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113 Great Research Paper Topics

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General Education

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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?

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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?

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  • 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 ?

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  • 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?

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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.

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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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301+ Research Essay Topics [Updated]

research essay topics

Embarking on a research essay journey is similar to setting sail on uncharted waters. The key to a successful expedition lies in choosing the right topic – one that not only aligns with your interests but also resonates with the broader context of your academic or professional pursuits. In this comprehensive guide, we will navigate through the various considerations, disciplines, and emerging trends to help you uncover the perfect research essay topics that sparks curiosity and passion.

General Considerations for Choosing Research Essay Topics

Table of Contents

Before delving into specific topics, it’s crucial to understand the general principles that should guide your decision-making process.

Personal Interest

Selecting a topic that genuinely interests you is paramount. Your enthusiasm will fuel the research process and contribute to a more engaging and compelling essay. Consider your hobbies, personal experiences, or areas that have always intrigued you.

For instance, if you have a fascination with technology, topics like the impact of artificial intelligence on society or ethical considerations in genetic engineering might be appealing.

Relevance to Course or Discipline

Aligning your research essay with the objectives of your course or academic discipline adds depth and significance to your work. Think about how your chosen topic contributes to the broader conversation within your field.

For a business or economics student, exploring the economic implications of the gig economy might provide valuable insights.

Scope and Feasibility

Strike a balance between a topic’s breadth and depth. Ensure your chosen subject is neither too broad to cover adequately nor too narrow to find sufficient research material.

Assess the availability of resources – both primary and secondary – to ensure you can conduct thorough research within the given timeframe.

Availability of Resources

Before finalizing your topic, consider the accessibility of resources. Check whether there are enough scholarly articles, books, and other materials available to support your research.

A topic that lacks substantial resources might lead to a frustrating dead end.

301+ Research Essay Topics: Category Wise

Science and technology.

  • The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Employment
  • Ethical Considerations in Genetic Engineering
  • Renewable Energy Solutions for a Sustainable Future
  • Cybersecurity in the Age of Digital Transformation
  • Blockchain Technology: Applications and Implications
  • The Role of Technology in Healthcare Innovation
  • Future Prospects of Quantum Computing
  • Augmented Reality: Transforming User Experiences
  • Biotechnology Advancements and Their Ethical Dilemmas
  • Space Exploration and its Scientific Contributions
  • The Ethics of CRISPR Technology in Human Gene Editing
  • Applications and Implications of Nanotechnology
  • Advancements in Robotics and their Impact on Industries
  • Big Data Analytics in Healthcare: Opportunities and Challenges
  • The Future of Space Tourism
  • Internet of Things (IoT) and its Integration in Everyday Life
  • Quantum Cryptography: Ensuring Secure Communication
  • Biometrics Technology and Privacy Concerns
  • Impact of 3D Printing on Manufacturing and Supply Chains
  • Space Debris: Challenges and Solutions for Earth’s Orbit
  • Quantum Computing and Its Potential Impact on Cryptography
  • Biodegradable Technology: Eco-Friendly Innovations
  • Advanced Materials in Aerospace Engineering
  • The Ethical Considerations of Artificial Intelligence in Military Applications
  • Challenges and Solutions in Developing Sustainable Transportation Systems
  • Internet Censorship: Balancing National Security and Freedom of Information
  • The Role of Technology in Disaster Management and Response
  • Exploring the Use of Virtual Reality in Mental Health Treatment
  • Space Colonization: Feasibility and Ethical Considerations
  • Advancements in Brain-Computer Interface Technology
  • The Future of Quantum Internet: Secure Communication
  • Biotechnology in Agriculture: Improving Crop Yield and Quality
  • Innovations in Solar Energy Storage Technologies
  • Ethical Implications of Autonomous Weapon Systems
  • Human Augmentation: Balancing Advancements and Ethics
  • The Role of Technology in Disaster Resilience
  • Surveillance Technologies and Privacy Concerns
  • Space Mining: Challenges and Opportunities
  • Advancements in Brain-Machine Interface for Rehabilitation
  • The Potential of Gene Therapy in Treating Genetic Disorders
  • Green Computing: Strategies for Energy-Efficient IT Practices
  • The Potential of Quantum Dots in Medical Imaging
  • Space Tourism: Challenges and Opportunities
  • The Ethical Implications of Biometric Surveillance
  • Innovations in Wearable Health Technologies
  • Advancements in Neuroscience: Brain-Computer Interfaces
  • Cyber-Physical Systems in Smart Cities
  • CRISPR-Based Therapies: Promises and Ethical Concerns
  • The Role of 3D Bioprinting in Medicine
  • Renewable Energy Storage Technologies: Beyond Batteries
  • The Future of Quantum Computing: Challenges and Breakthroughs
  • Environmental Impacts of E-waste and Strategies for Recycling
  • Advancements in Cognitive Computing and Artificial Intelligence
  • The Role of Technology in Enhancing Healthcare Accessibility
  • Space Debris Cleanup: Technologies and Ethical Considerations
  • The Potential of Fusion Energy for Sustainable Power Generation
  • Augmented Reality in Education: Transforming Learning Experiences
  • Biometric Authentication Systems: Security and Privacy Concerns
  • Technology and Mental Health: Exploring Digital Therapeutics
  • Smart Cities and IoT: Improving Urban Living

Social Sciences

  • Effects of Social Media on Mental Health
  • Gender Inequality in the Workplace
  • The Role of Education in Reducing Poverty
  • The Impact of Social Policies on Welfare
  • Youth Activism and Social Change
  • Political Polarization in Contemporary Society
  • Immigration Policies and their Societal Effects
  • Analyzing Criminal Justice Reform Strategies
  • Socioeconomic Factors Influencing Health Disparities
  • Cultural Influences on Mental Health Stigma
  • Social and Economic Impact of a Universal Basic Income
  • The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories in Contemporary Society
  • Environmental Activism and its Influence on Government Policies
  • The Sociology of Online Communities and Subcultures
  • Influence of Social Media on Political Movements
  • The Intersectionality of Gender, Race, and Sexual Orientation
  • Analysis of Social Capital in Community Development
  • Media Representation and its Influence on Public Perception
  • The Effects of Childhood Trauma on Adult Mental Health
  • Social Impact of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Experiences
  • The Psychological Impact of Social Isolation on Individuals
  • Socioeconomic Determinants of Health Disparities in Underserved Communities
  • Political Communication in the Age of Social Media
  • Analyzing Cross-Cultural Communication Challenges in Global Organizations
  • The Influence of Social Networks on Online Behavior
  • Understanding the Impact of Cultural Diversity on Team Dynamics
  • Social Media and Political Polarization: A Comparative Analysis
  • Examining the Link Between Educational Attainment and Economic Mobility
  • The Role of Social Institutions in Shaping Cultural Values
  • Impact of COVID-19 on Social Structures and Relationships
  • Examining the Impact of Social Media Influencers on Consumer Behavior
  • Cultural Shifts in Attitudes Toward Mental Health in Modern Society
  • Analyzing the Socioeconomic Impact of Universal Basic Income
  • Media Portrayals of Marginalized Communities: A Critical Analysis
  • Political Populism: Causes, Consequences, and Global Trends
  • The Social Dynamics of Online Dating and Relationship Formation
  • Urbanization and Social Change: Implications for Communities
  • Social Media Activism and its Influence on Policy Change
  • The Psychological Effects of Climate Change Anxiety
  • The Intersection of Technology and Social Isolation
  • The Psychological Impact of Social Isolation in Elderly Populations
  • The Sociology of Conspiracy Theories and Misinformation
  • Social Media and Body Image: Examining Influences on Self-Perception
  • Cultural Influences on Parenting Styles
  • The Relationship Between Education and Social Mobility
  • Political Polarization and Media Consumption Habits
  • Social Capital in Online Communities: Building Trust in Virtual Spaces
  • Analyzing the Impact of Environmental Activism on Policy Change
  • The Role of Social Support in Coping with Trauma
  • Cultural Factors Influencing Attitudes Toward Mental Health
  • The Impact of Social Media on Political Participation
  • Cultural Influences on Perceptions of Beauty and Body Image
  • Educational Inequality: Addressing Disparities in Access
  • The Role of Community Engagement in Urban Development
  • The Sociology of Conspiracy Theories and Public Opinion
  • Identity Politics and Social Movements in the 21st Century
  • The Psychological Effects of Long-Term Isolation
  • Cultural Factors in Workplace Diversity and Inclusion
  • The Dynamics of Social Change in the Digital Age
  • Impact of Social Networks on Social Capital Formation
  • Exploring Cultural Identity through Literature
  • The Evolution of Artistic Expression in the Digital Age
  • Historical Perspectives on Human Rights Movements
  • Analyzing Symbolism in Classic Literature
  • Influence of Ancient Philosophy on Modern Ethics
  • The Role of Religion in Shaping Societal Norms
  • Cultural Impact of Historical Events on Art
  • Language Evolution and its Cultural Implications
  • Folklore and its Reflection of Societal Beliefs
  • Impact of Digital Media on Traditional Storytelling
  • Depiction of Mental Health in Literature and Art
  • Cultural Appropriation: Examining Controversies and Context
  • Historical Analysis of Propaganda in Warfare
  • Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence and Consciousness
  • Folklore and Mythology: Cultural Narratives Across Societies
  • Impact of Social Media on Language Evolution
  • The Role of Museums in Shaping Cultural Memory
  • Literary Criticism: Analyzing Classic Works through a Modern Lens
  • The Evolution of Fashion Trends Through History
  • The Influence of Ancient Philosophy on Modern Political Thought
  • Eco-Criticism: Exploring Environmental Themes in Literature
  • The Influence of Ancient Mythology on Contemporary Pop Culture
  • Analyzing Political Satire in Literature and Media
  • The Evolution of Language: A Comparative Study of Linguistic Changes
  • Cultural Representations of Gender Roles in Literature and Film
  • The Impact of Historical Trauma on Collective Memory
  • Exploring the Intersection of Religion and Science in Historical Context
  • Art as a Reflection of Social and Political Movements
  • The Evolution of Dance as a Cultural Expression
  • Literary Depictions of Utopian and Dystopian Societies
  • Contemporary Art as a Reflection of Societal Values
  • Cultural Perspectives on Death and Mourning Practices
  • Folk Music Traditions in the Digital Age
  • The Influence of Cultural Heritage on Architectural Design
  • Literary Representations of Artificial Intelligence and Consciousness
  • The Evolution of Dance as a Cultural and Artistic Expression
  • Analyzing Historical Fiction: Accuracy and Creative Liberties
  • Folklore and Superstitions: Their Role in Modern Society
  • The Impact of Social Media on Language and Communication Styles
  • Cultural Narratives in Indigenous Oral Traditions
  • Cultural Implications of Urban Legends and Folklore
  • The Intersection of Art and Activism: Creative Expression for Social Change
  • Analyzing the Impact of Literature on Social Movements
  • The Evolution of Language in Internet Communication
  • Cultural Depictions of Artificial Intelligence in Film
  • The Representation of Mental Health in Contemporary Art
  • Folk Art Traditions: Preservation and Evolution
  • Cultural Influences on Architectural Design Principles
  • The Role of Literature in Shaping Historical Narratives
  • The Impact of Music Festivals on Cultural Exchange
  • Cultural Representations of Artificial Intelligence in Literature
  • Historical Fiction: Balancing Fact and Imagination
  • The Art of Satire: Political Commentary in Literature and Media
  • Language Evolution in Multilingual Societies
  • Cultural Preservation through Indigenous Storytelling
  • Visual Arts and Cultural Identity: A Comparative Analysis
  • The Impact of Historical Trauma on Artistic Expression
  • Contemporary Perspectives on Classical Philosophical Ideas
  • Cultural Influences on Fashion: From Traditional to Avant-Garde
  • The Role of Literature in Shaping Environmental Awareness

Business and Economics

  • Impact of Globalization on Small Businesses
  • Sustainable Business Practices for Environmental Conservation
  • Economic Implications of the Gig Economy
  • Corporate Social Responsibility and its Effects
  • Global Economic Trends in the Post-Pandemic Era
  • Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Emerging Markets
  • The Psychology of Consumer Behavior
  • Cryptocurrency: Challenges and Opportunities
  • Ethical Dilemmas in Corporate Decision-Making
  • Future Trends in Supply Chain Management
  • Impact of E-commerce on Traditional Retail Businesses
  • Behavioral Economics: Understanding Consumer Decision-Making
  • Circular Economy: Sustainable Practices in Business
  • The Rise of Impact Investing in Socially Responsible Finance
  • Challenges and Opportunities in the Sharing Economy
  • Corporate Governance and its Influence on Business Ethics
  • The Role of Diversity and Inclusion in Corporate Success
  • Innovations in Financial Technology (Fintech)
  • Economic Impacts of Global Health Pandemics
  • Sustainable Tourism Practices: Balancing Profit and Conservation
  • Corporate Social Responsibility: Case Studies in Successful Implementation
  • Innovations in Green Finance: Financing Sustainable Projects
  • The Gig Economy and Its Implications for Workers’ Rights
  • The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Business Strategy
  • Sustainable Supply Chain Management: Best Practices and Challenges
  • Consumer Behavior in the Age of E-commerce
  • The Role of Digital Marketing in Shaping Consumer Preferences
  • Exploring the Circular Economy in Fashion Industry Practices
  • Business Strategies for Navigating Economic Uncertainty
  • The Role of Social Entrepreneurship in Addressing Global Challenges
  • Sustainable Business Models: Success Stories and Challenges
  • The Rise of Impact Investing in Emerging Markets
  • Corporate Governance in the Era of Shareholder Activism
  • The Impact of E-commerce on Brick-and-Mortar Retail Sustainability
  • Innovation Clusters and Economic Development
  • Exploring the Link Between Corporate Culture and Business Success
  • Digital Currencies and their Implications for Central Banking
  • The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Leadership Effectiveness
  • Ethical Considerations in Marketing to Children
  • The Gig Economy and the Future of Work: A Global Perspective
  • Social Entrepreneurship: Models for Sustainable Impact
  • The Circular Economy in Fashion: Reducing Waste in the Industry
  • The Future of Remote Work and its Economic Implications
  • The Role of Corporate Culture in Business Innovation
  • Financial Inclusion and Digital Banking in Developing Economies
  • The Gig Economy and the Evolution of Employment Relationships
  • The Economic Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture
  • Innovation in Green Construction: Sustainable Building Practices
  • Ethical Considerations in Marketing Artificial Intelligence Products
  • The Economics of Renewable Energy: Balancing Costs and Benefits
  • The Influence of Social Media on Consumer Buying Behavior
  • Corporate Innovation Strategies: Case Studies of Success and Failure
  • The Economic Impact of Climate Change Adaptation Measures
  • Financial Inclusion: Bridging the Gap in Developing Economies
  • The Gig Economy: Assessing Worker Protections and Rights
  • Sustainable Business Models in the Fashion Industry
  • The Rise of Impact Investing in Healthcare
  • Corporate Responsibility in the Age of Environmental Activism
  • The Economic Implications of Telecommuting Trends
  • Technological Disruption in Traditional Industries: Challenges and Opportunities

Interdisciplinary Topics

  • The Intersection of Technology and Ethics
  • Climate Change and its Socioeconomic Consequences
  • Human Rights and Global Health Initiatives
  • Intersectionality in Social Justice Movements
  • Bioethics in the Age of Biotechnological Advancements
  • Digital Humanities: Bridging Technology and the Arts
  • Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare
  • Sustainability in Urban Planning and Development
  • The Nexus of Psychology and Environmental Conservation
  • Media’s Role in Shaping Cultural Perceptions
  • Ethical Considerations in Artificial Intelligence and Healthcare
  • The Role of Technology in Addressing Climate Change
  • Bioethics at the Intersection of Medicine and Genetics
  • Digital Citizenship: Balancing Rights and Responsibilities Online
  • Cultural Perspectives on Mental Health Stigma
  • Ethics of Human Augmentation Technologies
  • The Impact of Smart Cities on Urban Societies
  • Technological Solutions for Wildlife Conservation
  • The Psychology of Online Activism and Advocacy
  • Integrating Arts and Sciences: A Holistic Approach to Education
  • Ethical Considerations in Biomedical Engineering and Healthcare
  • The Role of Technology in Addressing Mental Health Disparities
  • Intersectionality in Educational Policies and Practices
  • Sustainable Urban Development: Integrating Environmental and Social Goals
  • Exploring the Connection Between Climate Change and Migration
  • Human-AI Collaboration: Opportunities and Challenges
  • Technological Solutions for Water Conservation and Management
  • The Influence of Cultural Practices on Health and Well-being
  • Analyzing the Impact of Social Media on Environmental Activism
  • The Intersection of Genetics and Ethics in Personalized Medicine
  • The Bioethics of Neurotechnology and Cognitive Enhancement
  • Smart Cities: Integrating Technology for Sustainable Urban Living
  • The Intersection of Art and Science in Data Visualization
  • Music Therapy in Mental Health Treatment
  • Cultural Competence in Healthcare: A Holistic Approach
  • The Ethical Dimensions of Climate Engineering
  • Analyzing the Cultural Impact of Virtual Reality Experiences
  • The Integration of Robotics in Healthcare Delivery
  • Technological Solutions for Wildlife Conservation and Biodiversity
  • Understanding the Social and Environmental Impacts of Tourism
  • Bioethics and Environmental Conservation: A Crossroads
  • Human-Computer Interaction in Virtual Reality Therapy
  • Intersectionality in Health Disparities and Access to Healthcare
  • Technology-Enhanced Learning Environments: Effectiveness and Challenges
  • The Intersection of Environmental Sustainability and Public Health
  • The Impact of Cultural Diversity on Team Creativity and Innovation
  • Ethics of Genetic Counseling: Balancing Autonomy and Informed Consent
  • The Integration of AI in Environmental Monitoring and Conservation
  • The Psychology of Sustainable Behavior: Motivations and Barriers
  • Cultural and Technological Perspectives on Digital Heritage Preservation

Emerging Trends and Issues

  • Artificial General Intelligence: Risks and Benefits
  • Future of Work: Remote Work Trends and Challenges
  • Sustainable Transportation Solutions
  • Impact of 5G Technology on Communication
  • The Ethics of Autonomous Vehicles
  • Mental Health Implications of Extended Reality
  • Environmental Justice in Climate Change Policies
  • Integrating Augmented Reality in Education
  • Challenges of Space Colonization
  • The Future of Personalized Medicine

Unique and Creative Topics

  • The Influence of Science Fiction on Technological Innovation
  • The Art of Storytelling in Virtual Reality
  • Exploring Subcultures and Countercultures in Modern Society
  • Impact of Video Games on Cognitive Skills
  • The Role of Humor in Shaping Cultural Perspectives
  • Evolution of Fashion as a Form of Art
  • Cultural Significance of Urban Street Art
  • Analysis of Internet Memes and Cultural Expression
  • The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories
  • Impact of Music on Human Emotions

Tips For Successful Research Essay

  • Clearly Define Your Topic: Ensure a focused and specific research question or thesis statement.
  • Thoroughly Plan Your Research: Create a research plan outlining key sources, databases, and methodologies.
  • Use Reliable Sources: Rely on peer-reviewed journals, reputable websites, and scholarly books for information.
  • Critical Evaluation of Sources: Assess the credibility, relevance, and reliability of each source.
  • Organize Your Ideas: Develop a clear outline to structure your essay logically.
  • Balance Depth and Breadth: Aim for a comprehensive understanding while maintaining focus.
  • Cite Properly: Adhere to citation styles (APA, MLA, etc.) and give credit to original authors.
  • Revise and Edit: Review your essay for clarity, coherence, and grammatical correctness.
  • Seek Feedback: Get input from peers, instructors, or mentors to refine your work.
  • Stay Consistent: Maintain a consistent writing style, tone, and formatting throughout.
  • Manage Time Effectively: Allocate sufficient time for each stage of the research and writing process.
  • Stay Updated: Incorporate recent research to ensure relevance and currency.
  • Address Counterarguments: Acknowledge and counter opposing viewpoints for a more robust argument.
  • Stay Focused on the Thesis: Ensure every section contributes directly to supporting your main argument.
  • Proofread Carefully: Check for spelling, grammar, and formatting errors to present a polished essay.

Choosing the right research essay topics are a pivotal step in crafting a meaningful and impactful piece of academic work.

By considering personal interests, aligning with your discipline, assessing feasibility, and exploring interdisciplinary and emerging trends, you can navigate the maze of options with confidence.

Remember, the best topics are those that ignite your passion and contribute valuable insights to your chosen field of study. As you embark on your research journey, embrace the opportunity to explore, learn, and make a meaningful contribution to the academic discourse.

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Research Paper Topics - Best Picks

research topic essay questions

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.

Top 10 Research Topics for Students

  • Impact of ICT's (Information and Communication Technologies) on Society.
  • Role-to-role networks: how Internet and mobile communications have changed the connectivity of social networks in few years.
  • The future of electric vehicles and infrastructure: pros, cons and consequences.
  • Ethical considerations in the development of autonomous weapons. Shall the World stop?
  • Strategies to reduce economic inequality in developing countries.
  • The impact of micro-plastics on marine ecosystems. Ways to safe Planet.
  • New methods for detecting dark matter particles.
  • The use of nano-materials in cancer treatment.
  • The impact of vaccination programs on global health. Shall we win or be defeated?
  • Studying the impact of solar storms on satellite communications.

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 GarcĂ­a MĂĄrquez'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 GarcĂ­a Lorca's poetry.
  • Madness in Shakespeare's tragedies.
  • Religion and morality in Dostoevsky's works.
  • Modernity in the Harlem Renaissance literature.

Looking to Add a Dash of Humor to Your Academic Journey?

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

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.

How to Choose a Quality Research Paper Topic

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.

Daniel Parker

Daniel Parker

is a seasoned educational writer focusing on scholarship guidance, research papers, and various forms of academic essays including reflective and narrative essays. His expertise also extends to detailed case studies. A scholar with a background in English Literature and Education, Daniel’s work on EssayPro blog aims to support students in achieving academic excellence and securing scholarships. His hobbies include reading classic literature and participating in academic forums.

research topic essay questions

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

  • Added infographics.
  • Added new topics.
  • Added FAQs.
  • Amberstudent. (2024, May 21). Top 10 Research Topics For Students In 2024. Amber. https://amberstudent.com/blog/post/research-topics-for-students
  • Research Paper Topics -Ijser. (n.d.). https://www.ijser.org/research-paper-topics.aspx ‍
  • ScienceDirect Topics. (n.d.). https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/

US History Topics

Research Paper Topics

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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:

  • Anthropology
  • Argumentative
  • Communication
  • Criminal Justice
  • Environmental
  • Political Science

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.

Top 10 Argumentative Research Paper Topics:

Argumentative research papers examine some controversial issues. Your task is to provide your point of view, your argument, and support your idea with the evidence. This academic assignment requires appropriate structuring and formatting.

  • Does a College Education Pay?
  • Dual Career Families and Working Mothers
  • Electronic Copyright and Piracy
  • Drinking on Campus
  • Education for Homeless Children
  • Glass ceiling
  • Honor System at Colleges
  • Sex and Violence on TV
  • Word Population and Hunger
  • World Trade and Globalization

Top 10 Economics Research Paper Topics:

If you are studying economics, you can find various topics at our site. Check out topics of micro- and macroeconomics. See ideas for urgent economic problems, economic models and strategies. Get inspired and come up with your perfect topic.

  • Beyond Make-or-Buy: Advances in Transaction Cost Economics
  • Economic Aspects of Cultural Heritage
  • Economics of Energy Markets
  • Globalization and Inequality
  • International Trade and Trade Restrictions
  • Aggregate Expenditures Model and Equilibrium Output
  • Taxes Versus Standards
  • Predatory Pricing and Strategic Entry Barriers
  • Marxian and Institutional Industrial Relations in the United States
  • Twentieth-Century Economic Methodology

Top 10 Education Research Paper Topics:

Education has so many questions, and yet few answers. The list of education topic is endless. We have chosen the top 10 topics on the urgent issues in education. You can find ideas related to different approaches, methodology, classroom management, etc.

  • Teachers Thinking About Their Practice
  • Cognitive Approaches to Motivation in Education
  • Responsive Classroom Management
  • Ten Steps to Complex Learning
  • Economics and School-to-Work
  • Reading and Literacy in Adolescence
  • Diversifying the Teaching Force
  • Teacher-Student Relationships
  • Preparing for College and Graduate School
  • Role of Professional Learning

Top 10 History Research Paper Topics:

Choose your topic regarding cultural, economic, environmental, military, political or social history. See what other researchers investigated, compare their ideas and pick the topic that interests you.

  • European Expansion
  • Orientalism
  • Current trends in Historiography
  • Green Revolution
  • Religion and War
  • Women’s Emancipation Movements
  • History of Civilization

Top 10 Psychology Research Paper Topics:

The list of psychology categories and topics is enormous. We have singled out the most popular topics on psychology in 2019. It is mostly topics on modern psychology. Choose the topic the appeals to you the most or ask our professionals to help you come up with some original idea.

  • Imaging Techniques for the Localization of Brain Function
  • Memory and Eyewitness Testimony
  • Traditional Neuroscience Research Methods
  • Meditation and the Relaxation Response
  • Assessment of Mental Health in Older Adults
  • Cross-Cultural Psychology and Research
  • Industrial and Organizational Psychology
  • Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
  • Prejudice and Stereotyping
  • Nature Versus Nurture

Top 10 Biology Research Paper Topics:

Here you can find topics related to the science of all forms of life. Examine the topics from different fields in biology and choose the best one for you.

  • Biological Warfare
  • Clone and Cloning
  • Genetic Disorders
  • Genetic Engineering
  • Kangaroos and Wallabies
  • Mendelian Laws of Inheritance
  • Molecular Biology
  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Top 10 Chemistry Research Paper Topics:

The best way to understand chemistry is to write a paper on chemistry topic. Below you can see the topics from different fields of chemistry: organic, inorganic, physical, analytical and others.

  • Acids and Bases
  • Alkaline Earth Metals
  • Dyes and Pigments
  • Chemical Warfare
  • Industrial Minerals
  • Photochemistry
  • Soaps and Detergents
  • Transition Elements

Top 10 Physics Research Paper Topics:

Check out the topics on classical and modern physics. Find ideas for writing about interrelationships of physics to other sciences.

  • Aerodynamics
  • Atomic Theory
  • Celestial Mechanics
  • Fluid Dynamics
  • Magnetic recording
  • Microwave Communication
  • Quantum mechanics
  • Subatomic particles

Top 10 Sociology Research Paper Topics:

Find ideas related to different sociological theories, research and methodologies.

  • Feminist Methodologies and Epistemology
  • Quality-of-Life Research
  • Sociology of Men and Masculinity
  • Sociology of Leisure and Recreation
  • Environmental Sociology
  • Teaching and Learning in Sociology
  • The History of Sociology: The North American Perspective
  • The Sociology of Voluntary Associations
  • Marriage and Divorce in the United States
  • Urban Sociology in the 21 st Century

Top 10 Technology Research Paper Topics:

See topics related to the cutting-edge technology or dive into history of electronics, or even early advances in agriculture.

  • Food Preservation: Freeze Drying, Irradiation, and Vacuum Packing
  • Tissue Culturing
  • Digital Telephony
  • Computer-Aided Control Technology
  • Minerals Prospecting
  • Prefabricated Buildings
  • Timber Engineering
  • Quantum Electronic Devices
  • Thermal Water Moderated Nuclear Reactors
  • Long Range Radars and Early Warning Systems

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.

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research topic essay questions

research topic essay questions

Research Question Examples đŸ§‘đŸ»â€đŸ«

25+ Practical Examples & Ideas To Help You Get Started 

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | October 2023

A well-crafted research question (or set of questions) sets the stage for a robust study and meaningful insights.  But, if you’re new to research, it’s not always clear what exactly constitutes a good research question. In this post, we’ll provide you with clear examples of quality research questions across various disciplines, so that you can approach your research project with confidence!

Research Question Examples

  • Psychology research questions
  • Business research questions
  • Education research questions
  • Healthcare research questions
  • Computer science research questions

Examples: Psychology

Let’s start by looking at some examples of research questions that you might encounter within the discipline of psychology.

How does sleep quality affect academic performance in university students?

This question is specific to a population (university students) and looks at a direct relationship between sleep and academic performance, both of which are quantifiable and measurable variables.

What factors contribute to the onset of anxiety disorders in adolescents?

The question narrows down the age group and focuses on identifying multiple contributing factors. There are various ways in which it could be approached from a methodological standpoint, including both qualitatively and quantitatively.

Do mindfulness techniques improve emotional well-being?

This is a focused research question aiming to evaluate the effectiveness of a specific intervention.

How does early childhood trauma impact adult relationships?

This research question targets a clear cause-and-effect relationship over a long timescale, making it focused but comprehensive.

Is there a correlation between screen time and depression in teenagers?

This research question focuses on an in-demand current issue and a specific demographic, allowing for a focused investigation. The key variables are clearly stated within the question and can be measured and analysed (i.e., high feasibility).

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Examples: Business/Management

Next, let’s look at some examples of well-articulated research questions within the business and management realm.

How do leadership styles impact employee retention?

This is an example of a strong research question because it directly looks at the effect of one variable (leadership styles) on another (employee retention), allowing from a strongly aligned methodological approach.

What role does corporate social responsibility play in consumer choice?

Current and precise, this research question can reveal how social concerns are influencing buying behaviour by way of a qualitative exploration.

Does remote work increase or decrease productivity in tech companies?

Focused on a particular industry and a hot topic, this research question could yield timely, actionable insights that would have high practical value in the real world.

How do economic downturns affect small businesses in the homebuilding industry?

Vital for policy-making, this highly specific research question aims to uncover the challenges faced by small businesses within a certain industry.

Which employee benefits have the greatest impact on job satisfaction?

By being straightforward and specific, answering this research question could provide tangible insights to employers.

Examples: Education

Next, let’s look at some potential research questions within the education, training and development domain.

How does class size affect students’ academic performance in primary schools?

This example research question targets two clearly defined variables, which can be measured and analysed relatively easily.

Do online courses result in better retention of material than traditional courses?

Timely, specific and focused, answering this research question can help inform educational policy and personal choices about learning formats.

What impact do US public school lunches have on student health?

Targeting a specific, well-defined context, the research could lead to direct changes in public health policies.

To what degree does parental involvement improve academic outcomes in secondary education in the Midwest?

This research question focuses on a specific context (secondary education in the Midwest) and has clearly defined constructs.

What are the negative effects of standardised tests on student learning within Oklahoma primary schools?

This research question has a clear focus (negative outcomes) and is narrowed into a very specific context.

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research topic essay questions

Examples: Healthcare

Shifting to a different field, let’s look at some examples of research questions within the healthcare space.

What are the most effective treatments for chronic back pain amongst UK senior males?

Specific and solution-oriented, this research question focuses on clear variables and a well-defined context (senior males within the UK).

How do different healthcare policies affect patient satisfaction in public hospitals in South Africa?

This question is has clearly defined variables and is narrowly focused in terms of context.

Which factors contribute to obesity rates in urban areas within California?

This question is focused yet broad, aiming to reveal several contributing factors for targeted interventions.

Does telemedicine provide the same perceived quality of care as in-person visits for diabetes patients?

Ideal for a qualitative study, this research question explores a single construct (perceived quality of care) within a well-defined sample (diabetes patients).

Which lifestyle factors have the greatest affect on the risk of heart disease?

This research question aims to uncover modifiable factors, offering preventive health recommendations.

Research topic evaluator

Examples: Computer Science

Last but certainly not least, let’s look at a few examples of research questions within the computer science world.

What are the perceived risks of cloud-based storage systems?

Highly relevant in our digital age, this research question would align well with a qualitative interview approach to better understand what users feel the key risks of cloud storage are.

Which factors affect the energy efficiency of data centres in Ohio?

With a clear focus, this research question lays a firm foundation for a quantitative study.

How do TikTok algorithms impact user behaviour amongst new graduates?

While this research question is more open-ended, it could form the basis for a qualitative investigation.

What are the perceived risk and benefits of open-source software software within the web design industry?

Practical and straightforward, the results could guide both developers and end-users in their choices.

Remember, these are just examples…

In this post, we’ve tried to provide a wide range of research question examples to help you get a feel for what research questions look like in practice. That said, it’s important to remember that these are just examples and don’t necessarily equate to good research topics . If you’re still trying to find a topic, check out our topic megalist for inspiration.

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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

Writing Strong Research Questions

Table of contents

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.

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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.

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.

Writing Strong Research Questions

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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Research Paper Topics

Research Paper Topics for 2024: Explore Ideas Across Various Fields

research topic essay questions

When you start writing a research paper, it’s like diving into a big pool of exploration and analysis. A good research paper goes beyond just gathering facts. It’s more about exploring a topic, asking the right questions, and coming up with thoughtful answers. Whether you're looking at historical events, scientific discoveries, or cultural trends, the trick is to find interesting research topics that catch your interest and keep you motivated throughout the process.

This article is here to help with that sometimes tricky job of picking a topic. We’ll cover a variety of interesting research topics from different areas, making it easier for you to find one that not only fits your assignment but also grabs your attention.

But let’s be honest, picking the right topic isn’t always easy. If you’re still unsure after reading this article, EssayService is a great place to turn for help, whether you need assistance choosing a topic or writing the entire paper.

How to Pick a Topic for a Research Paper

Choosing the right topic can make or break your research paper. Here's how to make it easier:

  • Start with your interests: Pick a few areas or subjects that genuinely interest you. Narrow it down to the one that excites you the most. If you’re interested, it’ll show in your writing.
  • Check for resources: Before committing, do a quick search to ensure there are enough references available. You’ll want a topic that’s well-discussed so you have plenty of material to work with.
  • Stick to guidelines: Make sure your topic fits within any guidelines your teacher has set. Whether it's avoiding certain subjects or meeting specific requirements, this step is crucial for getting your paper off to a good start.

If you’re looking for easy research paper topics, keep these tips in mind to ensure you choose one that’s both manageable and engaging.

What Are Good Research Topics?

Choosing a successful research topic isn’t just about what sounds interesting — it’s about finding a topic that will help you produce a strong, insightful paper. Good research topic ideas should tick a few key boxes to ensure they’re both impactful and manageable.

Feature Description
🔍 Specific and Focused Narrow down broad areas like “climate change” to something more specific, like “the impact of urban development on local microclimates.” This gives your research a clear direction.
✹ Unique Angle Instead of rehashing well-covered topics like “social media and mental health,” explore a niche, such as “the effects of social media detox on productivity in college students.”
🌍 Significant Impact Choose topics that matter, like “renewable energy adoption in developing countries,” which could contribute to important discussions in your field or society.
📚 Accessible Sources Make sure there’s enough material available by checking databases for studies on topics like “the history of vaccine development” to ensure you have the resources you need.
đŸ”„ Current and Relevant Focus on emerging issues, such as “the role of AI in cybersecurity,” which are timely and likely to interest both readers and reviewers.

Best Research Paper Topics for 2024

In 2024, new challenges and innovations are shaping the world around us, making it an exciting time to dive into research. Here are 15 detailed and highly relevant topics that will keep your paper ahead of the curve:

  • The impact of remote work on urban development in major U.S. cities.
  • Ethical implications of AI-driven decision-making in healthcare.
  • The role of social media algorithms in shaping public opinion during elections.
  • Effects of climate change on global food security and crop yields.
  • The influence of blockchain technology on supply chain transparency.
  • Mental health outcomes related to long-term social media use among teenagers.
  • Renewable energy adoption in emerging economies and its impact on local communities.
  • The rise of electric vehicles and its effect on traditional automotive industries.
  • Privacy concerns surrounding the use of biometric data in consumer devices.
  • The evolution of cybersecurity threats in the age of quantum computing.
  • Gender disparities in STEM education and their long-term effects on the workforce.
  • The economic impact of climate migration on coastal regions.
  • Implications of CRISPR technology in human genetic modification.
  • The effectiveness of universal basic income trials in reducing poverty.
  • The role of telemedicine in improving access to healthcare in rural areas.

College Research Paper Topics

These topics explore some of the most relevant and intriguing issues facing college students today, offering plenty of angles to explore in your research:

  • How student loan debt shapes career paths and financial stability after graduation.
  • Comparing online learning to traditional classrooms: What works best for today’s college students?
  • Social media’s influence on mental health and academic success among college students.
  • Diversity and inclusion: How initiatives are changing campus life and student experiences.
  • University sustainability efforts: How climate change is driving new campus policies.
  • The rise of esports: Transforming college athletics and student engagement.
  • Campus housing: How living arrangements affect academic success and student retention.
  • Balancing part-time jobs with academics: The impact on college students’ grades and well-being.
  • Navigating controversial topics: The importance of academic freedom in college debates.
  • Digital vs. traditional libraries: How technology is reshaping student research habits.
  • Study abroad programs: Enhancing global awareness and boosting future career opportunities.
  • Evaluating campus mental health services: Are they meeting students’ needs?
  • Fraternities and sororities: Examining their influence on college culture and student life.
  • Free college tuition: Exploring the economic and social outcomes in different countries.
  • Standardized testing: How it’s affecting college admissions and the diversity of student bodies.

research topic essay questions

Research Paper Topics By Subject

Choosing a good research topic that aligns with your academic focus can make your work more relevant and engaging. Below, you’ll find topics organized by subject to help you get started.

Research Paper Topics on Health

Health is a dynamic field with ongoing developments and challenges, making it a rich area for research. These topics cover a range of health-related issues, from public health policies to advancements in medical technology:

  • How COVID-19 has changed the approach to mental health care.
  • Adoption rates of telemedicine among different age groups.
  • Antibiotic-resistant bacteria: Exploring new treatment options.
  • Barriers to healthcare access in low-income neighborhoods.
  • Ethical dilemmas in using genetic testing for personalized treatments.
  • Success rates of mental health programs in high schools.
  • Comparing dietary patterns in managing type 2 diabetes across cultures.
  • Teen vaping trends and their connection to lung health issues.
  • Strategies for supporting healthcare needs in rapidly aging populations.
  • Tracking climate-related health issues in coastal communities.
  • Innovations in vaccine development for emerging diseases.
  • Social isolation during pandemics and its link to anxiety disorders.
  • Recent changes in U.S. healthcare laws and their influence on patient choices.
  • Exploring how traditional beliefs shape approaches to medical treatment.
  • Evaluating progress in global vaccination campaigns against childhood diseases.

Research Paper Topics on Medicine

Medicine is a vast field with plenty of areas to explore. Here are some specific topics that focus on medical advancements, practices, and challenges:

  • New techniques in minimally invasive surgery for heart conditions.
  • Developments in gene therapy for treating inherited diseases.
  • Challenges in diagnosing and treating rare diseases.
  • The role of AI in improving diagnostic accuracy in radiology.
  • Progress in personalized cancer treatments based on genetic profiling.
  • The rise of antibiotic alternatives in treating infections.
  • Stem cell research advancements for spinal cord injuries.
  • Managing chronic pain: Exploring non-opioid treatment options.
  • Trends in telemedicine for rural healthcare delivery.
  • Breakthroughs in vaccine technology for emerging viruses.
  • Long-term outcomes of organ transplants in pediatric patients.
  • Advances in robotic surgery and their impact on patient recovery.
  • New approaches to treating drug-resistant tuberculosis.
  • Innovations in prenatal care and fetal surgery techniques.
  • The future of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering.

Research Paper Topics on Media

Explore the ever-changing world of media with these fresh and relevant topics. Each one dives into the trends and challenges shaping how we consume and create content today.

  • Analyze the impact of TikTok on modern marketing strategies.
  • Investigate the role of influencers in shaping public opinion during elections.
  • Explore the effects of streaming services on traditional cable TV viewership.
  • Examine how social media platforms handle misinformation and its consequences.
  • Study the rise of podcasts and their influence on news consumption.
  • Compare the portrayal of mental health in TV shows across different cultures.
  • Track the evolution of digital journalism and its impact on print media.
  • Look into the ethics of deepfake technology in video production.
  • Research the effects of binge-watching on viewer behavior and mental health.
  • Explore the relationship between video game streaming and the gaming industry.
  • Analyze the shift from traditional news outlets to social media for breaking news.
  • Investigate how algorithms curate personalized content and influence user behavior.
  • Study the changing landscape of advertising in the age of ad-blockers.
  • Examine the role of memes in political discourse and cultural commentary.
  • Explore the use of virtual reality in media and entertainment.

Research Paper Topics on Politics

Politics is a field that’s constantly evolving, with new issues and debates emerging all the time. Whether you're interested in global dynamics, domestic policies, or the role of technology in politics, there’s no shortage of interesting topics to explore:

  • How social media is influencing voter behavior in recent elections.
  • The rise and impact of grassroots movements on political change.
  • Fake news and its role in shaping public perception of political events.
  • The effects of immigration policies on relationships between countries.
  • Populism’s growth in global politics and what it means for the future.
  • How economic inequality contributes to political instability.
  • The power of political lobbying in creating and shaping laws.
  • Challenges faced by democracies under authoritarian regimes.
  • Youth activism and its growing influence in modern politics.
  • How climate change policies are impacting national security.
  • The role of technology in improving election security and voter turnout.
  • Government approval ratings and their connection to pandemic responses.
  • Influence of international organizations on a country’s domestic policies.
  • Shifts in global trade agreements and their effects on international relations.
  • The impact of gerrymandering on election results and fairness.

Research Paper Ideas on Technology

Technology is rapidly transforming our world, offering endless opportunities for research. Here are some intriguing ideas to explore:

  • The ethics of artificial intelligence in decision-making processes.
  • How blockchain technology is revolutionizing financial transactions.
  • The role of 5G networks in shaping the future of communication.
  • Cybersecurity challenges in the era of smart homes and IoT devices.
  • The environmental impact of cryptocurrency mining.
  • Virtual reality’s influence on education and training programs.
  • How autonomous vehicles are changing urban planning and infrastructure.
  • The potential of quantum computing in solving complex global problems.
  • Social media algorithms and their impact on public discourse.
  • The digital divide: Access to technology in rural versus urban areas.
  • How wearable tech is transforming personal health management.
  • The implications of deepfake technology in media and politics.
  • The future of remote work and its long-term effects on productivity.
  • Advancements in drone technology for disaster management and rescue operations.
  • The role of big data in personalizing online shopping experiences.

Research Topic Ideas on Culture

Whether you’re interested in examining specific cultural practices or looking at how modern trends reshape traditional customs, these research topics will provide you with a focused and detailed starting point:

  • Adoption of traditional Japanese tea ceremonies in contemporary urban settings.
  • Practices of food preservation among Inuit communities in the Arctic.
  • The revival of Celtic languages in Wales and Ireland through education programs.
  • Depiction of queer relationships in Netflix original series from 2015 to 2024.
  • Evolution of traditional African hairstyles in Black communities across the U.S.
  • Transformation of street art in Berlin post-German reunification.
  • Cultural significance of DĂ­a de los Muertos celebrations in Mexican-American neighborhoods.
  • Popularity of Korean skincare routines among Western beauty bloggers.
  • Modern interpretations of Norse mythology in Scandinavian literature.
  • Changes in wedding rituals among Indian diaspora in the UK.
  • Resurgence of indigenous Australian painting techniques in contemporary art.
  • Representation of disability in children’s books published in the last decade.
  • Use of traditional Māori patterns in New Zealand’s fashion industry.
  • Changes in burial customs in urbanized areas of Southeast Asia.
  • Incorporation of First Nations symbols in Canadian public architecture.

Research Paper Topics on Math

If you're looking to explore the depth and applications of math, these research topics are both specific and engaging:

  • Applications of fractal geometry in modeling natural phenomena.
  • Mathematical approaches to solving complex optimization problems in logistics.
  • Development of new algorithms for large-scale data encryption.
  • Mathematical modeling of population dynamics in ecology.
  • The use of game theory in economic decision-making processes.
  • Exploring the mathematics behind machine learning algorithms.
  • Advancements in numerical methods for solving partial differential equations.
  • Topological data analysis and its applications in computational biology.
  • Mathematical analysis of voting systems and fairness.
  • The role of number theory in modern cryptography.
  • Predictive models for financial markets using stochastic calculus.
  • Mathematical foundations of quantum computing and quantum algorithms.
  • Applications of chaos theory in weather prediction.
  • Geometry of space-time in the context of general relativity.
  • Mathematical techniques for analyzing big data in social networks.

Research Paper Topics on Art

Art is full of fascinating details and stories waiting to be explored. If you’re into art research, here are some research topics that might catch your interest:

  • How Caravaggio used light and shadow in his religious paintings.
  • The way Cubism shaped Picasso’s "Les Demoiselles d’Avignon."
  • Gustav Klimt’s "The Kiss" and its ties to Viennese culture.
  • Hokusai’s woodblock techniques in "The Great Wave off Kanagawa."
  • Bauhaus principles that still influence graphic design today.
  • Emotions and color in Mark Rothko’s abstract paintings.
  • Leonora Carrington’s role in the Surrealist movement.
  • Gaudí’s architectural genius in designing La Sagrada Familia.
  • Industrial scenes captured in Charles Sheeler’s Precisionist art.
  • Jean-Michel Basquiat’s take on graffiti and cultural identity.
  • Frida Kahlo’s evolving self-portraits through her life.
  • Claude Monet’s unique use of light in his Impressionist works.
  • Diego Rivera’s murals as powerful political statements.
  • The simplicity and impact of Donald Judd’s minimalist sculptures.
  • How African art influenced Henri Matisse during his Fauvist period.

Research Topics on Sports

Sports offer a wide range of topics that are both intriguing and highly relevant. Here are some specific research ideas to consider if you're looking to explore the world of sports:

  • The biomechanics behind sprinting techniques in elite athletes.
  • The psychological effects of team sports on adolescent development.
  • Injury prevention strategies in professional football (soccer).
  • The impact of altitude training on endurance performance in marathon runners.
  • Gender equity in sports: The evolution of women’s participation in the Olympics.
  • The role of nutrition in recovery and performance for endurance athletes.
  • How advanced analytics are changing strategies in basketball.
  • The effects of early specialization in youth sports on long-term athletic development.
  • The influence of sports media coverage on public perceptions of athletes.
  • Technology in sports: The use of wearable devices to monitor athlete performance.
  • Doping scandals and their long-term impact on athletes' careers.
  • Mental health challenges faced by retired professional athletes.
  • The economics of hosting major sporting events like the World Cup or Olympics.
  • How climate change is affecting outdoor sports events and training schedules.
  • The evolution of sports science in enhancing athlete training programs.

In 2024, some of the most popular research topics include the impact of technology on sports, the psychological aspects of team dynamics, and the evolution of gender equity in athletics. 

If you’re still unsure about which topic to choose or need help with your essay, EssayService is a great option. Our research paper writing service can assist with everything from selecting the perfect topic to crafting a well-written paper, making the whole process a lot easier.

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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?

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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.

more gaming questions!!!!!!

Is it still considered stealing if you don’t get caught?

Yes, yes it is still considered stealing.

I need topics on memes

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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Writing Studio

Formulating your research question (rq).

In an effort to make our handouts more accessible, we have begun converting our PDF handouts to web pages. Download this page as a PDF: Formulating Your Research Question Return to Writing Studio Handouts

In a research paper, the emphasis is on generating a unique question and then synthesizing diverse sources into a coherent essay that supports your argument about the topic. In other words, you integrate information from publications with your own thoughts in order to formulate an argument. Your topic is your starting place: from here, you will develop an engaging research question. Merely presenting a topic in the form of a question does not transform it into a good research question.

Research Topic Versus Research Question Examples

1. broad topic versus narrow question, 1a. broad topic.

“What forces affect race relations in America?”

1b. NARROWER QUESTION

“How do corporate hiring practices affect race relations in Nashville?”

The question “What is the percentage of racial minorities holding management positions in corporate offices in Nashville?” is much too specific and would yield, at best, a statistic that could become part of a larger argument.

2. Neutral Topic Versus Argumentative Question

2a. neutral topic.

“How does KFC market its low-fat food offerings?”

2b. Argumentative question

“Does KFC put more money into marketing its high-fat food offerings than its lower-fat ones?”

The latter question is somewhat better, since it may lead you to take a stance or formulate an argument about consumer awareness or benefit.

3. Objective Topic Versus Subjective Question

Objective subjects are factual and do not have sides to be argued. Subjective subjects are those about which you can take a side.

3a. Objective topic

“How much time do youth between the ages of 10 and 15 spend playing video games?”

3b. Subjective Question

“What are the effects of video-gaming on the attention spans of youth between the ages of 10 and 15?”

The first question is likely to lead to some data, though not necessarily to an argument or issue. The second question is somewhat better, since it might lead you to formulate an argument for or against time spent playing video games.

4. Open-Ended Topic Versus Direct Question

4a. open-ended topic.

“Does the author of this text use allusion?”

4b. Direct question (gives direction to research)

“Does the ironic use of allusion in this text reveal anything about the author’s unwillingness to divulge his political commitments?”

The second question gives focus by putting the use of allusion into the specific context of a question about the author’s political commitments and perhaps also about the circumstances under which the text was produced.

Research Question (RQ) Checklist

  • Is my RQ something that I am curious about and that others might care about? Does it present an issue on which I can take a stand?
  • Does my RQ put a new spin on an old issue, or does it try to solve a problem?
  • Is my RQ too broad, too narrow, or OK?
  • within the time frame of the assignment?
  • given the resources available at my location?
  • Is my RQ measurable? What type of information do I need? Can I find actual data to support or contradict a position?
  • What sources will have the type of information that I need to answer my RQ (journals, books, internet resources, government documents, interviews with people)?

Final Thoughts

The answer to a good research question will often be the THESIS of your research paper! And the results of your research may not always be what you expected them to be. Not only is this ok, it can be an indication that you are doing careful work!

Adapted from an online tutorial at Empire State College: http://www.esc.edu/htmlpages/writerold/menus.htm#develop (broken link)

Last revised: November 2022 | Adapted for web delivery: November 2022

In order to access certain content on this page, you may need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader or an equivalent PDF viewer software.

Research Question Generator: Best Tool for Students

Stuck formulating a research question? Try the tool we’ve made! With our research question generator, you’ll get a list of ideas for an academic assignment of any level. All you need to do is add the keywords you’re interested in, push the button, and enjoy the result!

Now, here comes your inspiration 😃

Please try again with some different keywords.

Why Use Research Question Generator?

The choice of research topic is a vital step in the process of any academic task completion. Whether you’re working on a small essay or a large dissertation, your topic will make it fail or fly. The best way to cope with the naming task and proceed to the writing part is to use our free online tool for title generation. Its benefits are indisputable.

  • The tool generates research questions, not just topics
  • It makes questions focused on your field of interest
  • It’s free and quick in use

Research Question Generator: How to Use

Using our research question generator tool, you won’t need to crack your brains over this part of the writing assignment anymore. All you need to do is:

  • Insert your study topic of interest in the relevant tab
  • Choose a subject and click “Generate topics”
  • Grab one of the offered options on the list

The results will be preliminary; you should use them as an initial reference point and refine them further for a workable, correctly formulated research question.

Research Questions: Types & Examples

Depending on your type of study (quantitative vs. qualitative), you might need to formulate different research question types. For instance, a typical quantitative research project would need a quantitative research question, which can be created with the following formula:

Variable(s) + object that possesses that variable + socio-demographic characteristics

You can choose among three quantitative research question types: descriptive, comparative, and relationship-based. Let's consider each type in more detail to clarify the practical side of question formulation.

Descriptive

As its name suggests, a descriptive research question inquires about the number, frequency, or intensity of something and aims to describe a quantitative issue. Some examples include:

  • How often do people download personal finance apps in 2022?
  • How regularly do Americans go on holidays abroad?
  • How many subscriptions for paid learning resources do UK students make a year?

Comparative

Comparative research questions presuppose comparing and contrasting things within a research study. You should pick two or more objects, select a criterion for comparison, and discuss it in detail. Here are good examples:

  • What is the difference in calorie intake between Japanese and American preschoolers?
  • Does male and female social media use duration per day differ in the USA?
  • What are the attitudes of Baby Boomers versus Millennials to freelance work?

Relationship-based

Relationship-based research is a bit more complex, so you'll need extra work to formulate a good research question. Here, you should single out:

  • The independent variable
  • The dependent variable
  • The socio-demographics of your population of interest

Let’s illustrate how it works:

  • How does the socio-economic status affect schoolchildren’s dropout rates in the UK?
  • What is the relationship between screen time and obesity among American preschoolers?

Research Question Maker FAQ

In a nutshell, a research question is the one you set to answer by performing a specific academic study. Thus, for instance, if your research question is, “How did global warming affect bird migration in California?," you will study bird migration patterns concerning global warming dynamics.

You should think about the population affected by your topic, the specific aspect of your concern, and the timing/historical period you want to study. It’s also necessary to specify the location – a specific country, company, industry sector, the whole world, etc.

A great, effective research question should answer the "who, what, when, where" questions. In other words, you should define the subject of interest, the issue of your concern related to that subject, the timeframe, and the location of your study.

If you don’t know how to write a compelling research question, use our automated tool to complete the task in seconds. You only need to insert your subject of interest, and smart algorithms will do the rest, presenting a set of workable, interesting question suggestions.

Topics for Research Papers: Diverse Research Ideas Across Disciplines

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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 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?

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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.

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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 Topics in Education: Frontiers of Learning

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271 Strong Argumentative Research Paper Topics You Must Know

argumentative research paper topics

Writing good argumentative research paper topics can always place you in a rock and a hard place. Writing from scratch can be daunting, but writing to a deadline is worse. Creating a terrific academic argumentative research paper takes a few tweaks. Through them, you will eventually craft a standardized paper that would earn you all points and, if not all, perhaps better grades.

This article will discuss the various angles you could take flawlessly to finish an argumentative research paper. Consequently, do not let terror take over you when writing a research paper.

Instead, it will be your forte after reading through this article’s steps.

What Is An Argumentative Research Paper?

An argumentative research paper is a paper that is structured in a way that allows you to present and defend your ideas about the topic, and that’s what definitional argument paper topics involve. The main purpose of an argumentative research paper is to make it possible for you to demonstrate your arguments. They may be based on either scientific knowledge or personal experience.

College argumentative research paper topics can be a single paper or a collection of several papers that you have written. Alternatively, it can be a series of papers in which you have analyzed different aspects of the topic. It will take you a while of introspection to understand this.

An award-winning research paper or one that could earn you better grades must be deeply rooted in facts. Generally, you must employ extensive evidence to defend your opinion or point.

What Are The Different Types Of Argumentative Research Paper Topics?

The are many different types of argumentative research paper topics. Here we explore the classic classification of the topics and their characteristics

  • Classical Western Argument These types of classical argument paper topics have always been footed on two bases: to convince the audience that they are right and give well-reasoned answers to questionsThey are easy argument paper topics. Topics for argumentative research paper tasks do not necessarily have to be complicated. An introduction is imperative for a classical western argument since it welcomes the audience and builds goodwill and a connection with the readers. It also announces the overall theme or thesis of the argument.It must have a narration that portrays necessary background facts. It is intended to inform the listener about the setting and occurrences that produced the argument.A classic western argument must have confirmation, refutation, and summation. Remember, the summary must be concrete, echoing the gravity of the argument and equally reflecting the best solution to the readers.
  • Toulon Argument The primary goal of a Toulmin argument is frequently to gather the most compelling proof in favor of the presented statements. For example, if you take “Philosophy argument paper topics”, you have to work through this topic well and understand it.The goal of a Toulmin argument is precise, unlike the previous types. It is made up of six parts, namely: introduction, data, warrants, qualifiers, rebuttal, and backing. It has a conclusion intended to trigger evocative thought among the readers.
  • Rogerian Argument The Rogerian argument seeks the greatest plausible solution based on the wants and preferences of everyone concerned, or, in other words, some form of unanimity. The essay structure of this type of argument does not bear innate disparities to the different types. It has a structure that aims at reaching a consensus amidst the contest.The Rogerian argument topics for a paper focus on expanding comprehension between conflicting viewpoints by noting that an issue can be viewed from various perspectives. Its building blocks are; an introduction, an acknowledgement of the opposition, a thesis statement, support for the thesis, and a conclusion.Notably, the summary has to highlight the imperatives of a classical argument paper topic, even if it cannot resolve the problem wholly. Also, it has to acknowledge that more work needs to be done in the future to find lasting remedies.

How To Write A Strong Thesis Statement

A thesis statement outlines the topic of your assignments, that is, argumentative research essay topics, and provides a summary of the article’s content, particularly your position on the subject. It is helpful to pose a concern before making your assertion in a thesis, so that your thesis can provide a resolution.

This is a powerful strategy for getting the reader interested in your subject and the viewpoint you advocate. The basic custom of any argument should be briefly covered in a thesis. By accomplishing this-getting thesis writing help, you can assist the reader in becoming ready for the essay’s main body.

When writing a thesis statement, you must include: A question A provocative statement A well-laid description An anecdote that compels the readers to find out more about the essay

Whenever you start writing, make an effort to define your aim explicitly. This is what argumentative research paper topics college institutions demand. Constantly write on your subject if you cannot express your purpose effectively.

How To Select A Topic For An Argumentative Essay

You might occasionally find yourself debating points you do not particularly agree with. That is just good – making a convincing argument does not need you to believe what you are saying fervently.

However, picking a subject you are passionate about is a fantastic option when you have complete freedom over it. A strong perspective and various supporting arguments are the two essential elements of a high quality successful argumentative essay.

It will be simpler for a student to obtain proof to back up an argument if they are fascinated and enthusiastic about the issue that they chose. The evidence itself is what matters most.

Decide on a topic by considering issues that are important to you, irrespective of whether they are good or bad. Create a list of concepts, and then pick a couple to focus on. You will then elaborate upon such concepts by addressing a few compensatory picks.

Making these lists may lead you to discover that a few are more powerful than others. The greater the issue, the more proof you have and the more compelling you believe that proved to be.

Again, choosing a different argument research topic is acceptable if you think one issue would have more verifiable data, but you would prefer not to pen about it. If you are enthusiastic about our topic, it might be much simpler to uncover solid arguments and evidence to support your claims than if you are not.

Well, here is a list of sample argumentative research paper topics you could decide to choose from and develop a terrific essay.

Good Argument Paper Topics On Education

Here are some ingenious argumentative essay sample topics touching on matters of education:

  • Can parents be able to alter their unborn children’s characteristics?
  • Should pupils need to be immunized to attend a public school?
  • Should global governments take action to combat climate change?
  • Should physical education classes have an impact on a student’s grades?
  • Is free college a good idea?
  • Should Greek life be banned from academic institutions?
  • Should comprehensive sex education be given to scholars?
  • It should be possible for pupils to choose the high school curriculum.
  • The importance of physical education in education.
  • Schools should not permit the use of cell phones.
  • Like scholars, teachers need to pass a professional exam.
  • Less work should be assigned to pupils in schools.
  • High schools should be required to include sex education.
  • The Best Alternative to Regular School is Home Schooling
  • Scholars should only spend three months studying and nine months vacationing.
  • Sporting Activities Can Help You Change Your Life.
  • Lies Are a Vital Component of a Healthy Relationship
  • There Are Aliens
  • Keeping a Journal Is a Fun Stress Reduction Technique
  • Colleges need medical facilities to aid scholars in overcoming stress and depression.
  • You Can Learn Important Life Skills from Video Games
  • Having a pet is a way to improve your happiness.
  • Better Off Renting Than Buying a Home
  • Is the American educational system ideal for the modern world?

Interesting Argument Paper Topics On Ethics

When faced with an argumentative essay touching on ethics, here are samples to jog your mind:

  • Do GMOs benefit or hurt humans?
  • Should Facebook be permitted to gather user data?
  • Should autonomous vehicles be made legal?
  • Is it moral to use automation to replace human labor?
  • Should use a cell phone while driving is prohibited by law?
  • Has the Internet had a good or bad impact on society?
  • Should college athletes receive compensation for playing on teams?
  • Must fracking be permitted?
  • Same-sex couples ought to be permitted to wed.
  • Death Penalties: Are They Still Valid in the Twenty-First Century?
  • Benefits of Medical Marijuana Legalization
  • Without organized religion, the world might be a better place.
  • More harm than good is caused by technology.
  • What would life be like if animals ruled the world?
  • What if scholars and teachers switched places?
  • How will having flying automobiles affect our daily lives?
  • The most prosperous people are school dropouts.
  • Why drinking is advisable before a test
  • What if humans were to view the world as dogs do?
  • The causes behind Starbucks’ delicious flavor
  • How defying your parents can help you succeed?
  • Why passing the driving test is crucial
  • The top pupils are those who do not attend class.
  • The best visitors are those who arrived already stuffed.
  • Why I enjoy junk mail
  • Why setting your school on fire is not an option
  • Clowns are not as terrifying as you would imagine.
  • The reason why your washing won’t do itself
  • Why you should continue to wear a mask even after COVID-19
  • Which film has ever been the worst?
  • How playing video games can benefit your career search
  • Why I don’t like country music
  • Why films are superior to books
  • Is it wrong to show sex scenes on television?
  • Should learning institutions condone cheating?
  • Should young people have access to birth control?
  • Is religion a valid justification for terrorism?
  • Does bullying make one stronger?
  • Do you think young kids should have access to cell phones and tablets?
  • Should minors be allowed to obtain contraception without their parent’s permission?
  • Is it time for single-payer healthcare in the US?
  • Should assisted suicide be allowed to exist?
  • Should nutritional supplements and products for weight loss, such as teas, be allowed to use influencer marketing?
  • Should physicians be permitted to promote medications?
  • Is the electoral college still a useful mechanism in contemporary America?
  • Should Puerto Rico gain statehood?
  • Is automatic voter registration a good idea?
  • Should prisoners have the right to vote?
  • Should justices of the Supreme Court be voted into power?
  • Children should not be served soda at restaurants.
  • Should sexual labor be made legal?
  • Should Indigenous Peoples’ Day take the place of Columbus Day?
  • Should executions be permitted?
  • Are uniforms for schools a good idea?
  • Should using animals for clinical tests be permitted?
  • Should the crime of drug possession be dropped?
  • Must unpaid internships be permitted?
  • Must abortion be outlawed?
  • Do individuals misuse their freedom to carry weapons?
  • Is there a racial component to police violence?
  • It is time to raise the legal drinking age.
  • A child’s sexual orientation is established when they are young.
  • All around the world, same-sex unions should be permitted.
  • Inmates should not be kept as illegal immigrants.
  • Should all women have access to reproductive health care and birth control?
  • Would anyone benefit equally from our tax system?
  • Is vaping just as dangerous as cigarette smoking?
  • Is global consumption a serious problem?
  • Is social media a privacy infringement?
  • Does everyone need to get vaccinated?
  • Do food firms have a say in what we eat?
  • Does our system of education fit our culture?
  • Why should certain languages be recognized as official in the US?
  • Is the death penalty ever justified?
  • Victims of rape ought to abort their unborn children.
  • Equal paternity leave should be granted to fathers.
  • Do trouble-making behaviors among teenagers stem from boredom?
  • Parents who have failed their children should be disciplined.
  • Animal testing ought to be prohibited.
  • Gaming that is violent needs to be prohibited.
  • Adopting parents with mental impairments should not be permitted.
  • Islamist nations should allow alcohol usage.
  • Everyone should receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
  • School dress codes ought to be abolished
  • Assignments should not be required
  • Pets ought to be allowed in learning institutions
  • Cellphone use should be permitted in class for scholars.
  • The daily schooling hours ought to be cut shorter
  • Why longer school breaks are necessary
  • Every classroom needs a TV.
  • We must extend our summer vacation.
  • Schools ought to have recess in between class sessions.
  • A pet belongs in every classroom.
  • Is a College Education Still Required?
  • Should High School Graduates Have a Gap Year?
  • Cyberbullying in High School Is a Serious Problem
  • Scholars ought to be permitted to dress however they like.
  • The Existing Grading System Does Not Reflect Scholars’ Knowledge in the Contemporary World
  • Is a Lower Voting Age Needed?
  • The Benefits of Offering Free Condoms to Scholars
  • Partners expecting a child ought to take parenting classes
  • Sex education ought to be taught in schools.
  • Should the legal drinking age be lowered?
  • Standardized Tests Need to Be Banned
  • Scholar loans: Are They Favorable or Bad?
  • Is drug use on campuses a test or a genuine issue?
  • Do College Relationships Last a Long Time?
  • Children should not be permitted to attend college classes by scholars.
  • Fraternities’ detrimental effects on scholars’ behavior and performance
  • When Is a Gap Year a Welcomed Idea?
  • There should be more benefits for college athletes when schooling.
  • Most college units are already obsolete and unfit for the contemporary world.
  • The cost of lodging in universities ought to be zero.
  • Celebs ought not to serve as teenage girls’ role models.
  • Diet obsession can result in a variety of eating conditions and health complications.
  • School uniforms ought to be required.
  • Males and females can have friendships that are limited to just that.
  • The vegetarian lifestyle is not practical
  • Democracy is currently the sanest form of government.
  • GMO diets aren’t as risky as we once thought
  • Horror films may harm one’s mental health.
  • Junk food ought not to be offered in school lunches.

Easy Argument Paper Topics On Sports

Sports argumentative essay topics can prove hard to formulate. Here are samples:

  • Should there be a gender divide in sports?
  • Should baseball’s designated hitter system be eliminated?
  • Should American sports treat soccer with more respect?
  • Should players and coaches receive the same compensation?
  • Girls should be urged to participate in sports and put just as much effort into their studies as boys do.
  • College Sports Players Must Be Paid
  • Sports should allow women to compete against men.
  • Countries benefit economically and socially by hosting the Olympic Games.
  • Media coverage of female athletes is still sexist.
  • Certain sports can encourage violent behavior.
  • Injury Has a Significant Impact on an Athlete’s Mental Health
  • Among Athletes, Eating Disorders Are a Common Issue
  • Schools and Colleges should emphasize physical education more
  • Taking part in sports can have calming, resonant effects on the body and mind.
  • Motivating girls to participate in sports is important.

Argument Paper Topics On Religion

Argumentative essay topics on religion could prove contentious. Below are samples:

  • Should religious institutions be subject to taxation?
  • Should schools allow religious clubs?
  • Should the pledge of allegiance include “one nation under God”?
  • Should religion be covered in the classroom?
  • Should clerics be permitted to wed?

Professional Argument  Paper Topics On Economics

Argumentative topics in economics essays are easy. Here are some examples:

  • Is raising the minimum wage necessary?
  • Do monopolies deserve to exist?
  • Is the concept of universal basic income wisely?
  • Should the tax rate on companies be higher or cheap?

Argument Paper Topics On Society And Culture

Formulating argumentative essay topics on culture and society, in general, should not bother you that much. Here are samples. But if you have problems with your writing you can order a dissertation online .

  • Is graffiti considered destruction or art?
  • Should books with offensive language be prohibited?
  • Should YouTube content be more strictly regulated?
  • Is the study of art important?
  • Should people be able to share their art and music online?
  • Current assessments do not match the scholar’s ability.
  • Breastfeeding in public should be permitted for women.
  • To bring about change, the Internet was developed.
  • When it comes to giving their kids a nutritious diet, parents should be accountable.
  • Churches ought to be taxed as well.
  • The Contribution of Art to the Evolution of Our World
  • Using Art Therapy to Treat Mental Illness
  • Scholars that participate in the arts excel academically.
  • Unlike traditional art, digital art lacks soul.
  • Everybody ought to enrol in art classes in school
  • Is Art Actually Required?
  • What Inner Fears Do Children Express in Their Art?
  • What Is Art For?
  • How Has the Representation of Women in Art Changed Over the Centuries?
  • Most art forms were created in ancient Greece, which is where they originated.
  • A potent treatment for psychological issues is music.
  • Hard Rock Harmfully influences teenage Behavior
  • If You Pay Attention, You Can Hear Music in the Natural World
  • Billie Eilish Is Not Your Average Teen Pop Star-Star
  • The Human Brain is Positively affected by Music
  • The Calming Power of Celtic Music
  • Modern music is largely commercial rather than artistic.
  • Rap music encourages aggression.
  • A better pregnancy can be ensured by classical music.
  • College scholars’ academic performance is improved through music

Technology Argument Paper Topics

Many learners avoid technology-related argumentative topics due to their technicality. Below are samples:

  • Owners of social media platforms should keep an eye on and delete comments that use offensive language.
  • Does technology contribute to individuals feeling more alone?
  • Will there ever be a moment when no new technological developments take place?
  • Vlogging is not a legitimate career.
  • Is LinkedIn useful in terms of job search?
  • The number of business opportunities has significantly increased thanks to social media.
  • Is Java going out of style?
  • Are social media profiles of candidates something employers should look through?
  • Social media cause teenage despair.

Science Argument Paper Topics

Below are argumentative topics touching on the science field:

  • The Morality of Cloning the Benefits of Genetic Engineering and How They Can Change the World the Potential Benefits of Investing in Space Exploration
  • Universities should spend more money on scientific programs.
  • How Do New Scientific Discoveries Affect Our Everyday Lives?
  • Do New Technologies Pose Health Risks?
  • The use of animals in scientific research should be prohibited
  • The Science of Medical Marijuana’s Healing Effect
  • Food that has been genetically modified: Is it healthy for us or not?
  • Why Science Should Be Taught to Everyone.

Argument Paper Topics On The Environment

Argumentative topics on the environment tend to be broad. Here are useful samples:

  • Existing environmental statutes do not avert human encroachment and habitat obliteration
  • Human encroachment endangers the lives of plants and animals
  • Climate change is real
  • Developed nations primarily cause global warming
  • A change in farming practices is required to cease environmental obliteration.
  • Environment-friendly effects of vegetarianism
  • The worst polluters of air and water are industrial by-products and farming additives
  • Overpopulation is the root cause of city pollution
  • We must protect the world’s resources.
  • Hunting is a sinful activity.
  • Is using animals in a circus acceptable?
  • Evil dogs ought to be put to sleep.
  • Recycling ought to be required.
  • Should recycling be made required?
  • Is competition advantageous?
  • Does blogging as a profession have a future?
  • Is it possible for people to ever exist without the Internet?
  • Should everyone volunteer and donate to charities?
  • Does the media infringe on famous people’s privacy?

Argument Paper Topics On Government

Politics is not everyone. Below are argumentative topics on governance you could exploit:

  • In wealthy nations, unlawful immigration is a serious problem.
  • Citizenship should always be granted to persons sired within a particular country’s borders. Stricter immigration laws should be enforced against illegal immigration
  • Border restrictions should be tightened to stop illegal immigration.
  • The main driver of unlawful immigration is poverty.
  • Deporting illegal immigrants to their nations of origin is usually pointless.
  • High Illegal Immigration Rates May Encourage Prostitution
  • High levels of unlawful immigration are one of the main causes of terrorism.
  • Lowering immigration costs may help avert illegal immigration
  • Refugee applicants ought not to be viewed as unauthorized immigrants.
  • Is Racial Profiling Still Appropriate in Today’s World?
  • Euthanasia for terminally ill patients should be made legal.
  • All should have access to free higher education.
  • Is Donald Trump’s presidency detrimental to the US and the rest of the world, or beneficial?
  • In colleges and schools, energy drinks have to be prohibited.
  • In the US, gambling ought to be outlawed.
  • Should abortion be outlawed globally?
  • Should the death penalty be carried out universally?
  • Certain kinds of animal experimentation and other forms of study ought to be prohibited.
  • Should the government take additional steps to provide accessibility for the physically challenged?
  • Are people born with the skill to be a politician, or do they learn it?

High Quality Argument Paper Topics On Health

There are numerous argumentative topics on health to choose from. Below are samples:

  • Everyone should have access to free health care.
  • It is possible to discover a working cure for AIDs
  • Art therapy can be effective for a wide range of health issues
  • Healthy alternatives: benefits and drawbacks
  • The negative consequences of a head injury
  • Does the media accurately represent the risk of coronavirus?
  • Are electronic cigarettes more harmless than smoke?
  • Could 3D printing help the medical field?
  • Nanotechnology can aid in cancer treatment
  • How would stem cells reduce cardiac arrest patients’ mortality rates?
  • Pro-life vs. Pro-choice views on abortion
  • Alcoholism harms all aspects of life, not just health
  • The production and sale of tobacco should be prohibited
  • Vaping is safer than cigarette smoking.
  • The risks of the COVID-19 vaccine outweigh the benefits.

Get Professional Help

Working students can consider our consulting and thesis writing services when faced with tough argumentative research paper assignments. Our writers are some of the best experts and can provide a fast turnaround with your argumentative research essays to help you beat the deadlines. Even so, writing essays and coming up with good argument paper topics can be strenuous. Our team of writers can help you get the best argumentative research paper topics that will earn you grades generously.

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717 Good Research Paper Topics

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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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Explore NIAID Topics for Small Business Innovation Research Contract Solicitation

Funding News Edition: September 4, 2024 See more articles in this edition

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NIH's SBIR program accepts Phase I, Phase II, Fast Track, and Direct-to-Phase II research proposals.

Each year, NIH solicits research proposals from small businesses through A Solicitation of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Contract Proposals . The latest version was published on August 2, 2024. The solicitation serves as a vehicle for offerors to propose research projects on a multitude of scientific topics from across NIH.

Proposals are due by October 18, 2024, at 5 p.m. Eastern Time.  

NIH’s Small Business Education and Entrepreneurial Development (SEED) program will host an HHS SBIR Contract RFP Pre-proposal Conference Webinar (PHS-2025-1) to discuss the mechanics of the contract opportunity on September 23, 2024, from 2 to 4 p.m. Eastern Time. The presentation materials will be posted on that same event page following the session. 

Note : This SBIR contract solicitation is distinct from the 2024 SBIR and STTR Omnibus/Parent Grant Solicitations for the NIH, CDC, and FDA released in July, which are notices of funding opportunities for grant awards (despite the word “solicitation” appearing in their titles). Learn about those grant opportunities in our August 7, 2024 article “ Small Business Research: Priority Funding Topics for 2025 .” 

To differentiate among the proposal types: 

  • Phase I—research to determine the scientific or technical feasibility and commercial merit of the proposed research or research and development (R&D) efforts. 
  • Phase II—continuance of Phase I research efforts, dependent on successful Phase I results as well as scientific and technical merit and commercial potential of further work. 
  • Fast Track—simultaneous submission of Phase I and Phase II proposals, to facilitate a streamlined transition from Phase I to Phase II if merited by research outcomes. 
  • Direct-to-Phase II—allows a small business concern to commence with Phase II research if Phase I stage-type research funded through other, non-SBIR/STTR sources is already complete. 

The table below summarizes NIAID’s research topics of interest for contract proposals. Refer to the attachment posted within the solicitation linked above for full details, including the number of anticipated awards and descriptions of required activities and deliverables. 

       
137. New Drug Classes with Novel Mechanisms of Action for HIV, Hepatitis B, and Tuberculosis To develop new drug classes for HIV, HBV, or Mtb therapy with a different mode of action than FDA-approved drugs currently in use. HBV and Mtb drugs must be compatible with current antiretroviral regimens. 

Phase I, 

Fast Track 

Phase I: $300,000 each year for up to 2 years 

Phase II: $2 million for up to 3 years 

138. Devices and Materials-Based Platforms for the Delivery of Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies (bNAbs)To develop devices and materials for administering HIV-1 bNAb(s) and bNAb derivatives that increase protection from infection. Devices or materials should demonstrate 1) sustained release and stability, 2) increased bioavailability, 3) increased protective durability, 4) increased concentration or dose, 5) reduced burden of administration, or 6) increased user acceptability of the bNAb(s) relative to standard intravenous or subcutaneous administration methods.  

Phase I, 

Fast Track 

Phase I: $300,000 each year for up to 2 years 

Phase II: $2 million for up to 3 years 

139. Rapid Diagnostic Assays for Self-Monitoring of Acute or Rebound HIV-1 Infection To support early-stage diagnostic technologies as platforms for developing simple, low-cost, rapid diagnostic assays that enable individuals to directly detect HIV-1 during the earliest stages of initial infection or to monitor viral suppression in chronic treated infection, i.e., when antibody responses are not an accurate surrogate for viral load. 

Phase I, 

Fast Track 

Phase I: $300,000 each year for up to 2 years 

Phase II: $2 million for up to 3 years 

140. Adjuvant Discovery and Down-Selection for Vaccines Against Infectious and Immune-Mediated Diseases 

To support screening for new adjuvant candidates for vaccines against infectious diseases, autoimmune and allergic diseases, or transplantation; candidate characterization; and early-stage optimization. Also, to support the down-selection of adjuvants for subsequent vaccine development in side-by-side comparisons. 

 

Phase I, 

Fast Track, 

Direct-to-Phase II 

Phase I: $300,000 each year for up to 2 years 

Phase II: $1 million each year—with appropriate justification—for up to 3 years 

141. Reagents for Immunologic Analysis of Non-mammalian and Underrepresented Mammalian Models To develop and validate reliable monoclonal antibodies or other reagents that can identify and track primary immune cells (e.g., cell surface markers and receptors) or analyze immune function/responses (e.g., cytokines, chemokines, intracellular signaling) in non-mammalian models or underrepresented mammalian models. 

Phase I, 

Fast Track, 

Direct-to-Phase II 

Phase I: $300,000 each year for up to 2 years 

Phase II: $500,000 each year for up to 3 years 

142. Adjuvant Development for Vaccines and for Autoimmune and Allergic Diseases To support preclinical development and optimization of a single lead adjuvant for use in vaccines to prevent or treat human disease caused by infectious pathogens or to treat immune-mediated diseases. The lead adjuvant may be a single entity or a combination adjuvant. Adjuvants may be chemical, biological, or genetic adjuvants. Adjuvants may be novel or may functionally replicate adjuvants used in licensed vaccines. 

Phase I, 

Fast Track, 

Direct-to-Phase II 

Phase I: $300,000 each year for up to 2 years 

Phase II: $1 million each year—with appropriate justification—for up to 3 years 

143. Development of Diagnostics for (Mg) Infection To develop a new, more rapid, nucleic acid-based test for the diagnosis and treatment of Mg infection. The test should detect Mg and determine macrolide and quinolone sensitivity in clinical specimens to aid resistance-guided therapy. 

Phase I, 

Fast Track 

  

Phase I: $300,000 for up to 1 year 

Phase II: $1.5 million for up to 3 years 

144. Development of Medical Interventions for Treating Non-Tuberculosis Mycobacterial (NTM) Infections To support preclinical investigational new drug (IND) enabling development of therapeutic products that target NTM infections. This includes 1) improved strategies and regimens for treatment of NTM infections, 2) newer chemical entities with demonstrated anti-NTM inhibitory activity and , 3) optimized analogs or formulations of established antimicrobials with anti-NTM activity, and 4) selected bacteriophages for treatment of NTM infection in combination with antibiotics. 

Phase I, 

Fast Track, 

Direct-to-Phase II  

Phase I: $300,000 for up to 1 year 

Phase II: $1.5 million for up to 3 years 

145. Diagnostics to Detect Host Immunity to Coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever) or Histoplasmosis To develop an , cytokine-release assay for the detection of coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever) or histoplasmosis. 

Phase I, 

Fast Track, 

Direct-to-Phase II 

Phase I: $300,000 for up to 1 year 

Phase II: $1.5 million for up to 3 years 

146. Discovery and Development of Oral Small-molecule Direct-acting Antivirals Targeting Viruses of Pandemic Potential To support antiviral drug discovery, evaluation and development targeting one or more viral pathogens from the following RNA virus families with pandemic potential: coronaviruses, paramyxoviruses, bunyaviruses, togaviruses, filoviruses, picornaviruses, flaviviruses, and orthomyxoviruses. Proposals must have in hand a new chemical series with mode of action through inhibition of a viral target and confirmed antiviral activity in a cellular assay. 

Phase I, 

Fast Track, 

Direct-to-Phase II 

Phase I: $500,000 for up to 1 year 

Phase II: $2 million for up to 3 years 

147. Software or Web Services to Assess Quality and Reproducibility of Data and Information About Therapeutics and Vaccines To develop digital tools that assess quality and reproducibility of research-based digital information for infectious disease therapeutics and vaccines. The proposed tools could be specific to a single digital platform and verify the quality and reproducibility of infectious disease data. Ultimately these approaches would enable the development of software or web services that quantify rigor and reproducibility of datasets underlying vaccines and treatments to infectious diseases. 

Phase I, 

Fast Track 

Phase I: $300,000 for up to 1 year 

Phase II: $1.5 million for up to 3 years 

Your contract proposal should address only one topic; if you wish to pursue multiple topics, submit a separate proposal for each topic. Submit your proposal(s) through the electronic Contract Proposal Submission . Direct any technical questions about the solicitation and NIAID’s topics to Jonathan Bryan in NIAID’s Office of Acquisitions at [email protected] or 240-669-5180.  

Find general information and advice on our Small Business Programs page and contact NIAID SBIR/STTR Program Coordinator Natalia Kruchinin, Ph.D., at [email protected] for funding questions specific to small businesses.

Email us at [email protected] for help navigating NIAID’s grant and contract policies and procedures.

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GPT-fabricated scientific papers on Google Scholar: Key features, spread, and implications for preempting evidence manipulation

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Academic journals, archives, and repositories are seeing an increasing number of questionable research papers clearly produced using generative AI. They are often created with widely available, general-purpose AI applications, most likely ChatGPT, and mimic scientific writing. Google Scholar easily locates and lists these questionable papers alongside reputable, quality-controlled research. Our analysis of a selection of questionable GPT-fabricated scientific papers found in Google Scholar shows that many are about applied, often controversial topics susceptible to disinformation: the environment, health, and computing. The resulting enhanced potential for malicious manipulation of society’s evidence base, particularly in politically divisive domains, is a growing concern.

Swedish School of Library and Information Science, University of BorÄs, Sweden

Department of Arts and Cultural Sciences, Lund University, Sweden

Division of Environmental Communication, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden

research topic essay questions

Research Questions

  • Where are questionable publications produced with generative pre-trained transformers (GPTs) that can be found via Google Scholar published or deposited?
  • What are the main characteristics of these publications in relation to predominant subject categories?
  • How are these publications spread in the research infrastructure for scholarly communication?
  • How is the role of the scholarly communication infrastructure challenged in maintaining public trust in science and evidence through inappropriate use of generative AI?

research note Summary

  • A sample of scientific papers with signs of GPT-use found on Google Scholar was retrieved, downloaded, and analyzed using a combination of qualitative coding and descriptive statistics. All papers contained at least one of two common phrases returned by conversational agents that use large language models (LLM) like OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Google Search was then used to determine the extent to which copies of questionable, GPT-fabricated papers were available in various repositories, archives, citation databases, and social media platforms.
  • Roughly two-thirds of the retrieved papers were found to have been produced, at least in part, through undisclosed, potentially deceptive use of GPT. The majority (57%) of these questionable papers dealt with policy-relevant subjects (i.e., environment, health, computing), susceptible to influence operations. Most were available in several copies on different domains (e.g., social media, archives, and repositories).
  • Two main risks arise from the increasingly common use of GPT to (mass-)produce fake, scientific publications. First, the abundance of fabricated “studies” seeping into all areas of the research infrastructure threatens to overwhelm the scholarly communication system and jeopardize the integrity of the scientific record. A second risk lies in the increased possibility that convincingly scientific-looking content was in fact deceitfully created with AI tools and is also optimized to be retrieved by publicly available academic search engines, particularly Google Scholar. However small, this possibility and awareness of it risks undermining the basis for trust in scientific knowledge and poses serious societal risks.

Implications

The use of ChatGPT to generate text for academic papers has raised concerns about research integrity. Discussion of this phenomenon is ongoing in editorials, commentaries, opinion pieces, and on social media (Bom, 2023; Stokel-Walker, 2024; Thorp, 2023). There are now several lists of papers suspected of GPT misuse, and new papers are constantly being added. 1 See for example Academ-AI, https://www.academ-ai.info/ , and Retraction Watch, https://retractionwatch.com/papers-and-peer-reviews-with-evidence-of-chatgpt-writing/ . While many legitimate uses of GPT for research and academic writing exist (Huang & Tan, 2023; Kitamura, 2023; Lund et al., 2023), its undeclared use—beyond proofreading—has potentially far-reaching implications for both science and society, but especially for their relationship. It, therefore, seems important to extend the discussion to one of the most accessible and well-known intermediaries between science, but also certain types of misinformation, and the public, namely Google Scholar, also in response to the legitimate concerns that the discussion of generative AI and misinformation needs to be more nuanced and empirically substantiated  (Simon et al., 2023).

Google Scholar, https://scholar.google.com , is an easy-to-use academic search engine. It is available for free, and its index is extensive (Gusenbauer & Haddaway, 2020). It is also often touted as a credible source for academic literature and even recommended in library guides, by media and information literacy initiatives, and fact checkers (Tripodi et al., 2023). However, Google Scholar lacks the transparency and adherence to standards that usually characterize citation databases. Instead, Google Scholar uses automated crawlers, like Google’s web search engine (Martín-Martín et al., 2021), and the inclusion criteria are based on primarily technical standards, allowing any individual author—with or without scientific affiliation—to upload papers to be indexed (Google Scholar Help, n.d.). It has been shown that Google Scholar is susceptible to manipulation through citation exploits (Antkare, 2020) and by providing access to fake scientific papers (Dadkhah et al., 2017). A large part of Google Scholar’s index consists of publications from established scientific journals or other forms of quality-controlled, scholarly literature. However, the index also contains a large amount of gray literature, including student papers, working papers, reports, preprint servers, and academic networking sites, as well as material from so-called “questionable” academic journals, including paper mills. The search interface does not offer the possibility to filter the results meaningfully by material type, publication status, or form of quality control, such as limiting the search to peer-reviewed material.

To understand the occurrence of ChatGPT (co-)authored work in Google Scholar’s index, we scraped it for publications, including one of two common ChatGPT responses (see Appendix A) that we encountered on social media and in media reports (DeGeurin, 2024). The results of our descriptive statistical analyses showed that around 62% did not declare the use of GPTs. Most of these GPT-fabricated papers were found in non-indexed journals and working papers, but some cases included research published in mainstream scientific journals and conference proceedings. 2 Indexed journals mean scholarly journals indexed by abstract and citation databases such as Scopus and Web of Science, where the indexation implies journals with high scientific quality. Non-indexed journals are journals that fall outside of this indexation. More than half (57%) of these GPT-fabricated papers concerned policy-relevant subject areas susceptible to influence operations. To avoid increasing the visibility of these publications, we abstained from referencing them in this research note. However, we have made the data available in the Harvard Dataverse repository.

The publications were related to three issue areas—health (14.5%), environment (19.5%) and computing (23%)—with key terms such “healthcare,” “COVID-19,” or “infection”for health-related papers, and “analysis,” “sustainable,” and “global” for environment-related papers. In several cases, the papers had titles that strung together general keywords and buzzwords, thus alluding to very broad and current research. These terms included “biology,” “telehealth,” “climate policy,” “diversity,” and “disrupting,” to name just a few.  While the study’s scope and design did not include a detailed analysis of which parts of the articles included fabricated text, our dataset did contain the surrounding sentences for each occurrence of the suspicious phrases that formed the basis for our search and subsequent selection. Based on that, we can say that the phrases occurred in most sections typically found in scientific publications, including the literature review, methods, conceptual and theoretical frameworks, background, motivation or societal relevance, and even discussion. This was confirmed during the joint coding, where we read and discussed all articles. It became clear that not just the text related to the telltale phrases was created by GPT, but that almost all articles in our sample of questionable articles likely contained traces of GPT-fabricated text everywhere.

Evidence hacking and backfiring effects

Generative pre-trained transformers (GPTs) can be used to produce texts that mimic scientific writing. These texts, when made available online—as we demonstrate—leak into the databases of academic search engines and other parts of the research infrastructure for scholarly communication. This development exacerbates problems that were already present with less sophisticated text generators (Antkare, 2020; Cabanac & LabbĂ©, 2021). Yet, the public release of ChatGPT in 2022, together with the way Google Scholar works, has increased the likelihood of lay people (e.g., media, politicians, patients, students) coming across questionable (or even entirely GPT-fabricated) papers and other problematic research findings. Previous research has emphasized that the ability to determine the value and status of scientific publications for lay people is at stake when misleading articles are passed off as reputable (Haider & Åström, 2017) and that systematic literature reviews risk being compromised (Dadkhah et al., 2017). It has also been highlighted that Google Scholar, in particular, can be and has been exploited for manipulating the evidence base for politically charged issues and to fuel conspiracy narratives (Tripodi et al., 2023). Both concerns are likely to be magnified in the future, increasing the risk of what we suggest calling evidence hacking —the strategic and coordinated malicious manipulation of society’s evidence base.

The authority of quality-controlled research as evidence to support legislation, policy, politics, and other forms of decision-making is undermined by the presence of undeclared GPT-fabricated content in publications professing to be scientific. Due to the large number of archives, repositories, mirror sites, and shadow libraries to which they spread, there is a clear risk that GPT-fabricated, questionable papers will reach audiences even after a possible retraction. There are considerable technical difficulties involved in identifying and tracing computer-fabricated papers (Cabanac & Labbé, 2021; Dadkhah et al., 2023; Jones, 2024), not to mention preventing and curbing their spread and uptake.

However, as the rise of the so-called anti-vaxx movement during the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing obstruction and denial of climate change show, retracting erroneous publications often fuels conspiracies and increases the following of these movements rather than stopping them. To illustrate this mechanism, climate deniers frequently question established scientific consensus by pointing to other, supposedly scientific, studies that support their claims. Usually, these are poorly executed, not peer-reviewed, based on obsolete data, or even fraudulent (Dunlap & Brulle, 2020). A similar strategy is successful in the alternative epistemic world of the global anti-vaccination movement (Carrion, 2018) and the persistence of flawed and questionable publications in the scientific record already poses significant problems for health research, policy, and lawmakers, and thus for society as a whole (Littell et al., 2024). Considering that a person’s support for “doing your own research” is associated with increased mistrust in scientific institutions (Chinn & Hasell, 2023), it will be of utmost importance to anticipate and consider such backfiring effects already when designing a technical solution, when suggesting industry or legal regulation, and in the planning of educational measures.

Recommendations

Solutions should be based on simultaneous considerations of technical, educational, and regulatory approaches, as well as incentives, including social ones, across the entire research infrastructure. Paying attention to how these approaches and incentives relate to each other can help identify points and mechanisms for disruption. Recognizing fraudulent academic papers must happen alongside understanding how they reach their audiences and what reasons there might be for some of these papers successfully “sticking around.” A possible way to mitigate some of the risks associated with GPT-fabricated scholarly texts finding their way into academic search engine results would be to provide filtering options for facets such as indexed journals, gray literature, peer-review, and similar on the interface of publicly available academic search engines. Furthermore, evaluation tools for indexed journals 3 Such as LiU Journal CheckUp, https://ep.liu.se/JournalCheckup/default.aspx?lang=eng . could be integrated into the graphical user interfaces and the crawlers of these academic search engines. To enable accountability, it is important that the index (database) of such a search engine is populated according to criteria that are transparent, open to scrutiny, and appropriate to the workings of  science and other forms of academic research. Moreover, considering that Google Scholar has no real competitor, there is a strong case for establishing a freely accessible, non-specialized academic search engine that is not run for commercial reasons but for reasons of public interest. Such measures, together with educational initiatives aimed particularly at policymakers, science communicators, journalists, and other media workers, will be crucial to reducing the possibilities for and effects of malicious manipulation or evidence hacking. It is important not to present this as a technical problem that exists only because of AI text generators but to relate it to the wider concerns in which it is embedded. These range from a largely dysfunctional scholarly publishing system (Haider & Åström, 2017) and academia’s “publish or perish” paradigm to Google’s near-monopoly and ideological battles over the control of information and ultimately knowledge. Any intervention is likely to have systemic effects; these effects need to be considered and assessed in advance and, ideally, followed up on.

Our study focused on a selection of papers that were easily recognizable as fraudulent. We used this relatively small sample as a magnifying glass to examine, delineate, and understand a problem that goes beyond the scope of the sample itself, which however points towards larger concerns that require further investigation. The work of ongoing whistleblowing initiatives 4 Such as Academ-AI, https://www.academ-ai.info/ , and Retraction Watch, https://retractionwatch.com/papers-and-peer-reviews-with-evidence-of-chatgpt-writing/ . , recent media reports of journal closures (Subbaraman, 2024), or GPT-related changes in word use and writing style (Cabanac et al., 2021; Stokel-Walker, 2024) suggest that we only see the tip of the iceberg. There are already more sophisticated cases (Dadkhah et al., 2023) as well as cases involving fabricated images (Gu et al., 2022). Our analysis shows that questionable and potentially manipulative GPT-fabricated papers permeate the research infrastructure and are likely to become a widespread phenomenon. Our findings underline that the risk of fake scientific papers being used to maliciously manipulate evidence (see Dadkhah et al., 2017) must be taken seriously. Manipulation may involve undeclared automatic summaries of texts, inclusion in literature reviews, explicit scientific claims, or the concealment of errors in studies so that they are difficult to detect in peer review. However, the mere possibility of these things happening is a significant risk in its own right that can be strategically exploited and will have ramifications for trust in and perception of science. Society’s methods of evaluating sources and the foundations of media and information literacy are under threat and public trust in science is at risk of further erosion, with far-reaching consequences for society in dealing with information disorders. To address this multifaceted problem, we first need to understand why it exists and proliferates.

Finding 1: 139 GPT-fabricated, questionable papers were found and listed as regular results on the Google Scholar results page. Non-indexed journals dominate.

Most questionable papers we found were in non-indexed journals or were working papers, but we did also find some in established journals, publications, conferences, and repositories. We found a total of 139 papers with a suspected deceptive use of ChatGPT or similar LLM applications (see Table 1). Out of these, 19 were in indexed journals, 89 were in non-indexed journals, 19 were student papers found in university databases, and 12 were working papers (mostly in preprint databases). Table 1 divides these papers into categories. Health and environment papers made up around 34% (47) of the sample. Of these, 66% were present in non-indexed journals.

Indexed journals*534719
Non-indexed journals1818134089
Student papers4311119
Working papers532212
Total32272060139

Finding 2: GPT-fabricated, questionable papers are disseminated online, permeating the research infrastructure for scholarly communication, often in multiple copies. Applied topics with practical implications dominate.

The 20 papers concerning health-related issues are distributed across 20 unique domains, accounting for 46 URLs. The 27 papers dealing with environmental issues can be found across 26 unique domains, accounting for 56 URLs.  Most of the identified papers exist in multiple copies and have already spread to several archives, repositories, and social media. It would be difficult, or impossible, to remove them from the scientific record.

As apparent from Table 2, GPT-fabricated, questionable papers are seeping into most parts of the online research infrastructure for scholarly communication. Platforms on which identified papers have appeared include ResearchGate, ORCiD, Journal of Population Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology (JPTCP), Easychair, Frontiers, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineer (IEEE), and X/Twitter. Thus, even if they are retracted from their original source, it will prove very difficult to track, remove, or even just mark them up on other platforms. Moreover, unless regulated, Google Scholar will enable their continued and most likely unlabeled discoverability.

Environmentresearchgate.net (13)orcid.org (4)easychair.org (3)ijope.com* (3)publikasiindonesia.id (3)
Healthresearchgate.net (15)ieee.org (4)twitter.com (3)jptcp.com** (2)frontiersin.org
(2)

A word rain visualization (Centre for Digital Humanities Uppsala, 2023), which combines word prominences through TF-IDF 5 Term frequency–inverse document frequency , a method for measuring the significance of a word in a document compared to its frequency across all documents in a collection. scores with semantic similarity of the full texts of our sample of GPT-generated articles that fall into the “Environment” and “Health” categories, reflects the two categories in question. However, as can be seen in Figure 1, it also reveals overlap and sub-areas. The y-axis shows word prominences through word positions and font sizes, while the x-axis indicates semantic similarity. In addition to a certain amount of overlap, this reveals sub-areas, which are best described as two distinct events within the word rain. The event on the left bundles terms related to the development and management of health and healthcare with “challenges,” “impact,” and “potential of artificial intelligence”emerging as semantically related terms. Terms related to research infrastructures, environmental, epistemic, and technological concepts are arranged further down in the same event (e.g., “system,” “climate,” “understanding,” “knowledge,” “learning,” “education,” “sustainable”). A second distinct event further to the right bundles terms associated with fish farming and aquatic medicinal plants, highlighting the presence of an aquaculture cluster.  Here, the prominence of groups of terms such as “used,” “model,” “-based,” and “traditional” suggests the presence of applied research on these topics. The two events making up the word rain visualization, are linked by a less dominant but overlapping cluster of terms related to “energy” and “water.”

research topic essay questions

The bar chart of the terms in the paper subset (see Figure 2) complements the word rain visualization by depicting the most prominent terms in the full texts along the y-axis. Here, word prominences across health and environment papers are arranged descendingly, where values outside parentheses are TF-IDF values (relative frequencies) and values inside parentheses are raw term frequencies (absolute frequencies).

research topic essay questions

Finding 3: Google Scholar presents results from quality-controlled and non-controlled citation databases on the same interface, providing unfiltered access to GPT-fabricated questionable papers.

Google Scholar’s central position in the publicly accessible scholarly communication infrastructure, as well as its lack of standards, transparency, and accountability in terms of inclusion criteria, has potentially serious implications for public trust in science. This is likely to exacerbate the already-known potential to exploit Google Scholar for evidence hacking (Tripodi et al., 2023) and will have implications for any attempts to retract or remove fraudulent papers from their original publication venues. Any solution must consider the entirety of the research infrastructure for scholarly communication and the interplay of different actors, interests, and incentives.

We searched and scraped Google Scholar using the Python library Scholarly (Cholewiak et al., 2023) for papers that included specific phrases known to be common responses from ChatGPT and similar applications with the same underlying model (GPT3.5 or GPT4): “as of my last knowledge update” and/or “I don’t have access to real-time data” (see Appendix A). This facilitated the identification of papers that likely used generative AI to produce text, resulting in 227 retrieved papers. The papers’ bibliographic information was automatically added to a spreadsheet and downloaded into Zotero. 6 An open-source reference manager, https://zotero.org .

We employed multiple coding (Barbour, 2001) to classify the papers based on their content. First, we jointly assessed whether the paper was suspected of fraudulent use of ChatGPT (or similar) based on how the text was integrated into the papers and whether the paper was presented as original research output or the AI tool’s role was acknowledged. Second, in analyzing the content of the papers, we continued the multiple coding by classifying the fraudulent papers into four categories identified during an initial round of analysis—health, environment, computing, and others—and then determining which subjects were most affected by this issue (see Table 1). Out of the 227 retrieved papers, 88 papers were written with legitimate and/or declared use of GPTs (i.e., false positives, which were excluded from further analysis), and 139 papers were written with undeclared and/or fraudulent use (i.e., true positives, which were included in further analysis). The multiple coding was conducted jointly by all authors of the present article, who collaboratively coded and cross-checked each other’s interpretation of the data simultaneously in a shared spreadsheet file. This was done to single out coding discrepancies and settle coding disagreements, which in turn ensured methodological thoroughness and analytical consensus (see Barbour, 2001). Redoing the category coding later based on our established coding schedule, we achieved an intercoder reliability (Cohen’s kappa) of 0.806 after eradicating obvious differences.

The ranking algorithm of Google Scholar prioritizes highly cited and older publications (Martín-Martín et al., 2016). Therefore, the position of the articles on the search engine results pages was not particularly informative, considering the relatively small number of results in combination with the recency of the publications. Only the query “as of my last knowledge update” had more than two search engine result pages. On those, questionable articles with undeclared use of GPTs were evenly distributed across all result pages (min: 4, max: 9, mode: 8), with the proportion of undeclared use being slightly higher on average on later search result pages.

To understand how the papers making fraudulent use of generative AI were disseminated online, we programmatically searched for the paper titles (with exact string matching) in Google Search from our local IP address (see Appendix B) using the googlesearch – python library(Vikramaditya, 2020). We manually verified each search result to filter out false positives—results that were not related to the paper—and then compiled the most prominent URLs by field. This enabled the identification of other platforms through which the papers had been spread. We did not, however, investigate whether copies had spread into SciHub or other shadow libraries, or if they were referenced in Wikipedia.

We used descriptive statistics to count the prevalence of the number of GPT-fabricated papers across topics and venues and top domains by subject. The pandas software library for the Python programming language (The pandas development team, 2024) was used for this part of the analysis. Based on the multiple coding, paper occurrences were counted in relation to their categories, divided into indexed journals, non-indexed journals, student papers, and working papers. The schemes, subdomains, and subdirectories of the URL strings were filtered out while top-level domains and second-level domains were kept, which led to normalizing domain names. This, in turn, allowed the counting of domain frequencies in the environment and health categories. To distinguish word prominences and meanings in the environment and health-related GPT-fabricated questionable papers, a semantically-aware word cloud visualization was produced through the use of a word rain (Centre for Digital Humanities Uppsala, 2023) for full-text versions of the papers. Font size and y-axis positions indicate word prominences through TF-IDF scores for the environment and health papers (also visualized in a separate bar chart with raw term frequencies in parentheses), and words are positioned along the x-axis to reflect semantic similarity (Skeppstedt et al., 2024), with an English Word2vec skip gram model space (Fares et al., 2017). An English stop word list was used, along with a manually produced list including terms such as “https,” “volume,” or “years.”

  • Artificial Intelligence
  • / Search engines

Cite this Essay

Haider, J., Söderström, K. R., Ekström, B., & Rödl, M. (2024). GPT-fabricated scientific papers on Google Scholar: Key features, spread, and implications for preempting evidence manipulation. Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) Misinformation Review . https://doi.org/10.37016/mr-2020-156

  • / Appendix B

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This research has been supported by Mistra, the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research, through the research program Mistra Environmental Communication (Haider, Ekström, Rödl) and the Marcus and Amalia Wallenberg Foundation [2020.0004] (Söderström).

Competing Interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

The research described in this article was carried out under Swedish legislation. According to the relevant EU and Swedish legislation (2003:460) on the ethical review of research involving humans (“Ethical Review Act”), the research reported on here is not subject to authorization by the Swedish Ethical Review Authority (“etikprövningsmyndigheten”) (SRC, 2017).

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided that the original author and source are properly credited.

Data Availability

All data needed to replicate this study are available at the Harvard Dataverse: https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/WUVD8X

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank two anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments on the article manuscript as well as the editorial group of Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) Misinformation Review for their thoughtful feedback and input.

Using AgentM to watch for new research papers of interest

I’m getting enough of the pieces of AgentM in place that I’m able to get it to do useful things. I wrote a small program (ok AgentM wrote part of it) that fetches the last days worth of research papers from arxiv.org , filters them to the papers related to topics I care about, and then projects those filtered papers to a uniform markdown format for easy scanning:

image

It uses gpt-4o-mini so it’s cost effective to run and it took 6 or 7 minutes in total to process 553 papers. Here’s the meat of the code:

I did another pass other the 81 papers it selected as being on topic and had the model select the top 10 papers for the day using another projection:

Automating Knowledge Discovery from Scientific Literature via LLMs: A Dual-Agent Approach with Progressive Ontology Prompting

Read more This paper introduces a novel framework combining large language models (LLMs) with a dual-agent system to enhance knowledge extraction from scientific literature, achieving significant improvements in annotation accuracy.

why The integration of LLMs with a dual-agent system for knowledge extraction is a significant advancement, potentially transforming how scientific literature is analyzed and utilized.

Urban Mobility Assessment Using LLMs

Read more This work proposes an AI-based approach for synthesizing travel surveys using LLMs, addressing privacy concerns and demonstrating effectiveness across various U.S. metropolitan areas.

why The application of LLMs in urban mobility assessment offers a novel solution to privacy issues in travel surveys, with implications for urban planning and policy-making.

Towards Human-Level Understanding of Complex Process Engineering Schematics: A Pedagogical, Introspective Multi-Agent Framework for Open-Domain Question Answering

Read more The paper presents a multi-agent framework for interpreting process diagrams, enhancing data privacy and explainability while achieving superior performance in open-domain question answering tasks.

why This research enhances the understanding of complex engineering schematics, which is crucial for industries relying on process engineering, improving both privacy and explainability.

Classification of Safety Events at Nuclear Sites using Large Language Models

Read more This research develops an LLM-based classifier to categorize safety records at nuclear power stations, aiming to improve the efficiency and accuracy of safety classification processes.

why Improving safety classification at nuclear sites is critical for operational safety and regulatory compliance, making this application of LLMs highly impactful.

Non-instructional Fine-tuning: Enabling Instruction-Following Capabilities in Pre-trained Language Models without Instruction-Following Data

Read more The paper explores a novel approach to fine-tuning LLMs for instruction-following capabilities using non-instructional data, potentially broadening the scope of LLM applications.

why This approach could significantly expand the versatility of LLMs, allowing them to perform tasks without explicit instruction-following data, which is a major step forward in AI development.

Zero-Shot Visual Reasoning by Vision-Language Models: Benchmarking and Analysis

Read more This study benchmarks vision-language models’ zero-shot visual reasoning capabilities, revealing insights into their performance and limitations in complex reasoning tasks.

why Understanding the zero-shot capabilities of vision-language models is crucial for their application in areas requiring complex visual reasoning, such as autonomous vehicles and robotics.

Toward Large Language Models as a Therapeutic Tool: Comparing Prompting Techniques to Improve GPT-Delivered Problem-Solving Therapy

Read more The research assesses the impact of prompt engineering on LLMs delivering psychotherapy, highlighting the potential of AI in addressing mental health needs.

why The potential use of LLMs in psychotherapy could revolutionize mental health care, making therapy more accessible and personalized.

HoneyComb: A Flexible LLM-Based Agent System for Materials Science

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why The application of LLMs in materials science could accelerate research and development in this field, leading to faster innovation and discovery.

Sequence to Sequence Reward Modeling: Improving RLHF by Language Feedback

Read more The study proposes a novel reward modeling method that enhances reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF) by utilizing language feedback, improving alignment with human preferences.

why Enhancing RLHF with language feedback could improve the alignment of AI systems with human values and preferences, which is essential for ethical AI development.

The creative psychometric item generator: a framework for item generation and validation using large language models

Read more This research develops a framework for generating valid creativity assessments using LLMs, demonstrating their potential in automating creativity testing processes.

why Automating creativity assessments with LLMs could transform educational and psychological testing, making it more efficient and accessible.

This is pretty awesome! I am tempted to write the underlying library in python.

I setup a placeholder GitHub project and would happily add you as a contributor.

:slight_smile:

That would be awesome!

My git user is icdev2dev. Thanks !

image

This is what I was thinking about:

I was just chatting with a long time Microsoft colleague (we created the Microsoft Bot Framework together) and he’s excited to create a .NET version of AgentM.

We were discussing that achieving absolute parity across languages isn’t super critical because you really want to lean into the strengths and paradigms of each language. What feels natural to a JavaScript developer isn’t going to feel as natural to a Python developer and it’s definitely not going to feel natural to a .net developer.

The important part is to maintain the spirit of AgentM across languages. To that end I’ll leave it up to you and others to determine what that means for Python.

That’s right.

But as I am thinking more about it, I believe that we shou;d also build in failure tolerance into the framework.

For example, if I have shown a set of sentences (amongst many such sets) to the LLM for the purpose of doing some labeling on sentences,I don’t want to lose that showing if the (distributed) job suddenly fails in between. It should be able to restart for the remaining jobs, complete those and then return the function to the caller.

The semantics of the threads allows for this distibuted jobs to fail and be restarted, I think.

I believe that that might be also what openAI might be pursuing as well (long lived jobs).

Yeah that’s a good suggestion


@icdev2dev I just finished getting AgentM to convert all of its JS code to Python and it actually didn’t do too bad of a job. It’s easily 80% of the way there.

image

It got paths to some of the components wrong because it assumed everything was relative and in the same folder but given that it could only see one file at a time I think it did a good job. I told it which libraries I wanted it to use and it followed all of that guidance:

image

I’ll check the generated code into the python repo shortly.

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Research spotlight: Accountancy insights from the Trulaske College of Business

Headshots of Keith Czerney, Stevie Neuman and Jane Song

The faculty of the Trulaske College of Business School of Accountancy are at the forefront of addressing some of the most pressing concerns in contemporary accounting. Some recent explorations look at the effectiveness of a 2017 standard designed to make audit reports more transparent and useful to stakeholders as well as whether changes in tax reserves is an early indicator of a firm's tax strategies and associated risks. 

Keith Czerney

Ongoing study examines why new standard isn’t delivering as expected 

The main purpose of an auditor’s report is to provide an independent opinion as to whether a company’s financial statements are fairly represented in all material respects. The independent auditor’s role is especially valuable to capital market participants who use financial statements to make important decisions, such as whether to invest in a company or lend it money. 

So, there was much anticipation in 2017 when the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) implemented a new standard aimed at making audit reports more transparent and useful to stakeholders.  

However, the new standard isn’t translating into useful information for stakeholders. “This has become just another part of the audit report that doesn’t change very much. So, investors don’t find it that useful,”  Keith Czerney , associate professor of accounting, said. Ongoing research by Czerney and Daun Jang of California State University-Sacramento is trying to understand why the standard has not made the audit report more informative. “What is driving that?” Czerney asks.

The standard – known as Auditing Standard 3101 or AS 3101 – requires auditors to provide unique insights into the audit process by identifying “critical audit matters” or CAMs and reporting on how they were addressed. 

Under this standard, a CAM is defined as any matter arising from the audit that was or should have been communicated to the audit committee and that relates to material matters involving especially challenging, subjective or complex auditor judgment. The standard uses the word “especially” to convey more clearly that there could be multiple CAMs and that matters are assessed on a relative basis within the specific audit. 

So far, Czerney and Jang have found that although auditors do appear to be selecting topics involving especially challenging, subjective or complex auditor judgment as CAMs, the number of CAMs selected has been fewer than anticipated and that the quality of the CAM disclosures is inconsistent. Additionally, Czerney said the issue for stakeholders is that the same topics tend to be identified as CAMs year after year, and the auditors’ responses to these persistent CAMs have become predictable or “boilerplate language” in the audit report. 

“Researchers look at stock price reactions during a narrow window of time after a piece of information, like an audit report, is released to infer whether it is informative,” Czerney said. “But if investors open an audit report and see the same CAM topics as last year with the same boilerplate response, they will likely conclude there is no new information on which to trade.”

In November 2023, the PCAOB reported it added a research project on the communication of CAMs. This project seeks to understand why there continues to be a decrease in the average number of CAMs reported in the auditor’s report over time and whether there is a need for additional guidance, changes to PCAOB standards or other regulatory action to improve such reporting, including the nature of the information disclosed.

“Reporting too few CAMs is a concern because investors tend to prefer more information to less, and it risks regression back to something that looks more like the pre-CAM reporting model,” Czerney said.

Czerney and Jang’s study, “An Examination of Critical Audit Matter Disclosure Quality,” was presented at the International Symposium on Audit Research in Boston. 

Stevie Neuman

New research finds volatility in tax reserves is early indicator of corporate tax risk

Stakeholders are always searching for innovative methods to pinpoint companies with elevated tax risk. In 2007, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) introduced a new standard to streamline this process. Enter FIN 48: a regulatory framework that mandates companies to disclose unrecognized tax benefits (UTBs). These UTBs act as reserves for tax positions that might face challenges from tax authorities. The idea was straightforward — the higher the UTBs, the higher the tax risk.

However, reality has defied expectations. The standard hasn't functioned as intended.

Now, new research by  Stevie Neuman , associate professor of accountancy, and  Jane (Zhiyan) Song , assistant professor of accountancy, has found it’s the volatility in UTB additions – not their amount – over time that provide stakeholders with a clearer and earlier indication of changes in a firm’s tax strategies and associated risks. While the research is ongoing, their findings provide evidence that UTB volatility conveys a unique early signal about the uncertainty and risk of the tax positions underlying a firm’s tax strategy. 

“What we think the volatility represents is a change in a company’s tax strategies or changes in their positions over time that could suggest some kind of underlying risk they are taking,” Song said. “Volatility appears to be a stronger signal of uncertainty and risk than just the amount itself.” 

Jane Song

Neuman added that volatility in UTB additions may signal new or evolving tax positions that attract heightened scrutiny from tax authorities and impact investors’ perceptions of risk.

“Some investors are OK with risk while others are not,” she said. “If investors can understand a company’s risk level, they can make capital allocations that are consistent with their taste level for risk.”

The researcher team, which also includes Philip W. Kunz from the Cress School of Accountancy at the University of Memphis, theorized that volatile UTB additions could signify shifts in tax planning — perhaps due to new tax laws, innovative strategies or adjustments in business operations — that might attract increased scrutiny from tax authorities. Unlike stable or decreasing UTB additions, volatility in these reserves might reflect less familiar or riskier tax positions.

With that in mind, the researchers analyzed data spanning a decade from U.S. public companies. What they found was compelling: Firms with higher UTB volatility indeed faced greater scrutiny from the IRS, leading to more frequent audits and larger settlement payments in subsequent periods. Moreover, these companies tended to have lower credit ratings and experienced higher stock return volatility, suggesting that investors perceived greater overall risk associated with volatile tax positions.

Neuman and Song also identified factors contributing to UTB volatility, such as volatile research and development expenditures, geographic expansions and changes in financial leverage. 

The researchers’ ongoing study has practical implications for investors, creditors and regulators aimed at gauging and managing tax-related risks effectively. 

“There has been a push in recent years to figure out how we measure tax risk for companies,” Neuman said. “We still haven’t found a good, clean way to figure out which companies have more tax risk than others, but our study gives us a better idea of which companies are little bit riskier.”

Neuman and Song’s study, “What Does the Volatility of Tax Reserves Signal about Firms’ Tax Positions?,” was reviewed by participants at the 2023 National Tax Association Annual Conference. 

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  • Procter & Gamble: History, Popular Brands and Products
  • History of Procter & Gamble: Timeline and Facts
  • Market Analysis of the Procter & Gamble Company
  • Procter & Gamble: Company Strategies and Challenges
  • Leadership, Disruption, and Innovation at Procter & Gamble
  • The Strategic Impact of Procter & Gamble’s Stringent Supplier Regulation and Oversight
  • Procter & Gamble-Committed to Innovation & Growth That Grows
  • Chinese-Oriented Advertising Strategy of Procter & Gamble
  • Procter & Gamble’s Blueprint for Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Leadership
  • An Example of Open Innovation Success With Procter & Gamble
  • Procter & Gamble’s Generic Competitive Strategy & Growth Strategies
  • The Manufacturing Success Story of Procter & Gamble: From One Store to a Global Brand
  • Changing the Game in Strategic Sourcing at Procter & Gamble: Expressive Competition Enabled by Optimization
  • Procter & Gamble: Founding History and the Company’s Formula for Success
  • Brand Management and Marketing Careers at Procter & Gamble
  • Procter & Gamble Corporation: Value Co-Creation Through Open Innovation

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These essay examples and topics on Procter & Gamble were carefully selected by the StudyCorgi editorial team. They meet our highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, and fact accuracy. Please ensure you properly reference the materials if you’re using them to write your assignment.

This essay topic collection was updated on September 3, 2024 .

CS 550: Advanced Computer Networks (Modern Datacenters)

Course overview.

This advanced graduate-level course focuses on the key aspects of modern datacenter networking. Students will explore the differences between traditional Internet architectures and modern datacenters, with an emphasis on cutting-edge technologies, practical applications, and ongoing research. The course is designed to equip students with the necessary knowledge to engage with state-of-the-art networking research and practices.

Office Hours and Contact

  • Instructor: Balajee Vamanan
  • Office Hours: Friday 3–4 PM at SEO 1310 or by appointment via email.
  • Email Policy: Use Piazza for questions/discussions about lectures, papers, and projects. Email is reserved for personal matters only.

Course Goals

  • Familiarize students with state-of-the-art networking research, specifically in datacenters.
  • Practice reading and critiquing research papers.
  • Develop skills for reproducing research results.
  • Class Webpage: https://www.550.cs.uic.edu
  • Piazza: https://piazza.com/uic/fall2024/cs550/home
  • Blackboard: For grades and other official communications.
  • Book: Lecture notes and papers

Modality of the Class

Each class will focus on the discussion of 1-2 research papers. Students are expected to read and critique papers before class, and most of the lecture time will be dedicated to in-depth discussion.

Prerequisites

  • CS 450 or equivalent: Students must be familiar with basic networking concepts and be comfortable with coding and debugging.
  • Project Work: The course involves a significant project component, where students will code and benchmark their work.

Grading Breakdown (Tentative)

  • Class Participation: 10%
  • Paper Presentations: 30% (2-3 papers per student)
  • Paper Critiques: 20%
  • Proposal (1-2 pages): 10%
  • Presentation (15 mins + 5 mins Q&A): 10%
  • Report (10-12 pages): 10%
  • Demo (10 mins): 10%

Topics and Schedule (tentative)

Course outline, week 1: introduction to datacenter networks.

  • Overview of datacenter architecture
  • Evolution of datacenter networks
  • Key challenges in datacenter networking

Week 2: Datacenter Topologies

  • Traditional three-tier architecture
  • Clos networks and fat-tree topologies
  • Emerging topologies (e.g., DCell, BCube)

Week 3: Datacenter Network Protocols

  • TCP/IP in datacenter environments
  • RDMA (Remote Direct Memory Access)
  • Datacenter TCP (DCTCP)

Week 4: Software-Defined Networking (SDN) in Datacenters

  • SDN architecture and principles
  • OpenFlow and other SDN protocols
  • SDN controllers for datacenters

Week 5: Network Virtualization

  • Network overlays (VXLAN, NVGRE, STT)
  • Network Function Virtualization (NFV)
  • Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) in datacenters

Week 6: Load Balancing in Datacenters

  • Layer 4 vs. Layer 7 load balancing
  • Software vs. hardware load balancers
  • Advanced load balancing algorithms

Week 7: Datacenter Traffic Engineering

  • Flow scheduling
  • Multipath routing (ECMP, MPTCP)
  • Traffic prediction and optimization

Week 8: Quality of Service (QoS) in Datacenters

  • QoS requirements for different applications
  • QoS mechanisms (traffic shaping, policing, marking)
  • End-to-end QoS in multi-tenant environments

Week 9: Network Security in Datacenters

  • Threat models for datacenter networks
  • Firewalls and Intrusion Detection/Prevention Systems (IDS/IPS)
  • Microsegmentation and zero-trust networking

Week 10: Datacenter Interconnects

  • Intra-datacenter connectivity
  • Inter-datacenter networking
  • Software-defined WANs (SD-WAN) for datacenter interconnection

Week 11: Network Monitoring and Telemetry

  • Network monitoring tools and techniques
  • Streaming telemetry
  • Network analytics and machine learning for anomaly detection

Week 12: Energy Efficiency in Datacenter Networks

  • Green networking techniques
  • Energy-aware routing and scheduling
  • Power management in network devices

Week 13: Datacenter Network Performance

  • Performance metrics and benchmarking
  • Latency and throughput optimization
  • Congestion control mechanisms

Week 14: Emerging Technologies in Datacenter Networking

  • Programmable data planes (P4)
  • Optical networking in datacenters
  • Silicon photonics and co-packaged optics

Week 15: Cloud-Native Networking

  • Container networking (e.g., Kubernetes networking)
  • Service mesh architectures
  • Network automation and Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

Week 16: Future Trends and Research Directions

  • AI/ML-driven network management
  • Satellite networks and their impact on datacenter connectivity
  • Edge computing and its impact on datacenter networks

How to Succeed in this Class

  • Keep up with the class materials and participate in discussions.
  • Read and critique papers before each class.
  • Prepare your presentations thoroughly.
  • Start your project early and maintain regular progress.
  • How to read a paper: pdf
  • (Sep 3) VL2: A Scalable and Flexible Data Center Network: pdf
  • Reference: Original fat-tree paper: pdf

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  29. 49 Procter & Gamble Essay Topics & Research Titles at StudyCorgi

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  30. CS 550: Advanced Computer Networks (Modern Datacenters)

    Email Policy: Use Piazza for questions/discussions about lectures, papers, and projects. Email is reserved for personal matters only. Course Goals. Familiarize students with state-of-the-art networking research, specifically in datacenters. Practice reading and critiquing research papers. Develop skills for reproducing research results. Resources