flu virus is different from year to year.
Different types of stem cells and their usage.
Sleep disorders’ impact on the overall health condition.
The healthiest diet does not exist.
Stop smoking to improve mental health.
Why are carbs bad for people who are insulin resistant?
Why is the skin on a face more sensitive to breakouts and touch than on any other part of the body?
Low carbohydrate vs. low-fat diets.

Science Topics

How has the earth’s climate changed in the past few decades?
What are the pros and cons of fracking?
Should the US rely on nuclear energy more?
How are black holes created?
Why is “dark matter” important?
Is global warming a hoax? Is it being exaggerated?
What are the main sources of marine pollution?
Endangered species – How can we preserve them?
What did you do to make the world a better place?
What have NASA’s biggest successes and failures been?

Psychology Topics

What Are Psychological Effects of Technology Addiction?
What Causes Eating Disorders?
How Do Certain People Become Leaders?
How Important Is Love for the Child’s Development?
How Does Lack of Sleep Affect Our Mental Health?
Insomnia and its Effects on Human Health.
Physical and Mental Violence on Children and Domestic Abuse.
How dangerous are eating disorders?
Post-traumatic stress syndrome.
What causes depression?

Ethics Topics

How and why have divorce rates changed over time?
Should physician-assisted suicide be legal?
How has stem cell research impacted the medical field?
How can human trafficking be reduced in the United States/world?
Importance of following ethics in psychological research.

Social Media Topics

Are social networks making us lonely and unsociable?
How to protect children online?
Is there such a thing as social media addiction?
Who are world-famous influencers on social media?
Does social media affect our relationships?
Are teens who spend more time on social media more likely to suffer anxiety and/or depression?
Has social media made people more or less connected?
How does social media influence interpersonal communication?
How can one defend privacy issues on Facebook and other social media?
Impacts of social media on youth.

Legal Issues Topics

Should marijuana be legalized at the national level?
Should there be a law preventing cyber-bullying?
What can be done to improve family law?
What countries have the worst legal systems?
What countries have the best legal systems?
What are the main flaws of the legal system in the USA?
Does police brutality contribute to the onset of hate crimes?
Why should the minimum legal drinking age be kept at eighteen years?
Does drug legalization contribute to the increased crime rate?
How do torrenting sites influence creativity and copyright?

Technology Topics

Do smartphones increase or decrease workplace productivity?
What are the most effective ways to use technology in the classroom?
How is Google search affecting our intelligence?
What are some advances in technology related to medicine?
Can everything be solar powered?
How is text messaging affecting teen literacy?
How can technology help in preventing terrorist attacks?

Government Topics

Several states have legalized recreational marijuana. What positive and negative impacts have they experienced as a result?
Has the increase in US airport security made passengers safer?
Should the federal government be allowed to regulate information on the internet?
Should the United States of America reform its Immigration policies?
Which prison reforms have proven most effective?

Education Topics

Do students from wealthier backgrounds score higher on standardized tests?
How does giving each student access to an iPad or laptop affect their studies?
Do children who attend preschool do better in school later on?
What impact does mandatory physical education classes have on students’ health?
Which methods are most effective at reducing bullying in schools?
How does college debt affect future life choices of students?
E-Learning at home VS traditional education.
The Effectiveness and Flaws of the No Child Left Behind Act.
General tests and their effectiveness in various institutions.
How to encourage students to study what they are passionate about?

Business Topics

How has business etiquette changed in the past few years?
Features that define a true business leader.
Things that make young startups fail during the first couple of years.
Does franchising make it easier to run a business?
Pros & cons of outsourcing services.

Sports Topics

Importance of physical exercise in school.
Is cheerleading a sport?
Do sports influence an individual’s emotional well-being?
Safest exercises for students with disabilities.
Collaboration on a sports field. What is the most effective communication strategy among sports team members?
Differences in the Italian Renaissance and Northern Renaissance.
Impacts famous artists had on the world.
The art of Ancient Egypt.
Censorship in art.
Analyze the impact a famous artist had on the world.

Entertainment Topics

Are violent video games really to blame for problems in children’s behavior?
Are beauty contests making beauty standards even more unachievable?
Are modern media gradually replacing newspapers?
Reasons why we cannot do without the mass media.
Compare and contrast the benefits of mass media to society.
How have shows like “Project Runway” influenced fashion? Have they motivated people to become more creative and personal in what they wear?
Are newspapers going extinct?
Do TV shows impose unreal moral standards?
Women competing against men: is it really fair?
How fake moral standards are imposed by television

Current Events Topics

Analyze the history of the relationship between the United States and North Korea.
What factors contributed to the current decline in the rate of unemployment?
What have been the impacts of states which have increased their minimum wage?
How do US immigration laws compare to immigration laws of other countries?
How have the US’s immigration laws changed in the past few years/decades?
Is the U.S. economy becoming stronger or weaker?
Is there a better way to fight the war against drugs internationally?
Can Bitcoin really become the currency of the future in America?
Preventing police brutality: history and what citizens can do.
History of the electoral college system of voting.

History Topics

What events led to the fall of the Roman Empire?
Was the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki necessary?
What were the causes of the Civil War?
How did Abraham Lincoln’s assassination impact the country and reconstruction after the Civil War?
Which factors contributed to the colonies winning the American Revolution?
What caused Hitler’s rise to power?
Discuss how a specific invention impacted history.
What Factors Caused the Stock Market Crash in 1929?
What Were the Social Consequences of the Vietnam War?
What Is the Role of Women in the Military?

Physics and Astronomy Topics

What Is Pluto if It’s not a Planet?
Can We Determine How Old the Universe Is?
What Are Dark Holes?
Could People Survive on Mars?
Is Space Exploration Really Necessary?
Can We Prevent a Large Comet from Striking the Earth?
What are the physics behind the creation of rainbows?
The importance of robots in industries.
The evolution of the self-driving car and its impact on the economy.
The role of physics in the healthcare industry.

Animals Topics

Do animals express love?
Is animal testing a kind of animal cruelty?
Should environments be protected if endangered species live there?
How have humans bred domestic animals to be different from their original wild counterparts?
What is the current genetic and fossil evidence that chickens, dogs, and other domestic animals were much different even a few hundred years ago?

Medical Topics

The use of medical marijuana: pros and cons
Is it safe for children to be vegetarians?
How the society views on vaccines change
Can pharmaceutical companies advertise prescription drugs directly to buyers?
The role of doctors in the growing nation’s drug addiction
How many treatments to Autism are there?
How is ageism impacting mental health and addictions?
What are the pros and cons of antipsychotics?
Should alternative medicine be legalized?
Is the relationship between the FDA and the pharmaceutical industry a good one?

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Research Paper Topics - Best Picks

Did you know that more than 2.5 million research papers are published worldwide every year? This huge number highlights the vast array of topics students and researchers can explore.

Below, you will find 200 interesting research topics to help spark your creativity and get you started on your next academic venture. Additionally, you can browse essay topics that can also help set your research in the right duration.

Research Paper Topics on Math

Applications of machine learning algorithms in data analysis and prediction.
Mathematical modeling of biological systems and population dynamics.
Cryptography and its applications in secure communication and data protection.
Theoretical advances in number theory and their practical implications.
Optimization techniques and their applications in engineering and operations research.
Chaos theory and its applications in weather forecasting and complex systems.
Graph theory and its applications in network analysis and social networks.
Mathematical aspects of game theory and decision-making in economics.
Topological methods in data analysis and pattern recognition.
Fractal geometry and its applications in computer graphics and image compression.
Statistical methods for analyzing large datasets and drawing meaningful conclusions.
Algebraic geometry and its applications in computer vision and robotics.
Pricing models for derivatives and risk management strategies.
Computational methods for solving partial differential equations and fluid dynamics problems.
Mathematical biology: Modeling biological processes and ecosystems.
Discrete mathematics and its applications in computer science and information theory.
Theoretical aspects of machine learning algorithms and their optimization.
Mathematical logic and its role in computer science and artificial intelligence.
Combinatorial optimization and its applications in logistics and resource allocation.
Quantum computing: Mathematical foundations and potential applications in cryptography.

Research Paper Topics on Business

The impact of remote work on organizational culture and productivity.
Modern diversity and inclusion initiatives for businesses.
Digital marketing strategies for small businesses in the post-pandemic era.
The role of corporate social responsibility in enhancing brand reputation and consumer loyalty.
Supply chain disruptions: Strategies for building resilience and mitigating risks.
The rise of e-commerce and its implications for traditional brick-and-mortar businesses.
Entrepreneurship and innovation for fostering a culture of creativity and growth.
The future of retail: Trends and challenges in a digital-first world.
Sustainable business practices: Balancing profitability with environmental responsibility.
Leadership in times of crisis: Managing uncertainty and driving organizational change.
Financial management strategies for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Employee engagement and retention: Strategies for cultivating a motivated workforce.
Strategic partnerships and alliances: Leveraging collaboration for business success.
Digital transformation: Adopting new technologies to stay competitive in the market.
The gig economy: Implications for workforce management and talent acquisition.
Business ethics and corporate governance: Principles for ethical decision-making and accountability.
International expansion: Challenges and strategies for entering new markets.
Customer relationship management: Building lasting connections in a digital world.
Data-driven decision-making: Harnessing analytics for business growth and optimization.
Crisis management and business continuity planning: Preparing for unexpected challenges.

Research Paper Topics on Psychology

Psychological implications of social media use across different age groups and cultures.
The psychology of risk-taking behavior: Understanding motivations and consequences.
Cognitive biases and their impact on decision-making in various contexts.
Psychological aspects of online learning: Motivation, engagement, and academic performance.
The role of self-compassion in mental health and resilience.
Exploring the psychology of conspiracy theories: Beliefs, motivations, and consequences.
Cultural differences in emotion regulation and expression: Implications for mental health interventions.
Psychological perspectives on environmental sustainability and pro-environmental behaviors.
The psychology of procrastination: Underlying factors and strategies for change.
Psychological effects of gaming and esports: Benefits, risks, and implications.
The role of pets in human mental health and well-being.
Psychological aspects of body image and eating behaviors across diverse populations.
Exploring the psychology of humor: Effects on mood, social connections, and well-being.
Psychological resilience in the face of natural disasters and traumatic events.
The impact of color psychology on mood, behavior, and decision-making.
Psychological factors influencing the adoption of sustainable lifestyle choices.
The psychology of music: Emotional responses, preferences, and therapeutic applications.
Understanding and addressing mental health stigma within healthcare systems.
Psychological perspectives on aging and successful aging: Factors contributing to well-being in later life.
The psychology of creativity in problem-solving and innovation across disciplines.

Research Paper Topics on Literature

Love and loss in Shakespeare's sonnets.
Gender representation in Jane Austen's novels.
Mythology in Greek tragedies.
Colonialism in post-colonial literature.
"The Great Gatsby" and the American Dream.
Identity in Toni Morrison's novels.
Magical realism in García Márquez's "One Hundred Years of Solitude."
War in Hemingway's novels.
Alienation and existentialism in Kafka's works.
Race and racism in African-American literature.
Folklore and fairy tales in the Brothers Grimm's works.
Nature in Romantic poetry.
Political allegory in Orwell's "Animal Farm."
Heroism in Homer's "The Odyssey."
Satire in Swift's "Gulliver's Travels."
Social class and inequality in Dickens' novels.
Surrealism in García Lorca's poetry.
Madness in Shakespeare's tragedies.
Religion and morality in Dostoevsky's works.
Modernity in the Harlem Renaissance literature.

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Well, why not order our collection of funny research paper topics and let the hilarity begin? Your grades will thank you later!

Research Paper Topics on Environment

The interplay between urbanization and environmental sustainability.
Technological innovations for addressing climate change challenges.
Social, economic, and environmental implications of renewable energy transitions.
Ecotourism as a tool for conservation and community development.
Indigenous knowledge and practices in environmental management.
The role of public policy in promoting sustainable development.
Sustainable transportation solutions for reducing carbon emissions.
The impact of consumer behavior on environmental sustainability.
Green building technologies and their contribution to energy efficiency.
The potential of circular economy models in waste reduction and resource conservation.
Water scarcity and management strategies in arid regions.
The nexus between agriculture, food security, and environmental sustainability.
The role of citizen science in monitoring and addressing environmental issues.
Environmental education and its influence on public awareness and behavior.
Natural resource management and conflicts over land and water resources.
The effects of pollution on ecosystems and human health.
Indigenous rights and environmental conservation efforts.
Environmental governance mechanisms at local, national, and international levels.
The impact of globalization on natural resource exploitation and conservation.
Resilience and adaptation strategies for communities vulnerable to environmental hazards.

Research Paper Topics on Biology

The genetic basis of human diseases and potential therapeutic interventions.
Evolutionary mechanisms driving biodiversity and speciation.
Ecological impacts of climate change on species distribution and ecosystems.
Cellular mechanisms underlying cancer development and progression.
Genetic engineering and its applications in agriculture, medicine, and industry.
Neurobiology of learning and memory formation in humans and animals.
Biodiversity conservation strategies and their effectiveness in preserving ecosystems.
Microbial communities and their role in human health and disease.
Molecular mechanisms of aging and potential interventions for lifespan extension.
Adaptations of extremophiles to extreme environmental conditions.
Epigenetics and its role in gene expression regulation and disease susceptibility.
The immune system and its response to pathogens and vaccines.
Plant-microbe interactions and their impact on plant health and productivity.
Population genetics and its implications for conservation biology and evolutionary studies.
Genetic basis of behavior and its evolutionary significance.
Biotechnology applications in environmental remediation and pollution control.
Comparative genomics and evolutionary relationships among different species.
Physiological adaptations of organisms to changing environmental conditions.
Bioinformatics tools and their role in analyzing genomic and proteomic data.
Ethical considerations in biotechnological research and applications.

Research Paper Topics on Health and Medicine

The global impact of telemedicine on healthcare access and patient outcomes.
Genetic advancements and their role in personalized medicine worldwide.
Mental health awareness initiatives and their effectiveness across cultures.
The influence of dietary patterns on chronic disease management in different populations.
Comparative analysis of universal healthcare systems in various countries.
The role of vaccines in preventing global infectious diseases.
Physical activity's effects on mental health and well-being in diverse populations.
The effectiveness of alternative medicine in various cultural settings.
Socioeconomic disparities and their impact on global healthcare access.
International strategies for combating antibiotic resistance.
Public health campaigns and their success in reducing lifestyle-related diseases globally.
Environmental determinants of health outcomes in different regions.
Mental health intervention effectiveness in multicultural contexts.
Innovations in cancer treatment and their global impact on survival rates.
Emerging medical technologies and their role in enhancing surgical outcomes.
The effects of health policies on managing non-communicable diseases worldwide.
The challenges and opportunities of aging populations on healthcare systems globally.
Primary care's role in chronic disease management across various healthcare systems.
Global perspectives on stress management techniques and health outcomes.
International health initiatives and their success in reducing global health disparities.

Research Paper Topics on Education

The impact of technology on education systems globally.
Teacher-student relationships and their effect on academic success.
The influence of standardized testing on student learning and motivation.
Innovative strategies for improving literacy rates in various educational settings.
Benefits and challenges of inclusive education for students with diverse needs.
The impact of parental involvement on student academic achievement and behavior.
The role of arts education in fostering creativity and critical thinking.
Comparing the effectiveness of online learning and traditional classroom education.
Socioeconomic status and its influence on educational opportunities and outcomes.
The impact of school leadership on teacher performance and student success.
Benefits of bilingual education programs in diverse communities.
The role of extracurricular activities in student development and academic performance.
Long-term academic benefits of early childhood education programs.
Strategies for closing the achievement gap in different types of schools.
Effects of classroom environment on student learning and engagement.
The role of vocational education in preparing students for various career paths.
School policies' impact on bullying prevention and student safety.
Importance of teacher professional development for enhancing instructional quality.
Cultural diversity's influence on teaching practices and student learning.
The role of educational technology in supporting personalized and adaptive learning.

Research Paper Topics on Sports

Mental health benefits of regular sports participation.
The role of proper nutrition in enhancing athletic performance.
Gender differences in sports performance and participation rates.
The ethical and health implications of doping in competitive sports.
How different coaching styles influence team success and player development.
The relationship between adequate sleep and peak athletic performance.
The impact of modern technology on sports training and athlete performance.
The physical and social benefits of participation in youth sports programs.
The role of sports in building stronger, more cohesive communities.
Effects of climate and weather conditions on outdoor sports performance.
The importance of injury prevention strategies in competitive sports.
Psychological effects of winning and losing on athletes.
The evolution and impact of sports equipment design on performance.
The role of regular sports participation in promoting overall physical fitness.
The influence of media coverage on public perception of professional athletes.
Historical development and significance of the Olympic Games.
Economic impacts of hosting major sports events on local communities.
Unique challenges faced by female athletes in male-dominated sports.
The effect of crowd support on the performance of athletes and teams.
The relationship between participation in sports and academic performance in students.

Seven Signs of Good Topics for Research Paper

Here are the main characteristics of engaging research paper ideas:

Relevance	The topic should be timely and relevant to current issues, trends, or debates in the field of study.
Significance	The topic should address an important research question or problem that has implications for theory, practice, or policy.
Feasibility	The topic should be feasible to research within the constraints of time, resources, and access to data or information.
Originality	The topic should offer a fresh perspective or innovative approach to existing research or fill a gap in the literature.
Scope	The topic should be appropriately scoped to allow for in-depth analysis and exploration without being too broad or too narrow.
Interest	The topic should be interesting and engaging to the researcher and potential readers or stakeholders in the field.
Contribution	The topic should have the potential to contribute new insights, knowledge, or solutions to the field of study and advance scholarship.

If you don’t feel that your topic meets the abovementioned criteria and the time is too short to brainstorm more research topic ideas, simply say, ‘ write my paper ,’ and one of our experts will be there to help you shortly.

How to Choose a Quality Research Paper Topic

Always select a topic that genuinely interests you and aligns with your passion. Your enthusiasm will fuel your motivation and commitment throughout the research process.

Stay Current

Choose a relevant and timely topic. Look for emerging trends, pressing issues, or gaps in the literature that your research can address. Consult this guide if you need more information about how to research a topic .

Consider Your Audience

Think about who your audience is and what topics would be most engaging and relevant to them. Tailor your topic selection to the interests and needs of your audience.

Be Specific

Narrow down your focus to a specific research question or problem. This will help you avoid tackling overly broad topics and ensure your research is focused and manageable.

Assess Feasibility

Consider the resources, time, and access to data or information available for your research. Choose a topic that you can feasibly research within the constraints of your academic program or timeline.

Seek Inspiration

Look for inspiration from miscellaneous sources, including academic journals, news articles, conferences, and conversations with peers or mentors. Explore different perspectives and ideas to spark your creativity.

Gather Feedback

Discuss your potential topics with your peers, instructors, or academic advisors. They can provide valuable feedback, offer different perspectives, and help you refine your research paper ideas. If you want to join forces with a subject-relevant professor, use our research proposal writing service to entice them to work with you.

Access Significance

Measure the significance of your chosen topic in the context of your field of study. Consider its relevance, potential contributions to existing knowledge, and implications for theory, practice, or policy.

Remain Flexible

Be open to adjusting your research topic ideas as you conduct further analysis and gain new insights. Research is an iterative process, and your topic may evolve as you delve deeper into the literature and data.

Stay True to Yourself

Choose a topic that resonates with you and reflects your academic interests, values, and goals. Your research paper is an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to your field and showcase your expertise and passion. If that doesn’t help, buy a research paper from our writing specialists to save time and nerves.

Students often find it difficult to generate research paper topic ideas due to factors such as a lack of clarity on their interests, limited access to relevant resources, and time constraints.

A solution to this challenge is to consider utilizing a professional writing service, which can provide expert guidance and assistance in selecting a research paper topic tailored to the student's interests and requirements.

To bring your academic writing prowess to the next level, please consider the following guide on how to write a reflective essay .

Looking for A+ Argumentative Research Paper Topics?

Let our research essay service be your guide to crafting compelling essays that win debates and top grades!

What Are 5 Good Research Questions for Students?

What are the best research topics, what topic should i use for my research paper.

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Best Persuasive Speech Topics: 210 Engaging Ideas

Topics for Research Papers: Diverse Research Ideas Across Disciplines

Table of contents

1 Why Is the Choice of Subject in Research Papers So Important?
2 How to Choose a Research Paper Topic?
3 Business Research Paper Topics
4 Media and Communications Research Paper Topics
5 Psychology Research Paper Topics
6 Argumentative Research Paper Topics
7 Controversial Topics for Research Paper
8 Easy Research Paper Topics
9 Research Topic in Natural Sciences
10 Sociology Research Paper Topics
11 Family Research Paper Topics
12 Discrimination Research Paper Topics
13 Law Research Paper Topics
14 Environmental Research Paper Topics
15 Education Research Paper Topics
16 Science and Technology Research Paper Topics
17 College Research Paper Topics
18 Health Research Paper Topics
19 Politics Research Paper Topics
20 History Research Paper Topics
21 Music Research Paper Topics
22.1 After Choosing the Research Topic
22.2 Closing Thoughts

When students approach the final stage of their academic journey, they immediately begin to think about the need to develop their research project to add to their college curriculum. To do this, students start searching for the best research paper topics. From then on, many insecurities and doubts will haunt the minds of these college education students who will have a big job ahead of them with the best research paper topic.

To help students during this challenging phase of their education, we can help them explore various interesting research paper topics, figure out which one aligns with their interests, and start working on it well ahead of the deadline.

Why Is the Choice of Subject in Research Papers So Important?

The final project of a student who is in college is a research paper. However, the student needs to start working on it before the end of their program. It is known that the sooner you begin this process, the more time and tranquility you will find to develop it. Therefore, a research paper will review what experts on a given subject have published in the literature, making the student choose and defend a point of view concerning a thesis statement. Writing one successfully requires surveys and data to back your idea or topic and choose a good research paper topic.

How to Choose a Research Paper Topic?

Choosing a research paper topic is a crucial step in the research process . It’s important to select a topic that interests you, aligns with your academic goals, and is feasible to research. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to pick a good research paper topic :

Pick a subject that you’re passionate about! If you’re passionate about your subject, the research process will be more relevant, and you will have more research topic ideas.
Concentrate on a doable topic.
You will only be able to focus if your topic is narrow enough.
Examine the subject selection instructions provided in your assignment—request advice from your lecturer or TA.
Always refer to important materials and notes about classes so that you are up to date on the topic.
Brainstorm research topics with a friend. They will be able to help you write your emphasis and raise concerns that will not be present at the time of your presentation.
Consider the following questions for your research topic ideas: who, what, when, where, and why:

WHY did you choose this particular topic? What piques your curiosity about it?

WHO are the sources of information, and who is impacted?

WHAT are the most important questions about this subject?

WHERE does your topic matter most: locally, nationally, or internationally?

WHEN did your topic become important? Is this a current issue or one from the past?

Business Research Paper Topics

A study of the business is current and significant. It allows data and information to be collected about commercial relationships worldwide. In this way, students can delve deeper into an important economics and professional development topic, finding solutions and discussing results. Sometimes, one can get research paper writing help to assist in situations where it is inconvenient. Some examples of these business research paper topics include:

The influence of employee benefits on representative efficiency.
The difficulties of managing workgroup conflict.
Start-ups: Examining the challenges that arise during the early stages of a business.
How to work with open and closed systems in business.
Workgroups’ ability to evolve to meet the needs of the future.
Inter-authoritative networks and leadership strategies.
Product and service improvements made in significant cooperation.
How to manage an organization’s emergencies.
The effect of full quality management practices on client retention and satisfaction.
Effective time management as a tool for authoritative endurance.

Media and Communications Research Paper Topics

The research work developed in the area of the media manages to provide students with information about mass communication and its importance. With the advent of the internet and all its nuances, it is increasingly important to develop studies and research to understand the effects of media and communication in the social context. Some communication research topics can explore include:

The influence of the media on real-life relationships.
The role of the media in the expression of social issues.
Consequences of mass media on society’s ethical well-being.
The advantages of using the media to anticipate a crisis.
How the media infringes on citizens’ rights.
What role does the media play in spreading awareness?
The significance of trustworthy ads.
The impact of the media on a country’s political elite.
Is the media good or harmful to the economy?
What role does the media play in technological advancement?

Psychology Research Paper Topics

Many subjects can be approached within the theme of psychology. It is an area of science that allows us to carry out different studies with various themes and views. However, the student must be able to choose an important topic for the psychology and academic context. Your teacher’s attention is drawn to an engaging and novel topic. Here are some ideas for you:

What impact do violent video games have on children’s brain development?
Do violent cartoons impact our children’s behavior and mental health?
What impact does divorce have on a child’s emotional blooming?
An introverted child’s social anxiety and sadness.
How does bullying affect high school or college students’ social interactions?
When a person is in love, how does the brain work?
Differences in the way a man’s and a woman’s brains work
Is there a link between PTSD and Alzheimer’s disease?
Sleep paralysis causes and effects
What is the best way to deal with multiple personality disorders?

Argumentative Research Paper Topics

The student must choose an argumentative research paper topic because you will have to defend a thesis during the work. By opting for a good research paper topic of your interest, you will base yourself on various materials already published on the subject to develop your thoughts and arguments to defend your initial idea chosen as the main subject of your work.

The role of government in addressing income inequality.
The pros and cons of school uniform policies.
Analyzing the effects of violent video games on behavior.
The effectiveness of abstinence-only sex education programs.
The impact of fast food advertising on childhood obesity.
The role of government in regulating online privacy.
The pros and cons of school voucher programs.
Examining the impact of standardized testing on education.
The ethics of capital punishment for juveniles.
The ethics of human organ trafficking.

Controversial Topics for Research Paper

High times or high risks? The legalization of recreational marijuana use.
Locked and loaded: The endless debate on gun control policies.
To kill or not to kill: The ongoing debate on capital punishment.
Drones in the crosshairs: Balancing security and privacy.
The ethics of human cloning and genetic engineering.
Vaccination controversies: Mandates, exemptions, and public health.
Affirmative action under scrutiny: Equity in college admissions.
The ethics of assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Balancing surveillance and civil liberties.
Nuclear power and weapons: Weighing the benefits and risks.
Solitary confinement: Cruel punishment or necessary measure?
Rise of the machines: Artificial intelligence, employment, and ethics.
Animals in entertainment: Whose amusement at what cost?
Privacy vs. security: Government surveillance and individual rights.
Playing God: The ethics of human gene editing and designer babies.
Statues and symbols: The controversy surrounding Confederate memorials.
Fracking unveiled: The controversy surrounding hydraulic fracturing.

Easy Research Paper Topics

The effects of fast food consumption on health.
The benefits of reading for personal development.
Strategies for stress reduction in everyday life.
The role of family in child development.
The history of famous inventions.
Strategies for effective communication in relationships.
The history and impact of social movements.
The influence of advertising on consumer choices.
Strategies for healthy eating on a budget.
The importance of setting goals in life.

Research Topic in Natural Sciences

The impact of ocean acidification on marine life
Exploring the genetic diversity of soil microbes and their influence on crop health.
Studying the impacts of emerging contaminants on freshwater ecosystems.
Understanding the dynamics of emerging zoonotic diseases in wildlife populations.
The use of CRISPR in gene editing.
The use of drones in disaster response.
The effects of light pollution on nocturnal insect communities in urban areas.
Natural toxins in plants: mechanisms, benefits, and risks in agriculture.
Climate change and its effects on algal blooms and water quality in 2023.
The ecological significance of wetland restoration efforts in 2023.

Sociology Research Paper Topics

The sociology discipline is responsible for studying human behavior within society. These studies will address how people behave in social relationships and groups and how cultures and customs emerge. The possibilities for research are endless regarding sociology’s enormous reach and continually changing societal trends. Choose the best easy sociology research topics for yourself. Some topic ideas are:

Is emotional intelligence as crucial as everyone claims?
Is there a misconception that males are better professionals than women?
Is homeschooling a hindrance to children’s socialization?
Abuse marriages have both causes and effects.
We spend too much time on our phones.
The ethics of animal experimentation.
Is recycling beneficial to the environment?
In the United States, is there a stereotype about Mexicans?
Racial preconceptions ruin people.
The need for sex education.

Family Research Paper Topics

It’s not always easy to research family issues. This is mainly because some students may be coming from pleased families. Thus, many concepts might be difficult to comprehend. However, this field of study has the potential to significantly improve the psychological climate in many households throughout the world. Some topics one can research include:

In the family, there has been sexual abuse. The escape plan and organizations that can assist.
Resolving religious issues in families.
Is it possible to rescue oneself from substance abuse in a family if others engage?
Saving family connections while not inheriting the family business.
Balancing between family support and allowing young adults to experience living on their own in the transition to adulthood.
A relationship that is toxic and abusive. Breaking up with a toxic spouse has psychological ramifications.
Children and adults go through phases of grieving after losing a family member. How can we cope as a group?
What issues might parents confront when fostering a child?
When does teen misbehavior become more than a normal desire for independence?
A generational divide exists. The moral and cultural differences. Is this typical?

Discrimination Research Paper Topics

It is undeniable the massive impact that discrimination has in the society of the past and also of the present. Therefore, articles on discrimination and race relations must be the subject of academic research. Research papers on it can probe and proffer solutions through data found. Much research in this area can be developed, addressing relations of age, religion, race, sexual orientation, and any existing social conflict. Some topics to explore are:

Colorism as a kind of discrimination.
Discrimination Against Muslims in the Workplace.
Discrimination Against Asian Americans in Colleges.
Discrimination in the Workplace.
Discrimination against people of color as a result of racial profiling.
Discrimination Against Muslims in the Workplace is an issue that has to be addressed.
Discrimination in the Workplace: How to Manage in an Inclusive Environment.
Discrimination, social exclusion, and violence against LGBT people are issues that the LGBT community faces.
Discrimination and Equality Struggle.
Discrimination based on age in the workplace.

Law Research Paper Topics

Another fundamental form of research is legal research. It is a significant topic and one that allows us to have different approaches and points of view. Each country and each historical time will give us an even greater immersion in laws and legal conduct.

The law can be divided into 21 major areas. Just choose one of them to be the topic of your law research . Some areas of law are constitutional law, environmental law, and criminal law, among others. Some good topics include:

What are the benefits of business rules for institutions and organizations?
What is business law’s actual nature?
What do we know about the classification of business rules and the legal regulation of non-consensual adoption in the United States?
How does the law handle marriage and divorce for mentally ill people?
The cultural influence of transgender marriage and its legal status in different countries.
The environment and private property.
Equal protection under the law and the principle of equality.
The financial pyramid’s legal aspects.
Environment-related crimes.
Exchange Commission and Securities.

Environmental Research Paper Topics

To improve our relationship with nature and preserve it, it is necessary to carry out a lot of debate and research in this area. In this way, we will learn about the importance of ecology and the environment in the lives of all living beings. Developing work on this subject means containing the adverse effects of globalization, industrialization, and the use of nature. This way, we can save ecosystems, avoiding irreparable losses to our planet. Some environment research paper topics are:

Analysis and proposed remedies for lung cancer and radon.
The negative impact of acid rain on aquatic life and natural resources.
What can we do to protect wildlife from being killed by acid rain?
What role did prehistoric creatures have in today’s ecosystems?
The repercussion of air pollution and global warming on human health.
Can recycling assist people worldwide in improving their health?
What can be done to protect coral reefs from being destroyed?
How much are garbage and pesticides to blame for our soil contamination?
How big is the problem of ocean acidification?
Permafrost melting and its impact on climate change.

Education Research Paper Topics

It is known that improving the educational system worldwide is imperative, better serving students and society. However, how can we do this? This type of research aims to make education more efficient and accessible for everyone. Some topics to consider are:

Will one of the aims of modern education be the growth of emotional intelligence?
Discrimination in education and its impact on students’ futures.
Mentally ill persons need to be educated and socialized. There are some similarities and some variances.
Education and censorship. Do we want to protect the pupils, or do we want to help them learn what they need to know?
How do students in inclusive classrooms perform compared to students in non-inclusive classes?
Is it still necessary to have grades in today’s education?
Education and incentive: how to pique the interest of students.
In what ways may modern education be compared to traditional schooling?
Bullying and a negative psychological climate in the classroom. Its influence on educational quality.
The importance of discipline in education and how it affects the learning process.

Science and Technology Research Paper Topics

We can see many positive technical advances in the world these days. However, some have negative consequences. Students must prioritize topics that influence many people’s lives and help develop technological research. At the same time, look at the advantages and preservation of technology in today’s world. Some technology topics include:

What effect does alcohol intake have on athletes who are training?
What influence does ADCC activity research have on HIV treatment?
What function does CDfT-Cell Subsets play in HIV patient progression?
What is the most significant technical breakthrough of the twentieth century?
Is it possible for tech to ever replace human intelligence?
What impact does tech play in genetic engineering’s advancement?
Can microbial factories help solve the raw metals shortage?
Is the paleo diet representative of ancient life? Is it the best diet for people?
Is Europe’s objection to genetically modified crops motivated by science or economic considerations?
Could molecular biology study into uncommon genetic abnormalities possibly lead to new insights into cancer and other diseases?

College Research Paper Topics

Developing research about the dilemmas faced daily by many students within the university environment is also extremely important. In this way, it becomes possible to analyze more objectively all social relations within the college, the influence of social media, the academic development of students, and especially the results that will be reaped in their profession in the future. The education system is an extensive topic with possibilities to develop easy research paper topics. In addition, it is an environment you are probably already familiar with, thus facilitating the data and information collection process. Some topics about it:

The importance of higher education in a professional career for middle ages people.
What are the main reasons that lead students to drop out of college?
Why should people study foreign languages in college?
The influence of the digital world on the university world.
College and the financial hardship faced by many students.
Doubts about choosing the right college.
How to enter the job market after completing college.
What are the main differences between public and private colleges?
The effects of cyberbullying in the university context.
What is the ideal human behaviour in the university environment?

Health Research Paper Topics

Academic work must be developed in Health subjects, seeking to understand better the dynamics of health in different world countries and how this influences people’s lives to have physical well-being. We have recently seen the impact of the Covid-19 virus pandemic on our planet. We have seen the collapse of many health systems in many countries’ human relationships. In addition, we also saw despair and suffering in many families with mental health problems. Therefore, we see how necessary it is to develop research projects that help consolidate better care for the population, promoting health and preventing the emergence of new diseases, especially in third-world countries. Some health research paper topics are:

Support for family members who have lost loved ones to COVID-19.
Adolescent violence as a public health problem.
Assistance for people with disabilities living in rural areas.
Adolescent mental health in public health.
The evolution of the human body over the years.
Health problems caused by the use of pesticides.
How does social media addiction influence people’s health?
Obesity as a public health problem.
Health education in schools and through social media.
How does water quality interfere with public health?

Politics Research Paper Topics

Another research paper topic is politics. Politics is a topic that directly or indirectly involves the lives of all world inhabitants. Through it, we seek our rights, have the strength to fight for our ideologies, and become citizens. Here are some politics research paper topics :

Policies to face global warming.
The presence of politics within the education system.
The influences of the cultural industry in the constitution of public policies.
Political relations during World War I and World War II.
The importance of feminism in the political achievement of women’s right to vote.
Best professional writers on political topics.
Public policy related to an all-female working environment.
The importance of public policies that make people aware of drug use.
The emergence of extremist political ideologies in the 21st century.
The importance of democracy in politics.

History Research Paper Topics

History is essential for humanity to understand the facts that occurred and their relationship with time. From history, we can develop several exciting research topics as it can investigate what men did, thought, felt, and set in all social dynamics thousands of years ago. Historical knowledge is capable of helping to understand human beings, their attitudes, and their evolution. Some history research paper topics are:

The historical development of the electoral college.
Major terrorist attacks throughout history.
The historical and social importance of gender psychology.
The changes that came with the end of the Soviet Union.
The progression of the minimum wage over the years.
The worldwide impacts of the war between Russia and Ukraine.
The emergence of offshore bank accounts work and their social impact.
The Mayan Civilization and Its Cultural Legacy.
The history of dictatorships in South America and funding from the United States.
The democratization of access to course material at History College.

Music Research Paper Topics

Music has been present in humanity since the most remote times. Through music, people can express themselves, have fun, relax, and express their opinions. As it is a vast topic, it is possible to do extensive research. Music also allows you to find funny research paper topics to develop. We selected a few good research paper topics here:

The evolution of the music industry globally.
The influence of music in the treatment of depression.
The importance of still producing and listening to traditional music.
The presence of music in film.
The main legacies of classical music.
Songs about self-esteem that encourage obese people.
School development through music.
The aid of artificial intelligence in the creation of new songs.
The effects of music on brain development.
Songs that address controversial topics and their importance.

Literature Research Paper Topics

Literature is everything that involves the art of the word. We consider literature an instrument capable of making us communicate and interact socially. With literature, we can transmit knowledge, emotions, and stories, and that’s why literature has many good research topics. Literature can provide us with the most interesting research topics. Here are some research paper ideas.

Literature as a tool of corporate social responsibility.
The first forms of literature found.
The use of social media as a way to propagate literature.
A sensitive approach to child abuse in the literature.
Are people switching from literature to social media?
The change of literature after the Industrial Revolution.
Literature as a way to protect children online.
The development of scientific literature for standardized tests in science.
Literature review on computer science.
The importance of developing a thesis statement in literature.

After Choosing the Research Topic

Well, after finding great research paper topics, you will decide which one you like the most and which you are more comfortable writing about. So, once you’ve decided which college research paper topics to cover in your thesis, it’s time to start writing. It is important, right at the beginning, to define your main research question to start researching websites, books, articles, etc. A tip is always to opt for a broader research question, so your first research will have a greater amount of material on your research topics, which will make it easier when choosing an approach and focusing on the main subject of your thesis. Before starting the process of submitting research papers, it is important that an advisor can read and review your text on the chosen research topics.

Closing Thoughts

When you have to choose your research paper topic, there are tons of ideas you can use to embark on your research journey. It is very important that you first carry out thorough research about a good research paper topic so that you can start writing your thesis statement. You can read materials online to know if the topic you want to write on is relevant and has enough data. I hope you can take advantage of all our tips to develop your research papers. The most important thing to consider is that you need to like the topic you choose for a good research paper because it’ll help make writing fun.

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Research Paper Guide

Research Paper Topics

Interesting Research Paper Topics for 2024

21 min read

What are Good Topics for a Research Paper?

An interesting research topic is the one that has the following characteristics:

Specific and Clear . The topic should cover a specific aspect or question within a broader subject area. A focused topic allows for in-depth exploration.
Original and Unique - Great research topics are original. They explore a unique angle or perspective on a subject.
Significant - Good topics have academic or real-world significance. They contribute to existing knowledge or address a problem with practical implications.
Relevant - Topics that are timely and related to the current issues and debates in your field of study are better for research.

Research Paper Topics for Your Academic Level

All students get research writing assignments, whether they are in high school, college, or higher. Here are some engaging ideas suitable for different academic levels.

High School Research Essay Topics

Examine the impact of social media on teenagers' well-being.
Assess the effects of climate change and its consequences.
Analyze the dynamics of cyberbullying and online safety.
Explore the influence of music on adolescents.
Investigate the importance of financial literacy education.
Assess gender inequality in high school sports programs.
Examine the impact of technology on the education system.
Analyze youth voting trends and political engagement.
Investigate the role of video games in cognitive development.
Assess teenage substance abuse and prevention programs.

College Research Paper Topics

IELTS vs. TOEFL - Discuss the similarities and differences.
College admission policies and criteria in the United States.
How to plan to pay college tuition?
Elaborate on ACT vs. SAT.
Benefits of Distance Learning.
Impacts of China's one-child policy.
Do college students learn better in same-sex classrooms?
Effect of the No Child Left Behind Act.
Analyze the history of the relationship between the United States and North Korea.
Should people be able to donate organs in exchange for money?

Graduate Research Paper Topics

The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Business Operations and Strategy
Environmental Sustainability in Supply Chain Management: Strategies for Global Corporations
The Ethical Implications of Gene Editing Technologies: CRISPR-Cas9 and Beyond
Financial Derivatives and Risk Management: Advanced Strategies for Portfolio Optimization
The Role of Big Data Analytics in Healthcare: Improving Patient Care and Outcomes
Cybersecurity Threats and Mitigation in Critical Infrastructure: A Comprehensive Analysis
The Intersection of International Trade and Intellectual Property Rights: Trade Agreements and Dispute Resolution
Exploring the Impacts of Climate Change on Urban Planning and Infrastructure
Educational Leadership and School Reform in the 21st Century: Innovative Approaches and Challenges
Theoretical Advances in Quantum Computing: Applications, Limitations, and Future Prospects

Research Paper Topics for Science & Technology

Looking for research paper ideas in your discipline? The list of topics below covers a variety of subjects and disciplines to help you out.

Research Paper Topics for Computer Science

Quantum Computing: Current State and Future Prospects
Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: Diagnosis and Treatment
Blockchain Technology and Its Applications Beyond Cryptocurrency
Cybersecurity in the Age of IoT: Challenges and Solutions
The Ethical Implications of Machine Learning Algorithms
Natural Language Processing for Sentiment Analysis in Social Media
The Role of Computer Vision in Autonomous Vehicles
Big Data Analytics for Business Intelligence and Decision-Making
Human-Computer Interaction: Enhancing User Experience
The Evolution of Cloud Computing: Trends and Innovations

Research Paper Topics in Machine Learning

Explainable AI (XAI): Techniques and Challenges in Interpretable Machine Learning Models
Federated Learning: Privacy-Preserving Machine Learning Across Decentralized Data Sources
Transfer Learning in Deep Neural Networks: Methods, Applications, and Limitations
Reinforcement Learning: Recent Advances and Real-World Applications
Bias and Fairness in Machine Learning: Detection, Mitigation, and Ethical Considerations
Multi-Modal Learning: Integrating Data from Multiple Sources for Improved Performance
Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs): Innovations in Image Generation and Beyond
Natural Language Processing (NLP) for Healthcare: Applications in Clinical Data Analysis and Diagnosis
AutoML (Automated Machine Learning): Tools, Challenges, and Implications for Non-Experts
Quantum Machine Learning: Harnessing Quantum Computing for Advanced Data Analysis

Research Paper Topics in Chemistry

Green Chemistry: Sustainable Approaches to Chemical Synthesis
Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery: Innovations and Challenges
Chemical Analysis of Environmental Pollutants and Their Remediation
Advancements in Organic Synthesis: New Methods and Strategies
The Role of Catalysis in Industrial Chemical Processes
Chemical Kinetics: Studying Reaction Rates and Mechanisms
Analytical Chemistry Techniques for Food Safety and Quality Control
Supramolecular Chemistry: Self-assembly and Molecular Recognition
The Chemistry of Renewable Energy Sources
Chemical Bonding in Complex Molecules: Insights from Quantum Chemistry

Information Technology Research Paper Topics

The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Information Technology
Blockchain Technology: Security and Privacy Implications
Data Governance and Compliance in the Digital Age
Cloud Computing Adoption Strategies for Small and Medium Enterprises
Internet of Things (IoT) Security Challenges and Solutions
E-Government: Advancements and Challenges in Digital Transformation
The Role of Machine Learning in Healthcare Data Management
Cybersecurity Threat Intelligence: Trends and Best Practices
Digital Twins and their Applications in Industry 4.0
Human-Centric IT: Designing Systems with User Well-being in Mind

Research Paper Topics Environmental Science

Climate Change and Its Impact on Global Ecosystems
Biodiversity Conservation and Habitat Restoration
Sustainable Agriculture Practices for Food Security
Air Pollution Control Strategies in Urban Environments
The Effects of Deforestation on Watersheds and Biodiversity
Waste Management and Recycling: Towards a Circular Economy
Ocean Acidification and Coral Reef Conservation
Environmental Impacts of Renewable Energy Technologies
Eco-friendly Transportation Solutions: Promoting Sustainable Mobility
Human Health and Environmental Pollution: Assessing Risks and Mitigation

Research Paper Topics for Medical Students

The Role of Telemedicine in Improving Healthcare Access and Delivery
Epidemiology and Management of Infectious Diseases: A Focus on Emerging Pathogens
Precision Medicine and Personalized Healthcare: Advancements and Challenges
Ethical Considerations in Medical Research: Informed Consent and Human Rights
Mental Health in Medical Education: Strategies for Reducing Burnout and Promoting Well-being
Global Health Disparities: Analyzing Causes and Strategies for Health Equity
Advancements in Surgical Techniques and Robotics in Medicine
The Opioid Epidemic: Causes, Consequences, and Solutions
Healthcare for Underserved Populations: Access, Barriers, and Innovations
Medical Innovations in Diagnostic Imaging: Impact on Patient Care and Diagnosis

Research Paper Topics in Zoology

The Impact of Climate Change on Wildlife Migration Patterns and Habitats
Behavioral Ecology of Apex Predators: From Wolves to Tigers
Zoonotic Diseases: Investigating the Transmission of Diseases Between Animals and Humans
Marine Biology and Conservation: Coral Reefs, Ocean Acidification, and Marine Biodiversity
The Role of Zoos in Conservation and Species Preservation
Invasive Species: Ecological Impacts and Management Strategies
Bird Migration and Navigation: Mechanisms and Conservation Implications
Animal Communication and Language: Insights from Studies on Dolphins and Primates
Endangered Species Recovery Programs: Successes, Failures, and Lessons Learned
Evolutionary Biology: The Coevolution of Predators and Prey

Research Paper Topics For Social Sciences

Are you a student of social sciences? The list of research paper topics below is for you!

History Research Paper Topics

The Causes and Consequences of the American Civil War
The Impact of the Industrial Revolution on Society and Labor
The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire: Lessons from History
Women's Suffrage Movements Around the World
The Cold War: Origins, Conflicts, and Effects on Global Politics
The Role of Religion in Ancient Civilizations: Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Greece
The Renaissance Era: Art, Science, and Cultural Transformation
The Development of Culture in Mughal India
The Decolonization of Africa and Asia: Struggles for Independence
The Civil Rights Movement in the United States: Progress and Challenges

Research Paper Topics for Education

The Impact of Technology in the Classroom: Enhancing Learning or Distracting Students?
Inclusive Education: Strategies for Supporting Students with Disabilities
The Role of Parental Involvement in Student Academic Achievement
Education and Socioeconomic Inequality: Bridging the Gap
The Effectiveness of Online Learning: Pros and Cons
Early Childhood Education: The Importance of Preschool Programs
Teacher Burnout and Strategies for Teacher Well-being
The Influence of Standardized Testing on Curriculum and Instruction
Culturally Responsive Teaching: Promoting Diversity and Inclusion
Education Policy Reform: Challenges and Impacts on Student Success

Sociology Research Paper Topics

The Impact of Social Media on Social Interaction and Relationships
Gender Inequality in the Workplace: Causes, Consequences, and Solutions
Racial Profiling and Policing: Examining Bias and Discrimination
The Sociology of Deviance: Understanding Criminal Behavior
Income Inequality and Its Effects on Society
The Influence of Family Structure on Child Development
Migration and the Social Integration of Immigrants
Environmental Sociology: Exploring the Relationship Between Society and the Environment
The Role of Religion in Shaping Societal Norms and Values
Health Disparities in Marginalized Communities: A Sociological Perspective

Psychology Research Paper Topics

The Impact of Childhood Trauma on Adult Mental Health
Psychological Effects of Social Media Use on Adolescents
Stress and Coping Mechanisms: Strategies for Resilience
The Psychology of Decision-Making: Biases and Heuristics
The Role of Attachment Theory in Parent-Child Relationships
Mental Health Stigma: Barriers to Seeking and Receiving Treatment
The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Cognitive Functioning
Psychological Factors in Addiction and Recovery
Cognitive Development in Infants: Theories and Milestones
The Psychology of Happiness and Well-being: Factors and Interventions

Research Paper Topics On Media And Communication

The Influence of Social Media on Political Discourse and Public Opinion
Media Bias: Examining News Coverage and Its Impact on Perception
The Evolution of Journalism in the Digital Age: Challenges and Opportunities
The Effects of Advertising on Consumer Behavior and Purchasing Decisions
Media Literacy Education: Preparing Citizens for a Digital World
The Role of Media in Shaping Gender Stereotypes and Representation
Fake News and Misinformation: Causes, Consequences, and Solutions
Cultural Appropriation in Media: Analyzing Its Implications
Media and Crisis Communication: Case Studies and Best Practices
Media Effects on Body Image and Self-esteem: Exploring the Impact of Beauty Standards

Political Science Research Paper Topics

The Role of Political Parties in Shaping Government Policies
Electoral Systems and Their Impact on Representation and Governance
The Rise of Populism: Causes and Consequences
The Influence of Lobbying and Interest Groups on Policy-Making
Comparative Analysis of Political Systems: Democracies vs. Authoritarian Regimes
Foreign Policy Decision-Making: Case Studies and Models
Political Polarization: Understanding the Divisions in Contemporary Politics
Human Rights and International Relations: Challenges and Solutions
Environmental Politics and Climate Change Agreements
The Role of Social Media in Shaping Political Discourse and Activism

Research Paper Topics for International Relations

The Impact of Globalization on International Security
International Human Rights Law: Challenges and Progress
Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution: Case Studies in Successful Negotiations
The Role of International Organizations in Promoting Peace and Cooperation
Nuclear Proliferation: Examining the Threats and Non-Proliferation Efforts
Cybersecurity in International Relations: Challenges and Strategies
Global Economic Governance: The Role of International Financial Institutions
The Refugee Crisis: International Responses and the Humanitarian Challenge
Climate Change Diplomacy: Agreements, Obstacles, and Climate Justice
The Geopolitics of Energy: Resource Competition and Security Issues

Research Paper Topics On Culture

Cultural Appropriation: Understanding the Controversy and Implications
Cultural Relativism vs. Universalism: Debates in Anthropology and Ethics
Cultural Expressions in Art: Analyzing Cultural Identity Through Creative Works
Globalization and Its Impact on Cultural Homogenization vs. Cultural Diversity
Cultural Influences on Gender Roles and Identity
The Role of Culture in Shaping Dietary Habits and Food Traditions
Cultural Heritage Preservation: Challenges and Strategies
Language and Culture: The Relationship Between Linguistic Diversity and Cultural Identity
Cultural Rituals and Their Significance in Different Societies
Intercultural Communication: Navigating Cultural Differences in a Globalized World

Research Paper Topics for Humanities

Here are some engaging ideas for research paper topics in humanities disciplines.

Research Paper Topics for English Literature

Exploring the Themes of Love and Desire in Shakespeare's Sonnets
Postcolonial Literature: Analyzing the Works of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The Role of Symbolism in F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby"
Feminist Critique of Classic Literature: Reevaluating Jane Austen's Heroines
The Gothic Tradition in Literature: A Comparative Study of Edgar Allan Poe and Mary Shelley
Dystopian Literature: Examining Social Commentary in George Orwell's "1984"
The Evolution of Science Fiction: From H.G. Wells to Contemporary Authors
The Modernist Movement in Poetry: T.S. Eliot and "The Waste Land"
Literary Representations of War: Analysis of Ernest Hemingway's Works
The Influence of Mythology in Literature: A Study of Greek and Roman Epics

Research Paper Topics for English Linguistics

The Evolution of English Language: A Historical Analysis
Exploring Dialectical Variations: A Study of Regional English Accents
Syntax in Shakespearean English: Unraveling Linguistic Patterns
Code-Switching in Bilingual Literature: Impacts on Linguistic Identity
The Influence of Technology on Modern English: A Linguistic Perspective
Gendered Language in Literature: Analyzing Linguistic Representations
Sociolinguistic Aspects of English in Global Communication
Cognitive Linguistics: Understanding Language Processing and Comprehension
The Role of Phonetics in English Language Teaching: Strategies and Challenges
Linguistic Analysis of Online Discourse: Trends in Digital Communication

Research Paper Topics on Arts

The Influence of Renaissance Art on Modern Visual Culture
The Evolution of Street Art: From Vandalism to Urban Beautification
Gender and Identity in Contemporary Performance Art
The Role of Public Art in Shaping Urban Spaces and Communities
Censorship in the Arts: Balancing Expression and Sensitivity
The Intersection of Technology and Art: Digital Media and New Frontiers
Art as a Form of Political Protest: Examining Contemporary Activist Art
The Psychology of Art Appreciation: Understanding Aesthetic Experiences
Art Conservation and Preservation: Challenges and Ethical Considerations
Art Therapy: Exploring the Healing Power of Creativity

Research Paper Topics on Religion

Religious Pluralism and Interfaith Dialogue: Promoting Understanding and Tolerance
The Role of Religion in Shaping Moral Values and Ethics
Religion and Politics: Examining the Influence of Faith on Governance
Religious Rituals and Their Significance in Different Cultures
Secularism and Its Impact on Religious Practice and Belief
Religion and Science: Exploring the Compatibility and Conflict
The Influence of Religion on Gender Roles and Equality
Religious Fundamentalism and Its Implications for Society
Religion and Environmental Ethics: Perspectives on Stewardship
Religious Conversion and the Psychology Behind Faith Changes

Philosophy Research Paper Topics

The Philosophy of Ethics: Exploring Different Ethical Theories
The Problem of Free Will and Determinism: Philosophical Perspectives
Existentialism in Literature: A Philosophical Analysis
The Philosophy of Mind: Dualism vs. Materialism
The Nature of Reality: Metaphysical Approaches and Debates
Moral Dilemmas and Ethical Decision-Making: A Philosophical Examination
Philosophy of Technology: Ethical Implications of Advancements
Political Philosophy: Theories of Justice and Social Contracts
Philosophy of Religion: The Existence of God and Theodicy
Environmental Ethics: Philosophical Perspectives on Nature and Sustainability

Research Paper Topics for Ethics

Ethical Dilemmas in Medical Decision-Making: Balancing Autonomy and Beneficence
The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence: Accountability and Bias in AI Systems
Corporate Ethics: Ethical Responsibility of Multinational Corporations
Ethical Considerations in Environmental Conservation: Sustainability and Future Generations
The Ethics of Genetic Engineering and Designer Babies
The Intersection of Ethics and Technology: Privacy, Surveillance, and Data Ethics
Ethical Implications of End-of-Life Care and Euthanasia
Animal Rights and Ethical Treatment of Animals in Research
The Role of Ethics in Criminal Justice: Police Conduct and Criminal Punishment
The Ethics of Whistleblowing: Balancing Loyalty and Accountability

Law Research Paper Topics

The Evolution of Privacy Rights in the Digital Age: Legal and Ethical Considerations
Criminal Justice Reform: Assessing the Impact of Changes in Sentencing and Policing
Intellectual Property Rights in the Digital Era: Copyright, Trademarks, and Patents
The Role of International Law in Addressing Global Human Rights Violations
Environmental Law and Sustainable Development: Balancing Conservation and Economic Interests
Legal Aspects of Cybersecurity: Privacy, Data Protection, and Cybercrime
The Legalization of Marijuana: Implications for Criminal Justice and Public Health
Corporate Governance and Ethics: Analyzing Legal Frameworks for Accountability
Family Law and Child Custody Disputes: Examining Best Interests and Parental Rights
The Intersection of Law and Bioethics: Ethical Dilemmas in Medical and Scientific Research

Research Paper Topics on Criminal Justice

Racial Disparities in the Criminal Justice System: Causes and Consequences
Police Use of Force: Policies, Accountability, and Community Relations
Criminal Profiling and Its Effectiveness in Solving Crimes
Mental Illness in the Criminal Justice System: Diversion Programs and Treatment
The Impact of Mass Incarceration on Communities and Rehabilitation Efforts
Forensic Science and Criminal Investigations: Advances, Challenges, and Ethics
Cybercrime and Digital Forensics: Investigative Techniques and Legal Implications
Juvenile Justice: Rehabilitation vs. Punishment and the Recidivism Rate
The Death Penalty: Ethical, Legal, and Policy Considerations
Victim Rights and Restorative Justice Programs: Balancing the Scales of Justice

Research Paper Topics on Economics

Income Inequality: Causes, Consequences, and Policy Solutions
The Impact of Economic Globalization on Developing Countries
Behavioral Economics: Exploring Psychological Factors in Decision-Making
The Economics of Climate Change: Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies
Monetary Policy and Its Effects on Economic Stability
Trade Wars and Tariffs: Economic Effects and Global Trade Relations
Healthcare Economics: Examining Healthcare Costs, Access, and Reform
The Economics of Education: Investment in Human Capital and Economic Growth
Urban Economics: Challenges and Solutions in Sustainable City Development
Labor Market Trends: Gig Economy, Automation, and Future of Work

Research Paper Topics Related to Marketing

Influencer Marketing: Effectiveness, Ethics, and the Role of Social Media
Consumer Behavior in the Digital Age: Online Shopping Trends and Decision-Making
Brand Loyalty and Customer Retention Strategies in Competitive Markets
Neuromarketing: Understanding the Psychology of Consumer Choices
The Impact of Social Media Marketing on Brand Image and Customer Engagement
E-commerce and Marketplaces: Strategies for Success in Online Retail
Content Marketing: Creating and Measuring the Value of Branded Content
Marketing to Generation Z: Preferences, Values, and Communication Channels
The Role of Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Marketing
Crisis Marketing and Reputation Management: Strategies for Navigating Challenges

Best Research Paper Topics 2023

Here are some impressive and easy research paper topics to write an extraordinary paper.

Argumentative Research Paper Topics

Should the Minimum Wage be Raised?
The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health: Harmful or Beneficial?
Is Genetic Engineering Ethical? Examining the Pros and Cons of Genetic Modification
The Death Penalty: Should it be Abolished or Retained?
Gun Control: Balancing Second Amendment Rights and Public Safety
Universal Healthcare: Is it a Right or a Privilege?
The Role of Government in Regulating Big Tech Companies
Climate Change: Is Human Activity the Primary Cause?
Online Privacy: Balancing Security and Civil Liberties
The Legalization of Recreational Marijuana: Weighing the Social and Economic Impacts

US History Research Paper Topics

The American Revolution: Causes, Key Figures, and Impact on the Nation
The Abolitionist Movement: Strategies, Leaders, and the Fight Against Slavery
The Reconstruction Era: Challenges, Achievements, and Failures
The Women's Suffrage Movement: Struggles and Triumphs in the Fight for Voting Rights
The Civil Rights Movement: Leaders, Events, and the Struggle for Equality
The Great Depression: Causes, Effects, and Government Responses
The Vietnam War: Origins, Controversies, and Legacy
The Space Race: The Cold War Competition for Supremacy Beyond Earth
The Civil War: Battlefronts, Political Divisions, and the Emancipation Proclamation
The American Westward Expansion: Manifest Destiny, Conflicts, and Impacts on Native Americans

Persuasive Research Paper Topics

The Importance of Comprehensive Sex Education in Schools
Banning Single-Use Plastics: Protecting the Environment and Marine Life
Promoting Renewable Energy: Transitioning to a Sustainable Future
Mandatory Vaccination: Protecting Public Health and Herd Immunity
The Benefits of Telecommuting: A Win-Win for Employers and Employees
Promoting Healthy Eating Habits: The Case for Implementing Sugar Taxes
The Need for Stricter Animal Welfare Laws: Preventing Animal Cruelty
Accessible Education for All: The Case for Affordable College Tuition
Promoting Voting Rights: Ensuring a Fair and Inclusive Democracy
The Importance of Mental Health Awareness and Support: Breaking the Stigma

Easy Research Paper Topics

The Benefits of Regular Exercise for Physical and Mental Health
The History and Impact of Social Media on Society
The Basics of Climate Change: Causes, Effects, and Solutions
The Life and Achievements of a Notable Inventor or Scientist
The Importance of Recycling and Waste Reduction in Daily Life
The Impact of Fast Food on Diet and Health
Effect of Global Warming on The Frequency And Intensity Of Natural Disasters
Should Marijuana be legalized in US? Costs, Economic And Social Benefits
How Do Terrorist Attacks Influence Public Opinion And Political Behavior In Democratic Countries
Crime Rates: Main Factors That Explain The Variation In Crime Rates Across Different Countries And Regions

Research Paper Topics on Current Affairs

The Impact of COVID-19 on Global Health Systems and Preparedness
Climate Change and Extreme Weather Events: Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies
The Future of Work: Remote Work Trends and Implications
Economic Recovery Post-Pandemic: Challenges and Opportunities
Vaccine Hesitancy: Understanding Causes and Addressing Concerns
Cybersecurity in the Digital Age: Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Defense
Immigration Policies and Border Security: A Global Perspective
The Role of Social Media in Political Movements and Disinformation
Global Supply Chain Disruptions: Causes and Strategies for Resilience
Racial and Social Justice Movements: Progress and Ongoing Challenges

Controversial Research Paper Topics

The Legalization of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia: Ethical and Legal Considerations
Gun Control Laws: Balancing Second Amendment Rights and Public Safety
The Death Penalty: Is it an Effective Deterrent or a Violation of Human Rights?
Animal Testing: Ethical Issues and Alternatives for Scientific Research
The Legalization of Recreational Drugs: Assessing Risks and Benefits
Abortion: Examining the Ethical, Legal, and Medical Aspects
Freedom of Speech vs. Hate Speech: Protecting Civil Liberties in a Digital Age
Climate Change Denial: Analyzing the Science and Skepticism
School Vouchers and School Choice: The Future of Public Education
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs): Safety, Labeling, and Environmental Concerns

Research Paper Topics on Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Historical Roots of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Tracing the Beginnings
Media Framing of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Impact on Public Perception
The Role of International Diplomacy in Resolving the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Human Rights Violations in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: A Critical Analysis
Refugees and Displacement: The Ongoing Humanitarian Crisis in the Conflict
Religious Perspectives in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: A Comparative Study
Water Scarcity and Resource Management in the Context of the Conflict
Education and Propaganda: Examining the Impact of Curricula on Perpetuating Conflict Narratives
The Role of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Peacebuilding Efforts
Media and Social Media's Influence on Shaping Public Opinion in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Nursing Research Paper Topics

The Impact of Nurse-to-Patient Ratios on Patient Outcomes
Nursing Shortages: Causes, Consequences, and Solutions
Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing: Implementing Research into Clinical Care
Nursing Ethics: Ethical Dilemmas and Decision-Making in Patient Care
Palliative Care and End-of-Life Nursing: Improving Quality of Life for Patients
Nursing Informatics: Advancements in Healthcare Technology and Data Management
The Role of Cultural Competence in Nursing: Providing Culturally Sensitive Care
Nursing Burnout and Staff Well-being: Strategies for Prevention and Support
The Impact of Nurse Leadership on Patient Safety and Quality of Care
Pediatric Nursing: Specialized Care for Children and Families

How to Choose a Good Research Paper Topic?

Now that you have a plethora of ideas for your research paper, which one should you choose? Here are some steps you need to follow to choose a good research paper topic:

Identify Your Interests: Start by considering your own interests and passions. Research is much more enjoyable when you're exploring a topic you're genuinely curious about. Think about subjects, issues, or questions that intrigue you.
Brainstorm and Mind Map: Write down potential topics or research questions and create a mind map to visualize how they connect to one another. This can help you see the relationships between different ideas and narrow down your options.
Do Some Preliminary Research: Conduct initial research to see what resources are available on potential topics. This will help you gauge whether there is enough information and credible sources to support your research.
Consider Your Audience: Think about who will be reading your research paper. Tailor your topic to your target audience's interests and knowledge level. You should also comply with the instructor's requirements. Make sure your topic gets approved before you begin with the writing process.
Discuss with Others: Talk to your peers, professors, or mentors about your potential topics. They may offer valuable insights, suggest relevant resources, or help you refine your ideas.

To conclude,

Selecting a good topic is the first and most important step in writing a research paper. Your decision should be guided by your interests, the assignment requirements, and the availability of credible resources.

With this list of potential research paper topics and tips on how to choose a good topic, you are able to select a topic that is both engaging for you and relevant to your audience.

Remember that staying current and conducting preliminary research will help you make an informed choice. Seek feedback from peers and mentors, and don't shy away from challenging or controversial topics when appropriate.

Looking for a research paper writing service? Look no further! MyPerfectWords.com can help you out!

At our professional writing service, we have subject specialists and research writers with advanced knowledge and expertise. They offer essay help according to your academic requirements.

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100 Interesting Research Paper Topics for High Schoolers

What’s covered:, how to pick the right research topic, elements of a strong research paper.

Interesting Research Paper Topics

Composing a research paper can be a daunting task for first-time writers. In addition to making sure you’re using concise language and your thoughts are organized clearly, you need to find a topic that draws the reader in.

CollegeVine is here to help you brainstorm creative topics! Below are 100 interesting research paper topics that will help you engage with your project and keep you motivated until you’ve typed the final period.

A research paper is similar to an academic essay but more lengthy and requires more research. This added length and depth is bittersweet: although a research paper is more work, you can create a more nuanced argument, and learn more about your topic. Research papers are a demonstration of your research ability and your ability to formulate a convincing argument. How well you’re able to engage with the sources and make original contributions will determine the strength of your paper.

You can’t have a good research paper without a good research paper topic. “Good” is subjective, and different students will find different topics interesting. What’s important is that you find a topic that makes you want to find out more and make a convincing argument. Maybe you’ll be so interested that you’ll want to take it further and investigate some detail in even greater depth!

For example, last year over 4000 students applied for 500 spots in the Lumiere Research Scholar Program , a rigorous research program founded by Harvard researchers. The program pairs high-school students with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project . The program actually does not require you to have a research topic in mind when you apply, but pro tip: the more specific you can be the more likely you are to get in!

Introduction

The introduction to a research paper serves two critical functions: it conveys the topic of the paper and illustrates how you will address it. A strong introduction will also pique the interest of the reader and make them excited to read more. Selecting a research paper topic that is meaningful, interesting, and fascinates you is an excellent first step toward creating an engaging paper that people will want to read.

Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is technically part of the introduction—generally the last sentence of it—but is so important that it merits a section of its own. The thesis statement is a declarative sentence that tells the reader what the paper is about. A strong thesis statement serves three purposes: present the topic of the paper, deliver a clear opinion on the topic, and summarize the points the paper will cover.

An example of a good thesis statement of diversity in the workforce is:

Diversity in the workplace is not just a moral imperative but also a strategic advantage for businesses, as it fosters innovation, enhances creativity, improves decision-making, and enables companies to better understand and connect with a diverse customer base.

The body is the largest section of a research paper. It’s here where you support your thesis, present your facts and research, and persuade the reader.

Each paragraph in the body of a research paper should have its own idea. The idea is presented, generally in the first sentence of the paragraph, by a topic sentence. The topic sentence acts similarly to the thesis statement, only on a smaller scale, and every sentence in the paragraph with it supports the idea it conveys.

An example of a topic sentence on how diversity in the workplace fosters innovation is:

Diversity in the workplace fosters innovation by bringing together individuals with different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences, which stimulates creativity, encourages new ideas, and leads to the development of innovative solutions to complex problems.

The body of an engaging research paper flows smoothly from one idea to the next. Create an outline before writing and order your ideas so that each idea logically leads to another.

The conclusion of a research paper should summarize your thesis and reinforce your argument. It’s common to restate the thesis in the conclusion of a research paper.

For example, a conclusion for a paper about diversity in the workforce is:

In conclusion, diversity in the workplace is vital to success in the modern business world. By embracing diversity, companies can tap into the full potential of their workforce, promote creativity and innovation, and better connect with a diverse customer base, ultimately leading to greater success and a more prosperous future for all.

Reference Page

The reference page is normally found at the end of a research paper. It provides proof that you did research using credible sources, properly credits the originators of information, and prevents plagiarism.

There are a number of different formats of reference pages, including APA, MLA, and Chicago. Make sure to format your reference page in your teacher’s preferred style.

Analyze the benefits of diversity in education.
Are charter schools useful for the national education system?
How has modern technology changed teaching?
Discuss the pros and cons of standardized testing.
What are the benefits of a gap year between high school and college?
What funding allocations give the most benefit to students?
Does homeschooling set students up for success?
Should universities/high schools require students to be vaccinated?
What effect does rising college tuition have on high schoolers?
Do students perform better in same-sex schools?
Discuss and analyze the impacts of a famous musician on pop music.
How has pop music evolved over the past decade?
How has the portrayal of women in music changed in the media over the past decade?
How does a synthesizer work?
How has music evolved to feature different instruments/voices?
How has sound effect technology changed the music industry?
Analyze the benefits of music education in high schools.
Are rehabilitation centers more effective than prisons?
Are congestion taxes useful?
Does affirmative action help minorities?
Can a capitalist system effectively reduce inequality?
Is a three-branch government system effective?
What causes polarization in today’s politics?
Is the U.S. government racially unbiased?
Choose a historical invention and discuss its impact on society today.
Choose a famous historical leader who lost power—what led to their eventual downfall?
How has your country evolved over the past century?
What historical event has had the largest effect on the U.S.?
Has the government’s response to national disasters improved or declined throughout history?
Discuss the history of the American occupation of Iraq.
Explain the history of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Is literature relevant in modern society?
Discuss how fiction can be used for propaganda.
How does literature teach and inform about society?
Explain the influence of children’s literature on adulthood.
How has literature addressed homosexuality?
Does the media portray minorities realistically?
Does the media reinforce stereotypes?
Why have podcasts become so popular?
Will streaming end traditional television?
What is a patriot?
What are the pros and cons of global citizenship?
What are the causes and effects of bullying?
Why has the divorce rate in the U.S. been declining in recent years?
Is it more important to follow social norms or religion?
What are the responsible limits on abortion, if any?
How does an MRI machine work?
Would the U.S. benefit from socialized healthcare?
Elderly populations
The education system
State tax bases
How do anti-vaxxers affect the health of the country?
Analyze the costs and benefits of diet culture.
Should companies allow employees to exercise on company time?
What is an adequate amount of exercise for an adult per week/per month/per day?
Discuss the effects of the obesity epidemic on American society.
Are students smarter since the advent of the internet?
What departures has the internet made from its original design?
Has digital downloading helped the music industry?
Discuss the benefits and costs of stricter internet censorship.
Analyze the effects of the internet on the paper news industry.
What would happen if the internet went out?
How will artificial intelligence (AI) change our lives?
What are the pros and cons of cryptocurrency?
How has social media affected the way people relate with each other?
Should social media have an age restriction?
Discuss the importance of source software.
What is more relevant in today’s world: mobile apps or websites?
How will fully autonomous vehicles change our lives?
How is text messaging affecting teen literacy?

Mental Health

What are the benefits of daily exercise?
How has social media affected people’s mental health?
What things contribute to poor mental and physical health?
Analyze how mental health is talked about in pop culture.
Discuss the pros and cons of more counselors in high schools.
How does stress affect the body?
How do emotional support animals help people?
What are black holes?
Discuss the biggest successes and failures of the EPA.
How has the Flint water crisis affected life in Michigan?
Can science help save endangered species?
Is the development of an anti-cancer vaccine possible?

Environment

What are the effects of deforestation on climate change?
Is climate change reversible?
How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect global warming and climate change?
Are carbon credits effective for offsetting emissions or just marketing?
Is nuclear power a safe alternative to fossil fuels?
Are hybrid vehicles helping to control pollution in the atmosphere?
How is plastic waste harming the environment?
Is entrepreneurism a trait people are born with or something they learn?
How much more should CEOs make than their average employee?
Can you start a business without money?
Should the U.S. raise the minimum wage?
Discuss how happy employees benefit businesses.
How important is branding for a business?
Discuss the ease, or difficulty, of landing a job today.
What is the economic impact of sporting events?
Are professional athletes overpaid?
Should male and female athletes receive equal pay?
What is a fair and equitable way for transgender athletes to compete in high school sports?
What are the benefits of playing team sports?
What is the most corrupt professional sport?

Where to Get More Research Paper Topic Ideas

If you need more help brainstorming topics, especially those that are personalized to your interests, you can use CollegeVine’s free AI tutor, Ivy . Ivy can help you come up with original research topic ideas, and she can also help with the rest of your homework, from math to languages.

Disclaimer: This post includes content sponsored by Lumiere Education.

717 Good Research Paper Topics

Jim Peterson has over 20 years experience on speech writing. He wrote over 300 free speech topic ideas and how-to guides for any kind of public speaking and speech writing assignments at My Speech Class.

good and interesting research paper topics

Some examples of common research paper styles include:

Argumentative Research Papers
Persuasive Research Papers
Education Research Papers
Analytical Research Papers
Informative Research Papers

Your research essay topic may also need to be related to the specific class you are taking. For example, an economics class may require a business research paper, while a class on human behavior may call for a psychology research paper.

The requirements for your paper will vary depending on whether you are in high school, college, or a postgraduate student. In high school, you may be able to choose an easy topic and cite five or six sources you found on Google or Yahoo!, but college term papers require more in-depth research from reliable sources, such as scholarly books and peer-reviewed journals.

Do you need some help with brainstorming for topics? Some common research paper topics include abortion, birth control, child abuse, gun control, history, climate change, social media, AI, global warming, health, science, and technology.

But we have many more!

On this page, we have hundreds of good research paper topics across a wide range of subject fields. Each of these topics could be used “as is” to write your paper, or as a starting point to develop your own topic ideas.

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How to Choose Your Research Paper Topic

The first step to developing an interesting research paper is choosing a good topic. Finding a topic can be difficult, especially if you don’t know where to start. Finding the Right Research Paper Topic

If you are in a class that allows you to choose your own term paper topic, there are some important areas to consider before you begin your project:

Your Level of Interest: Research papers are time-consuming; you will be spending countless hours researching the topic and related topics, developing several primary and secondary sources, and putting everything together into a paper that is coherent and accomplishes your objectives. If you do not choose a topic you are passionate about, the process will be far more tedious, and the finished product may suffer as a result.

Your Level of Experience: Being interested in a topic is great, but it is even more helpful if you already know something about it. If you can find a topic that you already have some personal and/or professional experience with, it will vastly reduce the amount of research needed and make the whole process much easier.

Available Information on the Topic: Be sure to choose a topic that is not only interesting but also one that has numerous sources available from which to compile your research. A researchable topic with several potential sources gives you access to the level of information you need to become an authority on the subject.

Your Audience: An interesting topic to you may not necessarily be interesting to your professor or whoever is grading your research paper. Before you begin, consider the level of interest of the person(s) who will be reading it. If you are writing a persuasive or argumentative essay, also consider their point of view on the subject matter.

As you begin researching your topic, you may want to revise your thesis statement based on new information you have learned. This is perfectly fine, just have fun and pursue the truth, wherever it leads. If you find that you are not having fun during the research phase, you may want to reconsider the topic you have chosen.

The process of writing the research paper is going to be very time consuming so it’s important to select a topic that is going to sustain your interest for the duration of the project. It is good to select a topic that is relevant to your life since you are going to spend a long time researching and writing about it. Perhaps you are considering starting your own business or pursuing a career in politics. Look through the suggested research paper topics and find one in a category that you can relate to easily. Finding a topic that you have some personal interest in will help make the arduous task a lot easier, and the project will have better results because of your vested interest.

Our List of Research Topics and Issues

Affirmative action, health, pharmacy, medical treatments, interpersonal communication, marketing and advertising, barack obama, discrimination, bill clinton, hilary clinton, computer crimes and security, cosmetic surgery, controversial, criminal justice, donald trump, easy/simple, environment, family violence, foreign policy, gambling and lotteries, the lgbtq community, generational conflict, gun control, hate crimes, immigration, middle east, maternity/paternity leave, natural disasters, police work, population explosion, pornography, prisons and prisoners, prostitution, ronald reagan, student loan debt, teen issues, women, mothers, what, why, and how, relationships.

We compiled an exhaustive list of topics that would make excellent research papers. The topics are specifically organized to help you find one that will work for your project. Broad topics are headed, and then below them are narrowed topics, all to help you find an area to focus on. The way we have organized the topics for research papers can save you lots of time getting prepared to write your research paper.

We have topics that fit into categories that cover such areas as education, environmental sciences, communication and languages, current events, politics, business, criminal justice, art, psychology, economics to name just a few. Simply get started by choosing the category that interests you and peruse through the topics listed in that category and you’ll be well on your way to constructing an excellent research paper.

Be sure to check other topics ideas: persuasive speech topics , argumentative speech topics , policy speech topics . We also have some sample outlines and essay templates .

What limits are responsible?
What limits are realistic?
How to protect abortion doctors, pregnant women, and the protection of abortion clinics vs. the right to protest
Partial birth abortion
Scientific evidence vs. definition of viability
Stem cell research
Unborn victims of violence
Relative equality has been achieved vs. serious inequities continue
Can racial balance in business, education, and the military be achieved without policies that promote Affirmative Action
Reverse discrimination
NOW, National Organization for Women
No government support vs. fairness to parents who pay twice for education
Separation of church and state vs. religion’s contribution to the public good
Placement by age vs. placement by academic ability
Mainstreaming students with disabilities vs. special classrooms for their special needs
Required standardized tests for advancement vs. course requirements only
National standardized tests vs. local control of education
Discrimination in education
Multicultural/bilingual education vs. traditional basics
Teacher competency tests vs. degree requirements only
Teacher’s needs/demands vs. teaching as a service profession
Policing schools
School’s responsibility vs. parental responsibility for school violence
Drug and alcohol abuse, pregnancy, suicide
Zero tolerance toward violence vs. toughness with flexibility
Permit corporal punishment
Exams often do little more than measure a person’s ability to take exams. Should exams be outlawed in favor of another form of assessment?
Should teens in the U.S. adopt the British custom of taking a “gap year” between high school and college?
In some European schools, fewer than 10% of students get “As”. Is there grade inflation in the U.S.? Why so many “As” for Americans?
Education and funding
Grade inflation
No Child Left Behind Act: Is it working?
Home schooling
Standardized tests
Are children smarter (or more socialized) because of the Internet?
Should the federal government be allowed to regulate information on the internet?
How has the music industry been affected by the internet and digital downloading?
How does a search engine work?
What are the effects of prolonged steroid use on the human body?
What are the benefits and hazards of medical marijuana?
How does tobacco use affect the human body?
Do the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks?
What are some common sleep disorders and how are they treated?
What are the risks of artificial tanning or prolonged exposure to the sun?
Should thin people have to pay Medicare and other health costs for the health problems of obese people? Should obese people have higher premiums?
Low carbohydrate vs. low fat diets
Benefits of weight training vs. aerobics
How much weekly exercise is needed to achieve lasting health benefits
Health websites give too much information
Psychological disorders, such as cutting and self-harm, eating disorders, Autism, Tourette Syndrome, ADHD, ADD, Asperger Syndrome
Are we taking it too far by blaming fast food restaurants for obesity? When is it individual responsibility and when is it appropriate to place blame?
Should companies allow employees to exercise on work time?
Steroids, Antibiotics, Sprays; Are food manufacturers killing us?
Alternative medicine
Alzheimer’s disease
Causes of eating disorders, society’s portrayal of women
Eating disorders statistics
Down’s syndrome
Birth control
Dietary supplements
Exercise and fitness
Heart disease
In vitro fertilization
Attention deficit disorder
Investigate the history and authenticity of ADHD and ADD.
Organic foods
Prescription drugs
Vegetarianism
Learning disabilities
Schizophrenia
Coma recovery: techniques, successes, new strategies.
What are the primary types of cancer, and in what ways are they related?
Investigate the success ratio of holistic and non-medical cancer treatments.
Is Alzheimer’s inevitable? Examine theories regarding its prevention.
What forms of physical degeneracy are seen as linked to aging?
Investigate the connections between emotional stability and physical well-being, and provide evidence as to how the two may be related.
Investigate differences in rates of injury recovery and overcoming illness based on cultural parameters.
Examine the modern history of viral epidemics, researching what is known about the emergence of deadly viruses.
Examine how congenital heart disease may be treated, and how it differs from other forms of heart disease.
Is occasional depression a natural state to an extent, and is society too eager to treat this as a disorder?
Investigate Sociopathy, determine biological and psychological roots, typical patterns, and potentials of treatment.
How are compulsive behaviors determined as such? Explore examples of anal retention and expulsion, OCD, etc., as offering accepted criteria.
Research and analyze the nature of codependency as both a normal state of relations and as an unhealthy extreme.
Investigate the history and practice of electroshock, analyzing how and why this extreme treatment came to be widely used.
Hoarding: symptoms and treatments, causes, types of hoarding
Limits on extraordinary, costly treatments vs. doing everything possible
Nutritional/alternative therapy vs. mainstream medical treatment insurance coverage for alternative treatment?
Government grants for alternative treatment research?
Health superiority of alternative treatments?
Assisted suicide vs. preservation of life
Governmental insurance requirements
Should there be a national database to track controlled substances (i.e., OXYCODONE) or should it be a state issue?
Should parents avoid vaccinating their children?
Decline of communication due to technology
Online social networks and their influence
Impact of texting and cell phones
How do men and women communicate differently using body language, and why does it matter (in dating, the workplace, and social circles)?
Limitations of the media
Marketing to children
Sexual innuendos in marketing
Global marketing trends
Should certain kinds of ads be banned in the interest of health/morality/annoyance – alcohol, cigarettes, prescription meds, etc…?
Children’s programming and advertising
Most controversial political ads
Media response and public outcry to political ads
Campaign funds and their relation to political advertising
Domestic policy
Separation of church and state
Judge nominations and make up of supreme court
Congressional opposition to presidential nominees/filibusters
Affirmative action
Erosion of civil liberties vs. protection against terrorism
Patriot Act One and Two
Most developed nations have universal health coverage. Why doesn’t the U.S., the wealthiest nation, have it?
Tax cut as economic stimulation
Needs of the states vs. needs of the individuals
Budget deficits and deficit spending
Rich vs. poor
Protection of victims vs. freedom of speech/rights of the accused
How to improve race relations
Women still earn only 75 cents for every $1 a man earns. Explain why.
Discrimination in the workplace: analyzing issues for today’s corporations.
Gender discrimination
Interracial marriage
Should government impose restrictions on what kinds of foods can be served in school cafeterias?
Pros and cons of school uniforms.
Do children learn better in boys-only and girls-only schools?
Charter schools
Prayer in schools
Rights of the individual vs. community safety (or campus safety)
Funding for research
U.S. obligation to third world countries
Manufacturing of generic drugs vs. U.S. pharmaceutical companies
How contagious diseases “jump” from animal hosts to human
What treatments are available to people infected with HIV and are they effective?
Right to privacy of a child with AIDS vs. safety of other children
Limits for campus safety vs. personal freedom
Implications on violence and crime
Issues with binge drinking
Should the U.S. lower the drinking age to 18?
Leniency because of condition vs. community safety
Revoking drivers license vs. being able to attend classes and work
Age discrimination of violators
Animal rights vs. medical research
Should it be illegal to use animals for sports and entertainment?
Humane treatment of animals vs. factory farms
Animal welfare in slaughter houses
Animal protection vs. business, employment interests
School prestige vs. academic standards
Should shoe companies be able to give away free shoes and equipment to high school athletes?
Should college athletes be paid?
Doping in sports
What are the effects on children whose parents push them in sports?
Steroids: Should they be legalized?
Title IX: Has it helped women’s sports? Has it harmed men’s sports?
Social effects of team sports
Needed in public school library/curriculum?
Needed in entertainment industry?
Needed on the Internet?
Should parents censor textbooks and other literature for children in schools?
Parental filters on the Internet. Does censorship actually increase curiosity and use of pornography?
How is internet censorship used in China and around the world?
How has United States censorship changed over the decades?
Democratic kingmaker, influence on political succession
Impact of global initiative
Influence on fundraising
Influence as Secretary of State
Foreign policies
Influence on women
ACT or SAT score requirements
Promotional techniques, such as 1st time scholarships
4 year vs. 2 year colleges
College admission policies
College tuition planning
Distance education
Diploma mills
Online porn vs. freedom of speech
Stalking, invasion of privacy vs. reasonable access
Hacking crimes–workable solutions?
What are the latest ways to steal identity and money?
From where does spam email come and can we stop it?
How do computer viruses spread and in what ways do they affect computers?
Cyber security
Securing Internet commerce: is it possible in today’s arms’ race of hackers and evolving technology?
Is downloading of media (music, videos, software) infringing on the rights of media producers and causing economic hardships on media creators?
Should media producers prosecute students and individuals that they suspect of downloading copyrighted materials?
Programs such as SPOTIFY and PANDORA
Copyright Law
Age limitations on surgery
Addiction to surgery
Demand for beauty by society
The dangers of breast implants for teenagers
The cost of cosmetic surgery
Plastic surgery
Weight loss surgery
Are surgeons “scissor happy,” and are surgeries widely unnecessarily
Negative texting, instant messaging, email
Is cyber-bullying as bad as face-to-face?
Kinds of punishment for cyber-bullying
Media response
Should the state or federal government put laws into place to prevent bullying?
Is homosexuality a choice, or are people born gay?
Evolution vs. Creationism.
Should “under God” remain in the Pledge of Allegiance?
Is healthcare a right or a privilege?
Fossil fuels vs. alternative energy.
Transgender bathroom policies.
Capitalism vs. socialism.
Should parents be allowed to spank their children?
Should sanctuary cities lose their federal funding?
The pros and cons of gun control.
Should the U.S. continue drone strikes in foreign countries?
Was the U.S. justified in going to war with Iraq?
How to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The pros and cons of animal testing.
Do pro athletes have the right to sit during the national anthem?
Incarceration rates in the U.S.
Technology and the criminal justice system.
Police brutality and minorities.
Should the police wear body cameras?
In what circumstances should the death penalty be allowed?
Should we have stiffer penalties for drunk driving?
Should those who text while driving be put in jail?
White-collar crime and punishment.
Criminalizing protests and activism.
The rise of wrongful convictions.
Mutual consent vs. exploitation
Campuses with “no touch” policy
Drugs associated to Date Rape
Violence and Rape
Government support vs. parental financing
Benefits vs. harmful effects
Trump’s unconventional presidential campaign.
The psychology of Donald Trump.
Who is behind Trump’s political rise?
Donald Trump and evangelical voters.
Donald Trump the businessman.
Trump’s war on the press (aka “fake news”).
The Trump Organization and conflicts of interest.
The border wall and illegal immigration policy.
Global warming and climate change policy.
Trump-Russia collusion.
The rapid rise of “The Resistance.”
Trump’s legislative agenda; e.g., health care, tax policy, deregulation, etc.
Trump’s “America First” trade and foreign policy.
The case for (or against) the Trump presidency.
Punishment vs. treatment
Family reactions
Social acceptance
Community safety vs. legalization
United States military involvement in Colombian drug trade?
Drug legalization
Abstinence Program: Do they work?
Should the federal government legalize the use of marijuana?
What is the true key to happiness?
What is the cause of America’s obesity crisis?
Why sleep is necessary.
Are plastic bottles really bad for you?
How to encourage people to recycle more.
How 3D printers benefit everyone.
How do GPS systems on smartphones work?
How have oil spills impacted the environment?
Verbal vs. nonverbal communication.
The accuracy of lie detector tests.
How Bill Gates and Steve Jobs changed the world.
The pros and cons of hitchhiking.
The PC vs. the Mac.
What causes tornadoes?
Pollution, air, and water
Endangered species
What are the risks of climate change and global warming?
Rain forests
Alternative energy
Alternative fuel/hybrid vehicles
Conservation
Deforestation
Greenhouse effect
Marine pollution
How have oil spills affected the planet and what steps are being taken to prevent them?
Sustainability of buildings
Recycling programs
Cost of “green” programs
Wind turbines
Landfill issues
Renewable fuels
Radioactive waste disposal
Soil pollution
Wildlife conservation: what efforts are being taken to protect endangered wildlife?
Excessive burden on industries?
Drilling for oil in Alaska’s ANWR (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge)
Gasoline consumption vs. SUV’s popularity
Wildlife protection vs. rights of developers
Clean air and water standards–weakened vs. strengthened
What are the dangers of scuba diving and underwater exploration?
Should the use of coal be subjected to stricter environmental regulations than other fuels?
Is global warming a hoax? Is it being exaggerated?
How much is too much noise? What, if anything, should we do to curb it?
Protecting victims vs. rights of the accused
Women who kill abusive husbands vs. punishment for murder
Marital rape?
How to protect children vs. respect for parental rights
Children who kill abusive parents
Child abuse–workable solutions?
Child abuse
Domestic abuse
Organic farming vs. mainline use of chemical sprays
How to best protect the environment; conservation
Family vs. corporate farms
Food production costs
Interventionism?
Third world debt and World Bank/International Monetary Fund
Military support vs. economic development of third world countries
Human rights violations
European Union in competition with the U.S.
Unilateralism
Relevance of the United Nations
Neocon role in foreign policy
Christian right influence on foreign policy
Pentagon vs. State Department
Nation building as a policy
Arms control
Obama’s National Strategy for Counterterrorism
Control of al Qaeda
Drawdown of U.S. Armed Forces in the Middle East
Cats vs. dogs: which makes the better pet?
My pet can live forever: why I love animal clones.
According to my social media profile, my life is perfect.
Football vs. baseball: which sport is America’s favorite pastime?
Starbucks vs. Caribou: whose coffee is better?
What does your dog really think of you?
Why millennials deserve lower pay.
What makes people end up with so many mismatched socks?
How to become a research paper master.
How reading Tuesdays with Morrie can make you wiser.
Easy way to earn revenues vs. social damage
Individual freedom vs. social damage
Do lotteries actually benefit education or is it a scam?
Can gamblers ever acquire a statistical advantage over the house in casino games?
Should there be a constitutional amendment that allows gays and lesbians to legally marry?
Adoption rights?
Need special rights for protection?
College campus response
Gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender
Gay parenting
Elderly to share in the tax burden vs. government support of elderly
Future of social security
Job discrimination
Child rearing
Employment issues
Generational differences
Community and police safety vs. unrestricted right to bear arms
NRA (National Rifle Association)
2nd Amendment
Do states that allow citizens to carry guns have higher or lower crime rates?
Community safety vs. freedom of Speech
Punishment inequities
Persecution of alternative lifestyles
Church Arson: Hate crime?
Prevention of hazing
Greek organizations and rituals of hazing
Statistics of death or injury due to Hazing
High Schools and Hazing
What happened during the Salem witch trials?
How did trains and railroads change life in America?
What may have occurred during the Roswell UFO incident of 1947?
What Olympic events were practiced in ancient Greece?
How did Cleopatra come to power in Egypt? What did she accomplish during her reign?
What are the origins of the conflict in Darfur?
What was the women’s suffrage movement and how did it change America?
How was the assassination of Abraham Lincoln plotted and executed?
How did Cold War tension affect the US and the world?
What happened to the lost settlers at Roanoke?
How did Julius Caesar affect Rome?
How did the Freedom Riders change society?
What was the code of the Bushido and how did it affect samurai warriors?
How did Joan of Arc change history?
What dangers and hardships did Lewis and Clark face when exploring the Midwest?
How are the Great Depression and the Great Recession similar and different?
What was the Manhattan Project and what impact did it have on the world?
Why did Marin Luther protest against the Catholic Church?
How did the Roman Empire fall?
How did the black plague affect Europe?
How did Genghis Khan conquer Persia?
How did journalists influence US war efforts in Vietnam?
Who is Vlad the Impaler and what is his connection to Count Dracula?
Who was a greater inventor, Leonardo di Vinci or Thomas Edison?
What was the role of African Americans during the Revolutionary War?
What was Britain’s view of India during British rule?
What were the factors in the China-Tibet conflict?
Research and analyze the emergence of the Catholic Church as a political force following the collapse of the Roman Empire.
Investigate Dr. Eileen Powers’ claim that the Roman Empire was lost primarily due to an inability to perceive itself as subject to the change inevitable to all governments, or her “force of nature” theory.
Explore and discuss the actual cooperation occurring through the centuries of Barbarian conquest of Rome.
Examine the differences and similarities between Western and Eastern concepts and practices of kingship.
Investigate and explain the trajectory of ALEXANDER THE GREAT’s empire, with minimal emphasis on personal leadership.
To what extent did commerce first link Eastern and Western cultures, and how did this influence early international relations?
Research and analyze how Japan moved from a feudalistic to a modern state, and how geographic isolation played a role in the process.
Analyze the process and effects of Romanization on the Celtic people of ancient England: benefits, conflicts, influences.
Overview of British dominance of Ireland, Wales, and Scotland! How was this justified in each case, and what motivated the attempts over centuries of rebellion and failure?
Investigate the known consequences of Guttenberg’s printing press within the first 30 years of its invention, and only in regard to the interaction between European nations.
Identify and analyze the point at which the Reformation became fused with European politics and nationalist agendas.
To what extent did Henry VIII promote the Reformation, despite his vigorous persecution of heretics in England?
Trace and discuss the uses of papal power as a military and political device in the 14th and 15th centuries.
Research the city/state of Florence from the 13th to the 16th centuries, discussing how and why it evolved as so fiercely republican.
Compare and contrast the Russian Czarism of Peter, Elizabeth, and Catherine with the monarchies of England and France in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Investigate the enormous significance of Catholic Orthodoxy as the dominant faith in Russia, and its meaning and influence in an empire populated by a minimal aristocracy and predominant serfdom.
To what extent did Philip II’s religious convictions shape European policy and conflict in the 16th century?
Trace the path leading to the convocation of the Estates in France in the late 18th century, leading to the Revolution. Assess political and social errors responsible.
What eventually ended serfdom in Russia, and why were numerous attempts to end it by the Czars in power consistently unsuccessful?
Research and report on how England was transformed in the 19th century by the industrial revolution and the advent of the railroad.
Compare and contrast the consequences of the industrial revolutions in England and America in terms of urbanization.
What were the circumstances leading to World War I, and how might the war have been averted?
Assess the Cold War of the 20th century in an historical context: can any parallels be made between this conflict and other ongoing tensions between major powers in earlier centuries?
Analyze Roosevelt’s decisions in implementing the New Deal, beginning with the closing of the banks. Suggest alternative strategies, or reinforce the rationale of the actions.
What architectural marvels were found in Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire?
What was the cultural significance of the first moon landing?
Food programs
Welfare reform
Governmental supplementation
Homeless: urban restrictions vs. needs of the destitute
Workable solutions?
Realistic limits vs. openness toward people in need
English as official language vs. respect for diversity
Should illegal immigrants be made legal citizens?
Access to public school and public programs for Illegal Aliens
Policing borders–workable solutions?
Employment and/or taxation for Illegal Aliens
International trade
Democratization
“Shock and awe”
U.S. occupation vs. liberation
Iraqi run vs. U.S. puppet state
Oil and Gas prices-Control of resources
Effective self-government
War on Terrorism
Is America winning or losing the War? What is the measurement of success? Have the benefits outweighed the costs?
Parental leave for both parents
FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act)
Bonding time
Preemptive strike policy
Precision weapons
Intelligence reliability
Afghanistan – a success or stalemate
Should the U.S. have mandatory military conscriptions? For whom?
Governmental support
Preparedness
School emergency plans
Community warning systems
Damage costs
U.S. presidential elections should be decided by the popular vote, rather than the Electoral College.
The minimum wage should be increased to provide a “livable” wage for working families.
There should be stiffer penalties for those who commit animal cruelty.
School vouchers increase competition and create better quality schools.
The corporate tax rate should be lowered to create more jobs.
Social Security should be privatized.
Human torture should be banned in all circumstances.
Affirmative action is still needed to ensure racial and gender equality.
The U.S. dollar should go back on the gold standard.
Euthanasia and assisted suicide should be outlawed.
Police brutality vs. dangers that police face
Racially motivated brutality?
Politician’s right to privacy vs. the public’s right to know
Amount of money going into presidential campaigns
Views on abortion, gay marriage, and other controversial topics
Political debates throughout history
Third-party candidates at presidential debates
Rights of religious citizens vs. freedom from imposition (e.g. prayer in schools)
Religious motivation for political involvement vs. cultural pluralism
Christian Right’s influence on foreign policy
How serious? Causes? Workable solutions?
Funding abortion as a form of birth control in third world countries?
What would happen globally if the demand for natural resources is greater than the supply?
Limitation of social deterioration vs. freedom of speech
Definition of Pornography
Child Pornography
Building prisons vs. alternative sentencing
Adjusted sentencing for lesser crimes
Community service
Diversion Programs for inmates
How does the prison population in America compare to other nations?
Prostitution laws in the US and abroad
Benefits and drawbacks to legalizing prostitution
Psychological effect on prostitutes and former prostitutes
Sex slavery, buying and selling
Should the government be allowed to wire tap without permission?
What limitations, if any, should be applied to the paparazzi?
What medical information should be confidential? Who, if anybody, should have access to medical records?
Does the public have a right to know about a public figure’s private life?
Privacy rights
Do harsher punishments mean fewer convictions?
Date rape: consent vs. exploitation
Drugs-Rohypnol, GHB, KETAMINE
Legalization of Date Rape Drugs
Recently, a 17-year-old boy was sentenced to 10 years in prison for having consensual oral sex with a 15-year-old girl. Are statutory rape laws patronizing to girls and discriminatory to boys?
Acquaintance rape
Is there one true religion?
Freedom of religion
Offer distinct reasons why the Bible should be studied as literature, removed from religious significance.
From Hollywood to the White House: the political rise of Ronald Reagan.
The Great Communicator: how Reagan captured the hearts of Americans.
1981 assassination attempt: bullet wound leaves Reagan inches away from death.
Reagan appoints the first female Supreme Court justice.
The PATCO breakup and decline of the labor unions.
Tax cuts and “Reaganomics.”
The “Iran-Contra” scandal.
Reagan, Gorbachev, and the end of the Cold War.
The final act: Reagan’s Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis and long goodbye.
How has airport security intensified since September 11th, 2001?
Identity theft
Homeland Security: Are we safer since the creation of this department?
Should the government use invasive pat-downs and body scans to ensure passenger safety or are there better methods?
Is arming Pilots a good idea?
What responsibilities do secret service agents have?
Student loan scams
How to avoid student loan debt
Managing student loan debt
Driverless cars and the future of transportation.
Breaking the glass ceiling: the impact of the women’s rights movement.
How seniors contribute to societal well-being.
How disabled individuals are viewed by society.
The modern-day civil rights movement.
Has technology made us more detached from society?
The role of religion in society.
In today’s society, are we better off or worse off than previous generations?
Popular music and its impact on the culture.
Class and geographical segregation.
The differences between life in the city, suburbs, and/or rural areas.
Should parents be able to create designer babies?
Should microchips be implanted inside humans for better tracking and security?
Will smart watches eventually replace cell phones?
The pros and cons of being a global citizen.
Progressive vs. flat tax
Excessive taxes vs. worthwhile programs
Is text messaging contributing to teen illiteracy?
How eating disorders impact teens.
Tablets vs. textbooks.
Do standardized tests improve teen education?
Are violent video games contributing to juvenile delinquency?
Is English literature relevant for today’s teens?
Should the HPV vaccine be required for teen girls?
Do teachers inflate grades so students can pass?
Should advertisers be allowed to target teens?
How to encourage teens to stop smoking.
The causes and effects of teen alcohol and drug abuse.
How to prevent teen pregnancy.
Osama Bin Laden
World Trade Center and Pentagon bombings
September 11, 2001
War on terrorism
Afghanistan
Bioterrorism
Al Qaida: Has U.S. policy actually spread terrorism rather than contained it? Will it get better or worse? Why and how?
Can terrorism ever be justified?
What kind of person becomes a suicide bomber?
What were the circumstances surrounding the death of Osama Bin Laden?
Has the Patriot Act prevented or stopped terrorist acts in America?
How is text messaging affecting teen literacy?
Cell Phones: How have they changed us socially?
Does the Information Age mean we are losing important historical information?
Where did hip-hop music originate?
A day in the life of a Buddhist monk.
How does the brain store and retrieve memories?
What life is like inside an ant colony.
The case for and against the existence of UFOs.
Can virtual reality adequately substitute for actual reality?
Are dreams hidden messages or just hot air?
Why do people collect the most ridiculous things?
When is it time to get out of an abusive relationship?
The art of pretending to care.
Public attitudes toward veterans
Health issues caused by service time
Organizations for veterans
Governmental support for veterans
What programs are available to help war veterans get back into society?
Iraq War Vets: Are they being cheated on medical benefits?
Is there a glass ceiling?
Obstacles to women running for political office?
Should women be priests, pastors, ministers, and rabbis?
What differences, if any, are there in children who are raised by stay-at-home moms and working moms? Does society today still discriminate against working mothers who wish to have flexible work schedules?
Should stay-at-home moms get a salary from the government?
Why do we sleep?
How do GPS systems work?
Who was the first person to reach the North Pole?
Did anybody ever escape Alcatraz?
What was life like for a gladiator?
Are there any effective means of repelling insects?
How is bulletproof clothing made?
How was the skateboard invented and how has it changed over the years?
What is life like inside of a beehive?
Where did hip hop originate and who were its founders?
What makes the platypus a unique and interesting mammal?
What is daily life like for a Buddhist monk?
How did gunpowder change warfare?
How were cats and dogs domesticated and for what purposes?
What do historians know about ninjas?
Are humans still evolving?
What is the curse of the pharaohs?
Why was Socrates executed?
How did ancient sailors navigate the globe?
How are black holes formed?
How do submarines work?
Do lie detector tests accurately determine truthful statements?
How does a hybrid car save energy?
What ingredients can be found in a hotdog?
How does a shark hunt?
How does the human brain store and retrieve memories?
How does stealth technology shield aircraft from radar?
What causes tornados?
How does night vision work?
What causes desert mirages, and how do they affect wanderers?
What are sinkholes, and how are they formed?
What are the major theories explaining the disappearance of the dinosaurs?
Should we reform laws to make it harder to get a divorce?
Divorce rates
Family relationships
Family values
Race relations
Marriage and Divorce
A view of home life and its effect on child development
How 4 generations in the workplace can work together.
Building positive employee relationships
Modern work environments
Business leadership
Workforce regulations
Small business and taxation
Corporate law
Issues in modern Human Resources: Are today’s corporations patronizing employees or being more responsible for them?
Cultural conflict in globalization: Strategies for successfully establishing a presence in a foreign culture
Corporate abuse: How can executives so successfully manipulate corporations criminally?
Identifying stakeholders in non-public companies: is the corporate responsibility the same as for public offerings?
Devise a new model of leadership for business today, incorporating elements of existing leadership models and theories.
Examine the actual impact of social media as a business promotion instrument.
Devise a scenario in which traditionally unethical business practices may be justified.
Should newspaper reporters be required to reveal their sources?
Do the media (both print and broadcast) report fairly? Do they ever cross the line between reporting the news and creating the news?
Does news coverage favor whites?
What steps are involved in creating a movie or television show?
How have the film and music industries dealt with piracy?
Media conglomerates/ownership
Minorities in mass media
Portrayal of women
Reality television
Television violence
Media portrayals
Sensationalized media
Examine the issues of responsibility in pharmaceutical companies’ promotion of drugs in the media.
Forensic science technology
What are the current capabilities and future goals of genetic engineers?
What obstacles faced scientists in breaking the sound barrier?
What is alchemy and how has it been attempted?
What technologies are available to home owners to help them conserve energy?
Nuclear energy
Clean energy resources
Wind energy: Is wind energy really that inexpensive? Is it effective? Is it practical?
What are the dangers and hazards of using nuclear power?
Investigate Freud’s contributions to psychology as they exist today: what value remains?
Are there gender foundations to psychology and behavior that are removed from cultural considerations? To what extent does gender actually dictate thought process?
To what extent is sexual orientation dictated by culture, and is there an orientation not subject to social and cultural influences?
Investigate the psychological process in group dynamics with regard to the emergence of leaders and the compliance of others.
Compare and contrast Jung, Freud, and Adler: explore distinctions and commonalities.
What is “normal,” and to what extent is psychology reliant on culture to define this?
Research and assess the effectiveness of radical psychotherapies and unconventional treatments.
Research the concept of human will as both a component of individual psychology and a process or element removed from it.
To what extent is self-image influenced by culture in regard to eating disorders? Are external factors entirely to blame?
How do centuries-old beliefs of madness and dementia relate to modern conceptions of mental illness?
Is psychology itself inevitably a non-science in that virtually any theory may be substantiated, or is there a foundation of science to the subject to which all theorists must conform?
Examine Euripides and gender psychology: what do the Trojan Women and Medea reveal?
Using three characters, explore Chaucer’s insight into human behavior in The Canterbury Tales.
Identify the true relationship between Dante and Virgil in The Divine Comedy, emphasizing Dante’s reliance on the poet.
Research and discuss the English fascination for euphemism and ornate narratives in the 16th century, beginning with John Lyly.
Examine any existing controversies regarding Shakespearean authorship, citing arguments on both sides.
Analyze similarities and differences between Marlowe and Shakespeare in regard to Tamburlaine and Titus Andronicus.
Defend or support Bloom’s assertion of Shakespeare as the “inventor of the human being.”
To what degree are Shakespeare’s plays influenced by, or reflective, of the Elizabethan era? Identify specific cultural and national events linked to at least 3 plays.
Analyze the unusual construction of A Winter’s Tale in regard to transition from comedy to drama. Is this valid? Does the transition benefit or harm the play?
Support the belief that Shakespeare is representing himself as Prospero through evidence, or similarly refute the belief.
Why was extreme violence so popular in English Reformation drama? Cite Marlowe, Kyd, Webster, and Shakespeare.
Analyze the metaphysical in Donne’s poetry: is it spiritual, existential, or both?
What is Shelley seeking to say in Frankenstein? Support your answer with passages from the novel.
Compare and contrast Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina with Flaubert’s Madame Bovary, noting the characters of the heroines.
It is argued that Dickens failed when he turned to serious, romantic narrative in his novels. Using Copperfield, Great Expectations, and Dombey and Son, defend or refute this claim.
Assess Dickens’ stance as a moralist in Bleak House and Hard Times: to what extent does he seek reform, and to what does he comment on the human condition?
Was the Harry Potter phenomenon warranted by quality of storytelling or more a matter of public receptivity at the time combined with media exposure?

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20 thoughts on “717 Good Research Paper Topics”

How has music evolved? How has music effected history? Music of the past vs music of the present. How has the music industry effected the music’s quality?

Do you think abortion is legal? Why they do abortion?

Why are people instinctively afraid of animals that are not mammals?

Should abortion be legalized? Should domestic abuse and child abuse victims be granted clemency for killing their abuser?

Jewish holocaust and its contribution to European History, specifically Germany

What is the most popular college in the United States?

The Black Knight: Space Waste or Alien Satellite? The Moon Landing: Real or Hollywood Hoax? Have We Become Too Politically Correct? Paranormal Research: Real? Fake? Should it be offered in college? Who really was Jack the Ripper? Can a zombie apocalypse truly occur? Who is the best or worst president of the USA? The Men in Black: real or hoax?

Why Marching Band is a sport.

Marching band is not a sport

how did aids start?

Topic : Alternative medicine Research question : Does the alternative medicine is safe and standardized Hypothesis : analyse the quality controle of alternative medicine formulations

Does our nostalgic music/childhood songs affect our present lifestyle, and in what ways?

reverse discriminations is still discrimination so there’s no such thing as that. like reverse racism isn’t a thing because that is still racism

Men on birth control and not women.

You forget the topic Islamophobia 😉

You should add a music section. Is Muzio Clementi overshadowed by Mozart? The Toccata and Fugue in D- really wasn’t written by Bach The use of the “Dies Irae” in cinema Why is modern music so repetitive and simple compared to classical music?

I want to do a research project on Education

I want to research but not get a perfect topic help me give me a best topic about current affairs

Topic: History. Are the Crusades oversimplified? where they justified? If so, how? Topic: Current affairs. Is the term “conspiracy theory” used to discredit any non-mainstream, controversial opinions. Topic: Gun control. Does limiting magazine capacity for firearms have any effect on gun crime? Are high-capacity magazines ever necessary for self-defense? Topic: Economics. Are minimum wage laws necessary to guarantee “decent”, or do the laws of supply and demand automatically ensure that?

Are women funny?

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Research Paper Guide

Research Paper Topics

Last updated on: Nov 20, 2023

Good Research Paper Topics & Ideas for Students

By: Nathan D.

22 min read

Reviewed By: Chris H.

Published on: May 28, 2019

Research paper writing is an essential part of education. It is necessary because it helps the students to develop a critical view of different issues of life and society. In addition to that, research writing enables students to develop their argumentative and persuasive skills.

The foremost step of the research paper writing process is selecting the topic. Teachers do not provide research topics to students and give them the freedom to go with something that interests them.

The purpose is that teachers want to assess the student’s ability from their writing. This can be done without forcing a difficult topic for research on them. While selecting the topics, students must ensure not to opt for a topic they can easily find information on. But with something for which you can craft an interesting and debatable thesis statement.

Selecting a perfect topic seems like a problem to almost all students. Every other topic seems interesting at first glance. However, that same topic becomes too difficult when the students research the details and existing information about it.

Don’t worry. We have compiled a great list of research topics that you can use for your help.

So get ready to explore some interesting examples of research topics for your paper.

On this Page

Research Paper Topics for Different Education Levels

We have categorized topics for different education levels to cater to the needs of all students. So let’s have a look at our research topics for students…

Middle School Research Paper Topics

How can we protect our environment?
How is instant messaging affecting literacy?
Effective ways of achieving your academic goals.
A movie that influenced its generation.
Always choose a good idea or topic to write about.
Standardized tests aren’t a useful measure to judge a student’s capabilities.
Pros and cons of going completely vegan.
What is the impact of diversity on a society’s development and progress?
What is the role of music in soothing someone?
How to choose an easy research paper topic?
Significance of learning different languages.
Importance of physical activities.
Bullying and its effects on mental health.
How do learning techniques influence learning behavior?
Pros and cons of distant learning.

High School Research Paper Topics

Looking for interesting research topics for high school students? Here you go, select one of these best topics and ace your grades...

Should school students choose a controversial topic?
Should prayer be a part of high school?
Do kids focus better in same-sex schools?
Should the government control what is served in school cafeterias?
Does anyone ever use math formulas in real life?
Should high schools make their students undergo leadership training?
The high school curriculum should include subjects related to real life. Discuss.
Examine the jail system of China.
Discuss Plato’s philosophy regarding maths and how did he contribute to it?
What are the psychological effects of the Holocaust on the survivors?
Writing a research paper and improving your skills.
Media coverage of the Vietnam War Vs. War on Terror.
Significance of Industrial Revolution.
Significance of being Nuclear Power in the world.
How can poverty be eradicated in underdeveloped countries?

College Research Paper Topics

This list provide some engaging research topic for college students. So, if you’re stuck on deciding your research topic, then have a look at the topics below:

4-year college degree vs. 2-year degree.
Distance learning and its usefulness.
How should students plan for college tuition?
How does substance abuse affect the performance of college students?
Can an average person become a politician, and how?
IELTS Vs. TOEFL.
Children should choose those subjects that interest them. Agreed?
Colleges should have education consultants to help students.
College dropouts are more likely to become billionaires. Do you agree?
The College curriculum should include specific classes for boys and girls.
Physical punishments and their impact on children.
Importance of getting a degree in professional life.
How to be successful in life?
Emerging graduate programs.
The flawed education system of the United States.

Don’t give up reading here because this list has plenty more interesting and easy research topic ideas. So continue reading to explore them all now….

Discover Captivating Topics in a Click!

Research Paper Topics for 2023

Are you looking for the latest research topic ideas for different fields? The following list created by the professional writers of 5StarEssays.com will be helpful.

History Research Paper Topics

How did the Civil War impact the history of the United States of America?
What were the prominent features of the Roman Empire?
Explain the havoc caused by World War II.
How did the depression era contribute to the change in the ideology of the general population?
Was Martin Luther King really a reformist?
Is racial discrimination still a part of American society?
Compare and contrast between the Neolithic period and the stone age.
Discuss the French Revolution in detail.
What is Hippie culture? Trace and explain its origins and influences.
What is the significance of the Battle of Hastings in the history of England?
History and origin of Feminism.
Political events that fueled up WWII.
The use of propaganda by Hitler.
The similarities and differences in the literature of the 18th and 19th centuries.
Causes and effects of the War on Terror.

You can also get more history research topics here for your academic assignment.

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Art Research Paper Topics

Differentiate between the achievements of the Northern Renaissance and the Italian Renaissance.
Is the media portrayal of minorities realistic?
How did Rap music become a part of American society?
How did the music brought by the slave community become dominant in modern American society?
How is racism being highlighted by the media?
What is the history of ice sculpting? Explain with reference to popular ice sculptures.
Discuss the symbolism in Da Vinci’s paintings.
Discuss the origin of Salsa and other types of dances.
What is the significance of the ancient stone drawings?
How do different movements impact the culture and art of that era?
Significance of Hitler’s artwork.
William Blake’s contribution to literature.
Depiction of beauty in Shakespeare’s plays.
Romance and the portrayal of a relationship in the novels of the 19th century.
Different techniques are used in painting landscapes.

Criminal Justice Research Paper Topics

Should the government allow any relaxation in Capital punishment?
Why should the minimum legal drinking age be kept at eighteen years?
Does drug legalization contribute to the increased crime rate?
Should the constitutional amendment regarding gun control be amended again?
Does police brutality contribute to the onset of hate crimes?
Should abortion be counted as a crime? Defend your answer with solid arguments and proof.
What are the main reasons behind human trafficking? How can it be controlled?
How does child abuse lead to the making of criminals?
What role do sociology and psychology play in criminal justice?
How can social institutions contribute towards minimizing the crime rate?
Causes and effects of mercy killing.
Significance of death penalties.
Reasons why bullying should be considered a crime.
Should minors be treated as adult criminals for murders?
Different techniques to interrogate crimes.

Business Research Paper Topics

How has cyber-security emerged as a new business endeavor?
Is e-business more profitable than traditional business?
Do you think small business retailers compromise on business ethics?
Pros and cons of online retail.
Role of government organizations in white-collar crimes.
Should the minimum wage rate be increased?
What are the main causes behind the rise of entrepreneurial culture?
Owning a business is the only way to total financial security. Agreed?
Describe the different types of business models and ways to implement them successfully.
Propose some profitable small business ideas.
Should successful businessmen be helping new people in the market?
The relation of demand in supply in the market.
How do the political instabilities of the country influence businesses?
Trending business ideas.
How do different marketing techniques boost business?

Ethics Research Paper Topics

Should gun control laws be revised?
Pros and cons of Euthanasia
Should recreational marijuana be legalized?
Animal testing is against animal rights. Discuss.
Do violent video games promote aggressiveness among children?
How to minimize bullying in school?
What are the reasons for a rise in plastic surgery trends in teenagers?
Ethical implications in case someone sees their friend cheating on the exam.
What are the consequences of merging religion with politics
How to minimize ethnic hostility in college and university?
Ways to minimize gun-related deaths in America.
Causes and effects of the increase in the divorce rate.
Significance of affirmative actions in the workplace.
Should mercy killing be legal?
Influence of stem cell research on medicine.

Health Research Paper Topics

What are the health complications caused by abortion?
Does drug abuse contribute to mental health issues?
Is there any cure for Alzheimer's disease?
Is obesity the main reason behind the onset of other chronic illnesses?
Should teenagers be allowed to buy medication without a prescription?
Discuss the negative effects of cosmetic surgery.
What are the health disasters of crash diets?
Anorexia in College Girls: Reasons and Ways to Minimize It
Are health supplements necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle?
What vitamins are necessary for a healthy lifestyle and living?
Causes and effects of obesity.
How to treat PTSD?
Similarities and differences between a panic attack and an anxiety attack.
Natural way to treat bipolar disorder.
How can sleep disorders lead to other mental problems?

Government Policy Research Paper Topics

Should the government reform the policy regarding Juvenile Punishment?
How is US airport security contributing to counterterrorism measures?
Should the United States of America reform its Immigration policies?
Is legalizing recreational marijuana providing any benefit to government organizations?
Can prison reforms contribute to the low crime rate in the United States of America?
What factors play a role in forming government policies?
What are some of the new developments in the government policies of the US?
What are the policy reforms that took place in Obama’s presidential era?
What are the pros and cons of Obama’s Healthcare Act?
How is Donald Trump working on the healthcare of the US?
Barack Obama’s domestic policy.
Effectiveness of country’s protection against terrorism policies.
Comparison of Patriot Act One and Two.
How do the needs of individuals contradict the needs of the state?
The illegal immigration policy of the United States.

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Environment Research Paper Topics

How is human activity contributing to acid rain?
Is deforestation contributing to global warming?
Can hybrid vehicles ensure the control of pollution in the atmosphere?
How can global warming be controlled?
What are the main sources of marine pollution?
How is the Greenhouse effect contributing to global warming?
Discuss the role of Fauna and Flora in impacting the rainfall.
Global warming is the key reason behind the increased rate of water disasters. Discuss.
How to recycle waste to minimize global warming?
Using degradable plastic helps minimize the hazards of plastic. Agreed?
Climate change and global warming policy.
Impact of oil spills on the environment.
Causes and effects of water pollution.
Effects of deforestation on climate.
Significance of wildlife protection.

US History Research Paper Topics

What was the cause of the great depression?
American colonial era.
Importance of Voting Act Rights for the blacks.
Discuss the cause of the Civil war.
Martin Luther King.
Women’s suffrage movement.
What are the main eras in US history?
Discuss the effects of motivational speeches in influencing the US masses.
Discuss Abraham Lincoln as a US President and the reasons behind his assassination.
Describe the Battle of Chancellorsville and its impact.
A critical analysis of “I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King Jr.
Cold War and its effects on the United States.
US journalism during the Vietnam War.
The American history of relationship with North Korea.
The history of terrorist attacks in the United States.

Sociological Research Paper Topics

How does divorce affect children?
Interracial marriage.
Gender inequality in a professional environment.
Cause and effect of bullying.
Does social media make individuals feel alone?
Discuss the pros and cons of the nuclear family system.
Are women molested more than men? Argue with solid facts.
What effects do homosexuals have on modern society?
What is feminism, and how is it affecting the modern family and society?
What are the reasons behind the rising rate of divorce?
Driverless cars and the evolution of transportation.
The significance and impact of the women’s rights movement.
Significance of religion in society.
Traditional music Vs. modern music.
Life in rural Vs. Urban areas.

Get more sociology research topics and choose the one that you find interesting.

Sports Research Paper Topics

Selecting topics on sports can help you explore different aspects of sports and provide an interesting read. Here are some topics that you can consider for your paper…

Importance of physical exercise in school.
Mind Vs. Body. What is more important for sports?
Is cheerleading a sport?
Should trans women play against men or women?
Do sports influence an individual’s emotional well-being?
Football vs. hockey, which sport do you prefer and why?
What are the reasons behind the steroid culture in professional wrestlers?
Should athletes consume steroids and other medicine to improve their performance?
How do sports help us in sharpening our minds and doing better in our studies?
Sports should be essential for every student. Discuss the reasons.
The use of animals in sports.
Doping in sports.
Team sports and its effects on society.
Cricket Vs. Hockey.
Extreme sports of the world.

English Linguistics Research Paper Topics

Here is a list of some interesting research paper topics for English literature and linguistics students…

Discuss the theme of narcissism in the character of Dorian Gray.
Discuss the elements of the literature in different eras.
Discuss the theme of Carpe Diem in different poems.
Describe why the poets and writers use similes and symbols in their works.
Evaluate symbolism in two novels or plays.
Compare Shakespeare and Marlowe as contemporaries.
How has Kafka hinted at his strained relationship with his father in his works?
It is said that literature is the true mirror of any era. How true is it?
How does literature teach and inform about the different aspects of society?
Discuss Milton and Blake as mystics.
The usage of literary devices in famous pieces of literature.
The depiction of beauty standards in the artwork of the 18th century.
The portrayal of women in the literature of the 20th century.
Romance in Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet.
Literature during the first World War Vs. the second.

Education Research Paper Topics

Homeschooling is better than traditional schooling. Discuss.
Physical education must be made mandatory in schools.
Setting up a virtual education system will help increase the literacy rate.
College dropouts are more likely to end up nowhere. Justify the claim.
Education opportunities for girls are less than those for boys. Discuss the claim.
Education among girls should be promoted.
Government should give free education up to the university level. Discuss.
How can we revolutionize education?
What is the role of AI in developing the educational sector?
Education should be made paperless. Discuss its pros and cons.
How has Covid-19 influenced education?
Education system of the underdeveloped countries.
How to eradicate poverty through education?
Right to education.
Women's right to education in third world countries.

Don’t stop reading, explore some more topics….

World History Research Paper Topics

State and discuss the reasons behind the Rwandan genocide.
Discuss Cleopatra as the most influential Egyptian queen.
Discuss the rise and fall of Hitler.
Who was Nero? What caused his downfall and demise?
What was the significance of Arenas in the Roman Empire?
Discuss Holocaust as one of the greatest tragedies in history.
What is the role of women in the Industrial Revolution?
How did Pompeii destroy? Discuss the causes of the destruction.
What are the Stonehenges?
Discuss some of the prehistoric fossils.
The history of using nuclear weapons.
Origin and formation of the world bank.
The Cold War and its effects on the world.
War on Terror and its effects on the world.
How did the 9/11 incident change the politics of the world?

Social Media Research Paper Topics

Social Media is a trending topic for writing a great paper. It can help you assess the impact that social media has on society and how its usage influences people’s lives. Here are some great topics to consider for your research paper:

Is blogging becoming a legit profession?
Does social media affect our relationships?
Has social media brought people closer or distanced and disrupted them and their relationships?
Should everyone in the world have the same access to social media?
Should social media sites be banned in schools?
How does social media impact our daily life?
Is social media an end-to-end solution for small businesses?
How do companies use different social platforms to find and hire talent?
Social media is a necessity of life. How true is this statement?
Social media is the new future of technology. Discuss.
Is social media the source of spreading fake news?
The use of social media for promoting businesses.
How can social media accounts help judge people more accurately?
How has social media affected the physical connections between people?
The portrayal of minorities on different media platforms.

Computer Science Research Paper Topics

Robotics and artificial intelligence
The importance of open source software
Robotic manipulation modeling
Biomedical informatics and computational biology
Artificial intelligence in computer vision
What is the future of quantum computing?
The role of antivirus/firewall solutions
What are the major emerging technologies in computer science?
Knowledge Processing
Network anomaly detection in Cloud and IoT.
Discuss how convex optimization is used in signal processing
The internet of things and its impact on human life
Do digital tools make us more or less productive at work?
Natural language processing real-life applications
Environments and programming languages

Zoology Research Paper Topics

Man-eating animals
Biodiversity of estuarine and fluvial fish
Understanding animal behavior among predators.
Dopamine modulation of honey bees
An Asian elephant imitates human speech
Human impact on red panda populations
How do vaccines strengthen the immune response?
Dogs, their talents and abilities
Cooperative behavior in ant colonies
Why do sharks get a bad reputation?
The social movement of animal rights
Animal habitats conservation
Ethical treatment of animals
Characteristics of Florida alligators
What makes Shark attacks?

These are some interesting research paper topics in zoology, now let’s move to the next section that highlight more vast ideas.

Psychology Research Paper Topics

How does child abuse impact the adulthood of an individual?
Should Depression be treated as a mental health issue?
Are Dreams related to reality?
What is the condition that gives rise to Learning disabilities?
Does Schizophrenia give rise to other mental health issues?
Child abuse can give rise to various psychological problems.
Psychological problems are directly related to the environment. Discuss.
Psychopaths are the products of society's injustice.
Psychological Problems and Superstition: Why do people still believe in it?
Childhood counseling is the best way to ward off any mental illnesses.
Freud’s contribution to the field of psychology.
Chaucer’s insight into human behavior.
Gender psychology.
Traditional Vs. Modern conceptions of mental illness.
How do self-image and culture relate to each other?

Here are some additional psychology research topics for your paper if you want more ideas.

Good Research Paper Topics

Below are some interesting yet impactful research paper topic ideas that make your topic selection process easy.

Argumentative Research Paper Topics

Should handguns be banned?
Should parents monitor their child’s social media?
Should prisoners have the right to vote?
Has social media decreased our creativity?
Money can’t buy happiness. True or false?
90% of the reasons behind divorce are from women. Discuss.
Women and men are not given equal rights.
Humans can live without food. Explain the breatharian trend.
Consuming meat is a selfish act. Do you agree?
A vegan diet is more healthy than a meat-based diet. How far is the statement true?
Analysis of the most controversial ad campaigns.
Is homosexuality a choice?
Creationism Vs. Evolution
Should children be spanked by their parents?
Pros of animal testing.

Persuasive Research Paper Topics

Hunting should be tagged as immoral and should be banned.
Animals should not be used in checking beauty and medical products.
What is microchipping? Are microchipping pets an ethical and legal act?
Euthanizing Pet Dogs: Pet dogs should be sent to sleep if they develop any biting tendencies. Discuss.
Moving from the countryside to the city is essential for -personal growth and development. Discuss.
Dogs are better pets than cats. Is it true?
Habits are inbuilt and cannot be learned over time. Agreed?
AI is essential for a better educational system. Discuss.
Newspapers are more propaganda now, Agreed?
Women should be allowed to work from home after having a baby. Discuss.
Privatization of social security.
Human torture in the name of interrogation should be banned.
Euthanasia should be outlawed.
Affirmative action is essential to ensure gender and racial equality
The minimum labor wage should be increased.

Best Research paper Topics

Difference between a man’s and a woman’s heart?
Do some religions oppress women?
Ozone Layer in coming years.
Future Of endangered species in America.
Can we deal with plastic pollution wisely?
Social media is essential in our daily lives. Discuss the pros and cons.
Cow's milk is healthier than packaged milk. How true is this statement?
Strict mothers have well-mannered kids.
Body Sprays are hazardous to the environment.
Kids should be allowed to play in the mud. Prove your point.
Significance of recycling.
Importance of career counseling of the students.
Effectiveness of color therapy.
Different cultures of the world.
Significance of following the writing conventions.

Interesting Research Paper Topics

Is our future in the hands of AI?
Will Self Determination Theory ever be implied on robots?
Is the Socratic method helpful for people with cognitive disabilities?
When is the nearest supernova expected?
Can the world come together to fight racism?
Discuss the trend of surrogate mothers and the pros and cons of having them
Homosexual couples should not be allowed to adopt children. Agreed?
What are the key reasons behind people not wanting to get married now?
Kids should be left untamed and given a chance to discover their own ways.
Minimalist living is a leap towards a more satisfied and clutter-free life.
Treating mental illnesses through emotional support of animals.
Why is platypus a unique mammal?
History and origination of hip hop.
The routine of a Buddhist monk.
Reasons for the domestication of cats and dogs.

Controversial Research Paper Topics

Surrogate mothers and societal worldview
Is obesity the new norm?
Animal rights
Children should not be allowed to use mobile phones.
Is the death penalty efficient?
Are Montessori schools a threat to public education?
Is water fluoridation necessary?
A life without store-bought toys: the benefits.
What are the benefits and hazards of medical marijuana?
Equality is part of lawmaking, but does it work in practice?
The distorted body image on social media.
Homeschooling
Native American sovereignty issues.
The perks of fee-for-service medicine.
Aging is actually super cool.

Tips for Choosing a Good Research Paper Topic

The following tips will help you find a good research topic for your next paper assignment.

Explore Your Interest

Students have the freedom to choose the topics of their interest. So, the foremost step is to narrow down the field you are interested in. There are several research topics in subjects like:

Government policy
Culture and arts
Criminology
Psychology, etc.

Choose the one that interests you and is relevant to your field of study.

Once you have chosen the research question, find the perfect topic for your paper. For a start, shortlist some topics related to famous subjects and works.

For example, you can write about Harry Potter, for the subject of literature studies. And explore how the series added value to literary studies.

Most of the time, the instructors demand that the students pick the topic according to their subject. If such guidelines are shared, the business students should not choose history topics.

Moreover, before submitting research paper, it is necessary to check that it adheres to provided guidelines.

If you are still unsure about your interest, you can select some good research paper topics from the above mentioned ideas.

Here is also a helpful video for you on how to select your research paper topic;

The above-presented topics are great if you are in writer’s block. If you are doubtful about your ability to craft a research paper, get help from the expert essay writers of 5StarEssays.com .

Our team of experienced writers can help you with any “ write me an essay ” request.

We are here 24/7 to talk to you and help you with your papers. Simply ask our writing service to ‘ write my essay ’ and get all your academic assignments written in no time.

You can also use our AI powered paper writer for assistance in writing parts fo your research paper or getting accurate citations.

Education, Research

Nathan completed his Ph.D. in journalism and has been writing articles for well-respected publications for many years now. His work is carefully researched and insightful, showing a true passion for the written word. Nathan's clients appreciate his expertise, deep understanding of the process, and ability to communicate difficult concepts clearly.

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Running out of topics to write about? Check the suggestions below that can help you choose the right research paper topics:

Business Research Paper Topics:

Cybersecurity
Glass ceiling
Online retail
Outsourcing
White collar crime

Crime and Law Research Paper Topics:

Acquaintance rape
Animal rights
Assisted suicide
Campus violence
Capital punishment
Civil rights
Drinking age, legal
Drug legalization
Gun control
Hate crimes
Insanity defense
Mandatory Minimum sentencing
Patriot Act
Police brutality
Prisons and prisoners
Roe vs. Wade
Serial killers
Sexual harassment
Three Strikes Law

Drugs and Drug Abuse Research Paper Topics:

Doping in sports
Drug testing
Drunk driving

Education Research Paper Topics:

Attention deficit disorder
Charter schools
College admission policies
College athletes
College tuition planning
Distance education
Diploma mills
Education and funding
Grade inflation
Greek letter societies
Home schooling
Intelligence tests
Learning disabilities
Literacy in America
No Child Left Behind
Prayer in schools
Sex education
School vouchers
Standardized tests

Environmental Research Paper Topics:

Alternative fuel/hybrid vehicles
Conservation
Climate Change
Deforestation
Endangered species
Geoengineering
Global warming
Greenhouse effect
Marine pollution
Nuclear energy
Population control
Radioactive waste disposal
Soil pollution
Wildlife conservation

Family issues Research Paper Topics:

Battered woman syndrome
Child abuse
Divorce rates
Domestic abuse
Family relationships
Family values

Health Research Paper Topics:

Alternative medicine
Alzheimer’s Disease
Anorexia Nervosa
Artificial insemination
Birth control
Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Dietary supplements
Exercise and fitness
Heart disease
Health Care Reform
HIV infection
In vitro fertilization
Medicaid, Medicare reform
Organic foods
Prescription drugs
Plastic surgery
Stem cell research
Teen pregnancy
Vegetarianism
Weight loss surgery

Media and Communications Research Paper Topics:

Children’s programming and advertising
Copyright Law
Freedom of speech
Materialism
Media conglomerates, ownership
Minorities in mass media
Political correctness
Portrayal of women
Reality television
Stereotypes
Television violence

Political Issues Research Paper Topics:

Affirmative Action
Budget deficit
Electoral College
Election reform
Illegal aliensIllegal aliens
Immigration
Impeachment
International relations
Operation Enduring Iraqi Freedom
Partisan politics
Social Security Reform
Third parties

Psychology Research Paper Topics:

Criminal psychology
Physical attraction
Schizophrenia

Religion Research Paper Topics:

Freedom of religion

Social Issues Research Paper Topics:

Airline safety, security
Affirmative Action programs
Child rearing
Discrimination in education
Employee rights
Gambling, online gaming
Gang identity
Gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender
Gay parenting
Gender discrimination
Genetic screening
Homelessness
Identity theft
Interracial marriage
Race relations
Reverse discrimination
Test biases
Textbook biases

Terrorism Research Paper Topics:

Bioterrorism
Homeland Security
September 11

Women and Gender Research Paper Topics:

Birth control and Pregnancy
Cultural expectations and practices
Discrimination
Eating disorders
Female genital mutilation
Marriage and Divorce
Media portrayals
Menstruation and Menopause
Prostitution
LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender)
Sex and Sexuality
Substance abuse
Violence and Rape

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As a high school or college student, you are aware that you will spend a substantial amount of your time writing not one but many research papers. If you have already done it, you know how overwhelming and exhausting this process can be. Nevertheless, before writing, an equally daunting and slightly more difficult part is selecting research paper topics. Although sometimes teachers will provide you with titles or prompts for your works, most times, you will have to come up with interesting research topics to write about. If you encounter difficulties choosing a title for your paper, know that you are not alone because almost all students find it hard. We are here to provide you with various research topic ideas that can make your selection process more manageable. Before delving into our list of titles, we will first explain what research topics are, their characteristics, and how to choose them. Are you swamped with assignments and deadlines? Let us take the pressure off with our ' write my paper ' service! Our team of experienced writers is ready to deliver top-quality, custom-written papers.

What Are Research Paper Topics?

Research paper topics are titles for academic writings that describe an independent investigation of subjects or issues. They mainly focus on analyzing and presenting a critical view. In other words, these papers seek to draw on what other scholars have said and written about an issue and present the author’s unique perspective. Research topics can either be phrased as questions or hypotheses. Since you can conduct an investigation on any sector, selecting an interesting title can sometimes be stressful. However, if you choose topics for research papers, ensure they are well thought out and written because they can serve as a springboard for future studies.

Characteristics of Good Research Topics

Always select good research topics if you aim to achieve high grades in your essays. Refrain from being misled to think that this is a trivial task. It requires careful consideration and evaluation to come up with an exciting title. When it comes to the question “what is a good research topic,” the following are characteristics that you should look out for:

Interesting You ought to choose a topic that is exciting to you and your readers.
Manageable Your title should neither be too broad or narrow to be sufficiently covered.
Has practical or theoretical significance The selected topic adds new understanding to the area of study.
Researchable It should also be easily investigated with an abundance of scholarly material.
Unique The title you pick needs to be different from others so as to stand out.
Precise It exactly answers all the research questions.

How to Choose a Research Paper Topic?

The first step to developing an exciting paper is choosing a good research topic. As we have said above, selecting topics to research is not the easiest of tasks, especially if you do not know where to start. However, you should not be afraid because we have you covered. Below we will give you steps to consider when picking your research paper topic:

First, you should explore the area you are interested in, i.e., ideas that are exciting to you.
Second, make a research question by analyzing what your paper will focus on and what might intrigue your readers.
Third, brainstorm research topic ideas by evaluating appropriate titles and eliminating irrelevant ones.
Fourth, narrow down your topic to one that is meaningful to you and your readers.
Lastly, ensure that you adhere to all paper guidelines presented by your teacher.

List of Research Paper Topics

Now that you know what research topics are, their characteristics, and how to pick them, we can delve into the selection process. Do you need help brainstorming for research paper ideas? Look no further because we have created research topic lists to get you going. We know that a catalog of titles can trigger your creative juices, making it easy to begin writing your essay. Below are top 10 research topics for your paper:

How has the internet impacted freedom of speech?
Negative impacts of pop culture trends on youths.
How is the American economy affected by climate change?
Can AI be classified as a threat to humans?
Practical ways that can be used to make nuclear power safe.
What are the economic impacts of GMO foods in America?
Free education: its advantages and disadvantages.
Efficient ways used in disposing of waste material.
How effective is music therapy in managing depression among senior citizens?
What causes obesity, and how can it be prevented?

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Interesting Topics to Research

Reading your essays should always be a fun experience. To achieve that, you will need to find interesting things to research. This article is the perfect place to start because the following are interesting research paper topics:

Impacts of the Ottoman Empire and the Barbarian slave trade on medicine.
Rise and fall of ancient Greek cities.
In what ways does the sense of smell affect taste?
How does room color affect students’ learning outcomes?
Should autism be classified as a natural variation of the norm or a disease?
How depression negatively impacts immunity among senior citizens.
What causes violent tendencies among children, and how may they be prevented?
Drug and alcohol abuse: cause and effect on high school students.
Impacts of commercials and advertisements on purchasing habits.
How computer dependence impacts humans.
Advantages that nanotechnology has on modern science.
How to address adolescents’ psychological needs.
Effective social media strategies that companies can use to boost sales.
Critical roles played by women during World War I.
Effects of prolonged steroid usage on human bodies.

Easy Research Paper Topics

Easy research topics are simple to investigate and write. Sometimes complicated titles can be exhausting and challenging, especially when you are running out of time. If you are looking to make things straightforward, below are easy topics to research:

Advantages and disadvantages of school uniforms.
Reasons why school athletes should be paid.
Steps that are employed to ensure children are protected from harmful internet content.
What causes obesity among teenagers in the United States?
Ways that people can be encouraged to recycle their waste.
Benefits of 3D printers to society.
Causes and negative impacts of tornadoes.
Similarities and differences between Mac and PC.
Dangers associated with hitchhiking.
Should lie detectors be considered 100% accurate?
Should education be less expensive?
How does a smartphone GPS work?
What are the disadvantages associated with using plastic bottles?
Benefits of getting enough sleep every day.
Impacts that Bill Gates made in the field of communication.

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Good Research Paper Topics

There is a broad scope of titles to choose from, which is why finding good topics for a research paper is challenging. To make your task easier, below we have narrowed down good topics to research:

Reasons why students should be encouraged to be bilingual.
Negative impacts brought by oil spills on water bodies and marine animals.
Tobacco smoking: why should it be completely banned in America?
Reasons why countries should ban risky sports.
Importance of more people embracing reading culture.
Should historical films be based only on facts?
Is democracy losing its relevance in the modern world?
Impacts that China’s one-child policy has on the population.
Key reasons and impacts brought by the UK leaving the EU.
Impacts of Affordable Care Act on healthcare in America.
History and relationship between the US and North Korea .
Efficient methods that can be used to lower gun-related deaths in America.
Key events that led to the Roman Empire falling.
Positive impacts associated with ecotourism.
Do smartphones increase or decrease work productivity?

Best Research Paper Topics

Achieving the highest possible grade in your essay may require finding the best research topics. Sometimes this may not be easy because there are so many titles to choose from. However, do not be scared because below we have the best topics to research:

How does Islam play a role in oppressing women?
Does college education fully prepare students for their careers?
Structural differences between a man's and a woman’s heart.
How gender roles have evolved in modern marriages.
Benefits associated with home health nursing service.
Causes and effects of cybercrimes.
How does terrorism affect business success?
Measures that can be employed to aid ex-convicts in getting employment.
Should schools allow licensed students to carry their guns?
Feminist movement and its impacts in America.
Reasons why women should be allowed to participate in extreme sports.
Effective ways parents can use to monitor their children’s online activities.
Who should be blamed for homelessness in America?
Should smartphone usage in classrooms be legalized?
Causes of societal stereotypes.

Funny Research Paper Topics

Using humor in your essay is an excellent way to get your readers hooked. For you to achieve that, you will need funny research topics. It may not be easy to find hilarious titles, but we have come up with some fun things to research:

Origin and development of Halloween celebration.
Crows vs. parrots: which one is smarter?
Ways in which a person can survive with minimum wage.
Why is it better for people to spend more time on their phones than to hang out with each other?
Negative impacts of the government lowering drinking age.
Reasons why handwriting has lost its importance in school.
Efficient ways that can be used in handling a drunk roommate.
Cats vs. dogs: which one makes the better pet?
Should parents pay their children to attend school?
Reasons why teachers should be compelled to wear school uniforms.
Why have humans been considered the most dangerous creatures on earth?
Origin and development of April fool’s day.
Reasons why people who want to keep fit eat the most.
Most effective ways to deal with trouble during family reunions.
Reasons why being ignorant can bring more happiness.

Couldn't find a fitting paper idea? Give our Research Paper Topic Generator a try.

Cool Topics to Research

Sometimes you may need cool research topics to make your readers enjoy the experience. If this is what you are looking for, below are cool things to research:

Measures that can be employed to prevent corporate abuse.
Causes and impacts of high rates of divorce cases in Britain.
Origin and development of skateboards.
Ways in which gunpowder changed warfare.
Reasons why Socrates was executed.
Factors that promote black hole formation.
Ways in which sharks hunt their prey.
Sinkholes: what are they, and how are they created?
Efficient ways used in creating positive employee relationships.
Should students in America take a one-year gap between high school and college?
Differences and similarities between Charles Dickens and William Shakespeare.
Nuclear energy and its impacts on economy.
Effective ways used by film and music industries in dealing with piracy.
Night vision: what is it, and how does it work?
Theories that explain how dinosaurs disappeared.

Controversial Research Paper Topics

Sometimes research ideas need to be contentious to grab your readers’ attention. If this is what you are looking for, go through the following controversial topics for a research paper:

Should nurses be held accountable for their patients’ behavior?
Reasons why students should be permitted to go to school with their smartphones.
Should the presidential term limit be extended?
Why most domestic violence cases are related to alcohol consumption.
Why reducing minimum wage in America will be good for the economy.
Is there gender inequality in the field of medicine?
Should children be allowed to take care of their younger siblings?
Religion should be a compulsory subject in American schools.
Reasons why children should not be allowed to join social media sites.
Why should luxury parties be forbidden among college students?
Pros and cons of teaching women martial arts.
Should hospitals be allowed to treat patients with gunshot wounds without involving the police?
What are the benefits of tobacco advertisement?
Ethical aspects associated with legalizing marijuana.
Reasons why school uniforms should be abolished.

Argumentative Research Paper Topics

Some essays are meant to be persuasive with the readers to convince them to agree with your thesis statement. Thus, presenting a conclusive argument in your work will require a critical evaluation of different sources to present concrete evidence. Are you wondering how you can get good argument topics to do a research paper on? Do not worry because the following are argumentative ideas for a research paper:

Reasons why medical professionals should be allowed to market pharmaceuticals to patients.
Is the level of depression among kids rising?
What are the health consequences associated with fasting?
Effective measures that are taken to make car seats safe for children.
Reasons why social media platforms should be banned from collecting users’ data.
Should unpaid internships be made illegal?
Should governments regulate what their citizens eat?
Should gun ownership by private citizens be illegal?
US immigration policies : have they been effective?
Exam cheating: should students who are found engaging in the vice be punished?
Do academic performances suffer when students engage in sports?
Four-day work week: should companies embrace it?
Why athletes who use steroids should be banned from engaging in sports.
Reasons for the legalization of death penalty.
How effective are curfews placed upon teenagers?
Should it be illegal to smoke cigarettes in public?
Advantages of allowing kids to play violent video games.
Reasons why helmet usage in American football makes the sport dangerous.
Are workers more productive when working from home?
Reasons why climate change is the cause of increasing natural disasters.

>> Read more: Argumentative Essays Topics

Research Topic Ideas for Students

As students, you will have to write different research essays before graduating. Coming up with research ideas can take time and effort. However, instead of feeling scared, you should embrace this task because we will provide clues on how to make your selection. But in case you have any more doubts, we have created several research topics for students from different levels, including middle school, high school, and college. Go through the following lists to make your choice:

Research Paper Topics for Middle School

Students can begin writing essays as early as middle school. If you are in this category and looking for research paper ideas for middle school, you are lucky because we have you covered. The following are topics to research for middle school:

Impacts of online learning on students.
Why conducting drug tests on animals is ethically bad.
Effective ways that may enhance an individual's self-esteem.
Sex education and its importance.
How the internet has changed people’s lives.
Reasons why dinosaurs became extinct.
What is spam email, and what measures can be used to prevent it?
Tobacco usage and its negative impacts on a person’s body.
Differences between homework and class assignments.
Key reasons why the human body needs sleep.
Desert mirage: what is it, and how does it affect people?
Appropriate punishment for students who engage in bullying.
Effective ways used in recognizing harmful internet content.
Cryptocurrency : what is it, and why is it popular?
Efficient ways used in conserving energy at home.

High School Research Paper Topics

If you are seeking research paper ideas for high school, then you are in the right place. After careful deliberation, we have come up with the following research topics for high school students:

Black holes: their definition and origin.
Practical ways that can be employed in protecting species that are endangered.
Ways in which public school systems care for students’ mental health.
Reasons why there are many similarities between English and French words.
Gender roles and how they affect human development.
Photosynthesis enhancement and how it improves crop yield.
What are the roles of black holes?
Origin and resolutions of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Characteristics associated with effective leadership.
What is Obama Care, and how does it benefit Americans?
Russian Revolution: its social causes and impacts.
Ways in which stress affects the body.
Air pollution and its effects on people’s health.
Benefits that can be attributed to Plato’s mathematics philosophy.
Ways in which climate change can be reversed.

College Research Paper Topics

By the time you reach college, you will have written several essays. However, this does not mean that choosing research topics for college papers will be easy. If you have any problem, go through the following research topics for college students:

Pros and cons of cave drawing as a method of communication.
Causes and impacts of the fall of the Western Roman Empire.
Black Death: its devastating impacts in Europe.
Significant scientific achievements during the Age of Discovery.
How literary works were used as propaganda tools in Germany during World War II.
Martin Scorsese: his works and contributions to the film industry.
Challenges faced by the Black Lives Matter movement in fighting racism.
Effective measures that can be employed in stopping the Crisis in Syria.
Negative impacts of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on the global economy.
Space exploration and its effect on America’s economy.
Pros and cons associated with genetic engineering.
Steps taken in ensuring proper care for the elderly in Britain.
Measure taken in managing depression among adults in America.
Causes and impacts of drug and substance abuse among college students.
Impacts of online streaming platforms on the evolution of music.

Research Paper Ideas in Different Study Fields

Different study fields present an opportunity for you to select an unlimited number of things to research on. This means that you are spoilt for choice. However, as you have discovered in your studies, this is easier said than done. Sometimes all you need is research project ideas to inspire your selection. The following section aims to present titles for students studying different courses, starting from humanities and social sciences topics and ending with more technical ideas. All you have to do is select one that is specific to your study area.

Research Paper Topics on History

History is an area of study that contains an infinite number of issues to investigate. In fact, students find it to be one of their favorite subjects to research on. If you need some inspiration on history topics for a research paper, look at the following list:

Impacts of Sumerian culture and traditions on modern societies.
Efficient ways used by Julius Caesar to inspire loyalty among his soldiers.
Causes and impacts of the Salem Witch trials.
American Civil War and its consequences.
The Thirty Year War: its causes and impacts.
Steps taken to end apartheid in South Africa.
Economic consequences of the Cold War on Russia.
Tactics used by Napoleon to rise to power during the French Revolution.
Major causes and impacts of the Great Depression on Americans.
Roles played by women during World War II.

Literature Research Paper Topics

Just like history, literature is also a favorite area of investigation for students. There are many aspects of literary works on which you can base your questions for research papers. You have to decide what you want to focus on and start your investigation. To get you going, below we have provided literature research paper topic ideas:

Difference between antiheroes and villains in modern literature.
Courage and heroism as depicted in Harry Potter .
Character traits of Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth .
How modernism is portrayed in Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn .
Major themes in early American literature.
Characterization of Satan in Milton’s Paradise Lost .
How did Shakespeare depict love in Romeo and Juliet ?
How did Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer describe medieval England?
Friendship values between Sancho Pansa and Don Quixote as depicted in Miguel de Cervantes’ novel Don Quixote .
Impacts of Teresa of Avila’s work on modern literature.

Psychology Research Paper Topics

Are you seeking psychology topics for research projects? Search no more because the following topics for a research paper will go a long way in inspiring your investigation:

Causes of mental health issues among teenagers in America.
How an adult life is shaped by childhood traumas experienced.
Negative impacts of social media addictions on marriages.
Correlation between mental health and eating disorders.
How does color affect an individual’s mood?
Effective methods used to achieve conformity in a group.
How do personality traits affect the musical taste of an individual?
How a child's psychological development is affected after facing loss at a young age.
Efficient ways employed in enhancing the use of reinforcement in a learning environment.
How self-efficacy affects long-term memory.

Religion Research Paper Topics

Religion has been in existence since the dawn of humans. As a result, it provides you with various topics for research papers drawn from different societies. If you are looking for religious topics for a research project, go through the following to select one that interests you:

Origin and development of Islam as a religion.
Roles that can be played by religion in protecting the environment.
Ritual similarities between Christianity and Islam.
Why is sacrificing considered essential in most religions?
Relationships that exist between morality and religion.
Importance of prayer and meditation in Buddhism.
Practices and beliefs related to Zoroastrianism.
Social and moral roots of religious extremism.
Hinduism: its origin, development, and impacts on modern Indian culture.
How religious leaders used fear to maintain control over congregations.

Political Research Paper Topics

Like religion, politics has also been part and parcel of human existence. There is an unlimited number of research paper topics ideas to choose from. Nonetheless, below we have narrowed down the most popular research topics to write about politics:

Differences in foreign policies between America and UK.
History and structure of the Chinese Communist Party.
Controversial issues that have plagued Amnesty International.
Causes and effects of the Syrian Conflict.
Effective methods used by the government to enhance community development.
Efficient ways used in eliminating corruption in America.
Political power plays that led to the split of the Soviet Union .
Pros and cons of Reagan's political agenda.
Causes of constant rebellion in the Central African Republic.
Negotiation methods that can be used to stop Ukraine's invasion by Russia.

>> More ideas: Political Research Paper Topics

Research Paper Topics on Business

The world of business is constantly evolving. As a result, you can find many great topics for research papers on this matter. Below is a list of commerce topics to do research papers on:

Efficient ways to increase jobs and reduce unemployment in America.
Negative impacts of business participating in unethical behavior.
Advantages that companies can get from branding their products.
Challenges businesses get from using remote employees.
Benefits of franchising in the long run.
Positive and negative impacts of startups on local economies.
Differences in international copyright laws between America and Britain.
Similarities and differences between offline and internet advertising.
Causes and impacts of consumer behavior change on a business marketing strategies.
Advantages of company rituals and corporate cultures.

>> Read more: Research Topics About Business

Research Paper Topics on Education

The transformation of the education sector has been rapid, especially in recent years. As a result, you can choose any topic for research papers to write on in this area. If you are seeking inspiration on such kind of project topics ideas, look at the list below:

Similarities and differences between personalized approach and group studying.
Advantages and disadvantages of having single-gender classes.
Reasons why special education teachers deserve additional payment.
Why are boarding schools popular in England?
Dangers of students engaging in drug abuse while in school.
Practical ways that can be employed in preventing violence in school.
Benefits associated with after-class activities in America.
Reasons why schools should provide advanced mental help for college students.
Pros and cons of students going to community colleges.
Roles played by video games in enhancing learning.

>> Read more: Special Education Research Topics

Environmental Topics for Research Paper

Scholars and experts have recently become more concerned with protecting the environment. This means that writing such research papers topics ideas has become popular. Some of the topics to write research paper on environment include:

Tectonic movements and their global effects on the ecosystems.
Causes and impacts of air pollution on health.
Ozone layer depletion and the dangers associated with it.
Green energy definition and effective ways to achieve it.
Role played by the government in enhancing recycling efforts in America.
Efficient ways that can be employed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Causes and prevention of ocean acidification.
Effective measures that can be taken to protect endangered species.
Consequences of farming on the environment.
Causes and impacts of desertification in Kuwait.

>> Read more: Topics About Environmental Science

Health Research Paper Topics

Although there has been rapid development in the health sector, there are still various areas that have remained unexploited. This presents an opportunity for well-being research paper topics to be written. If this is what you are aiming for, below we have topics for a research paper that you can pick from:

Speech disorder and its effect on child development.
Reasons why people are still afraid to get COVID-19 vaccines.
Health impacts of legalizing marijuana in America.
Causes and impacts of post-traumatic disorders in Britain.
Adverse effects associated with blood transfusion.
Ways in which nurses can manage work-related stress.
Types of depressions and their management plans.
Advantages and disadvantages of dealing with autistic patients.
Relationship between endometriosis and genetics.
Negative impacts of high heels on a woman’s health.

>> View more: Mental Health Research Topics

Medical Research Paper Topics

Medicine is an area of study that is highly investigated. However, there are still several medical research essay topics that still need to be explored. If you wish to bridge this gap, you can start with the following research paper topic ideas:

Challenges facing humanitarian medical missions in developing countries.
Pros and cons of medical research on animals.
Advantages and disadvantages obtained by hospitals using electronic health record systems.
How is chemotherapy beneficial to hospitals?
Effective treatment paths for Alzheimer’s disease.
Drugs and vaccine development in treating Ebola.
Advantages of having a computational oncology department.
What are the differences between pandemics and epidemics?
Negative impacts of over-the-counter prescription drugs.
Key reasons for insulin resistance in the body.

>> Read more: Medical Research Topics

Sociology Research Paper Topics

Sociology deals with studying the development, structure, and functioning of society and the people in it. You can choose to write any topic for a term paper on issues affecting communities. Below are examples of sociology topics to research :

What are some effective methods that can be used to resolve conflicts in college?
Challenges associated with raising a child in an unconventional family.
What are the negative impacts of racial stereotypes on self-esteem and work productivity?
Dangers associated with religious cults.
Effective ways that can ensure gender equality in the workplace.
Impacts of social network addictions on high school students.
How are interpersonal skills affected by teamwork in the workplace?
Gender roles in the family.
Evolution of marriage over the last 50 years.
Causes and effects of bullying in school .

Social Media Topics for a Research Paper

Despite the enormous strides made by social media in changing how people interact with each other, its potential remains unlimited. There are still several research paper topics you can write on this issue. Choose one of the following topic ideas for research paper to start your journey:

Growth of social media and its influence in American politics.
Efficient methods used by parents to protect their children from online dangers.
Relationship between social media and cybercrime.
Adverse effects of social media on investigative journalism.
Effective methods that people can use to earn through Facebook.
How effective are children's protection laws from the web’s harmful effects?
Reasons why people post pictures online.
Advantages and disadvantages brought by instant messaging and communication.
How have reality shows impacted privacy laws in America?
Effectiveness of using social media as a tool for political campaigns.

>> Read more: Research Topics About Social Media

Criminal Justice Research Paper Topics

If you are looking for great research paper topics, criminal and justice system is one of the areas you can look at. The following are examples of topics for research papers that you may find in this section:

What are the benefits of private prisons?
Similarities and differences between war and civil crimes.
Effective ways that can be used to prevent crime in schools and universities.
What are the responsibilities of incarcerated parents to society?
Impacts of immigration on rising rates of crime in America.
Advantages accrued to cyber criminology correction methods.
Pros and cons of forensic research identification methods.
Cyberstalking legislation: their history and development.
Reasons for human rights violations in Afghanistan.
Efficient methods of drug trafficking tracking methods.

>> View more: Criminal Justice Research Topics

Science Research Paper Ideas

Science has always been a fascinating area for many students. You will love research project topics we have created for you. Be free to choose any of the following science topics ideas for a research paper:

How can molecular biology research help scientists understand cancer and other illnesses?
Positive and negative impacts of space exploration.
Best ways to capture and use carbon dioxide.
Challenges involved in developing environmentally friendly plastics.
Best ways to use bioluminescence GFP from jellyfish in medicine.
How does rain contribute to the rising amount of chemicals in seawater?
Biomacromolecules: their definition and importance.
How “killer” mosquitoes are used in fighting malaria.
Science behind the hibernation of animals.
Best ways to use microelectronics in treating people with chronic diseases .

Research Paper Topics on Technology

You will find yourself spoilt for choice if you are looking for topics to write a research paper on technology. There are many of them, but below we have selected for you the most popular research writing topics:

Adverse effects of living in a technological world.
Disadvantages of genetically engineering children.
How societies can use video gaming to help solve their problems.
What are the advantages of genetically modified food in solving world hunger?
History and development of self-driving cars.
Best ways to incorporate technology in education.
Impacts of drone warfare on military strategies.
How internet usage is affecting young people’s attention span.
Pros and cons of using genetic sequencing to determine future health risks.
Pros and cons of virtual reality.

>> Read more: Technology Research Topics

Extra Research Paper Topic Ideas

From the above title examples, it is clear that you can never wholly exhaust investigative topics. However, if you did not find any research questions or ideas that piqued your interest, we still have some examples left for you to look at. There is a catalog of great research topics below if you would like to explore other areas, such as art, music, and sports. Please go through them and select one that excites you.

Research Project Ideas on Art

Art plays a vital role in enhancing the aesthetics of society. Many artistic pieces can inspire topics to research about. If this is your area of interest, the following research project ideas can instigate your writing:

Differences in arts between Northern and Italian Renaissances.
How does impressionist art use elements of time and light?
Influence of modern European art on American artists.
How art has been used to spread propaganda messages in France.
Impacts of the expressionism art movement in Western Europe.
Incas Empire and its influence on modern art.
Role played by religion and culture in Aztec art.
Francisco de Goya : his biography and impacts on modern art.
Life and career of Ludwig van Beethoven.
Differences and similarities between baroque and rococo.

Music Research Paper Topics

People have been creating and listening to songs since the dawn of humanity. Music is one of the most popular research paper topics for scholars. When you are stuck and considering things to write a research paper on, look for various titles like the ones below:

Does listening to music affects the brain?
History of rap music and the changes it has gone through over the years.
Music genres that appeared during the Renaissance period.
What impacts do socio-economic classes have on the choice and taste of music?
How has America influenced music?
How can music be incorporated into education to enhance concentration?
How can music be applied in learning a foreign language?
Pop music: its history and development.
Differences between modern and classical music.
How does music affect how people dress?

Sports Research Paper Topics

The availability of various sporting activities presents an opportunity for different topics for a research paper. As an enthusiast, you can never exhaust research paper topics that deal with different games. You can check out the following examples for inspiration:

How are basketball players’ performances affected by signing multi-million contracts?
Necessary measures taken by athletes in preparation for a marathon.
Reasons why Lionel Messi is regarded as the greatest soccer player of all time.
Positive and negative influences of crowds on games.
History of baseball and how it has changed over the years.
Ways of preventing severe injuries in rugby.
Benefits of competitive sports on children's health and school performances.
Gender inequalities in boxing.
Economic impacts of the Olympic Games on the host nation.
Advantages of player unions in protecting their rights.

Bottom Line on Research Paper Topics

You may think completing an essay is hard but wait until you select what to write a research paper on; then, you will discover this is the most challenging part. Having a title makes it easier for you to develop the paragraphs. By now, you are conversant with what research paper topics and ideas are, their characteristics, and how to select them. You have also gone through 350+ research topics that will be of inspiration for you to create your own. Having these examples gives you an advantage that others may not be afforded. Use them at your own convenience. Your next step is composing your own study. Check our step-by-step guide on how to write a research paper to nail your project. Good luck with writing!

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Writing Strong Research Questions | Criteria & Examples

Writing Strong Research Questions | Criteria & Examples

Published on October 26, 2022 by Shona McCombes . Revised on November 21, 2023.

A research question pinpoints exactly what you want to find out in your work. A good research question is essential to guide your research paper , dissertation , or thesis .

All research questions should be:

Focused on a single problem or issue
Researchable using primary and/or secondary sources
Feasible to answer within the timeframe and practical constraints
Specific enough to answer thoroughly
Complex enough to develop the answer over the space of a paper or thesis
Relevant to your field of study and/or society more broadly

How to write a research question, what makes a strong research question, using sub-questions to strengthen your main research question, research questions quiz, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about research questions.

You can follow these steps to develop a strong research question:

Choose your topic
Do some preliminary reading about the current state of the field
Narrow your focus to a specific niche
Identify the research problem that you will address

The way you frame your question depends on what your research aims to achieve. The table below shows some examples of how you might formulate questions for different purposes.

	Research question formulations
Describing and exploring
Explaining and testing
Evaluating and acting	is X

Using your research problem to develop your research question

Example research problem	Example research question(s)
Teachers at the school do not have the skills to recognize or properly guide gifted children in the classroom.	What practical techniques can teachers use to better identify and guide gifted children?
Young people increasingly engage in the “gig economy,” rather than traditional full-time employment. However, it is unclear why they choose to do so.	What are the main factors influencing young people’s decisions to engage in the gig economy?

Note that while most research questions can be answered with various types of research , the way you frame your question should help determine your choices.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Research questions anchor your whole project, so it’s important to spend some time refining them. The criteria below can help you evaluate the strength of your research question.

Focused and researchable

Criteria	Explanation
Focused on a single topic	Your central research question should work together with your research problem to keep your work focused. If you have multiple questions, they should all clearly tie back to your central aim.
Answerable using	Your question must be answerable using and/or , or by reading scholarly sources on the to develop your argument. If such data is impossible to access, you likely need to rethink your question.
Not based on value judgements	Avoid subjective words like , , and . These do not give clear criteria for answering the question.

Feasible and specific

Criteria	Explanation
Answerable within practical constraints	Make sure you have enough time and resources to do all research required to answer your question. If it seems you will not be able to gain access to the data you need, consider narrowing down your question to be more specific.
Uses specific, well-defined concepts	All the terms you use in the research question should have clear meanings. Avoid vague language, jargon, and too-broad ideas.
Does not demand a conclusive solution, policy, or course of action	Research is about informing, not instructing. Even if your project is focused on a practical problem, it should aim to improve understanding rather than demand a ready-made solution. If ready-made solutions are necessary, consider conducting instead. Action research is a research method that aims to simultaneously investigate an issue as it is solved. In other words, as its name suggests, action research conducts research and takes action at the same time.

Criteria

Explanation

Answerable within practical constraints

Make sure you have enough time and resources to do all research required to answer your question. If it seems you will not be able to gain access to the data you need, consider narrowing down your question to be more specific.

Uses specific, well-defined concepts

All the terms you use in the research question should have clear meanings. Avoid vague language, jargon, and too-broad ideas.

Does not demand a conclusive solution, policy, or course of action

Research is about informing, not instructing. Even if your project is focused on a practical problem, it should aim to improve understanding rather than demand a ready-made solution.

If ready-made solutions are necessary, consider conducting instead. Action research is a research method that aims to simultaneously investigate an issue as it is solved. In other words, as its name suggests, action research conducts research and takes action at the same time.

Complex and arguable

Criteria	Explanation
Cannot be answered with or	Closed-ended, / questions are too simple to work as good research questions—they don’t provide enough for robust investigation and discussion.
Cannot be answered with easily-found facts	If you can answer the question through a single Google search, book, or article, it is probably not complex enough. A good research question requires original data, synthesis of multiple sources, and original interpretation and argumentation prior to providing an answer.

Relevant and original

Criteria	Explanation
Addresses a relevant problem	Your research question should be developed based on initial reading around your . It should focus on addressing a problem or gap in the existing knowledge in your field or discipline.
Contributes to a timely social or academic debate	The question should aim to contribute to an existing and current debate in your field or in society at large. It should produce knowledge that future researchers or practitioners can later build on.
Has not already been answered	You don’t have to ask something that nobody has ever thought of before, but your question should have some aspect of originality. For example, you can focus on a specific location, or explore a new angle.

Chances are that your main research question likely can’t be answered all at once. That’s why sub-questions are important: they allow you to answer your main question in a step-by-step manner.

Good sub-questions should be:

Less complex than the main question
Focused only on 1 type of research
Presented in a logical order

Here are a few examples of descriptive and framing questions:

Descriptive: According to current government arguments, how should a European bank tax be implemented?
Descriptive: Which countries have a bank tax/levy on financial transactions?
Framing: How should a bank tax/levy on financial transactions look at a European level?

Keep in mind that sub-questions are by no means mandatory. They should only be asked if you need the findings to answer your main question. If your main question is simple enough to stand on its own, it’s okay to skip the sub-question part. As a rule of thumb, the more complex your subject, the more sub-questions you’ll need.

Try to limit yourself to 4 or 5 sub-questions, maximum. If you feel you need more than this, it may be indication that your main research question is not sufficiently specific. In this case, it’s is better to revisit your problem statement and try to tighten your main question up.

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If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Methodology

Sampling methods
Simple random sampling
Stratified sampling
Cluster sampling
Likert scales
Reproducibility

Statistics

Null hypothesis
Statistical power
Probability distribution
Effect size
Poisson distribution

Research bias

Optimism bias
Cognitive bias
Implicit bias
Hawthorne effect
Anchoring bias
Explicit bias

The way you present your research problem in your introduction varies depending on the nature of your research paper . A research paper that presents a sustained argument will usually encapsulate this argument in a thesis statement .

A research paper designed to present the results of empirical research tends to present a research question that it seeks to answer. It may also include a hypothesis —a prediction that will be confirmed or disproved by your research.

As you cannot possibly read every source related to your topic, it’s important to evaluate sources to assess their relevance. Use preliminary evaluation to determine whether a source is worth examining in more depth.

This involves:

Reading abstracts , prefaces, introductions , and conclusions
Looking at the table of contents to determine the scope of the work
Consulting the index for key terms or the names of important scholars

A research hypothesis is your proposed answer to your research question. The research hypothesis usually includes an explanation (“ x affects y because …”).

A statistical hypothesis, on the other hand, is a mathematical statement about a population parameter. Statistical hypotheses always come in pairs: the null and alternative hypotheses . In a well-designed study , the statistical hypotheses correspond logically to the research hypothesis.

Formulating a main research question can be a difficult task. Overall, your question should contribute to solving the problem that you have defined in your problem statement .

However, it should also fulfill criteria in three main areas:

Researchability
Feasibility and specificity
Relevance and originality

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150+ Medical research paper topics for students

Published 26 Jun 2024

Med Research Topics: What Makes a Good One?

Several essential attributes characterize an excellent medical research topic. First and foremost, it should address a significant and relevant issue within the medical field. The topic must have practical implications, contributing to advancing medical knowledge and improving patient care. For example, researching a new treatment for a prevalent disease or understanding the underlying mechanisms of a standard physical and mental health condition can provide valuable insights that can be applied in clinical practice.

Furthermore, a robust medical research topic should be specific and well-defined, allowing for a focused investigation. Vague or overly broad issues can make formulating a straightforward research question and designing a robust study challenging. Interested researchers can delve deeper into the subject matter by narrowing the scope and producing more detailed and meaningful findings. For instance, instead of broadly studying "cancer and treatment options," a more defined topic like "the efficacy of a specific immunotherapy in treating melanoma" would yield more actionable results.

Another critical aspect of an excellent medical research topic is feasibility. Researchers need to consider the availability of resources, such as funding, equipment, and expertise, as well as ethical considerations. The topic should be practical to study within the given constraints and timeframe. The feasibility of interesting topics also encompasses recruiting sufficient participants if human subjects are involved, ensuring that the study can be conducted effectively and ethically.

Lastly, a compelling medical research topic should be innovative and contribute new knowledge. It should challenge existing paradigms, explore uncharted areas, or offer new perspectives on established concepts. Innovation drives progress in medicine, leading to breakthroughs that can revolutionize patient care and improve patient outcomes. By choosing a topic that pushes the boundaries of current knowledge, healthcare researchers can make a lasting impact on the medical community and beyond.

How to Pick a Good Medical Research Paper Topic

Selecting a good medical research paper topic involves carefully considering several key factors. Firstly, choosing a topic that addresses a significant and current issue in the medical field is essential. One such issue is healthcare access, which is crucial in addressing inequities and barriers leading to health disparities and injustices. This ensures that the research will be relevant and contribute valuable knowledge to ongoing discussions and advancements in oral health elsewhere. Reviewing recent literature on medical research topics and identifying gaps in existing research can help pinpoint areas that need further exploration.

Next, the chosen topic should be specific and focused. A narrow scope allows for a more in-depth investigation and produces more detailed and actionable findings. For example, instead of a broad topic like "diabetes management," focusing on "the impact of a specific diet on blood sugar levels in Type 2 diabetes patients" can yield more precise and practical insights.

Feasibility is another crucial aspect to consider. Ensure that the necessary resources, including time, funding, and access to data or study participants, are available to complete the research effectively. Ethical considerations should be addressed, mainly when human subjects are involved. This involves obtaining the appropriate approvals and ensuring the study design protects participants' rights and well-being.

Lastly, the topic should be innovative and advance medical knowledge or practice. Aim to explore new perspectives, challenge existing assumptions, or investigate novel treatments or interventions. By selecting a topic that pushes the boundaries of understanding herbal medicine, researchers can significantly impact trends in the field and contribute to meaningful advancements in medicine.

150 medical research topics for college students

Impact of lifestyle changes on hypertension management
Genetic predispositions to heart disease
Advances in minimally invasive heart surgery
Role of diet in preventing cardiovascular diseases
Efficacy of new anticoagulants in stroke prevention
Long-term effects of statins on heart health
Emerging treatments for congestive heart failure
Non-invasive techniques for detecting coronary artery disease
Impact of mental health on cardiac health
Role of inflammation in atherosclerosis development
Immunotherapy for advanced melanoma
Genetic markers for early cancer detection
Impact of diet and lifestyle on cancer prognosis
New targeted therapies for breast cancer
Role of microRNA in cancer progression
Advances in radiotherapy for brain tumors
Psychological support for cancer patients
Personalized medicine in oncology
Impact of environmental toxins on cancer incidence
Survivorship and quality of life post-cancer treatment
New treatments for Alzheimer's disease
Role of genetics in multiple sclerosis
Advances in the understanding of Parkinson's disease
Impact of sleep disorders on neurological health
Efficacy of new migraine treatments
Neuroplasticity in stroke recovery
Role of gut microbiome in neurodegenerative diseases
Emerging therapies for epilepsy
Impact of chronic stress on brain health
Non-pharmacological interventions for ADHD
Vaccination and childhood disease prevention
Impact of screen time on child development
Pediatric obesity and associated health risks
Advances in neonatal care
Genetic disorders in children and early interventions
Efficacy of behavioral therapies for autism
Role of nutrition in childhood growth and development
Preventing and treating pediatric asthma
Long-term outcomes of premature birth
Pediatric mental health and early intervention

Endocrinology

New treatments for Type 1 diabetes
Impact of thyroid disorders on overall health
Advances in understanding insulin resistance
Role of hormones in metabolic syndrome
Long-term effects of hormone replacement therapy
Efficacy of new medications for osteoporosis
Relationship between stress and endocrine disorders
Impact of endocrine disruptors on health
Role of diet and exercise in managing diabetes
Advances in adrenal gland disorder treatments

Infectious Diseases

Impact of antibiotic resistance on public health
New vaccines for emerging infectious diseases
Role of climate change in disease spread
Advances in HIV treatment and prevention
Efficacy of antiviral therapies for hepatitis C
Impact of global travel on infectious disease transmission
Role of the microbiome in infection prevention
Emerging zoonotic diseases
Efficacy of new tuberculosis treatments
Strategies for preventing hospital-acquired infections
Advances in the treatment of depression
Impact of social media on mental health
Role of genetics in psychiatric disorders
Efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety
Long-term effects of antipsychotic medications
Role of Lifestyle changes in managing bipolar disorder
Impact of trauma on mental health
Emerging treatments for PTSD
Role of neurobiology in addiction
Efficacy of mindfulness-based therapies
Insomnia effect on patients with mental health conditions

Public Health

Impact of public health policies on smoking rates
Role of community programs in obesity prevention
Strategies for reducing health disparities
Impact of urbanization on public health
Efficacy of health education programs
Role of public health in disaster preparedness
Advances in global health initiatives
Impact of socioeconomic status on health outcomes
Role of vaccination in public health
Efficacy of public health interventions for substance abuse
Impact of public health regulations on social behavior and health outcomes amid COVID-19

Dermatology

Advances in the treatment of psoriasis
Role of diet in managing acne
Efficacy of new therapies for eczema
Impact of environmental factors on skin health
Role of genetics in skin disorders
Advances in melanoma detection
Impact of skincare products on skin health
Role of microbiome in skin diseases
Efficacy of laser treatments for skin conditions
Strategies for preventing skin cancer

Gastroenterology

Impact of diet on gut health
Advances in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease
Role of probiotics in digestive health
Efficacy of new therapies for irritable bowel syndrome
Effect of gut microbiome on overall health
Role of genetics in gastrointestinal disorders
Advances in colorectal cancer screening
Efficacy of dietary interventions for celiac disease
Impact of chronic stress on digestive health
Strategies for managing liver diseases
Impact of electronic health records on gastroenterology research

Pulmonology

Advances in asthma management
Role of genetics in lung diseases
Impact of air pollution on respiratory health
Efficacy of new treatments for COPD
Role of Lifestyle changes in managing Sleep Apnea
Advances in lung cancer treatment
Effect of Smoking Cessation Programs
Efficacy of pulmonary rehabilitation
Role of diet in respiratory health
Strategies for managing chronic bronchitis
Advances in kidney transplant techniques
Role of diet in managing kidney disease
Impact of hypertension on kidney health
Efficacy of new treatments for chronic kidney disease
Role of genetics in nephrological disorders
Advances in dialysis technology
Impact of diabetes on kidney health
Efficacy of lifestyle interventions for kidney stones
Role of hydration in preventing kidney diseases
Strategies for early detection of kidney disorders

Orthopedics

Advances in joint replacement surgery
Role of physical therapy in managing osteoarthritis
Efficacy of new treatments for osteoporosis
Impact of sports on musculoskeletal health
Role of genetics in orthopedic disorders
Advances in minimally invasive orthopedic surgery
Efficacy of regenerative therapies for bone injuries
Role of nutrition in bone health
Strategies for preventing sports injuries
Impact of aging on musculoskeletal health

Ophthalmology

Advances in cataract surgery techniques
Role of genetics in eye diseases
Impact of screen time on vision health
Efficacy of new treatments for glaucoma
Role of diet in maintaining eye health
Advances in retinal disease management
Efficacy of laser eye surgery
Strategies for preventing macular degeneration
Role of lifestyle changes in managing dry eye syndrome
Impact of environmental factors on eye health

Rheumatology

Advances in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis
Role of genetics in autoimmune disorders
Efficacy of new therapies for lupus
Impact of diet on inflammatory conditions
Role of physical activity in managing arthritis
Advances in understanding fibromyalgia
Efficacy of biologic drugs in rheumatology
Impact of chronic inflammation on overall health
Strategies for managing gout
Role of complementary therapies in rheumatic diseases

Selecting a Medical Research Paper Topic

Choosing a good medical research paper topic is a critical first step in the research process, influencing the direction and impact of the study. A well-chosen topic should address a significant and current issue within the medical field, ensuring relevance and the potential to contribute valuable insights to ongoing medical discussions and advancements. By focusing research projects on areas of primary care that need further exploration, researchers can make meaningful contributions to the body of medical knowledge.

A specific and well-defined topic allows for a focused investigation, leading to detailed and actionable findings for future medical students and others. Narrowing the scope helps researchers delve deeper into the subject matter, enhancing the quality and precision of the research. This approach benefits the study and ensures that the results are practical and applicable in real-world medical scenarios. Additionally, the feasibility of the topic, considering available resources and ethical considerations, is crucial for completing the research.

Innovative research topics that push the boundaries of current understanding are essential for driving progress in medicine. Researchers can significantly impact the field by exploring new perspectives, challenging existing assumptions, and investigating novel treatments or interventions for chronic diseases. Such groundbreaking research has the potential to revolutionize patient care and improve health outcomes on a broader scale.

If you're embarking on your medical research journey, start by identifying a topic that not only fascinates you but also meets the criteria of significance, specificity, feasibility, and innovation. Dive into current literature, consult with experts, and consider the practical implications of your research. By choosing a compelling topic, you'll set the stage for a successful and impactful study that can contribute to advancing medical science and improving patient care. Don't hesitate to seek guidance and support from your peers and mentors throughout this process, as collaboration and feedback are invaluable in refining your research focus.

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Written by David Kidwell

David is one of those experienced content creators from the United Kingdom who has a high interest in social issues, culture, and entrepreneurship. He always says that reading, blogging, and staying aware of what happens in the world is what makes a person responsible. He likes to learn and share what he knows by making things inspiring and creative enough even for those students who dislike reading.

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30+ Easy Research Paper Topics in Computer Science: Explore Exciting Ideas for Students

Welcome to the fascinating world of easy research paper topics in computer science.

Whether you’re a student exploring potential subjects for your next assignment or an enthusiast curious about the latest trends.

In this guide is designed to simple project topics and provide insights into choosing the right research paper topic.

What Makes a Good Research Paper Topic?

Table of Contents

A good research paper topic in computer science is one that is relevant, manageable, and interesting. It should be specific enough to delve into deeply but broad enough to find ample research material. Here are some key criteria:

Relevance : Choose a topic that is current and has practical applications in today’s world of technology.
Manageability : Ensure the topic is not too broad that it becomes overwhelming or too narrow that it lacks research depth.
Interest : Select a topic that sparks your curiosity and passion, as it will keep you motivated throughout the research process.

Importance of Choosing the Easy Research Paper Topics in Computer Science Right Topic

The topic you choose can significantly impact the quality and success of your research paper. A well-chosen topic:

Facilitates in-depth research and analysis.
Engages readers and showcases your understanding of the subject matter.
Allows you to contribute to the existing body of knowledge in computer science.

Machine Learning Basics: Applications and Future Trends

Machine learning is a branch of artificial intelligence (AI) that enables computers to learn from data and improve over time without explicit programming. Researching its basics, applications in real-world scenarios, and future trends can provide valuable insights into this rapidly evolving field.

Cybersecurity Threats and Countermeasures Explained

Cybersecurity remains a critical concern as digital threats continue to evolve. Explore different types of cybersecurity threats, such as malware and phishing, and examine effective countermeasures to protect systems and data.

The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Society

Artificial intelligence has transformed various industries, from healthcare to finance. Investigate how AI influences society , including its benefits, challenges, and ethical considerations.

Programming Languages and Frameworks

Programming languages and frameworks are fundamental tools for software development. Topics like:

Introduction to Python : Discuss its versatility, applications in data science, and advantages for beginners.
JavaScript Frameworks : Compare popular frameworks like React.js, Angular, and Vue.js in terms of performance, scalability, and community support.
Exploring the World of Java : Cover essentials, applications in enterprise systems, and its enduring popularity in software development.

Emerging Technologies and Innovations

Explore cutting-edge technologies that are reshaping the future:

Blockchain Technology : Analyze its practical applications beyond cryptocurrencies, such as supply chain management and voting systems.
Internet of Things (IoT) : Investigate how IoT devices enhance connectivity and efficiency in smart homes, healthcare, and industrial sectors.
Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) : Examine their impact on user experiences in gaming, education, and training.

Ethical Issues and Concerns in Computer Science

Discuss ethical dilemmas arising from advancements in technology:

Data Privacy : Explore challenges in protecting personal data amid digital transformations and regulatory frameworks.
Ethics of AI and Machine Learning : Address concerns regarding bias in algorithms and fairness in decision-making processes.
Cybersecurity Ethics : Debate the balance between security measures and individual privacy rights.

Hands-on easy research paper topics in computer science and Case Studies

Engage in practical learning through hands-on projects:

Building a Simple Chatbot Using Natural Language Processing : Step-by-step guide on creating a chatbot using Python and NLTK library.
Creating a Basic Web Application with React.js : Learn how to build interactive web interfaces using React.js components.
Analyzing Big Data with Apache Spark : Practical insights into processing large datasets and performing data analytics.

Future Directions and Trends

Explore emerging trends that shape the future of computer science:

Quantum Computing : Explore its potential to revolutionize computation power and solve complex problems exponentially faster than classical computers.
5G Technology : Discuss its impact on mobile computing, IoT connectivity, and the development of smart cities.
Edge Computing : Examine how edge computing enhances data processing efficiency and supports real-time applications.

In conclusion, selecting the right research paper topic in computer science is crucial for a successful academic journey. By choosing topics that align with your interests, exploring their practical applications, and staying updated on emerging trends, you can contribute meaningfully to the field. Remember to approach each topic with curiosity and enthusiasm, and enjoy the process of discovering new insights and innovations in computer science.

Summary of Key Points

Choosing Your Research Paper Topic : Select a topic that is relevant, manageable, and interesting.
Exploring Topics : Dive into areas like machine learning, cybersecurity, programming languages, emerging technologies, and ethical issues.
Hands-On Learning : Engage in practical projects and case studies to deepen your understanding.
Future Trends : Stay informed about the latest advancements and their potential impact on the future of technology.

Tips for easy Research paper topics in Computer science Success

Research Thoroughly : Gather reliable sources and conduct comprehensive research.
Stay Organized : Keep track of your findings, notes, and references throughout the research process.
Seek Guidance : Consult with professors, mentors, or peers for feedback and guidance.

Top 30+ Mini Project Ideas For Computer Engineering Students

Mini projects are really important for computer engineering students. They help students learn by doing practical stuff alongside their regular…

How to Write a Good Research Paper Title: Tips and Examples

Learn how to create good titles for research papers with our comprehensive guide. Discover tips, techniques, and examples to make your research stand out.

Kate Windsor

Jun 16, 2024

How to Write a Good Research Paper Title: Tips and Examples

Writing a research paper is a crucial part of academic life, but crafting a compelling title can be just as important as the content itself. A good research paper title not only captures the essence of your work but also attracts potential readers and helps your paper stand out in a sea of academic literature. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore the importance of good titles for research papers, provide tips on creating effective titles, and share examples to inspire your own title-writing process.

Understanding the Importance of a Research Paper Title

Why a good research paper title matters.

A suitable research paper title matters because:

a) It draws readers in and makes a research study stand out.

b) An effective research paper title is less likely to be overlooked.

c) It contributes to the professionalism and impact of the research.

According to a study by Jamali and Nikzad (2011), articles with shorter titles tend to be downloaded more often than those with longer titles. This highlights the importance of creating concise and engaging titles for your research papers.

Dr. John Smith, a renowned professor of psychology, states on research titles, "The title of a research paper is the first thing that readers, including peer reviewers and journal editors, will see. It's crucial to make a strong first impression with a clear, concise, and compelling title."

The role of a title in a research paper

A research title plays a critical role in the research process as it:

a) Facilitates the dissemination of knowledge.

b) Contributes to the professionalism and impact of the research.

c) Serves as a critical component of the overall research communication process.

Moreover, a well-crafted and good title or a good research title can increase the chances of your research paper being accepted for publication in your target journal or a reputable journal. Editors and reviewers often use the title as a first screening tool to determine the relevance and quality of the research.

Crafting a Compelling Research Paper Title

Identifying research study keywords for a strong title

Research titles matter. The best research paper title starts with:

a) Finding the most important parts of your research questions.

b) Choosing only the most important terms for your keywords.

c) Drawing 3 to 8 keywords maximum, avoiding very lengthy titles.

When selecting keywords for your research paper title, consider using tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush to identify high-traffic, relevant keywords in your field of study.

Look at social science research papers or for example, looking at a research paper in the field of environmental science might have a title like: "The Impact of Deforestation on Biodiversity: A Meta-Analysis of Neotropical Rainforests." This title effectively uses keywords such as "deforestation," "biodiversity," and "Neotropical rainforests" to convey the main focus of the research.

Using keywords to create a working research paper title

Descriptive research titles draw keywords.

a) Use the identified keywords to create a research title

b) Ensure the title accurately captures what you have done

c) Keep the title concise and relevant

Easily pronounces technical words in any field

Characteristics of Effective Research Paper Titles

Key qualities of a good research paper title.

A good research title should have the elements below to make it stand out.

a) A good research title should be concise and to the point

b) Accurately reflects or the research title describes the content of the research paper.

c) Easy to understand and remember.

d) Unique and not easily confused with other research titles.

What makes a research paper title stand out

A good title should:

a. Predict the content of the research paper.

b. Be interesting to the reader.

c. Reflect the tone of the writing.

d. Contain important keywords for easier location during a keyword search.

Supporting Evidence:

A study by Habibzadeh and Yadollahie (2010) found that articles with questions in their titles are more likely to be cited than those without. Consider incorporating a question into your research paper title to pique readers' curiosity and encourage engagement.

For instance, a research paper in a particular academic journal like the field of psychology might have a title like: "Can Mindfulness Meditation Reduce Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression? A Randomized Controlled Trial." This title effectively uses a question to grab the reader's attention and clearly conveys the main focus of the research.

Writing a Research Paper Title that Grabs Attention

Techniques for crafting a compelling research paper title

a) Use a clear and concise format, such as [method] study of [topic] among [sample].

b) Use keywords from the research topic to make the title more discoverable.

c) Keep the title short and to the point, avoiding unnecessary words or phrases.

When writing your research paper title, consider the writing tips and best practices for writing scientific papers to ensure your title is effective and engaging.

Avoiding common mistakes in research paper titles

a) Avoid using abbreviations or acronyms unless they are commonly used in the field and are essential to convey the research focus.

b) Eliminate any nonessential words and phrases from your title.

c) Aim for a word count of 16 words or fewer.

The Role of Subtitles in Research Paper Titles

When to use a subtitle and how to write one effectively.

Add a subtitle after a colon to provide more immediate details about methodology or sample. Be aware of the specific journal author instructions for research paper titles.

If your research paper includes an annex , consider mentioning it in the subtitle to provide additional context for your readers.

Examples of Good Research Paper Titles

Analyzing effective research paper titles.

Titles can be interesting but incomplete, complete but uninteresting, or too informal in tone

Examples of research paper titles that work

Good titles that are concise and contain all relevant terms increase citation counts and Altmetric scores.

Here are a few examples of effective research paper titles:

" The Impact of Social Media on Adolescent Mental Health: A Systematic Review ". This title effectively uses keywords such as "social media," "adolescent," and "mental health" to convey the main focus of the research. The use of "systematic review" indicates the comprehensive nature of the study.
" Exploring the Relationship Between Exercise and Cognitive Function in Older Adults ". This title clearly states the main variables being investigated (exercise and cognitive function) and the specific population (older adults). It is concise and easy to understand.
" Evaluating the Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Chronic Pain Management ". This title effectively communicates the intervention being studied (mindfulness-based stress reduction) and the specific application (chronic pain management). It is specific and informative.
" The Role of Exosomes in Cancer Progression: A Comprehensive Review ". This title uses keywords such as "exosomes" and "cancer progression" to convey the main focus of the research. The use of "comprehensive review" indicates the depth and breadth of the study.
" Machine Learning Approaches for Predicting Stock Market Trends: A Comparative Analysis ". This title effectively communicates the main techniques being investigated (machine learning approaches) and the specific application (predicting stock market trends). The use of "comparative analysis" suggests that different approaches will be evaluated and compared.

Refining Your Research Paper Title

Refining your title: removing nonessential words and phrases.

Eliminate any nonessential words and phrases from your title and keep the title concise and relevant. Aim for a word count of 16 words or fewer.

Getting feedback on your research paper title

Consider delegating your most complex tasks to skilled writers. Get feedback from peers, mentors, or editors to refine your title.

When refining your research paper title, consider the order of authors and how it may impact the perceived importance of each contributor.

It is crucial to seek feedback and guidance from your advisors and colleagues when refining your research paper title. They can provide valuable insights and help ensure that your title accurately represents your research and aligns with the requirements of your specific academic discipline. Don't hesitate to reach out to your network for support and advice throughout the title-writing process.

Final Tips for a Good Research Paper Title

Additional tips for writing a good research paper title.

Keep in mind the formatting, word count, and content when writing a research paper title and aim for a concise and relevant title. Use a good research paper title to make a significant difference in the success of a research study

In her book "Stylish Academic Writing," Helen Sword (2012) emphasizes the importance of crafting engaging and informative titles to capture readers' attention and effectively communicate the content of your research.

Best practices for research paper titles

A good research paper title should be concise, informative, and accurately represent the content and purpose of the study. Paperpal can help generate outstanding research titles in a click.

Consider the UK's Research Excellence Framework when crafting your title. The UK's Research Excellence Framework (REF) is a system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions.

When crafting your research paper title, consider how it aligns with the REF's criteria for research quality, which include originality, significance, and rigor. A well-crafted title that effectively communicates the value and impact of your research can contribute to a stronger REF submission.

Joshua Schimel's "Writing Science: How to Write Papers That Get Cited and Proposals That Get Funded" (2012) provides valuable insights into the art of scientific writing, including the importance of creating compelling research paper titles that accurately reflect the content and significance of your work.

Additional Resources for Crafting Effective Research Paper Titles:

1. The Academic Phrasebank - A useful resource for finding appropriate phrases and terminology for your research paper title.

2. Paperpal Title Generator - An online tool that helps generate effective research paper titles based on your keywords and research focus.

In conclusion, writing a good research paper title is a critical aspect of the research process, as it can significantly impact the visibility and success of your work. By understanding the importance of titles, following best practices, and refining your title based on feedback, you can create compelling titles that accurately represent your research and attract the attention of your target audience. Whether you're conducting theoretical research or applied research , a well-crafted title is essential for effectively communicating your findings to the scientific community.

As Michael Alley notes in his book "The Craft of Scientific Writing" (2018), a well-written research paper title not only captures the essence of your work but also serves as a critical tool for attracting readers and increasing the impact of your research.

Research Paper Optimization

Effective Research Titles

Research Paper Writing

Title Writing Tips

Academic Writing

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Research is a systematic investigation to establish facts and reach new conclusions. It involves collecting and analyzing data, often using a research questionnaire , and presenting findings to expand knowledge in a specific field. Key aspects include adhering to research ethics and exploring crisis communication research topics to manage and communicate effectively during crises.

What is Research?

Research is a systematic investigation and study of materials, sources, and data to establish facts and reach new conclusions. It involves gathering information, analyzing it critically, and presenting findings in a structured manner to increase knowledge in a specific field or address a particular problem. This process is fundamental in various disciplines, including science, humanities, and social sciences, and it helps to develop theories, inform policy, and contribute to the advancement of society.

Examples of Research

Medical Research
Educational Research
Environmental Research
Psychological Research
Market Research
Historical Research
Sociological Research
Technological Research
Crisis Communication Research
Agricultural Research
Economic Research
Political Research
Linguistic Research
Public Health Researc h
Cultural Research
Genetic Research
Behavioral Research
Engineering Research
Legal Research
Anthropological Research

Examples of Research in a Sentence

The research conducted by the university scientists led to a breakthrough in renewable energy technology.
She spent several months doing research for her thesis on ancient Greek literature.
Our team is currently engaged in market research to understand consumer preferences better.
The research findings were published in a prestigious medical journal.
He was awarded a grant to continue his research on climate change and its impact on coastal ecosystems.
Before launching the new product, the company conducted extensive research to ensure its success.
Her research into the effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive function provided valuable insights.
The research project aims to develop more effective treatments for Alzheimer’s disease.
During the conference, many scholars presented their research on the latest advancements in artificial intelligence.
The research paper highlighted the importance of early childhood education in academic achievement.

Research Examples for Students

Science Fair Projects: Students conduct experiments to test hypotheses, such as examining the effects of different fertilizers on plant growth.
History Papers: Students research a historical event, like the Civil Rights Movement, analyzing primary and secondary sources to understand its impact.
Environmental Studies: Students investigate local water sources to assess pollution levels and propose solutions for improvement.
Literature Analysis: Students research the themes and symbols in a novel, such as analyzing the use of symbolism in “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee.
Social Studies Projects: Students explore different cultures by researching their customs, traditions, and societal structures.
Health Studies: Students study the effects of nutrition on adolescent health, conducting surveys and reviewing scientific literature.
Technology Projects: Students research the development of artificial intelligence and its potential impacts on various industries.
Business Studies: Students analyze market trends and consumer behavior to develop a marketing plan for a hypothetical product.
Psychology Experiments: Students conduct research on human behavior, such as studying the effects of sleep on memory retention.
Creative Arts: Students research different art movements, like Impressionism, and create a presentation showcasing key artists and their works.

Quantitative Research Examples

Survey on Consumer Preferences: A company surveys 1,000 customers to quantify their preferences for different product features, such as color, size, and price.
Medical Trials: A pharmaceutical company conducts a clinical trial involving 500 participants to measure the effectiveness of a new drug.
Educational Achievement Study: Researchers collect standardized test scores from 10,000 students across various schools to analyze the impact of different teaching methods on student performance.
Market Analysis: An economist analyzes sales data from 50 retail stores to identify trends and predict future sales patterns.
Census Data Analysis: Government agencies use census data to quantify population growth, demographic changes, and housing needs over a decade.
Customer Satisfaction Survey: A restaurant chain distributes a survey to 2,000 customers to measure satisfaction levels and identify areas for improvement.
Behavioral Economics Study: Researchers conduct an experiment with 300 participants to quantify the effects of different incentives on saving behaviors.
Workplace Productivity Study: A company tracks the productivity levels of 1,200 employees over six months to assess the impact of flexible working hours.
Public Health Research: Health researchers analyze data from 20,000 participants to determine the correlation between exercise frequency and incidence of chronic diseases.
Political Polling: Pollsters survey 5,000 voters to predict election outcomes and understand voter preferences and behavior.

Qualitative Research Examples

Interview Studies: Researchers conduct in-depth interviews with participants to explore their experiences and perspectives on a specific topic, such as the impact of remote learning on student engagement.
Focus Groups: A group of participants discusses a particular issue, like consumer attitudes towards sustainable fashion, allowing researchers to gather diverse opinions and insights.
Ethnography: Researchers immerse themselves in a community or organization to observe and document cultural practices, social interactions, and daily routines, such as studying the work culture in a tech startup.
Case Studies: An in-depth analysis of an individual, group, or event, like examining the recovery process of a patient with a rare medical condition, to understand the complexities involved.
Narrative Research: Collecting and analyzing stories from individuals to understand how they make sense of their experiences, such as exploring the life stories of immigrants adapting to a new country.
Phenomenological Research: Investigating the lived experiences of individuals regarding a particular phenomenon, such as the experiences of first-time mothers during childbirth.
Grounded Theory: Developing a theory based on data collected from participants, like studying the coping mechanisms of people living with chronic pain to formulate a new psychological model.
Content Analysis: Analyzing texts, media, or documents to identify patterns and themes, such as examining newspaper articles to understand media representation of climate change.
Action Research: Collaborating with participants to address a problem and implement solutions, such as working with teachers to develop and test new classroom management strategies.
Discourse Analysis: Studying communication patterns, language use, and social interactions within a specific context, like analyzing political speeches to understand how leaders frame policy issues.

Types of Research with Examples

Research is a systematic investigation aimed at discovering new information, understanding existing phenomena, and solving problems. There are several types of research, each with its own methodologies and purposes. Below are the main types of research with examples.

1. Basic Research

Basic research, also known as pure or fundamental research, is conducted to increase knowledge and understanding of fundamental principles. It is not aimed at solving immediate practical problems but rather at gaining a deeper insight into the subject. Example: A study investigating the molecular structure of proteins to understand how they function in the human body.

2. Applied Research

Applied research is designed to solve practical problems and improve the human condition. It uses the knowledge gained from basic research to develop new products, processes, or techniques. Example: Developing a new medication to treat Alzheimer’s disease based on findings from basic research on brain cell functions.

3. Quantitative Research

Quantitative research involves the systematic empirical investigation of observable phenomena via statistical, mathematical, or computational techniques. It seeks to quantify data and typically uses surveys, questionnaires, or experiments. Example: Conducting a survey to measure customer satisfaction levels among users of a new smartphone.

4. Qualitative Research

Qualitative research aims to understand human behavior and the reasons that govern such behavior. It involves collecting non-numerical data, such as interviews, observations, and open-ended surveys. Example: Interviewing patients to understand their experiences and feelings about a new healthcare program.

5. Descriptive Research

Descriptive research seeks to describe characteristics of a population or phenomenon being studied. It does not answer questions about how/when/why the characteristics occurred, but rather “what” is happening. Example: A study detailing the demographics of students in a particular school district.

6. Experimental Research

Experimental research is used to establish cause-and-effect relationships among variables. It involves manipulating one variable to determine if changes in one variable cause changes in another variable. Example: Testing the effectiveness of a new drug by administering it to one group of patients and a placebo to another group.

7. Correlational Research

Correlational research investigates the relationship between two or more variables without manipulating them. It identifies patterns, trends, and associations between variables. Example: Studying the correlation between hours of study and academic performance among high school students.

8. Exploratory Research

Exploratory research is conducted to explore a problem or a new area where little information exists. It is often the initial research conducted before more conclusive research. Example: Exploring the potential uses of a newly discovered plant with medicinal properties.

9. Longitudinal Research

Longitudinal research involves repeated observations of the same variables over a period of time. It is useful for studying changes and developments over time. Example: Following a group of children from kindergarten through high school to study the impact of early education on later academic success.

10. Cross-sectional Research

Cross-sectional research analyzes data from a population, or a representative subset, at a specific point in time. It provides a snapshot of the variables of interest. Example: A survey assessing the health status of a community at a single point in time.

11. Case Study Research

Case study research involves an in-depth, detailed examination of a single subject, group, or event. It provides a comprehensive understanding of the case being studied. Example: Analyzing the business strategies of a successful startup to understand the factors contributing to its success.

12. Action Research

Action research is conducted to solve an immediate problem or improve p Example: Implementing and assessing a new teaching method in a classroom to improve student engagement and learning outcomes.

Types of Research Methods and Example

Method: Distributing questionnaires or online surveys to collect data from a large group of people.
Example: Conducting a national survey to assess public opinion on climate change policies.
Method: Manipulating one or more variables to determine their effect on another variable in a controlled environment.
Example: Testing the impact of a new educational program on student performance by comparing test scores of participants and non-participants.
Method: Observing subjects in their natural environment without interference.
Example: Studying children’s behavior in playgrounds to understand social interactions and play patterns.
Method: Conducting an in-depth analysis of a single subject or a small group of subjects.
Example: Analyzing the business strategies of a successful startup to identify key factors contributing to its growth.
Method: Systematically examining texts, media, and documents to identify patterns and themes.
Example: Analyzing social media posts to understand public sentiment during a major political event.

What are the Characteristics of Research?

Research follows a structured and organized approach, involving specific steps and methodologies to ensure consistency and reliability.
Research includes control mechanisms to minimize bias and external variables that may influence the results, especially in experimental studies.
Research relies on observable and measurable evidence. Data is collected through direct or indirect observation and experimentation.
Research is based on logical reasoning and sound theoretical frameworks. Conclusions are drawn from data analysis and established principles.
Research can be repeated by other researchers to verify results. Replication helps to confirm the validity and reliability of findings.
Research aims to be unbiased and impartial. The researcher’s personal beliefs and opinions should not influence the study’s outcomes.
Research involves critical analysis and interpretation of data. Researchers seek to understand patterns, relationships, and causality within the data.
Research can involve numerical data (quantitative) or non-numerical data (qualitative), depending on the nature of the study and the research questions.
Research adheres to ethical standards, ensuring the rights and well-being of participants are protected. Informed consent, confidentiality, and integrity are essential.
Research seeks to explore new ideas, develop new theories, and discover new knowledge. It often addresses gaps in existing literature.

Importance of Research

Research is crucial in various fields, offering numerous benefits and advancing knowledge in significant ways. Here are some key reasons why research is important:

1. Advancement of Knowledge

Research pushes the boundaries of what is known and explores new areas of inquiry. It helps to uncover new facts, theories, and insights that contribute to the collective understanding of a subject.

2. Informed Decision-Making

Research provides reliable data and evidence that guide decisions in fields such as healthcare, business, education, and public policy. For example, medical research can lead to the development of new treatments and drugs.

3. Problem-Solving

Research identifies and analyzes problems, proposing effective solutions. For instance, environmental research can help address climate change by finding sustainable practices and technologies.

4. Innovation and Development

Research fosters innovation by developing new products, technologies, and processes. Technological advancements, such as smartphones and renewable energy sources, are direct results of extensive research.

5. Economic Growth

Research drives economic development by creating new industries and improving existing ones. It leads to job creation, enhances productivity, and contributes to a nation’s economic stability.

6. Educational Enrichment

Research enhances educational content and teaching methods. It provides a deeper understanding of subjects, helping educators develop better curricula and instructional strategies.

FAQ’s

What is a hypothesis in research.

A hypothesis is a testable prediction about the relationship between two or more variables. It guides the research process.

How do you choose a research topic?

Select a topic that interests you, fills a gap in existing literature, and is feasible in terms of resources and time.

What is a literature review?

A literature review is a comprehensive summary of previous research on a topic. It identifies trends, gaps, and key findings.

What is the difference between primary and secondary data?

Primary data is collected firsthand by the researcher. Secondary data is gathered from existing sources like books, articles, and reports.

What are research ethics?

Research ethics involve principles like honesty, integrity, and respect for participants. Ethical guidelines ensure research is conducted responsibly.

What is a research design?

A research design is a plan that outlines how to collect and analyze data. It includes methods, sampling, and procedures.

What is sampling in research?

Sampling is selecting a subset of individuals from a population to represent the entire group. It can be random or non-random.

What is data analysis?

Data analysis involves processing and interpreting data to draw meaningful conclusions. Techniques vary based on the research type.

How do you write a research paper?

A research paper includes an introduction, literature review, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusion. Follow a clear and logical structure.

What is peer review?

Peer review is a process where experts evaluate a researcher’s work for quality, accuracy, and validity before publication.

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10 Examples of Public speaking

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Should You Become a Real Estate Agent?

Six things to know before you pursue this path.

While real estate is a flexible — and often, lucrative — industry, to build a truly successful career as a real estate agent, you need to understand the realities of what it means to be a real estate agent.

You don’t need a college degree but you need a real estate license. A real estate license gives agents and brokers the legal ability to represent clients in the process of buying or selling properties. Every state in the U.S. has its own real estate commission for licensing, and each comes with unique requirements. Obtaining this license can take anywhere between six months to a year.
You have to be financially prepared to take the plunge. Know that your income won’t come at regular intervals. What you earn will be directly proportional to the sales you make. Learning how to budget, save, and invest is critical as you begin your career in this industry.
You will need to build strong relationships in the industry. Surround yourself with experienced peers and look for people who inspire you or can become your mentors. Shadow them, observe how they do business, and actively seek their feedback to improve your skill.
In terms of skills, cultivate a “sales mindset.” This includes a range of transferable skills, including strong communication and negotiating abilities. Know that to stay relevant in the industry, you have to keep upskilling. Find new training programs for young agents, look into real estate schools focused on niche sectors, or attend webinars and short-term online courses to refresh your skills.
While a career in real estate is highly flexible, research shows that you will need to put in more hours if you want to earn more. That said, don’t let one idea of “success” wear you down. Instead, find a work schedule that feels sustainable to your goals and aspirations.

In the past two years, careers in real estate have become popular. In the U.S. alone, between 2020 and 2021, there was a 60% increase in people obtaining their real estate licenses. Google Trends data shows that “how to become a real estate agent” was the most searched job in 2021. This comes in the backdrop of the Great Resignation, which has prompted millions to quit their jobs in search of better opportunities.

TL Tina Lapp is head of Customer Experience and Instruction for Colibri Real Estate . She has spent 27 years in real estate professional education, empowering aspiring and seasoned professionals to thrive in their careers. She has been a licensed real estate salesperson in Ohio since 2002 and serves as an active member of many associations, including Ohio REALTORS®, the Real Estate Educators Association, and more.

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Preparing the master's essay

A master's essay guide for linguistics students.

What makes a good essay

It's more than a term paper – you should say something new.
State your goals at the beginning and summarize at the end.
Write so any linguist can understand it.
There is standard formatting for glossing foreign language data ( The Leipzig Glossing Rules ).
Write as needed. There is no standard length.

Finding a topic

Start thinking about it early.
Select a subject that is interesting to you.
Most topics are usually based on class material or an extension of a term paper.
Sometimes a topic can be derived from an offhand remark by a professor or classmate or something that is bothering you about a language you know (why is X the way it is?).

Getting started

Once you identify a topic, spend some time refining it. Initially, your topic will be too big – guaranteed!
Read widely and talk to your friends and instructors.
Try to write a paragraph-long thesis statement.
Expect several false starts.

Building a bibliography

Wikipedia is the beginning, not the end.
Library databases are your friends, e.g., MLA , LLBA and specialized bibliographies.
Follow leads in bibliographies of books and articles.
Hope for a recent book or review article with an extensive bibliography.

Setting up the committee

Approach someone you would like to work with and ask for their mentorship. Prior to doing so, evaluate their expertise and compatibility for you.
Remember that not everyone always has the time.
The rest of the committee (at least two more) are generally all from the linguistics program.
Consider their expert knowledge (e.g., statistics, phonetics).
Find out how they want to see the essay (by section, not until the end…).

Getting feedback

Work with your advisor on a timeline for submission to the advisor and the rest of the committee. Learn the deadlines and work backward.
Expect feedback and the need for multiple versions.
Give committee members time to read the draft (two weeks is fair) but do not hesitate to check with them if you haven't received any feedback by then.

Human subjects

Required only for living people as a source of data. This includes interviews, surveys (including online), experiments and classroom-centered research.
Pre-existent data (i.e., corpora, databases) do not need IRB clearance.
Take the training (required) .
Fill out the form(s) and get signatures .
Your advisor and others can help. It's not always clear or obvious what's needed.

Research and writing

Check in with your advisor regularly.
Consult with the rest of your committee and others who are not on the committee but could help.
Contact scholars elsewhere. Don't be shy since even famous linguists often respond.
Back up your data and text in two different places.
Form a support group.

Bibliography

For the bibliography use one of the Journal of the Linguistic Society of America's language style sheet . Use the bibliography of any article in language as your guide. Exception: Psycholinguistics and speech science use APA.

Bring enough copies of the cover page for signatures.
The oral is attended by the committee, moderator and your cheering squad.

Format of the oral exam

15-minute summary
Questions around the table and from the sidelines

Following the completion of your presentation, you'll receive your final feedback from the committee.

Is it possible to fail?

No – the oral will not happen until your advisor thinks you are ready.

Final revisions and submission

Final revisions happen, so allow time!
Ensure your format is correct ( see guidelines for master's essay ).
Allow time for printing.
Follow the guidelines scrupulously for binding and deposit.

By Professors Geoffrey Nathan and Margaret Winters

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What Makes for ‘Good’ Mathematics?

February 1, 2024

Peter Greenwood for Quanta Magazine

Introduction

We tend to think of mathematics as purely logical, but the teaching of math, its values, its usefulness and its workings are packed with nuance. So what is “good” mathematics? In 2007, the mathematician Terence Tao wrote an essay for the Bulletin of the American Mathematical Society that sought to answer this question. Today, as the recipient of a Fields Medal, a Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics and a MacArthur Fellowship, Tao is one of the most honored and prolific mathematicians alive. In this episode, he joins our host and fellow mathematician Steven Strogatz to revisit the makings of good mathematics.

Listen on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Google Podcasts , TuneIn or your favorite podcasting app, or you can stream it from Quanta .

STEVEN STROGATZ : Back in October 2007, way back when the first-generation iPhone was still a hot commodity and the stock market was at an all-time high before the Great Recession, Terence Tao, a professor of math at UCLA, was determined to answer a question that had long been debated among mathematicians: What exactly is good mathematics?

Is it about rigor? Elegance? Real-world utility? Terry wrote a very thoughtful and generous, I would even say openhearted, essay about all the ways that math could be good. But now, more than 15 years later, do we need to rethink what good mathematics is?

I’m Steve Strogatz, and this is “The Joy of Why,” a podcast from Quanta Magazine where my co-host, Janna Levin, and I take turns exploring some of the biggest unanswered questions in math and science today.

( Theme plays )

Here today to revisit the eternal question of what makes math good is Terry Tao himself. Professor Tao has authored more than 300 research papers on an amazingly wide swath of mathematics including harmonic analysis, partial differential equations, combinatorics, number theory, data science, random matrices and much more. He’s been referred to as the “Mozart of Mathematics.” And as the winner of a Fields Medal, a Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics, a MacArthur Fellowship and many other awards, that moniker is certainly well-deserved.

Terry, welcome to “The Joy of Why.”

TERENCE TAO : Pleasure to be here.

STROGATZ : I’m very excited to be able to talk to you about this question of what it is that makes some types of mathematical research good. I can remember pretty vividly flipping through the Bulletin of the American Math Society back in 2007 and coming across your essay about this issue that you posed for us. It’s something that all mathematicians think about. But for people out there who may not be so familiar, could you tell us, how did you land on this question? How did you define good math back at the time?

TAO : Right, yes. It was actually a solicitation. So the editor of the Bulletin at the time had asked me to contribute an article. I think I had a very naive idea of what mathematics was as a student. I kind of had this idea that there was some sort of council of greybeards that would hand out problems for people to work on. And it was kind of a shock to me as a graduate student, realizing that there wasn’t actually this central authority to hand out problems, and people did self-directed research.

I kept going to talks and listening to how other mathematicians talked about what they find exciting and what makes them excited about math, and the fact that each mathematician has a different way of approaching mathematics. Like, some would pursue applications, some by sort of aesthetic beauty, some by just problem solving. They wanted to solve a problem and they would focus on sort of the most difficult, the most challenging tasks. Some would focus on technique; some would try to make things as elegant as possible.

But what struck me when sort of listening to so many of these different mathematicians talk about what they find valuable in mathematics is that, even though we all had sort of different ideals as to what good mathematics should look like, they all kind of tend to converge to the same thing.

If a piece of mathematics is really good, people who pursue beauty will eventually happen across it. People who pursue, who value, you know, technical power or applications will eventually land upon it.

Eugene Wigner had a very famous essay on the unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics in the physical sciences almost a century ago, where he just observed that there were areas of mathematics — for example, Riemannian geometry, the study of curved space — that was initially just a purely theoretical exercise to mathematicians, you know, trying to prove the parallel postulate and so forth, turning out to be precisely what Einstein and Poincaré and Hilbert needed to describe the mathematics of general relativity. And that’s just a phenomenon that occurs.

So it’s not just that mathematics, that [what] mathematicians find intellectually interesting end up being physically important. But even within mathematics, subjects that mathematicians find elegant also happen to provide deep insight.

What I feel like is that, you know, there is some platonic good mathematics out there, and all our different value systems are just different ways of accessing that objective good stuff.

STROGATZ : That’s very interesting. Being a sort of person inclined to platonic thinking myself, I’m tempted to agree. Although I’m a little surprised to hear you say that, because I would have thought where you were going initially seemed to be, like, there are so many different points of view about this. It is an interesting fact, though, kind of an empirical fact, that we do converge on agreeing about what is good or not good, even though, as you say, we come at it from so many different values.

TAO : Right. The convergence may take time. You know, so there are definitely fields, for example, where they look a lot better as measured by one metric than others. Like maybe they have a lot of applications, but their presentation is extremely disgusting, you know.

(Strogatz laughs)

Or things that are very elegant but don’t yet have many good applications in the real world. But I do feel like eventually it will converge.

STROGATZ : Well, let me ask you about this point of contact with the real world. It’s an interesting tension in math. And, you know, as little kids, let’s say, when we first learn about geometry, you might think at that point that triangles are real, or circles or straight lines are real, and that they can tell you about the rectangular shapes you see in buildings out in the world, or that surveyors need to use geometry. And after all, the word comes from the measurement of the Earth, right, “geometry.” And so, there was a time when geometry was empirical.

But what I wanted to ask you has to do with a comment that John von Neumann made. So von Neumann, for anyone not familiar, was himself a great mathematician. And he made this comment in this essay, “ The Mathematician ,” about the relationship between math and the empirical world, the real world, where he says roughly that mathematical ideas originate in empirics, but that at some point, once you get the mathematical ideas, the subject starts to take on a life of its own. And then it’s more like a creative piece of art. Aesthetic criteria become important. But he says that causes danger. That when a subject starts to become too far removed from its empirical source, like especially in its second or third generation, he says that there’s a chance the subject can suffer from too much abstract inbreeding and it’s in danger of degeneration.

Any thoughts about that? I mean, does math have to stay in contact with its empirical source?

TAO: Yes, I think it does have to be grounded. When I say that, empirically, all these different ways of doing mathematics do converge, it’s only because — this only happens when the subject is healthy. So, you know, the good news is that usually it is.

But, for example, mathematicians value short proofs over long ones, all other things being equal. But one could imagine people going overboard and, like, one subfield of mathematics being obsessed with making proofs as short as possible and having these extremely opaque two-line proofs of deep theorems. And they make it kind of this contest, and then it becomes this sort of abstruse game and then you lose all the intuition. You lose maybe deeper understanding because you’re just so obsessed with making all your proofs as short as possible. Now, this doesn’t actually happen in practice. But this is kind of a theoretical example, and I think von Neumann was making a similar point.

And in the sixties and seventies, like, there was an era of mathematics where abstraction was making huge strides in simplifying and unifying a lot of mathematics that was previously very empirical. Especially in algebra, people were realizing, you know, numbers and polynomials and many other objects that were previously treated separately, you could all think of them as members of the same algebraic class, in this case a ring.

And a lot of progress in mathematics was being made by finding the right abstraction, you know, whether it was a topological space or a vector space, whatever, and proving theorems in great generality. And this is sometimes what we call the Bourbaki era in mathematics. And it did veer a little bit too far from being grounded.

We of course had, like, the whole New Math episode in the States, where educators tried to teach math in the Bourbaki style and eventually realized that that was not the appropriate pedagogy at that level.

But now the pendulum has swung back quite a bit. We have kind of — the subject has matured quite a bit and every field of mathematics, geometry, topology, whatever, we have kind of satisfactory formalizations and we kind of know what the right abstractions are. And now the field is again focusing on interconnections and applications. It’s connecting much more to the real world now.

I mean, not just sort of physics, which is a traditional connection, but, you know, computer science, life sciences, social sciences, you know. With the rise of big data, pretty much almost any human discipline now can be mathematized to some extent.

STROGATZ : I’m very interested in the word that you just used a minute ago about “interconnections,” because that seems like a central point for us to discuss. It’s something that you mention in your essay that, along with these, what you call “local” criteria about elegance, or real-world applications, or whatever, you mention this “global” aspect of good mathematics: that good mathematics connects to other good mathematics.

That’s almost key to what makes it good, that it’s integrated with other parts. But it’s interesting because it sounds almost like circular reasoning: that good math is the math that connects to other good math. But it’s a really powerful idea, and I’m just wondering if you could expand on it a little bit more.

TAO : Yeah, so, I mean, what mathematics is about — one of the things that mathematics does is that it makes connections that are very basic and fundamental, but not obvious if you just look at it from the surface level. A very early example of this is Descartes’ invention of Cartesian coordinates that made a fundamental connection between geometry — the study of points and lines and spatial objects — and numbers, algebra.

So, for example, a circle you can think of as a geometric object, but you can also think of it as an equation: x 2 + y 2 = 1 is the equation of a circle. At the time, it was a very revolutionary connection. You know, the ancient Greeks viewed number theory and geometry as almost completely disjointed subjects.

But with Descartes, there was this fundamental connection. And now it’s internalized; you know, the way we teach mathematics. It’s not surprising anymore that if you have a geometric problem, you attack it with numbers. Or if you have a problem with numbers, you may attack it with geometry.

It’s somewhat because both geometry and numbers are aspects of the same mathematical concept. We have an entire field called algebraic geometry, which is neither algebra nor geometry, but it’s a unified subject studying objects that you can either think of as geometric shapes, like lines and circles and so forth, or as equations.

But really, it’s a holistic union of the two that we study. And as the subject has deepened, we’ve realized that that is more fundamental somehow than either algebra or geometry separately, in some ways. So, these connections are helping us discover sort of the real mathematics that initially, somehow, our empirical studies only give us a corner of the subject.

There’s this famous parable of the elephant, I forget where, that if you have… There are four blind men, and they discover an elephant. And one of them feels the leg of the elephant and they think, “Oh, this, it’s very rough. It must be like a tree or something.”

And one of them feels the trunk, and it’s only a lot later that they see that there’s a single elephant object that is explaining all their separate hypotheses. Yeah, so we’re all blind initially, you know. We’re just watching the shadows on Plato’s cave and only later realizing —

STROGATZ : Wow, you are very philosophical here. This is something. I can’t resist now: If you’re going to start talking about the elephant and the blind people, this suggests that you think mathematics is out there — that it is something like the elephant and that we are the blind… Or, you know, we’re trying to see something that exists independent of human beings. Is that really what you believe?

TAO : When you do good mathematics, like, it’s not just pushing symbols around. You do feel like there is some actual object that you’re trying to understand, and all our equations we have are just sort of approximations of that, or shadows.

You can debate the philosophical point of what is actually reality and so forth. I mean, these are things you can actually touch, and the more real things get mathematically, sometimes the less physical they seem. As you said, geometry initially, you know, was a very tangible thing about objects in physical space that you could — you know, you can actually build a circle and a square and so forth.

But in modern geometry, you know, we work in higher dimensions. We can talk about discrete geometries, all kinds of wacky topologies. And, I mean, the subject still deserves to be called geometry, even though there is no Earth being measured anymore. The ancient Greek etymology is very outdated but it’s, but there’s definitely something there. Whether — how real you want to call it. But I guess the point is that for the purpose of actually doing mathematics, it helps to believe it’s real.

STROGATZ : Yeah, isn’t that interesting? It does. It seems like that’s something that goes very deep in the history of math. I was struck by an essay by Archimedes writing to his friend, or at least colleague, Eratosthenes.

We’re talking now, like, 250 B.C. And he makes the remark, he’s discovered a way to find the area of what we would call the segment of a parabola. He’s taking a parabola, he cuts across it with a line segment that’s at an oblique angle to the axis of the parabola, and he figures out this area. He gets a very beautiful result. But he says something to Eratosthenes like, “These results were inherent in the figures all along.” You know, like, they’re there. They’re there. They’re just waiting for him to find.

It’s not like he created them. It’s not like poetry. I mean, it’s interesting, actually, isn’t it? That a lot of great artists — Michelangelo talked about releasing the statue from the stone, you know, as if it were in there to begin with. And it sounds like you and many other great mathematicians have — as you say, it’s very useful to believe this idea, that it’s there waiting for us, waiting for the right minds to discover it.

TAO : Right. Well, I think one manifestation of that is that ideas that are often very complicated to explain when they’re first discovered, they get simplified. I mean, you know, often the reason why something looks very deep or difficult at the beginning is you don’t have the right notation.

For example, we have decimal notation now to manipulate numbers, and it’s very convenient. But in the past, we had like, you know, Roman numerals and then there were even more primitive number systems that were just really, really difficult to work with if you wanted to do mathematics.

Euclid’s Elements , you know — some of the arguments in these ancient texts. Like, there’s one theorem in Euclid’s Elements I think called the Bridge of Fools or something. It’s like the statement that, I think the statement is like an isosceles triangle, the two base angles are equal. Like, this is like a two-line proof in modern geometric texts, you know, with the right axioms. But Euclid had this horrendous way of doing it. And it was where many students of geometry in the classical era just completely gave up on mathematics.

STROGATZ : True. ( laughs )

TAO : But, you know, we now have a much better way of doing that. So often the complications we see in mathematics are artifacts of our own limitations. And, so, as we mature, you know, things become simpler. And it feels more real because of that. We’re not seeing the artifacts. We’re seeing the essence.

STROGATZ : Well, so going back to your essay: When you wrote it, at the time — I mean, this was pretty early in your career, not the very beginning, but still. Why did you feel back then that it was important to try to define what good mathematics was?

TAO : I think… So by that point, I was already starting to advise graduate students, and I was noticing that, you know, there was some misconceptions about, sort of, what is good and what is not. And I was also talking to mathematicians in different fields, and what one’s field valued in mathematics seemed different from others. But yet, somehow we were all studying the same subject.

And sometimes someone would say something that sort of rubbed me the wrong way, you know, like, “This mathematics has no applications, therefore it has no value.” Or “This proof is just too complicated; therefore it has no value,” or something. Or conversely, you know, “This proof is too simple; therefore it is not worth…” You know. Like, there was some, like, sort of snobbery and so forth, sometimes I would encounter.

And in my experience, the best mathematics came when I understood a different point of view, a different way of thinking about mathematics from someone in a different field and applying it to a problem that I cared about. And so my experience of how to use mathematics properly, how to wield it, was so different from these — sort of the “one true way of doing mathematics.”

I felt like this point had to be made somehow. That there’s really a plural way of doing mathematics, but whereas mathematics is still united.

STROGATZ : That’s very revealing, because I had wondered, you know, like, in my introduction I mentioned the many different branches of math that you have explored, and I didn’t even include some. Like, I can remember just a few years ago, your work about this mystery in fluid dynamics, about whether certain equations that we think do a good job of approximating the motions of water and air. I don’t want to go into details too much, but just to say, here you are, people think of you doing number theory or harmonic analysis, and suddenly you’re working on fluid dynamics questions. I mean, I realize it’s partial differential equations. But still, your breadth of interest seems to be related to your breadth of accepting different insights, different valuable ideas from all the different ways of doing good math.

TAO : I forget who said it, but there are two types of mathematicians. There’s hedgehogs and foxes. A fox is someone who knows a little bit about everything. A hedgehog is a creature that knows one thing very, very well. And neither is better than the other. They complement each other. I mean, in mathematics, you need people who are really deep domain experts in one subfield, and they know a subject inside-out. And you need people who can see the connections between one field and another. So I definitely identify as a fox, but I work with a lot of hedgehogs. The work I’m most proud of is often a collaboration like that.

STROGATZ : Oh, yeah. Do they realize that they’re hedgehogs?

TAO : Well, okay, the roles change over time. Like, there are other collaborations where I’m the hedgehog and someone else is the fox. These are sort of not permanent — you know, these are not in your DNA.

STROGATZ : Ah, good point. We can adopt — we can wear both cloaks.

Well, what about, was there a response to the essay at the time? Did people say anything back to you?

TAO : I got a fairly positive response in general. I mean, the Bulletin of the AMS is not a hugely, widely circulated publication, I think. And also, I didn’t really say anything too controversial. Also, this kind of predated social media, so, I think maybe there’s a few math blogs that picked it up, but there was no Twitter. There was nothing to make it go viral.

Yeah, also I think, in general, mathematicians don’t spend much of their time and intellectual capital on speculation. I mean, there’s another mathematician called Minhyong Kim who had this very nice metaphor that, to mathematicians, credibility is like currency, like money. If you prove theorems and you demonstrate that you know the subject, you’re accumulating somehow this currency of credibility in the bank. And once you have enough currency, you can afford to speculate a little bit by being a bit philosophical and saying what might be true rather than what you can actually prove.

But we tend to be conservative, and we don’t want an overdraft in our bank account. You know, you don’t want most of your writing to be speculative and only like one percent to actually prove something.

STROGATZ : Fair enough. So, okay. So, lots of years have passed since then. What are we talking about? It’s more than 15 years.

TAO : Oh yeah, time flies.

STROGATZ : Has your opinion changed? Is there anything we need to revise?

TAO : Well, the culture of math is changing quite a bit. I already had a broad view of mathematics, and now I have an even broader one.

So, one very concrete example is: Computer-assisted proofs were still controversial in 2007. There was a famous conjecture called the Kepler conjecture, which concerns the most efficient way to pack unit balls in three-dimensional space. And there’s a standard packing, I think it’s called the cubic central packing or something, that Kepler conjectured to be the best possible.

This was finally resolved, but the proof was very computer-assisted . It was quite complicated, and [Thomas] Hales eventually actually created a whole computer language to formally verify this particular proof, but it was not accepted as a real proof for many years. But it illustrated how controversial the concept of a proof that you needed computer assistance to verify was.

In the years since, there’s been many, many other examples of proofs where a human can reduce a complicated problem to something which still requires a computer to verify. And then the computer goes ahead and verifies it. We’ve kind of developed practices about how to do this responsibly. You know, how to publish code and data and ways to check and new open-source things and so forth. And now, there’s widespread acceptance of computer-assisted proofs.

Now, I think, the next cultural shift will be whether AI-generated proofs will be accepted . Right now, AI tools are not at the level where they can generate proofs to really advance mathematical problems. Maybe undergraduate-level homework assignments, they can kind of manage, but research mathematics, they’re not at that level yet. But at some point, we’re going to start seeing AI-assisted papers come out and there will be a debate.

The way our culture has changed in some ways… Back in 2007, only a fraction of mathematicians made their preprints available before publishing. Authors would jealously guard their preprints until they had the notification of acceptance from the journal. And then they might share.

But now everyone puts their papers on public servers like the arXiv . There’s a lot more openness to put videos and blog posts, about where the ideas of a paper come from. Because people realize that this is what makes work more influential and more impactful. If you try to not publicize your work and be very secretive about it, it doesn’t make a splash.

Math has become much more collaborative . You know, 50 years ago, I would say that the majority of papers in mathematics were single-author. Now, definitely the majority are two or three or four authors. And we’re just beginning to see really big projects like we do in the sciences, you know, like tens, hundreds of people collaborate. That’s still difficult for mathematicians to do, but I think we’re going to get there.

Concurrently, we’re becoming much more interdisciplinary. We’re working with other sciences a lot more. We’re working between fields of mathematics. And because of the internet, we can collaborate with people across the world. So, the way we do mathematics is definitely changing.

I hope in the future, we will be able to utilize the amateur math community more. There are other fields like astronomy, where astronomers make great use of the amateur astronomy community, like, you know, a lot of comets, for example, are found by amateurs.

But mathematicians… There’s a few isolated areas of mathematics such as like, tiling, two-dimensional tiling, and maybe finding records in prime numbers. There’s some very select fields of mathematics where amateurs do contribute, and they’re welcomed. But there’s a lot of barriers. In most areas of mathematics, you need so much training and internalized or conventional wisdom that we can’t crowd source things. But this may change in the future. Maybe one impact of AI would be to allow amateur mathematicians to contribute meaningfully to mathematics.

STROGATZ : That’s very interesting.

[Break for ad insertion]

STROGATZ : So the amateurs might, with the help of AIs, either ask new questions that are good or help with good explorations of existing questions, that sort of thing?

TAO : There are many different modalities — yeah. So, for example, there are now projects to formalize proofs of big theorems in these things called formal proof assistants , which are like computer languages that can 100% verify that a theorem is true or not and — is proven or not. This actually enables large-scale collaboration in mathematics.

So in the past, if you collaborate with 10 other people to prove a theorem, and each one contributes a step, everyone has to verify everyone else’s math. Because the thing about math is that if one step has an error in it, the whole thing can fall apart.

So you need trust, and so — therefore this prevents, this really inhibits really large-scale collaborations in mathematics. But there are now, there have been successful examples of really large theorems being formalized where there’s a huge community, they don’t all know each other, they don’t all trust each other, but they communicate through uploading to some Github repository or something, like, individual proofs of individual steps in the argument. And the formal proof software verifies everything, and so you don’t need to worry about trust. So we are enabling new modes of collaboration, which we haven’t seen really in the past.

STROGATZ : It’s really interesting to hear your vision, Terry. It’s a fascinating thought. You don’t hear the phrase “citizen mathematician.” You hear of citizen science, but why not citizen math?

But I’m just wondering, are there any trends that you are worried about, for example, with computer-assisted proofs or AI-generated proofs? Will we know that certain results are true, but we won’t understand why?

TAO : So that is a problem. I mean, it’s already a problem even before the advent of AI. So, there are many fields where the papers in a subject are getting longer and longer, hundreds of pages. And I’m hopeful that AI can actually conversely help simplify and it can explain as well as prove.

So there’s already experimental software where, like, if you take a proof that has been formalized, you can actually convert it into an interactive human-readable document, where you have the proof and you see the high-level steps and if there’s a sentence you don’t understand you can double-click on it, and it will expand into smaller steps. Soon I think you can also get an AI chatbot sitting next to you while you’re going through the proof, and they can take questions and they can explain each step as if they were the author. I think we’re already very close to that.

There are concerns. We have to change the way we educate our students, particularly now that many of our traditional ways of assigning homework and so forth, we are almost at the point where these AI tools can just instantly answer many of our standard exam questions. And so, we need to teach our students new skills, like how to verify whether an AI-generated output is correct or not and how to get a second opinion.

And we may see the advent of a more experimental side to mathematics, you know. So, mathematics is almost entirely theoretical, whereas most sciences have both a theoretical and experimental component. We may eventually have results that are first only proven by computers and, as you say, we don’t understand. But then once we have the data that the AI, the computer-generated proofs provide, we may be able to run experiments.

There’s a little bit of experimental mathematics now. People do study, like, large data sets of various things, elliptic curves, say. But it could become much bigger in the future.

STROGATZ : Gee, you have a very optimistic view, it sounds like to me. It’s not like the Golden Age is in the past. If I’m hearing you right, you think that there’s a lot of very exciting stuff ahead.

TAO : Yeah, a lot of the new technological tools are very empowering. I mean, AI in general has many complex ups and downsides. And outside the sciences, there’s a lot of possible disruption to the economy, intellectual property rights and so forth. But within math, I think the ratio of good to bad is better than in many other areas.

And, you know, the internet really has transformed the way we do mathematics. I collaborate with a lot of people in a lot of different fields. I could not do this without the internet. The fact that I can go on Wikipedia or whatever and get started learning a subject, and I can email somebody, and we can collaborate online. If I had to do things old-school where I could only talk to people in my department and use physical mail for everything else, I could not do the math that I do now.

STROGATZ : Wow, all right. I just have to underline what you just said, because I never thought in a million years I was going to hear this: Terry Tao reads Wikipedia to learn math?

TAO : As a starting point. I mean, it’s not always Wikipedia, but just to get the keywords, and then I will do a more specialized search of, say, MathSciNet or some other database. But yeah.

STROGATZ : It’s not a criticism. I mean, I do the same thing. Wikipedia is actually, if there’s any criticism of the math on Wikipedia, maybe it’s that sometimes it’s a little too advanced for the readers that it’s intended for, I think. Not always. I mean, it depends. It varies a lot from article to article. But that’s just funny. I love hearing that.

TAO : I mean, these tools, you have to be able to vet the output. You know, so, I mean, the reason why I can use Wikipedia to do mathematics is because I already know enough mathematics that I can smell if a piece of Wikipedia in mathematics is suspicious or not. You know, it may get some sources and one of them is going to be a better source than the other. And I know the authors, and I have an idea of which reference is going to be better for me. If I used Wikipedia to learn about a subject that I had no experience in, then I think it would be more of a random variable.

STROGATZ : Well, so we’ve been talking quite a bit about what it is that makes good mathematics, the possible future for new kinds of good mathematics. But maybe we should address the question: Why does this even matter? Why is it important for math to be good?

TAO : Well, so, first of all, I mean, why do we have mathematicians at all? Why does society value mathematicians and give us the resources to do what we do? You know, it’s because we do provide some value. We can have applications to the real world. There’s intellectual interest, and some of the theories we develop eventually end up providing insight into other phenomena.

And not all mathematics is of equal value. I mean, you could compute more and more digits of pi, but at some point, you don’t learn anything. Any subject needs some sort of value judgment because you have to allocate resources. There’s so much mathematics out there. What advances do you want to highlight and publicize and let other people know about, and which ones maybe should just be sitting quietly on a journal somewhere?

Even if you think of a subject as being completely objective and, you know, there’s only true or false, we still have to make choices. You know, just because time is a limited resource. Attention is a limited resource. Money is a limited resource. So, these are always important questions.

STROGATZ : Well, interesting that you mention about publicizing, because it is something that I think is a distinctive feature of your work, that you’ve also put in a lot of effort to make math publicly accessible through your blog, through various articles you’ve written. I remember discussing one that you wrote in American Scientist about universality and that idea. Why is it important to make math publicly accessible and understandable? I mean, what is it that you’re trying to do?

TAO : It kind of happened organically. Early in my career, the World Wide Web was still very new, and mathematicians started having webpages with various content, but there wasn’t much of a central directory. Before Google and so forth, it was actually hard to find individual resources.

So, I started sort of making little directories on my webpage . And I would also make webpages for my own papers, and I’d make some commentary. Initially, it was more for my own benefit, just as an organizational tool, just to help me find things. As a byproduct, it was available to the public, but I was kind of the primary consumer, or at least so I thought, of my own webpages.

But I remember very distinctly, there was one time when I wrote a paper and I put it on my webpage, and I had a little subpage called “What’s New?” And I just said, “Here’s a paper. There’s a question in it that I still couldn’t answer, and I don’t know how to solve it.” And I just made this comment. And then like two days later, I got an email saying, “Oh, I was just checking your homepage. I know the answer to this. There’s a paper which will solve your problem.”

And it made me realize, first of all, that people were actually visiting my webpage, which I didn’t really know. But that interaction with the community could really — well, it could help me directly solve my questions.

There’s this law called Metcalfe’s law in networking that, you know, if you have n people, and they all talk to each other, there’s about n 2 connections between them. And so, the larger the audience and the larger the forum where everyone can talk to everybody else, the more potential connections you can make and the more good things can happen.

I mean, in my career, so much of the discoveries I’ve made, or the connections I’ve made is because of an unexpected connection. My whole career experience has been sort of the more connections equals just better stuff happening.

STROGATZ : I think a beautiful example of what you’re just referring to, but I’d love to hear you talk about it, is the connections that you made with people in data science who are interested in questions having to do with medical resonance imaging, MRI. Could you tell us a little about that story?

TAO : So, this was about 2006, 2005, I think. So, there was an interdisciplinary program here on campus at UCLA on, I think, multiscale geometric analysis, or something like that, where they were bringing together pure mathematicians who were interested in sort of multiscale type geometry in its own right, and then, you know, people who had very concrete data type problems.

And I had just started working on some problems in random matrix theory, so I was sort of known as someone who could manipulate matrices. And I met someone who I already knew, Emmanuel Candès , because at the time he worked right next door in Caltech. And he and another collaborator, Justin Romberg , they had discovered this unusual phenomena.

So they were looking at MRI images, but they’re very slow. To collect enough really high-resolution image of a human body, or enough to maybe catch a tumor, or whatever medically important feature you want to find, it often takes several minutes because they have to scan all these different angles and then synthesize the data. And this was a problem, actually, because little kids, for example, just to sit still for three minutes in the MRI machine was quite problematic.

So they were experimenting with a different way, using some linear algebra. They were hoping to get a 10%, 20% better performance improvement. You know, a slightly sharper image by tweaking the standard algorithm a little bit.

So the standard algorithm was called least squares approximation, and they were doing something else, called total variation minimization. But then when they ran the computer software, they got like almost perfect reconstruction of their test image. Massive, massive improvement. And they couldn’t explain this.

But Emmanuel was at this program, and we were chatting at tea or something. And he just mentioned this and, actually, my first thought was that you must have made a mistake in your calculation, that what you’re saying is not actually possible. And I remember going back home that night and trying to write down an actual proof that what they were seeing could not actually happen. And then halfway through, I realized I had made an assumption which wasn’t true. And then I realized that actually it could work. And then I figured out what might be the explanation. And then we worked together, and we actually found a good explanation and we published that.

And once we did that, people realized that there were many other situations where you had to take a measurement which normally required lots and lots of data, and in some cases you can take a much smaller amount of data and still get a really high-resolution measurement.

So now, modern MRI machines, for example — a scan that used to take three minutes can now take 30 seconds because this software, this algorithm is hardwired, hard-coded into the machines now.

STROGATZ : It’s a beautiful story, it’s such a great story. I mean, talk about important mathematics that is changing lives, literally, in this context of medical imaging. I love the serendipity of it and your open-mindedness, you know, to hear this idea and then think, well, “this is impossible, I can prove it.” And then realizing, no, actually. Fantastic to see math making such an impact.

Well, okay, I think I better let you go, Terry. It’s been a real pleasure discussing the essence of good mathematics with you. Thanks so much for joining us today.

TAO : Yeah, no, it’s been a pleasure.

STROGATZ : “The Joy of Why” is a podcast from Quanta Magazine , an editorially independent publication supported by the Simons Foundation. Funding decisions by the Simons Foundation have no influence on the selection of topics, guests or other editorial decisions in this podcast or in Quanta Magazine .

“The Joy of Why” is produced by PRX Productions . The production team is Caitlin Faulds, Livia Brock, Genevieve Sponsler and Merritt Jacob. The executive producer of PRX Productions is Jocelyn Gonzales. Morgan Church and Edwin Ochoa provided additional assistance. From Quanta Magazine , John Rennie and Thomas Lin provided editorial guidance, with support from Matt Carlstrom, Samuel Velasco, Nona Griffin, Arleen Santana and Madison Goldberg.

Our theme music is from APM Music. Julian Lin came up with the podcast name. The episode art is by Peter Greenwood and our logo is by Jaki King and Kristina Armitage. Special thanks to the Columbia Journalism School and Burt Odom-Reed at the Cornell Broadcast Studios.

I’m your host, Steve Strogatz. If you have any questions or comments for us, please email us at [email protected] . Thanks for listening.

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Is Software Eating the World?

When explaining the declining labor income share in advanced economies, the macro literature finds that the elasticity of substitution between capital and labor is greater than one. However, the vast majority of micro-level estimates shows that capital and labor are complements (elasticity less than one). Using firm- and establishment-level data from Korea, we divide capital into equipment and software, as they may interact with labor in different ways. Our estimation shows that equipment and labor are complements (elasticity 0.6), consistent with other micro-level estimates, but software and labor are substitutes (1.6), a novel finding that helps reconcile the macro vs. micro-literature elasticity discord. As the quality of software improves, labor shares fall within firms because of factor substitution and endogenously rising markups. In addition, production reallocates toward firms that use software more intensively, as they become effectively more productive. Because in the data these firms have higher markups and lower labor shares, the reallocation further raises the aggregate markup and reduces the aggregate labor share. The rise of software accounts for two-thirds of the labor share decline in Korea between 1990 and 2018. The factor substitution and the markup channels are equally important. On the other hand, the falling equipment price plays a minor role, because the factor substitution and the markup channels offset each other.

We thank Salome Baslandze, Andrea Eisfeldt, Bart Hobijn, Matthias Kehrig, Joseba Martinez, and Ezra Oberfield for helpful comments, and Sungjoong Kim and Hyunjung Joo for their assistance at the Regional Data Center of Statistics Korea. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Bureau of Economic Research.

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In addition to working papers, the NBER disseminates affiliates' latest findings through a range of free periodicals — the NBER Reporter, the NBER Digest, the Bulletin on Retirement and Disability, the Bulletin on Health, and the Bulletin on Entrepreneurship — as well as online conference reports, video lectures, and interviews.

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Marcella Vallarino

Christine Singu

zimbabwe leader

joyce alcantara