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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?

Are you also learning about dynamic equilibrium in your science class? We break this sometimes tricky concept down so it's easy to understand in our complete guide to dynamic equilibrium .

Thinking about becoming a nurse practitioner? Nurse practitioners have one of the fastest growing careers in the country, and we have all the information you need to know about what to expect from nurse practitioner school .

Want to know the fastest and easiest ways to convert between Fahrenheit and Celsius? We've got you covered! Check out our guide to the best ways to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit (or vice versa).

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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Ultimate List of 265 Research Topics for College Students

Ultimate List of 265 Research Topics for College Students

How often do you freeze up after receiving an assignment to write a research paper? We know how tough it can be, particularly in a flood of possible research topics for students. Choosing that one idea from plenty of research proposal topics for college students is the foremost step in any academic project.

Lack of inspiration? We made an ultimate list of research topics for college students. You will find art, biology, social science, education, and even more fun research topics for college students. Don’t scour the tons of outdated or dull topics anymore. A much better alternative would be to look at essay examples instead. 

What’s more, we prepared three main steps to start converting the chosen topic into a successful research paper. Besides, we will dispel any uncertainty in research importance. 

Is Research Important?

  • Art Research Topics
  • Biology Research Topics
  • Educational Topics
  • Environmental Topics

Gender Research Topics

  • Law Research Topics

Literature Research Topics

  • Music Research Topics
  • Psychology Topics
  • Religion Research Topics
  • Science Research Topics
  • Social Science Topics

Sports Research Paper Topics

How to start a research paper, top 10 research topics for college students:.

  • Human impact on biodiversity loss
  • Internet’s effect on freedom of speech
  • Is isolation a cause of child abuse?
  • Negative effect of pop culture trends on youth
  • Pros and cons of free education
  • Is AI a threat to humans?
  • The impact of modern technology on ecology
  • Can nuclear power be safe?
  • Economic impact of GMO food
  • Negative effect of climate change on economy

Before getting into the importance of research, let’s understand what kind of work it is.

Research is an analysis aimed at discovering of new facts or revising existing theories. It consists of several steps. The most common are:

  • Research methodology setting
  • Research problem statement
  • Data extraction and gathering
  • Assessment of the gathered data
  • Conclusions summarizing

What Are the Purposes of Research?

The intentions are countless, but here are the general ones:

✨ to accept or reject a hypothesis; ✨ to gather information on a phenomenon or subject; ✨ to initiate further research or to “dig deeper.”

Why Is It important?

Research makes our life easier. The underlying cause of new discoveries is to understand how things work. If we acquire that data, we’ll know how to get practical value out of it.

Think of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. As we meet our deficiency needs, its level grows. At the same time, the demand for new knowledge increases. That is why discovering new is a never-ending process.

That is all clear. But you may ask: why do I need research skills in my day-to-day life?

After graduation, you will most likely still need research skills at work. No matter what the industry is. Either you decided to excel in science or form a hi-tech startup. If you want to achieve success, you should have strong research skills.

All in all, having research skills is one of the core elements of personal and social growth. It helps to generate additional findings or set new questions around existing knowledge.

Now let’s move on to the list of research topics.

Art Research Paper Topics

We’ll start from the study area, which is difficult to measure. We talk about art. For some, it may seem easier to study than exact sciences. But still, the number of questions about various genres, forms, and art styles is beyond imagination.

Why should we not overestimate the importance of studying art ?

Art is not just something for connoisseurs. It has always been and still is vital for the whole of society. What affected humanity’s development? Of course, the way people express their everyday life or feelings through art.

Besides, thanks to art, we can see things from different perspectives. It makes us open-minded and helps to develop critical thinking. And, most apparently, art fills our lives with beauty and elegance.

Art is so diverse that students may struggle to choose from a myriad of research areas. Here are some of the hottest art research paper topics for you:

  • The influence of the internet and social networks on art.
  • Researching of Greek mythological painting.
  • The comparison of modern art in the United States and Europe.
  • The representation of art in Lars von Trier’s films.
  • The influence of African-American cultural heritage on modern American art.
  • What are the features of contemporary art ?
  • Frida Khalo and her sources of inspiration.
  • The role of Kazimir Malevich in abstract art development.
  • Art in the early renaissance and today’s European society .
  • Art therapy techniques: what are they and are they effective?
  • The difference of women’s representation in ancient and modern art .
  • Comparative analysis of modern and classic cubism .
  • The history and main features of abstract expressionism .
  • The relationship between art and globalization .
  • The influence of art on the fashion industry in Japan.

Biology Research Topics for College Students

Let’s move on to biology. This science deals with vital processes of living organisms. We’ve gathered a list of topics from different biology fields. You’ll find essay ideas from the fields of botany and zoology to genetics.

Research in biology has one distinctive feature. It is the use of research lab equipment. If you don’t use it and base your research on other sources — make sure they are credible.

What are the attributes of a research paper in biology?

Molecular biology, cellular, and other categories of biology imply accurate measurements. There is no place for mistakes here. Otherwise, the relevance of research results would be insignificant. A researcher should be scrupulous in calculations and statements.

So, feel free to pick up any topics from the list below. Study them thoroughly!

  • The impact of global warming on marine life.
  • Extensive research of photosynthesis aspects and functions.
  • Thyroid hormones and their impact on the female body.

Thyroid hormones fact.

  • DNA structure, modifications, and genetic disorders .
  • Is it ethical to test cosmetics on animals ?
  • The ability of living organisms to adapt to changing environments.
  • The need for the protection of rare and endangered species .
  • The role of sustainability in biology.
  • Advantages and disadvantages of organic farming .
  • The role of neurobiology in artificial intelligence development.
  • The discovery and impact of Darwin’s theory .
  • The discovery, history, and importance of vaccination .
  • The role of microbes and microbiology in health .
  • Neurobiology and its association with emotional trauma .
  • Biology: mechanical signals regulating development .
  • Cultural variations in environment and biology: AIDS .
  • A review of the ecology and biology of the whale shark.
  • Performance and quality assessment of methods for detection of point mutations.
  • Optical imaging techniques in cell biology .
  • Computational methods in molecular biology .

Educational Research Topics for Students

What can be trickier than studying how to study? Education research papers evolve at a rapid pace as the world changes every day. That is why new techniques and approaches are in demand.

No other discipline will answer the milestone questions as well as education. And the most important is about human nature.

What can make a precious contribution to society? The definite answer is — driving innovations in studying .

Want to remain in history as an author of a revolutionary breakthrough? Explore educational research paper topics for college students:

  • Language distribution issues in bilingual schooling .
  • Critical thinking as the primary goal of the educational process.
  • Role-playing games as a learning tool .
  • Pay-for-performance scheme for teachers .
  • Moving from compliance to performance-based schools .
  • Bilingual learning: advantages and disadvantages.
  • Educational approaches in retrospective.
  • Aspects of multicultural educational practices .
  • The importance of inclusivity in teaching .
  • Popular modern educational techniques: a comparison.
  • Arithmetical problem-solving difficulties .
  • Learning methods for blind children.
  • The role of technology in lesson planning .
  • Role-playing as an educational practice.
  • The need for parents’ involvement in the educational process.
  • Tools to develop the best teaching strategy .
  • The efficiency of gamification .
  • Individual approach to students.
  • Popular educational mobile apps.
  • Peculiarities of teaching disabled children .
  • Same-gender and mixed-gender schools: a comparative analysis.
  • Understanding the causes of school violence and bullying.
  • The importance of sex education at schools.
  • The educational system in America : problems and prospects.
  • Cloud computing in educational institutions: an impact on the educational environment.
  • Ethical behavior in higher educational institutions.
  • Cooperation of educational institutions and businesses: successful cases.
  • Information technology as a means of educational process improvement.
  • Homeschooling and its influence on communication skills.
  • Comparative analysis of distance learning and face-to-face education efficiency.
  • Individualized versus group learning.
  • The necessity of higher education for all students.
  • Best practices of top higher education establishments.
  • Peculiarities of teacher’s education in America.
  • Preschool education versus tertiary education .
  • Teacher as a researcher. Cross-age peer tutoring .
  • Multicultural and monocultural education programs: a comparison.
  • Comparison of advantages and disadvantages of tablets and printed textbooks .
  • Should education be free?
  • Education unification: reasons to apply in high schools.

Environmental Research Topics

Our day-to-day comfort is an inherent cause of environmental problems. We may drive a car and have no idea how we harm nature.

Eco activism is a growing trend. Ecology issues acquired a more frequent and lucid coverage. Regardless, people tend to overlook the environment. They got the idea that we should protect our planet, but not all of them are ready to act.

That is why we need to be aware of more facts and measures. This can’t be obtained without decent environmental science research papers.

Do you want to be a part of it? Use our list of environmental research topics for college students:

  • Risks of climate change and global warming .
  • Aspects and perspectives of Kyoto protocol .
  • Green hydrogen in automotive industry : is it a great alternative?
  • The origin of the carbon tax .
  • Amazonian deforestation , its causes, and trends.
  • The greenhouse effect : process, components, and risks.
  • Types of pollution : air, water, and soil.
  • Alternative energy in Europe.
  • Water scarcity in the Middle East .

Water scarcity in the Middle East fact.

  • Wind energy as an alternative source .
  • Benefits of sustainable technology and living .
  • Vulnerability of hazardville to flooding disasters .
  • Environment protection authority and chemical waste .
  • Population control in China.
  • Geoengineering principles.
  • Acid rains : the cause and current measures.
  • Radioactive waste disposal.
  • The protection of wildlife .
  • E-mobility as an environmental protection measure.
  • Ecological conservation.

Gender roles and aspects are one of the central social questions nowadays. Studies in this field are as relevant and necessary as never before. It pushes our society forward, eliminating gender inequality and discrimination.

Do you want to contribute to gender knowledge but don’t know where to start? Here is the list of most relevant gender studies essay topics:

  • Public policy analysis on gender inequality in education in South Sudan.
  • The history of gender concept.
  • Gender imbalance in the developing countries.
  • Sex reassignment in treating gender dysphoria : a way to psychological well-being.
  • Employee issues: gender discrimination, sexual harassment , discrimination.
  • Gender roles in couples and sex stereotypes in society.
  • The diversity of gender and sexual orientation identities of transgender individuals.
  • MeToo movement as sexual harassment fight measure.
  • Feminism : the contraception movement in Canada.
  • Maternity and paternity leaves .
  • The correlation between gender and cognitive abilities .
  • Transgender people and healthcare barriers .
  • Race and gender in public relations .
  • Gender stereotyping in American media .
  • The health and well-being of LGBTQA+ young people in Australia.
  • Cancel culture in America.
  • Transgender healthcare issues.
  • Transgender person in professional sports.
  • Female genital mutilation.
  • Gender roles in media.

Law Research Paper Topics

We cannot imagine a civilized society without law. Even though the fundamental rights and obligations in different countries are mostly similar, there is still a great scope of differences to research.

We gathered the list of law research paper topics to explore:

  • Human rights violations in CIS countries.
  • A self-enforcing model of corporate law .
  • Corporate strategies and environmental regulations : organizing framework.
  • The benefits of decriminalization .
  • International criminal law and measures .
  • Discrimination in the workplace in legal practice.
  • Welfare legislation for families .
  • Intellectual property law: copyright law, trademark law, patent law.
  • Enforcement of civil rights law in private workplaces.
  • The establishment of foreign and international law in American courts. A procedural overview.
  • Family law : spousal support after a divorce in Canada.
  • Employment law and workplace relations in Saudi Arabia.
  • Applicable real estate laws and policies for sustainable development in South Africa.
  • Retrospective of the immigration crisis in Europe.
  • The need for a domestic violence law in Russian Federation.
  • Religious crimes and religious laws.
  • Terrorism in different countries’ law systems.
  • Grievance procedure in the European court of human rights.
  • Cybercrimes in legal practice.
  • Human trafficking and slavery in the modern world.

When it comes to literature, there is a vast ocean of ideas to research. The topics can be classified into a large number of categories. Those can be literature genres, awards, trends in literature, different social aspects of literature, etc.

To make finding the best fit easier, we conducted a list of the world literature research topics:

  • Golden Age writers and their impact on literature.
  • Feminist literature authors.
  • Y. Zamyatin’s “We” as the origin of dystopian literature.
  • Trends of modern literature .
  • Ancient Greece literature.
  • Is best seller always good literature?
  • Tricksters in literature.
  • Post-modernism in literature .
  • Sexual violence in the “Handmaid’s Tale” by Atwood .
  • Children literature.
  • The works of J. D. Salinger .
  • Social perception of modern literature .
  • Philosophy, literature, and religion in society: a comparative analysis of the impact on human life.
  • The portrayal of racism in the literature of the 21st century.
  • Censorship in literature.
  • Professional literature trends.
  • Central themes in American literature .
  • The impact of digitalization on literature.
  • The role of the main character in literature.
  • Literature: print versus digitalized?

Music Research Paper Topics

Research is something we can do not only in astronomy or molecular biology. We need it in the music too. Music shapes our life in a way we can’t even imagine. It’s a tremendous social and cultural phenomenon to explore.

These are 20 potential topics for your research in the music industry :

  • The effect of music on a human brain .
  • The evolution of rap music .
  • TikTok as the most efficient promotional channel for new music.
  • The origin of music theory.
  • The music industry and information technology .
  • The influence of Kanye West performances on the music industry.
  • Music journalism : the most influential music media.
  • Feminism and sex in hip-hop music .
  • Opera and instrumental music .
  • The origin of music festivals .
  • Reggae music and its aspects .
  • Latin American women and trap music .
  • Streaming services prospects.
  • Music as the way of promoting new trends.
  • Features of punk music.

Psychology Research Paper Topics

Psychology is a multidisciplinary kind of field. That means there’s a wide range of potential research questions.

Do you need to write a psychology paper? Explore the list of possible topics:

  • Cross-cultural psychology : research and application.
  • The psychology of self-esteem .
  • Aspects of industrial and organizational psychology .
  • The psychology of learning and motivation : skill and strategy in memory use.
  • Description of remarkable experiments and their results in psychology.
  • The influence of meditation on people’s health .
  • Analyzing psychological disorders: disorders treatment and research .
  • Personality psychology and zen Buddhism .
  • Perception of psychology in society .
  • Organizational behavior. Emotion and personality .
  • Children’s emotional development .
  • Predictors of postpartum depression.

Postpartum depression statistics.

  • Symptoms, causes, and treatment of schizophrenia .
  • The social, political, and religious reasons of homophobia .
  • Eating disorders in males: current progress and challenges.
  • The side effects of antidepressants .
  • Cognitive psychology : best cognitive scientists’ practices.
  • Social anxiety as a constraint in learning.
  • Alzheimer’s disease : working strategies for disease modification.
  • The relation between the aging process and psychology.

Religion Research Paper Topics

Religious institutions, beliefs, and customs also get explored in papers quite often. That is rather a controversial sphere of education, so we gathered the most relevant religion paper topics below to help you.

  • The religious significance of the Bible .
  • The place of women in Islam .
  • The history of Christianity in Indonesia .
  • Assessing a crisis of faith and making a pastoral crisis intervention.
  • Forced religion: cause and effect on children.
  • The problem of creation mythology in the study of Indian religion.
  • Existence of God : a philosophical introduction.
  • Religion and mythology: concepts, differences.
  • The role of religion in attitudes toward LGBT individuals.
  • Issues and traditions in western religion .
  • Theology in the concepts of nature, time, and the future.
  • Religion and government interaction in the US.
  • The history of the Christian church in East Europe.
  • Religion freedom and its limitation .
  • Hinduism and Buddhism: similarities and differences .
  • Baptism in Christianity .
  • The impact of religion on terrorism .
  • The God of Israel and Christian theology .
  • Culture and religion: how they interact.
  • Religion and social morality.

Science Research Topics for College Students

What is a better way to uncover the mysteries of our universe than through science? As it comprises multiple types and directions, there is a vast number of questions to answer.

We suggest you the following science research paper topics:

  • Paris climate agreement perspectives.
  • Ethical aspects of cloning .
  • Political science in the US: past and present issues.
  • Genetic engineering and cloning controversy .
  • The development of life on Earth .
  • The current state of nuclear energetics in America.
  • Nuclear weapon -free zones: a history and assessment.
  • Solid earth dynamics and the evolution of the Antarctic ice sheet.
  • Natural hazards : local, national, global.
  • Geophysical fluid dynamics: atmospheric dynamics, dynamo theory, and climate dynamics.
  • Data science as a key element of data-driven decision-making.
  • Robotics & mobility systems in agriculture: successful cases.
  • Legal models of space resources exploration and utilization.
  • The social context of recycling : factors influencing household recycling behavior.
  • Trends in consumer attitudes about agricultural biotechnology .
  • Theory of turbulence: a mathematical model that illustrates it.
  • Dual-mode infrared and radar hardware-in-the-loop test equipment.
  • Essentials of computational chemistry: theories and models.
  • Genetic algorithms in astronomy and astrophysics.
  • A fundamental relation between supermassive black holes and their host galaxies.

Social Science Research Topics

Sociology is an umbrella term that covers dozens of branches. It studies family, social movements, mass media, class theory, race, ethnicity, levels of income. We could go on and on.

As you can see, the options for research are endless. Don’t waste your time trying to understand the peculiarities of each social or cultural branch. Use our list of social science research paper topics for college students.

  • Social movements of 21 st century.
  • Strauss–howe generational theory in marketing.
  • Social media as a “hotbed” of narcissism .
  • The nutritional status of vegans and vegetarians .
  • Gender identity and community among three transgender groups in the United States: MTFs, FTMs, and genderqueers.
  • Social causes of anorexia in young women.
  • The civil rights in South America.
  • #BlackLivesMatter movement and its influence on society.
  • Gay marriage in America : current debates.
  • Dependency of the children mortality level on the anti-vaccination movement development.
  • Judaism in the first centuries of the Christian era.
  • School choice and segregation by race, class, and achievement.
  • The correlation between race and wealth.
  • Freedom and social status of blacks in America .
  • The problem of abortion .
  • Causes and effects of drug addiction .
  • Horizontal and vertical gender segregation in employment .
  • Effects of domestic violence on children.
  • The poverty level in the US: a retrospective analysis.
  • Women leadership and community development.

We are approaching the end of our ultimate research paper topics list. To wrap it up, let’s take a look at sports research ideas.

It has been present in our lives for a long time and is still developing. That’s why we need to answer new questions and build new knowledge. Explore the list below:

  • How does globalization affect sports?
  • History of doping scandals in the Olympics .
  • Team sports as a socialization tool for children.
  • The origin and history of ice hockey.
  • Organizational aspects of Paralympic games.
  • Aspects of independent Olympians at the Olympic games .
  • The unique history of Pelé.
  • Risk factors for injuries in football.
  • Short interval versus long interval training.
  • Sport as a communication medium .
  • Nutritional support of young athletes .
  • Mental training during competition preparation.
  • Philosophical conflicts between the practices of sport and cybersport.
  • Running as a treatment for heart diseases .
  • Typical traumas of soccer players.

5 steps of Research Process.

After getting familiar with the list of topics, let’s discuss the essential steps before beginning research.

Narrow Your Topic

Let’s say you selected that one topic from the list. What’s next? It’s time to outline the boundaries of the research. It should not be too broad or narrow . Its scope must strictly correspond to the problem’s scope under exploration.

What is the difference between a narrow and a broad topic?

Let’s look at three research topic examples:

  • Eating Disorders. The topic is too general and comprehensive. If your research paper requires to be short, then there is no sense in choosing this topic. You better narrow it down.
  • Eating Disorders in Young Females. In this topic, we try to segment the subjected populations to specify the research question. It is still rather broad but more focused.
  • Anorexia in Young Females and Its Impact on Society. Here, we distinguish a particular type of eating disorder and leave a population segmentation. That is a perfect example of a narrowed topic. Now, it’s easier to ask specific questions, uncover insights and contribute to further research.

Focus on your narrowed topic and form a central research question. After that, research the existing data and find supporting facts. Don’t let your exploration be one-sided: explore different points of view. Compare and analyze counterpoints and draw conclusions.

After a profound studying, create a thesis statement to support your narrowed topic in a specific way.

To make things clear, use this step-by-step guide on finding and narrowing your topic.

Evaluate Sources

It takes a second to get access to billions of search results on any topic in Google. Most of the time, we jump through the first two or three links, and that’s it. If you seek quality, then it’s not the proper approach. You should acquire the skill of processing the sources.

What are the tips for source evaluation?

  • Forget about Wikipedia as a scientific source. Wikipedia is a free platform where any user can make edits. Extracting information from wiki without fact-checking isn’t a good academic practice. Great alternatives to Wikipedia are College e-libraries, scholarly databases, Google Scholar, etc.
  • Explore well-respected professional research journals. They contain up-to-date research data and conclusions which shape the most relevant views and understanding of what is going on in the modern world.
  • Visit libraries. We tend to overlook them in our digital era. But you can find super valuable sources for research there.
  • Avoid personal blogs, opinion articles, and self-published books . There can be heavy use of bias.

3 Main Tips on Writing a Thesis Statement

After you decide on a research topic and sources, it’s time to write a thesis statement.

  • Ask a question. Here are two options. In the first one, your professor can assign you a concrete question. If it’s not your case, then ask what interests you. What would you like to explore?
  • Give an initial answer. Try to answer the question before in-depth topic exploration. Work out some hypotheses.
  • Enrich the initial answer. Prove the initial hypothesis by detailing the research. Use the calculations and quantitative data to make your thesis credible.

To back up these tips, let’s look at a couple of example thesis statements from the StudyCorgi essay database:

You’ve just explored an ultimate list of research paper topic ideas and important steps to turn those topics into excellent research papers.

Did you find our topics compilation helpful? Save it for a future reference or share with friends!

  • What Is Research? — Hampshire College
  • Definition of Research — Western Sydney University
  • The Importance of Research to Students — Cleveland University Kansas City
  • Guidelines for Writing Art History Research Papers — UA Little Rock University
  • Areas of Research in Biology — Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • Environmental Science: Current Research — Herald Scholarly Open Access
  • Thesis Statements — University of North Carolina
  • Thesis Statement Tips — Purdue University
  • What Is Education Research — National Center for Education Research
  • Research in the Faculty of Music — University of Cambridge
  • Research: Religion and Society Specialism — University of Birmingham
  • Sociology Research Areas — Cornell University
  • Narrowing a Topic Idea — UCS Libraries
  • Developing a Research Question — The University of Arizona
  • Organizing Academic Research Paper — Sacred Heart University
  • How to Write a Conclusion for a Research Paper: Indeed
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500 Good Research Paper Topics

Bonus Material: Essential essay checklist

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jump to paper topics in:

European & Mediterranean History

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

  • Latin American History

History of Science

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

  • Health Sciences & Psychology

Download the essential essay checklist

What is a research paper?

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

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

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

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

student writing research paper

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

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

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

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

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

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

student writing research paper

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

Get the essential essay checklist

What makes a good research paper topic?

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

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

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

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

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

This list could go on forever!

good research paper topics about the US Revolution

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

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

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

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

Access to research materials might look like:

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

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

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

student writing research paper

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

Insider tips to generate your own research paper topic

Use these formulas to generate your own research paper topics:

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

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

student writing research paper

Good research paper topics

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

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

Latin American History (post-1492)

  • How and why did the Spanish appropriate Aztec sites of significance (e.g. Mexico City at the site of Tenochtitlan)?
  • What were reactions among Latin American intellectuals (e.g. Luis María Drago, Alejandro Álvarez and Baltasar Brum) to the Monroe Doctrine?
  • How was the US’s involvement in the Venezuela Crisis of 1902–1903 a pivotal turning point in the relationship between the US and Latin American countries?
  • What were the effects of the US’s involvement in the Cuban War for Independence?
  • How did the Roosevelt Corollary of 1904 benefit the US?
  • How did Simon Bolivar’s time in Europe affect his ideas about Latin American independence?
  • How did 19th century academic societies play a role in the advancement of scientific discoveries? Who was excluded from these societies?
  • How was music connected to the sciences in medieval thinking?
  • When was the concept of zero first used, and how was it instrumental for advancements in math?
  • What role did Islamic Spain play in the spread of scientific advancements in medieval Europe?
  • What role has translation between languages played in the development of sciences?
  • Why were Galileo’s ideas about astronomy controversial at the time?
  • What was the connection between art and advancements in human anatomy?
  • Why were Darwin’s ideas about natural selection controversial at the time?
  • To what degree does the film Master and Commander accurately depict the voyages of Charles Darwin?
  • How did the discovery of quinine and other medical innovations help to facilitate the European colonization of Africa?
  • How and why was the internet invented?
  • Does Virgil’s Aeneid celebrate the new Roman Empire or subvert it?
  • Why was the poet Ovid exiled from Rome?
  • What are the pagan influences in Beowulf ? What are the Christian elements in Beowulf ? What does that tell us about late Anglo-Saxon England?
  • How does Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales reflect gender roles in late medieval England?
  • How does Dante’s Inferno draw on book IV of Virgil’s Aeneid ? 
  • How are gender roles presented and subverted in Shakespeare’s plays?
  • To what degree did Henry David Thoreau live out the ideals he described in Walden in his own life?
  • How did the serialized publication of novels affect the way that they were written?
  • Does Dickens’ novel A Tale of Two Cities accurately portray the French Revolution?
  • How did 18th-century novels propagate the idea of marrying for love?
  • What did contemporary readers think about Jane Austen and her novels?
  • To what degree do Jane Austen’s novels reflect economic realities for women in Regency England? What do they leave out?
  • How did Lord Byron’s personal life affect his poetry?
  • What do we know about the romantic life of Emily Dickinson?
  • What were the religious movements that influenced the writer George Eliot, and how do those influences appear in her novels?
  • In what ways were Walt Whitman’s writings new or different?
  • How did British poets react to the horrors of Word War I?
  • What do Tolkien’s letters reveal about the ways in which the two world wars influenced his writings?
  • How did the friendship between CS Lewis and Tolkien affect their respective writings?
  • What are the arguments for and against Catalonian independence from Spain?
  • What are the arguments for and against Scottish independence from the United Kingdom?
  • What are some risks of contact sports, especially for children?
  • What are the most effective policies for combating childhood obesity?
  • What are the most effective policies for reducing gun violence?
  • Which countries have the longest life expectancy and why?
  • What are some differences between the healthcare system in the US and in European countries? Which country has the most similar system to the US?
  • What policies for parental leave exist in different countries? What are some effects of these policies?
  • Has the drinking age in the US always been 21? What have been some different policies, and what were some consequences of them?
  • What is the debate around museum artifacts like the Elgin Marbles in London or the Benin Bronzes in Berlin?
  • How have politicians attempted to control population growth in different countries, either directly or indirectly? What have been some effects of these policies?
  • Which countries have the most gender parity reflected in national governments? How have they accomplished this?
  • How has public funding of K-12 education changed since the 1930s in the US? 
  • How has public funding of higher education changed in the US?
  • What is early childhood education like in different countries?
  • What are some effects of free or reduced-cost meals in schools?
  • How does access to menstrual products affect education outcomes for girls in different countries?
  • What was the impact of Rousseau’s writings on education?
  • How did Plato’s ideal forms of government reflect contemporary Athenian concerns about the unruly masses ( demos )?
  • How did Aristotle justify slavery?
  • How has wealth inequality increased in recent decades?
  • How is inflation calculated, and what are the implications of this methodology?
  • How have genetically-engineered crops changed the way that the planet feeds itself?
  • How has animal testing changed since 2000?
  • How is animal testing regulated differently in different countries?

Health Sciences and Psychology

  • How do different societies reflect the natural circadian rhythms of the human body?
  • How does secondhand smoke affect the human body?
  • How does lack of sleep affect the body?
  • How does stress affect the body?
  • What are some ways to reduce stress?
  • How have cancer treatments changed in the past 30 years?
  • Why is it hard to find a “cure” for cancer?
  • How has the Human Genome Project changed medical science?
  • How were the Covid vaccines developed so quickly? What is the difference between the various Covid vaccines that have been developed?

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Emily graduated  summa cum laude  from Princeton University and holds an MA from the University of Notre Dame. She was a National Merit Scholar and has won numerous academic prizes and fellowships. A veteran of the publishing industry, she has helped professors at Harvard, Yale, and Princeton revise their books and articles. Over the last decade, Emily has successfully mentored hundreds of students in all aspects of the college admissions process, including the SAT, ACT, and college application essay. 

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  • A Research Guide
  • Research Paper Topics

120 Interesting Research Paper Topics for College Students

Psychology college research paper topics:.

  • The impact of childhood trauma on adult mental health.
  • The role of genetics in the development of psychological disorders.
  • The influence of social media on body image and self-esteem.
  • The effects of mindfulness meditation on stress reduction.
  • The relationship between sleep deprivation and cognitive functioning.
  • The impact of parental divorce on children’s psychological well-being.
  • The role of gender stereotypes in career choices and success.
  • The effects of bullying on mental health and academic performance.
  • The psychology behind addiction and effective treatment approaches.
  • The influence of cultural factors on psychological disorders and treatment.
  • The role of attachment styles in romantic relationships.
  • The effects of music therapy on mental health and emotional well-being.
  • The psychology of decision-making and its implications in everyday life.
  • The impact of social support on mental health and resilience.
  • The relationship between personality traits and job satisfaction.

Sociology College Research Paper Topics:

  • The impact of social media on interpersonal relationships.
  • Gender inequality in the workplace: Causes and consequences.
  • The role of religion in shaping social attitudes and behaviors.
  • The effects of poverty on educational attainment.
  • Racial profiling and its implications for social justice.
  • The influence of family structure on child development.
  • The rise of online dating and its impact on traditional courtship rituals.
  • The relationship between social class and health outcomes.
  • The effects of globalization on cultural identity.
  • The role of media in shaping public opinion and political behavior.
  • The impact of immigration on social cohesion and integration.
  • The sociology of crime: Exploring the root causes and prevention strategies.
  • The role of social movements in driving social change.
  • The effects of mass incarceration on communities and families.
  • The intersectionality of race, gender, and class in shaping social inequality.

Education College Research Paper Topics:

  • The impact of technology on student learning outcomes
  • The effectiveness of inclusive education for students with disabilities
  • The role of parental involvement in student academic achievement
  • The influence of standardized testing on curriculum and instruction
  • The benefits and challenges of online learning in higher education
  • The impact of teacher-student relationships on student motivation and engagement
  • The effectiveness of differentiated instruction in meeting the needs of diverse learners
  • The role of early childhood education in preparing children for academic success
  • The impact of socioeconomic status on educational opportunities and achievement gaps
  • The effectiveness of school counseling programs in promoting student well-being and academic success
  • The influence of cultural diversity on classroom dynamics and student learning
  • The role of arts education in fostering creativity and critical thinking skills
  • The impact of teacher professional development on instructional practices and student outcomes
  • The effectiveness of school-based interventions in preventing bullying and promoting positive school climate
  • The influence of educational policies on teacher job satisfaction and retention rates

History College Research Paper Topics:

  • The impact of the Industrial Revolution on society and the economy.
  • The causes and consequences of World War I.
  • The role of women in the American Civil Rights Movement.
  • The origins and consequences of the Cold War.
  • The influence of ancient Greek philosophy on modern Western thought.
  • The rise and fall of the Roman Empire.
  • The impact of the French Revolution on European politics and society.
  • The causes and effects of the Great Depression.
  • The role of propaganda in shaping public opinion during World War II.
  • The significance of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in advancing racial equality in the United States.
  • The impact of colonialism on indigenous cultures in Africa.
  • The role of religion in the Salem Witch Trials.
  • The causes and consequences of the Russian Revolution.
  • The influence of the Renaissance on art and culture in Europe.
  • The origins and consequences of the American Revolution.

Chemistry College Research Paper Topics:

  • The role of catalysts in chemical reactions
  • Applications of nanotechnology in drug delivery systems
  • Analyzing the impact of air pollution on human health
  • Investigating the chemistry behind renewable energy sources
  • Exploring the synthesis and properties of graphene
  • Understanding the mechanism of enzyme catalysis
  • Investigating the chemistry of drug interactions and metabolism
  • Analyzing the role of antioxidants in preventing oxidative stress
  • Exploring the chemistry of natural products and their potential medicinal uses
  • Investigating the chemistry of water purification techniques
  • Analyzing the impact of heavy metal contamination on the environment
  • Understanding the chemistry of food additives and their effects on health
  • Investigating the chemistry of polymers and their applications in various industries
  • Analyzing the chemistry behind the production and effects of pharmaceutical drugs
  • Exploring the chemistry of atmospheric reactions and their impact on climate change

Medical College Research Paper Topics:

  • The impact of telemedicine on healthcare delivery
  • The role of artificial intelligence in diagnosing and treating diseases
  • The effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions in reducing stress among medical students
  • The relationship between sleep deprivation and medical errors
  • The use of stem cells in regenerative medicine
  • The ethical implications of genetic testing and gene editing technologies
  • The impact of social media on mental health among medical professionals
  • The effectiveness of vaccination campaigns in preventing infectious diseases
  • The role of nutrition in preventing chronic diseases
  • The impact of climate change on public health
  • The use of virtual reality in medical education and training
  • The effectiveness of alternative therapies in managing chronic pain
  • The relationship between physician burnout and patient outcomes
  • The role of personalized medicine in improving treatment outcomes
  • The impact of medical marijuana on pain management and opioid use.

Environmental College Research Paper Topics:

  • The impact of climate change on biodiversity loss.
  • The role of renewable energy in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
  • The effects of deforestation on local ecosystems.
  • The relationship between air pollution and human health.
  • The potential of sustainable agriculture in addressing food security.
  • The impact of plastic pollution on marine life.
  • The effectiveness of environmental policies in reducing pollution.
  • The role of urban planning in creating sustainable cities.
  • The consequences of water scarcity on agriculture and human populations.
  • The importance of environmental education in promoting sustainable practices.
  • The impact of industrial pollution on freshwater ecosystems.
  • The potential of green technologies in mitigating climate change.
  • The role of international agreements in addressing global environmental issues.
  • The effects of ocean acidification on coral reefs and marine organisms.
  • The relationship between socioeconomic factors and environmental justice.

Economic College Research Paper Topics:

  • The impact of globalization on income inequality.
  • The role of government intervention in promoting economic growth.
  • The effects of minimum wage policies on employment rates.
  • The relationship between education and economic development.
  • The economic consequences of climate change.
  • The impact of technological advancements on job displacement.
  • The role of entrepreneurship in economic development.
  • The effects of trade liberalization on developing economies.
  • The relationship between inflation and economic growth.
  • The impact of fiscal policy on economic stability.
  • The role of monetary policy in controlling inflation.
  • The effects of income taxation on economic behavior.
  • The relationship between foreign direct investment and economic growth.
  • The economic consequences of income inequality.
  • The role of financial markets in economic development.

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150 Research Paper Topics

150 Research Paper Topics

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

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

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

How to Choose a Topic for a Research Paper

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

Health Topics

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

Science Topics

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

Psychology Topics

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

Ethics Topics

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

Social Media Topics

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

Legal Issues Topics

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

Technology Topics

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

Government Topics

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

Education Topics

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

Business Topics

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

Sports Topics

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

Entertainment Topics

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

Current Events Topics

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

History Topics

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

Physics and Astronomy Topics

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

Animals Topics

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

Medical Topics

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

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Jay Willis joined Mometrix as Vice President of Sales in 2009, and has developed several key strategic relationships that have enhanced the distribution of Mometrix products. With nearly 20 years of sales experience in the publishing industry, his dedication to providing the highest quality experience for customers, coupled with his sales and marketing expertise, has resulted in significant growth of the Institutional Sales division. Learn more View all posts by Jay Willis

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 help to assist in situations where it is inconvenient. Some examples of these business research paper topics include:

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

Media and Communications Research Paper Topics

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

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

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

What Are Research Paper Topics?

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

Characteristics of Good Research Topics

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

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

How to Choose a Research Paper Topic?

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

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

List of Research Paper Topics

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

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

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Interesting Topics to Research

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

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

Easy Research Paper Topics

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

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

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Good Research Paper Topics

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

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

Best Research Paper Topics

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

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

Funny Research Paper Topics

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

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

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

Cool Topics to Research

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

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

Popular Research Topics

Are you looking for titles that are attractive to the majority of readers? Then it would be best if you looked at a popular research topic. To get you going, you can select a popular topic for a research paper from below: 

  • How instant messaging has affected literacy.
  • Negative impacts of digital learning in schools.
  • Causes and preventive measures for identity theft.
  • Cyberbullying: what is it and how can it be prevented?
  • Factors employed in preventing cases of sexual harassment at the workplace.
  • Are white-collar jobs losing their significance in the modern world?
  • Negative impacts of social networks on people’s mental health.
  • Effective ways to bridge gender inequalities at work.
  • Homeschooling: its advantages and disadvantages.
  • Differences between climate change and global warming.
  • How to overcome corruption cases in governance.
  • Reasons why police should always use body cameras.
  • Has social media changed human behavior?
  • Negative impacts of political scandals in America.
  • How did the Syrian Crisis start?

Controversial Research Paper Topics

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

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

Argumentative Research Paper Topics

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

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

>> Read more: Argumentative Essays Topics

Research Topic Ideas for Students

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

Research Paper Topics for Middle School

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

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

High School Research Paper Topics

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

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

College Research Paper Topics

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

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

Research Paper Ideas in Different Study Fields

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

Research Paper Topics on History

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

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

Literature Research Paper Topics

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

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

Psychology Research Paper Topics

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

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

Religion Research Paper Topics

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

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

Political Research Paper Topics

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

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

>> More ideas: Political Research Paper Topics

Research Paper Topics on Business

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

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

>> Read more: Research Topics About Business

Research Paper Topics on Education

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

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

>> Read more: Special Education Research Topics

Environmental Topics for Research Paper

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

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

>> Read more: Topics About Environmental Science

Health Research Paper Topics

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

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

>> View more: Mental Health Research Topics

Medical Research Paper Topics

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

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

>> Read more: Medical Research Topics

Sociology Research Paper Topics

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

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

Social Media Topics for a Research Paper

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

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

>> Read more: Research Topics About Social Media

Criminal Justice Research Paper Topics

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

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

>> View more: Criminal Justice Research Topics

Science Research Paper Ideas

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

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

Research Paper Topics on Technology

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

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

>> Read more: Technology Research Topics

Extra Research Paper Topic Ideas

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

Research Project Ideas on Art

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

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

Music Research Paper Topics

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

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

Sports Research Paper Topics

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

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

Bottom Line on Research Paper Topics

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

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Research Paper Guide

Research Paper Topics

Last updated on: Nov 20, 2023

Good Research Paper Topics & Ideas for Students

By: Nathan D.

22 min read

Reviewed By: Chris H.

Published on: May 28, 2019

research paper topics

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

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

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

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

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

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

research paper topics

On this Page

Research Paper Topics for Different Education Levels

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

Middle School Research Paper Topics

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

High School Research Paper Topics

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

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

College Research Paper Topics

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

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

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

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Research Paper Topics for 2023

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

History Research Paper Topics

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

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

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Art Research Paper Topics

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

Criminal Justice Research Paper Topics

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

Business Research Paper Topics

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

Ethics Research Paper Topics

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

Health Research Paper Topics

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

Government Policy Research Paper Topics

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

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Environment Research Paper Topics

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

US History Research Paper Topics

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

Sociological Research Paper Topics

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

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

Sports Research Paper Topics

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

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

English Linguistics Research Paper Topics

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

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

Education Research Paper Topics

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

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

World History Research Paper Topics

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

Social Media Research Paper Topics

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

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

Computer Science Research Paper Topics

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

Zoology Research Paper Topics

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

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

Psychology Research Paper Topics

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

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

Good Research Paper Topics

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

Argumentative Research Paper Topics

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

Persuasive Research Paper Topics

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

Best Research paper Topics

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

Interesting Research Paper Topics

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

Controversial Research Paper Topics

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

Tips for Choosing a Good Research Paper Topic

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

Explore Your Interest

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

  • Government policy
  • Culture and arts
  • Criminology
  • Psychology, etc.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nathan D.

Education, Research

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

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Research Paper Guide

Research Paper Topics

Nova A.

Interesting Research Paper Topics for 2024

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Research Paper Topics

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How to Write a Research Methodology for a Research Paper

Ever struggled to find the perfect topic for your research paper ? We get it – it can be a bit overwhelming. 

Picking something interesting and valuable for your academic journey isn't always easy. But don't worry, we're here to help!

Here, we have listed more than 300 research paper ideas for a variety of subjects.

These topics can help you get creative and find the inspiration you need. 

So read on! 

Arrow Down

  • 1. What are Good Topics for a Research Paper? 
  • 2. Research Paper Topics for Your Academic Level
  • 3. Research Paper Topics for Science & Technology
  • 4. Research Paper Topics For Social Sciences
  • 5. Research Paper Topics for Humanities
  • 6. Research Paper Topics on Economics
  • 7. Research Paper Topics Related to Marketing
  • 8. Best Research Paper Topics 2023
  • 9. How to Choose a Good Research Paper Topic?

What are Good Topics for a Research Paper? 

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

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

Research Paper Topics for Your Academic Level

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

High School Research Essay Topics

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

College Research Paper Topics 

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

Graduate Research Paper Topics

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

Research Paper Topics for Science & Technology

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

Research Paper Topics for Computer Science 

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

Research Paper Topics in Machine Learning

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

Research Paper Topics in Chemistry

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

Information Technology Research Paper Topics

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

Research Paper Topics Environmental Science

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

Research Paper Topics for Medical Students

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

Research Paper Topics in Zoology

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

Research Paper Topics For Social Sciences

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

History Research Paper Topics

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

Research Paper Topics for Education

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

Sociology Research Paper Topics 

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

Psychology Research Paper Topics

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

Research Paper Topics On Media And Communication

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

Political Science Research Paper Topics

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

Research Paper Topics for International Relations

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

Research Paper Topics On Culture

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

Research Paper Topics for Humanities

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

Research Paper Topics for English Literature

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

Research Paper Topics for English Linguistics 

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

Research Paper Topics on Arts

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

Research Paper Topics on Religion

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

Philosophy Research Paper Topics

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

Research Paper Topics for Ethics

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

Law Research Paper Topics

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

Research Paper Topics on Criminal Justice 

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

Research Paper Topics on Economics

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

Research Paper Topics Related to Marketing

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

Best Research Paper Topics 2023

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

Argumentative Research Paper Topics 

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

US History Research Paper Topics

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

Persuasive Research Paper Topics 

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

Easy Research Paper Topics 

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

Research Paper Topics on Current Affairs 

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

Controversial Research Paper Topics 

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

Research Paper Topics on Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

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

Nursing Research Paper Topics 

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

How to Choose a Good Research Paper Topic?

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

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

To conclude,

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

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

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

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

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Top 240+ Research Paper Topics for College Students

240+ Research Paper Topics For College Students

Research is an analysis done with the goal of discovering new information or revising accepted hypotheses. There are various steps to it. The significant steps are: 

  • Research methodology setting.
  • Research problem statement.
  • Data extraction and gathering.
  • Assessment of the gathered data.
  • Summarizes with the conclusion.

Though there are various purposes behind writing research, some general ones are: to reject or accept a hypothesis, to gather a piece of information on a subject or on a phenomenon, and to carry on and initiate further and more profound research.

Our lives are made easier by research. Understanding how things work is the fundamental driver of new discoveries. If we obtain that information, we will be able to determine how to utilize it practically. The desire for fresh knowledge also grows at the same time. Because of this, learning new things is an ongoing process. It's crucial to familiarize yourself with some of the following advice before diving into a study topic. Take attention since they can prevent you from earning the honorable scores you deserve!

  • Don't wait until the last minute to finish the essay; give yourself adequate time!
  • Before attempting to respond to your essay question, read and comprehend it.
  • Initially, generate some thoughts and see where they lead you.
  • Before you delve into writing the essay's major body, put together a thorough knowledge.
  • Go through the readings on a list.
  • You can get assistance from librarians if you ask them for it (you'll need reliable reading material and sources for your research).
  • Investigate the argument from all angles, not just the obvious ones.
  • Keep a dictionary close at hand.
  • Create your own judgment. Don't write your entire essay reiterating what others have said.
  • Beware of questionable sources, and only use reliable books, journals, and reports that have undergone peer review.
  • Don't wait till the conclusion to reference anything. It will be simpler if you do it on the go!
  • Don't overlook final editing and proofreading.

Here we are going to suggest to you some subject-wise research topics for college students:

1. Psychology research topics for college students:

The scientific study of the mind and behavior is called psychology. The study of conscious and unconscious events, such as emotions and thoughts, is included in psychology. It is a field of study that bridges the natural and social sciences and has a huge scope. There are a variety of psychology research paper themes for college students that explore numerous psychological subfields. We could list subjects for days on this subject because there is so much to discuss! Check through this list to see if there are any psychological research subjects for college students that you might be interested in.

  • Do we require a certain method for translating dreams?
  • Will physical activity enhance your emotional health?
  • What is the best way to maintain mental acuity as you age?
  • What stages of mental wellness are present in infants?
  • Why is it important for youngsters to play with others?
  • How can parents ensure their daughters have strong emotional well-being?
  • How can women's fluctuating hormone levels affect their emotional health?
  • How do you go about getting your therapy training?
  • How can sleep deprivation affect our mental health?
  • How does REM sleep affect our mental health?
  • Male eating disorders: contemporary developments and difficulties.
  • Antidepressants' side effects.
  • Best practices used by cognitive scientists in cognitive psychology.
  • As a barrier to learning, social anxiety.
  • Working methods for disease modulation in Alzheimer's.
  • The connection between psychology and the aging process.
  • How do women's kinships affect their emotional well-being—better or worse?
  • How may child abuse be distinguished from problems with psychological well-being?
  • How do problems in relationships affect a young woman's mental health?
  • What symptoms point to a dietary problem?
  • How can you assist someone who is having nutritional issues?
  • What are the symptoms, causes, and cures for schizophrenia? 
  • Cross-cultural psychology: investigation and use.
  • A study of self-esteem psychology.
  • Aspects of organizational and industrial psychology.
  • The psychology of learning and motivation: memory technique and strategy.
  • Description of outstanding psychological experiments and their findings.
  • What causes women to become dejected?
  • What are the effects of psychological disorders on women?
  • How can infertility affect women's psychological health?
  • What effects do antidepressants have on women?
  • What effects does prolonged drug use have on women?
  • Why do women commit suicide at a higher rate than men?
  • How do pressure side effects differ between men and women?
  • Postnatal depression.
  • What is typical mental functioning?
  • Are there any side effects from using Prozac?
  • When someone is ready to stop using their antidepressant prescription, what advice might you provide them?
  • Why are dreams difficult to remember?
  • What do dream recurrences mean?

2. Sociology research topics for college students

Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, social interaction patterns, and aspects of daily life-related culture. Numerous subfields are included under the general heading of "sociology." It investigates the family, social movements, media, class theory, racial and cultural diversity, and economic levels. We could continue forever.

There are many sociology study subjects available for college students, which can be confusing for some people. By concentrating on the top performers, we have already done the hard work. View the recommended discussion topics listed below.

  • Is compulsion in unofficial communities only acceptable for children?
  • Rom-coms' effects on women.
  • The relationship between class and social gatherings.
  • How are interpersonally secure organizations?
  • Is it secure to share your personal information with other people through social networks? Who is passionate about your data?
  • Online versus offline relationships
  • Is blogging evolving into a new profession?
  • Is eating disorders a result of online life sharing? How can one handle it?
  • Examples of children from working-class families who have achieved social success.
  • 21st-century social movements.
  • Strauss-Howe generational marketing theory
  • Narcissism "hotbed" on social media.
  • The dietary status of vegetarians and vegans.
  • MTFs, FTMs, and genderqueers are three transgender groups in the United States that share a common gender identification.
  • Young women's anorexia has social causes.
  • South American civil rights.
  • The #BlackLivesMatter movement and its impact on society.
  • Do homosexuality and nationality have anything in common?
  • When should kids start asking inquiries about sexual orientation?
  • Should lessons on sexual orientation be taught in schools?
  • The historical context for women's rights in different countries.
  • How sex studies affect self-assurance.
  • The acceptance of LGBT people in different households.
  • How does a person's country of origin affect their career in legislative foundations?
  • What effects do informal communities have on formal communities?
  • The effects of a web-based lifestyle on people. Do they cause people to feel hopeless and obsessed with themselves?
  • Enslavement via interpersonal organizations: A research.
  • Current discussions over gay marriage in America.
  • Dependence on the growth of the anti-vaccination movement on the amount of child mortality.
  • In the early decades of the Christian era, Judaism existed.
  • School selection and achievement-based segregation.
  • The relationship between wealth and race.
  • Black Americans' freedom and social standing in America.
  • The issue with abortion.
  • Drug addiction's causes and effects.
  • Vertical and horizontal gender segregation in the workplace.
  • Offline relationships versus offline relationships.
  • Class discrimination at social gatherings.
  • Women's leadership leads to community development.
  • What is the influence of domestic violence on children?

3. History research topics for college students:

History is the research and recording of the past. Prehistory is the period of human history prior to the development of writing systems. The term "history" is used to refer to memory, discovery, collecting, organization, presentation, and interpretation of historical events. History can teach us so many valuable lessons. For college students, there are numerous history research paper subjects available. Not to worry, we only chose the best. Check to see if any of these appeal to you.

  • What functions did the Japanese shogun play?
  • Rome's young rulers.
  • What effects did the slave trade have on the European economy?
  • Describe the Byzantine empire's impact.
  • What was the system of the Silk Road?
  • What effects have the Jaffa riots had on society?
  • What did they contribute to nationalism and why was he China's most important composer?
  • how Jews have been treated over the past 100 years.
  • What has the Bosworth battle accomplished for the UK?
  • How well does morality serve a function in medieval England?
  • The top ten Korean War battles.
  • the consequences of the Jewish religion throughout the past century.
  • the variations in religious practises throughout the past century.
  • The top ten engagements in World War One.
  • African tribal cultures.
  • How has the feudal system functioned historically?
  • Which of Henry VIII's wives was the best?
  • Who had the most impact on music in Austria, and why?
  • This dude has been around for a long time.
  • Pharaohs of Egypt and their impact on history.
  • The history of Inuit cultures.
  • the historical impact of the Muslim faith.
  • Why were Ataturk's policies flawed? Did they offer assistance to Turks?
  • Who was the most well-known composer in Germany, and why?
  • The Gutenberg Bible was what?
  • How was the French Revolution impacted by the guillotine?
  • In the previous century, which cultures ruled the Nile Valley?
  • Describe the issues with religion.
  • The impact of Hinduism on history
  • the circumstances under which gladiators lived in ancient Rome.
  • How has Petra Nash benefited Italian Renaissance painters?
  • The top ten Second World War battles.
  • how the Sphinx was constructed in antiquity.
  • Whose societies have earned the least respect over the years?
  • Muslims have been handled in various ways during the past 100 years.
  • The idea of divine rights and 17th-century royalty.
  • How are cathedrals constructed?
  • Impact of the french revolution on the entire world.
  • American revolution and abandonment of slavery.
  • Beginning of the democratic world.

4. Environmental studies research topics for college students:

Human connection with the environment is methodically studied in the diverse academic discipline of environmental studies. In order to solve the complicated contemporary environmental concerns, environmental studies integrates concepts from the physical sciences, business/economics, humanities, and social sciences. The basic root of environmental issues is our daily comfort. Without realizing it, we may damage the environment when we drive a car.

The trend of eco-activism is expanding. Environmental issues are now covered more frequently and clearly. In any case, humans frequently ignore the environment. Not all of them are prepared to take action, but they all agreed that we should safeguard the environment. We must therefore be more informed in terms of facts and measurements. Without good environmental science study articles, this is impossible to achieve.

Do you wish to participate? Use the themes on our list for college students' environmental research:

  • What are the dangers of global warming and climate change?
  • Viewpoints on and aspects of the Kyoto Protocol.
  • Is green hydrogen a good option in the automotive industry?
  • where the carbon price first appeared.
  • Deforestation in the Amazon, its causes, and trends.
  • The greenhouse effect: its causes, effects, and dangers.
  • There are three different types of pollution: soil, water, and air.
  • Europe's use of alternative energy.
  • There is a Middle Eastern water shortage.
  • The growing danger posed by global climate change
  • City Ecology
  • The principles of renewable energy and methods for addressing the issue of sustainable energy
  • Antarctica's preservation
  • Human impacts of climate change
  • Associated industries with acid rain
  • Pesticides' Contribution to Soil Pollution
  • Humans' contribution to global warming
  • the root causes of forest fires
  • Strategies for controlling the greenhouse effect
  • Acidification of the sea
  • Effects of discarding plastic bags
  • The impact of rising temperatures on marine animals' thermal ecology
  • Climate change's effects on agriculture
  • The devastation of coral reefs
  • How the oil spill has affected the marine environment
  • Environmental effects of landfilling solid waste
  • global individuals and global issues
  • role of government agencies in promoting environmental health
  • Environmental pollution's effects on human health
  • The effects of toxic chemicals on the environment's health
  • Can cancer be caused by air pollution?
  • Environmental and genetic influences on human health
  • Urbanization's effects on environmental health
  • Urban flooding poses a health and environmental risk.
  • markers of environmental health
  • Environmental and Occupational Health
  • How does lush greenery enhance public health?
  • Discuss the effects of Bisphenol A (BPA) on environmental health and safety.
  • Air pollution's effects on the environment's health and safety
  • How do pathogenic bacteria impact the environment?
  • Discuss the effects of algal blooms on the environment.

5. Educational research topics for college students

The systematic gathering and examination of information about education are referred to as educational research. Numerous techniques and facets of education, such as student learning, teaching strategies, teacher preparation, and classroom dynamics, may be included in the research. 

  • The various cultural effects of various instructional techniques.
  • What are some of the effects on student education when school systems operate year-round?
  • Can teachers teach more effectively in a classroom with iPads and smart ports?
  • What is the reason for some American students falling behind their counterparts from Third World nations?
  • Effective effects of lengthy school days on academic performance.
  • Effects of technology on the organization and delivery of lessons.
  • How parent involvement in schooling has an impact.
  • Effects of fine arts education on attention span.
  • How has home education evolved over the past 100 years?
  • The various ways that technology has affected education and classrooms.
  • What could lead to a teacher's burnout?
  • What might make some schools incapable of educating their students?
  • What are some learning consequences on student involvement when iPads and laptops are available in the classroom?
  • What impact does physical education have on students' ability to focus in primary school?
  • Are single-sex schools a superior option or should we make all schools coed?
  • How do anti-bullying initiatives in schools operate?
  • What are the benefits and drawbacks of wearing a school uniform?
  • How have fillies been able to influence academic staff members?
  • What are some negative repercussions of operating public high school campuses?
  • How can standard testing be used to enhance our educational system?
  • Do those with a college degree earn significantly more money than those without one?
  • Should everyone have access to free education?
  • How can technology improve our teaching practises going forward?
  • Why do many believe that school is dull?
  • How can we modify teaching techniques for blind students using technology?
  • The impact of hiring metal detectors in schools.
  • A research project on social media and education.
  • What effects have standardized testing had on student grades in the twenty-first century?
  • How much can labeling a student as gifted improve their cooperation?
  • The impact of ADHD on school-aged children.
  • Why do students leave school?
  • Successful examples of collaboration between corporations and educational institutions.
  • Information technology is a tool for bettering the educational process.
  • The impact of homeschooling on communication abilities.
  • The efficiency of face-to-face education versus online learning compared.
  • Group learning vs individualized learning
  • All pupils must pursue higher education.
  • Best practises of prestigious institutions of higher learning.
  • Peculiarities of American teacher education.
  • Postsecondary education vs. preschool education.
  • As a researcher and teacher. age-diverse peer tutoring.
  • Programs for multicultural and monocultural education are contrasted.
  • Comparison of the benefits and drawbacks of printed textbooks vs tablets.
  • Is free education a good idea?
  • Unifying education: justifications for applying in high schools.

6. Business research topics for college students

The fundamentals of business, management, and economics are the focus of the study area known as business studies, or just business. It incorporates components from operations, accounting, finance, marketing, organizational studies, and human resource management. Everyone aspires to financial security and professional success. Check out these college students' business research subjects. Hopefully, your article will motivate you to achieve success one day.

  • The impact of copyright legislation on business.
  • The impact of franchise success on economic development.
  • Consumer behavior changes during the last 100 years.
  • Using charity as a corporate success tactic.
  • The advantages and downsides of outsourcing to other countries.
  • Increasing output using ecological principles.
  • The future of our company in terms of business rituals.
  • Commercial negotiation and diplomacy.
  • The surroundings and how they affect commerce.
  • Relationships between private equity firms and the government.
  • The 21st-century characteristic of brands.
  • Service in the military and how it affects business.
  • Consumption habits and their effects on business.
  • The various ways that firms use social media to sell their products.
  • Beginnings in the twenty-first century.
  • Young companies.
  • The economy's leader is the small enterprise.
  • Third World business transactions.
  • Business and taxes.
  • The morality of commerce and taxes.
  • The variations in corporate cultures between various nations.
  • How to promote to your target market.
  • Which option is best for business?
  • Business crisis management.
  • Taking risks in business.
  • Market failures and their causes.
  • The demise of business and free-market capitalism.
  • Monopolies' impact on the market.
  • Can business and personal ties coexist successfully?
  • Different sorts of business dynasties
  • Current consumer behavior trends
  • Innovative leadership
  • Corporate culture and company customs
  • Dialogue and diplomacy
  • Successful advertisement
  • American patterns in global trade
  • Success in business and geo-arbitrage
  • Benefits of boosting brand awareness
  • A growing market on social media.
  • A positive working atmosphere and a diverse workforce for the corporate world.

Conclusion:   we have provided you with more than 40 topics of every subject along with their definitions for better understanding. Keep enjoying this journey of research topics with Desklib.  

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Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Choosing a Topic

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The first step of any research paper is for the student to understand the assignment. If this is not done, the student will often travel down many dead-end roads, wasting a great deal of time along the way. Do not hesitate to approach the instructor with questions if there is any confusion. A clear understanding of the assignment will allow you to focus on other aspects of the process, such as choosing a topic and identifying your audience.

A student will often encounter one of two situations when it comes to choosing a topic for a research paper. The first situation occurs when the instructor provides a list of topics from which the student may choose. These topics have been deemed worthy by the instructor; therefore, the student should be confident in the topic he chooses from the list. Many first-time researchers appreciate such an arrangement by the instructor because it eliminates the stress of having to decide upon a topic on their own.

However, the student may also find the topics that have been provided to be limiting; moreover, it is not uncommon for the student to have a topic in mind that does not fit with any of those provided. If this is the case, it is always beneficial to approach the instructor with one's ideas. Be respectful, and ask the instructor if the topic you have in mind would be a possible research option for the assignment. Remember, as a first-time researcher, your knowledge of the process is quite limited; the instructor is experienced, and may have very precise reasons for choosing the topics she has offered to the class. Trust that she has the best interests of the class in mind. If she likes the topic, great! If not, do not take it personally and choose the topic from the list that seems most interesting to you.

The second situation occurs when the instructor simply hands out an assignment sheet that covers the logistics of the research paper, but leaves the choice of topic up to the student. Typically, assignments in which students are given the opportunity to choose the topic require the topic to be relevant to some aspect of the course; so, keep this in mind as you begin a course in which you know there will be a research paper near the end. That way, you can be on the lookout for a topic that may interest you. Do not be anxious on account of a perceived lack of authority or knowledge about the topic chosen. Instead, realize that it takes practice to become an experienced researcher in any field.

For a discussion of Evaluating Sources, see Evaluating Sources of Information .

Methods for choosing a topic

Thinking early leads to starting early. If the student begins thinking about possible topics when the assignment is given, she has already begun the arduous, yet rewarding, task of planning and organization. Once she has made the assignment a priority in her mind, she may begin to have ideas throughout the day. Brainstorming is often a successful way for students to get some of these ideas down on paper. Seeing one's ideas in writing is often an impetus for the writing process. Though brainstorming is particularly effective when a topic has been chosen, it can also benefit the student who is unable to narrow a topic. It consists of a timed writing session during which the student jots down—often in list or bulleted form—any ideas that come to his mind. At the end of the timed period, the student will peruse his list for patterns of consistency. If it appears that something seems to be standing out in his mind more than others, it may be wise to pursue this as a topic possibility.

It is important for the student to keep in mind that an initial topic that you come up with may not be the exact topic about which you end up writing. Research topics are often fluid, and dictated more by the student's ongoing research than by the original chosen topic. Such fluidity is common in research, and should be embraced as one of its many characteristics.

The Purdue OWL also offers a number of other resources on choosing and developing a topic:

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55 Research Paper Topics to Jumpstart Your Writing

JBirdwellBranson

The research paper is one of the most tried and true assignments in high school or college. It's your teacher's opportunity to see how well you can research, convey, and organize that research, and assemble everything into one five-paragraph (or maybe 15-page) paper.

Before you get started on your paper, you'll need to have a comprehensive understanding of what your teacher expects out of your completed assignment, as well as a really great topic that you can spend a lot of time researching. However, with several classes filled with many students, your teachers have likely seen the same topics over and over (and over) again. Here are some research paper topics that are guaranteed to keep your interest (and theirs). Borrow one of these ideas or get inspiration from this list, which is broken down by subject category.

Social issues research paper topics

Social issues are always going to exist, unfortunately. But the more we learn about what they are, how we can solve them, and how to prevent them, the better off we'll be. Here are a few social issues topics to think about and to do research on.

  • Many children are diagnosed with ADD or ADHD and are subsequently put on medication, but some advocate that children are overly medicated and that we should instead have more patience for those who can't sit still or have minor behavioral issues. How should this issue be approached?
  • The homeless population in the United States is more than 1.5 million people. What are the conditions that lead to someone's being homeless? Are there ways to combat it?
  • Girls who have been in the foster care system are more likely to be human trafficked. Why is this? What can be done?
  • Someone who grows up in poverty is more likely to live in poverty all their life. Why is that? How can someone escape poverty?
  • Opioid addiction is a huge issue in the United States right now. What led to the widespread abuse of opioid drugs? What is being done to solve this problem?
  • Sexual assault is a hot button issue on college campuses. How widespread is sexual assault on college campuses and what is being done to stop it?
  • Each year, 1.2 million students drop out of high school. What is causing them to drop out? What can be done to combat the dropout rate?
  • Many terminally-ill patients in America are advocating for assisted suicide. What countries already allow this, and what are the pros and the cons?
  • Performance artists in public places such as beach boardwalks have their activities regulated by some local governments. Why is this? What are the pros and the cons?
  • TV shows such as "Hoarders" have shed light on people who collect tremendous amounts of items, trash, and/or animals in their house. How are these people being helped? What causes hoarding problems?

Political research paper topics

The events in politics may always be changing, but the nature of politics remains the same. There's always a lot to discuss and a lot to learn, making for a very interesting research topic for your paper. Here are a few ideas to get you thinking.

  • North Korea has recently ramped up its nuclear program. What are some ramifications of this?
  • There has been a large political divide in the country for the past few years. What factors led to the large division?
  • What is the AHCA? How is it different from the ACA?
  • The U.S. recently pulled out of the Paris Climate Agreement. What is the Paris Climate Agreement and what is America's history of involvement with it?
  • Confederate monuments are being torn down after the events in Charlottesville. Write about the history of one confederate monument that's been torn down. When was it built? What were the circumstances of it being constructed?
  • Some feel that religious liberties have been threatened in the United States for several years. Why do they feel this way? What is the history of religious liberties in this country?
  • Much of the news in the last couple of years has been the rise of populism. What is the definition of populism? How does it affect the political climate?
  • Many parents are choosing not to vaccinate their children because they have read that there is a link between vaccines and autism. Should parents have to vaccinate their children to guarantee herd immunity for all children? Even though the evidence points out that vaccines do not cause autism, why do parents still insist? How have certain celebrities contributed to this issue by being vocal on this topic?
  • Many people in "Middle America" don't feel that their viewpoints are adequately expressed in the national media. Why do they feel this way? How does this affect national discourse?

Historical research paper topics

Many of us learn a lot about the Revolutionary War or the Civil War in our classrooms, but often there's not enough time to explore everything that you might be interested in. Here are a few off-the-beaten-path research paper topics that will be sure to capture your attention as well as your instructor's.

  • What caused the market crash of 2008? How are we still recovering?
  • There were several all black towns in the United States in the early 20th century. What led to the establishment of these cities?
  • Who were the Freedom Riders?
  • What were the Tulsa Race Riots?
  • What was Female Hysteria in the Victorian era?
  • There are a lot of conspiracy theories surrounding Kennedy's assassination. Research about one in depth and discuss how the theory came about.
  • What was the Korean War over? How does it affect society today?
  • What was the Vietnam War over? How does it affect society today?
  • What was the Space Race? Who were the major players and why did it matter so much who got to the moon first?
  • Why did a lot of protesters and "hippies" gather at Haight-Ashbury in the 1960s? Write about the history of this notable neighborhood in San Francisco.
  • What were Jim Crow laws? How do they still affect society today?
  • When was Affirmative Action enacted? How does it still affect society today?
  • What was the Reconstructive era? How does it still affect the South today?
  • What was Watergate? Who were the major players and what was the result? How did it affect the country?
  • What was the Equal Rights Amendment? Why was it not ratified?
  • What was Prohibition? What were the circumstances and why did it finally end?
  • Who was the first woman to hold political office in the United States?
  • Eleanor Roosevelt was a very notable First Lady. Who was she and why was she so important?
  • What was the case Loving v. Virginia? Who did it involve and what was it about?

Environmental research paper topics

There are many things to learn and research on about the world around us. Whether it's how we can combat climate change or research alternative fuels, it's important to know the answers for a healthy global environment for our future children and grandchildren. Here are a few ideas for environmental research paper topics.

  • What is global warming? What can we do to minimize the effects of it?
  • Some people say that certain global warming studies are funded by industries that have a vested interest in the issue, such as solar energy companies. How are they funded and conducted? Should the research be conducted by impartial parties?
  • The polar ice caps are melting. What does this mean for our environment?
  • There are many endangered species throughout the world. Pick one to write about and write about conservation efforts being made.
  • What are alternative fuels? Should we use them or not? Write about the pros and the cons.
  • What are some ways you could individually reduce your carbon footprint?
  • What countries are leading the globe on combating climate change? What steps are they taking to lead the way?
  • What is deforestation and how does it affect the environment?
  • Many coral reefs are disappearing. Why is that and what kind of actions are scientists taking?
  • What are sinkholes? Why do they occur?

Film, literature, and art research paper topics

Film, literature, and art are part of what defines a culture. It's not surprising then that there is much to explore when you are thinking about these topics. Here are a few interesting paper topics that pertain to film, literature, and art.

  • Look at a list of classic films. Pick one and write about why it was so influential.
  • In the year 2017 it's still quite rare to find a female film director. Pick a favorite female film director and discuss what unique perspectives she adds to film and culture.
  • There's more of a push to ignore the traditional "canon" of literature because it features a lot of white, male writers. What do this mean and what do you think of it?
  • Female artists are highly underrepresented in art museums throughout the world. Is it just that there aren't many female artists traditionally? What are some efforts being made to include more female artists?
  • Some people feel that Hollywood is hypocritical in embracing director Roman Polanski. What makes them feel this way? What events made him a controversial figure?
  • Read a banned book and research on why the book was banned. What were the circumstances?
  • They say poetry is a dying art. What do you think? Is poetry still alive and well?

After you've chosen a topic, be sure to get a second opinion

Choosing an interesting research paper topic is often half the battle. Once you get a topic nailed down that you're really fascinated by, it's a lot easier to research and write about it.

After you've written all of the content of your research paper, it's always important to get someone to look over your paper and ensure that it's error-free and makes sense to the reader. If you have any questions, be sure to reach out to your instructor or a parent for advice. Finally, if you want to ensure that your paper doesn't contain any spelling or grammar mistakes, you should consider hiring a professional editor such as one from ServiceScape to take a look at your paper. A professional can help you spot an error that you may have missed and help you achieve clean, easy-to-read copy that is guaranteed to impress.

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200 Easy Research Paper Topics for College Students in 2021

200 Easy Research Paper Topics for College Students in 2021

Writing research papers is a must-do step in any educational process at college. In many cases, professors allow students to be creative with choosing a topic to complete this type of academic assignment. This privilege usually sounds great at first glance. However, thousands of learners might feel overwhelmed with a wide choice of interesting research topics they can find online. 

The truth is that you can easily get lost in countless research paper topics available on different websites. Moreover, exploring and narrowing down the solutions for your essay might appear too challenging. The reason is that many research topics for college available online are outdated or contain too broad concepts for the research. To make your investigation process easier, we’ve collected a list of 200 new and innovative topics for composing an impressive research essay, presentation, or report. No worries if you have little writing experience or creativity - this guide will help you choose a fresh solution for your assignments in no time. 

How to Choose Research Study Ideas for College Students

If the professor gives you complete freedom to pick up a topic, we have good news for you. Now, you can select a field or niche according to your individual preferences and background knowledge! There is no need to compose a boring paper that will make you yawn during the entire writing process. However, make sure you follow some basic rules of choosing good research paper topics below.

Stick to Your Favorite Topic 

Are you fond of cars? Feel free to research the benefits and drawbacks of electric automobiles. Can’t imagine your life without sports? Explore the dope issue in professional sports. The key to developing a successful paper is to write about the topic that makes you feel excited. If you write about something you show zero interest in, the process will likely slow down and become more challenging. Therefore, always try to find something inspiring.

Choose Understandable Solutions 

Many students are interested in modern technologies or space exploration. However, writing on these topics requires having advanced knowledge in the corresponding areas. Still, few learners can boast of having a deep understanding of artificial intelligence, computer programming, or space technologies. That is why it is better to look for easier and more comprehensive topics to write about. As a result, you will reduce the amount of time for research and cope with the college task faster. 

Make Sure You Will Find Enough Information 

When choosing ideas for a research paper, you need to make sure there are at least several reliable sources you can use for researching. The fact is that if you pick a truly out-of-the-box solution, you might fail to find enough relevant information about it. The same rule works for outdated topics. In case you select a played-out idea, you will hardly find new and up-to-date sources to support your idea. Here is a little hint for you: if you are looking for the relevant information for a chosen idea but fail to find anything suitable, it is better to change your topic. 

Look for Clear and Understandable Concepts and Issues 

When searching for the best research paper topics, don’t forget to think about your audience. What does it mean? The fact is that it is necessary to pick up a solution that is completely understandable for both you and the readers. In other words, avoid sticking to extremely difficult or complex topics that might make your audience feel confused. In case you use some specific terms in your paper that might be unfamiliar to the common reader, it is better to explain them briefly. 

Try to Be Specific 

Picking up too broad topics for research papers is one of the most common mistakes of hundreds of students. To avoid this issue, it is better to stay away from too general solutions that can be described from dozens of sides. Otherwise, you might go down in tons of diverse data and arguments you can use for your paper. Being precise and choosing only the most powerful facts are among the features of any successful student.

Look For Something Unique 

Picking up topics for a research paper some of your classmates are also writing about is never the best choice. It is better to select an idea you will be able to describe from an unusual perspective. If you prefer to cover simple and comprehensive topics, it will be great to try an innovative approach to describing facts. However, don’t experiment with the paper’s structure and focus on providing exclusive and original arguments only. The best research academic papers are intriguing and inspiring. 

Be In Trend 

There is nothing new that trendy topics attract more attention from the audience. The reason is that they have a huge unexplored potential and amazing research opportunities. If you pick up an emerging topic, you will likely get higher grades for your academic assignment. 

Simple Research Topics: Education 

If you are still wondering which idea is the best one for composing your research paper, it might be good to write about education . The truth is that this topic is one of the easiest to write about. Moreover, you will effortlessly find countless relevant sources to support your ideas related to education. Feel free to grab one of these handy solutions you can put into practice when writing your academic paper.

  • Are Standardized Tests Good to Evaluate the Student’s Knowledge? 
  • How to Make Education More Accessible for Students With Disabilities?
  • Should Tuition Become Free at All Colleges in the United States?
  • How Can Schools and Colleges Support International Students?
  • Becoming a Student and a Successful Businessman: Is It Possible? 
  • The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Education Sector
  • The Benefits of Social Networking at College and University 
  • The Innovations in the Education System of the United States 
  • Is It Possible to Start Building a Career During Studies?
  • How Can Schools Stop Violence Among Students? 
  • Should American Learners Have a “Gap Year”?
  • The Analysis of the Finnish Education System 
  • Homeschooling vs. Learning in the Classroom
  • British vs. American Education Systems
  • The Teaching Technologies of the Future 
  • Should College Students Have a Part-Time Job?
  • Is There Any Discrimination at High Schools?
  • Should Schools Have Sexual Education Lessons?
  • Most Common Issues of Bilingual Education
  • Why Do Students Need to Learn Religion at School? 
  • How to Stop Cheating on Exams
  • Student Loans: Pros and Cons
  • The Pros and Cons of Same-Sex Classrooms
  • The Development of Women’s Right to Education
  • Montessori Method: Advantages and Drawbacks 
  • Effective Ways to Improve the Quality of Teaching
  • How Can the Issue of “Useless Classes” Be Solved?
  • Should Colleges Become Business-Driven?
  • How to Improve Modern Elementary Education?
  • Should School Children Wear Uniforms?
  • How to Stop Hazing at High Schools? 

Unique Research Topics on Health

To put it short, these solutions remain topical among young learners for years. If you would like to select a comprehensive and brilliant solution for your research paper, choosing topics related to health might help you finish your essay fast. What to research? Here is a list of ideas you can start writing about right now. 

  • The Impact of Drugs on the Human Body
  • How to Stop Consuming Too Much Junk Food?
  • How Much Fruit and Vegetables Should a Common Student Consume per Day?
  • The Correlation Between Mood and the Health of the Immune System 
  • Is It Possible to Stop the COVID-19 Spread in All Countries?
  • Why Do Many Girls Suffer From Anorexia During Their Studies?
  • The Mental Issues of the Most Well-Known Criminals 
  • The Impact of Classical Music on Overall Well-Being
  • Main Reasons for Facing Serious Allergies
  • The Importance of Regular Health Screenings 
  • Ways to Prevent Serious Mental Diseases
  • Kids’ Vaccination: Advantages and Risks
  • Birth Control Issues in Developed Countries
  • The Impact of Breastfeeding on the Kids’ Health
  • The Impact of Insomnia on the Quality of Life
  • Most Effective Ways to Control Obesity
  • Top Reasons to Consume More Fats Regularly
  • Artificial Vitamins: Should Everyone Consume Them?
  • The Role of Nutrition for Maintaining Brain Health 
  • How to Decrease Stress Levels of Teenagers
  • The Pros and Cons of Reconstructive Surgery
  • Acupuncture: The Hidden Health Benefits 
  • The Most Important Aspects of Neonatal Nutrition 
  • Impact of Emotional Stability on Human Health 
  • Uncommon Solutions to Improve Short-Term Memory
  • Should Elementary Schools Have Homework?
  • The Psychology of Gifted People
  • Top Issues of Cardiovascular Care
  • How to Keep Your Brain Healthy
  • The Impact of Sports on Human Health 
  • The Future of Natural Medicine 
  • New Strategies for Coma Recovery
  • Basic Rules of Sun Safety 
  • The Dangers of Low-Fat Diets
  • The Future of Antibiotics Therapies
  • Pros and Cons of Dietary Supplements 
  • Non-Medical Cancer Treatments 
  • Most Effective Ways to Make Your Brain Work Harder 
  • Religion and Health
  • Benefits of Swimming
  • Eating Disorders 

Easy Research Paper Topics: Environment 

If you would like to follow the path of Greta Thunberg, it might be good to start your way with composing papers related to environment protection and ecology. Explore the main issues in this field and come up with an impressive research paper in a matter of a couple of hours. 

  • The Main Dangers of Air Pollution
  • Greenhouse Effect: Myths vs. Reality
  • Ways to Stop Marine Pollution
  • Advantages and Drawbacks of Using Pesticides in Agriculture
  • GMO Products vs. Organic Food
  • The Importance of “Green Programs” in Developing Countries
  • The Problem of Radioactive Waste Disposal
  • Should Environmental Regulations Become Stricter?
  • Is the Problem of Global Warming Exaggerated?
  • The Problem of Water Deficit in Developing Countries
  •  Ways to Protect Endangered Wildlife 
  • How Can an Individual Help Save an Environment?
  • Why Should Children Learn About Global Warming?
  • The Advantages of Solar Technologies
  • The Main Dangers of Producing Too Much Plastic
  • How to Start Using Eco-Friendly Products?
  • The Changes in the Climate of Earth in the 21st Century
  • The Analysis of the Deforestation Levels in South America
  • How to Improve Access to Clean Water in All Countries Globally? 
  • Is It Possible to Manage Overpopulation?
  • The Prospects of Nuclear Energy

Interesting Topics to Research: Technology and Media 

Modern technologies are developing at a breakneck speed. The new solutions, apps, and approaches revolutionize different industries and elevate the quality of lives of millions of people. If you choose a nice solution about innovation and computing for your essay, you will definitely have a chance to attract the attention of the audience. Top research papers topics ideas are right here below! 

  • The Possible Ways to Develop Artificial Intelligence Systems
  • How Will Smartphones Change in the Near Future?
  • The Benefits of Cloud Solutions in Storing Data
  • Top Areas to Use Drone Technologies
  • Ecommerce Solutions vs. Local Retailers
  • Online Currencies and Their Impact on the Global Financial System
  • How to Avoid the Dangers of the Dark Web?
  • Will Self-Driving Cars Become Common in the Future?
  • Privacy Issues Online
  • The Future of Blogging
  • Online vs. Offline Communication
  • Will People Colonize Mars?
  • Nanomedicine: Myths and Realities
  • Online Payments and Paper Money 
  • Breaking the Sound Barrier 
  • Is Social Media a New Technology?
  • Technologies That Might Impact Human Behavior
  • Safest Ways to Store Information in the 21st Century 
  • How Do Modern Technologies Allow People to Work From Home?
  • The Impact of Modern Technologies on Globalization
  • The Perspectives of Online Gaming
  • The Impact of Advertisements on Kids and Teens
  • Newest Technologies Used in Surgery
  • Internet Addiction and the Ways to Prevent It 
  • Censorship Control

Top Solutions Related to Business and Economy 

Many students are looking for research papers topics for college-related to the economy, e-commerce, and business. If you are one of them, explore this ultimate list of the newest ideas related to these popular spheres.

  • Most Effective Ways to Improve the Economy of the Developed Countries
  • How to Start Your Business in E-Commerce
  • Modern Ways to Manage Inflation
  • How to Fight Poverty and Hunger 
  • The Role of Taxes in the Modern Economy
  • How Did Industrialization Change the World?
  • International Tourism During the Pandemic Times
  • Industries That Were Impacted by the COVID-19 Crisis
  • The Correlation Between Culture and Economic Growth
  • How Can Immigration Impact the Country’s Economy?
  • The Global Pandemic and Employment Rates
  • Role of a Leader in Modern Business
  • Choosing the Best Work Environment 
  • The Impact of Corporate Culture on the Employment Rate
  • How to Set Up Effective Business Links?
  • The Most Common Issue of Taxation of Small Businesses
  • The Advantages of a Four-Day Workweek
  • How to Stop Discrimination at the Workplace?
  • Drawbacks of Using Unethical Business Practices
  • Social Media Ads to Promote Small Businesses 
  • How to Improve the Effectiveness of a Human Resource Department? 
  • Why Do Companies Attract International Investors?
  • Most Effective Types of Business Models
  • How to Become More Competitive in a Chosen Market?
  • Government Regulations and Business
  • Basic Reasons to Increase the Minimum Wage in the United States
  • Most Promising Business Ideas for the Near Future

Hot Topics for Research Paper: Family and Communication

Family is an essential part of our lives. How to set up healthy family relationships? What is the role of parents in raising children? Feel free to use any of these ideas for your research paper.  By the way, good research topics related to communication are also collected in this paragraph. 

  • Marital Rape and Its Impact on the Personality
  • Impact of Divorce on Kids and Teens
  • How to Stop Abusive Relationships?
  • How to Make Your Children Happier?
  • Effective Ways to Solve Conflicts in Families
  • How to Improve Communication Between Siblings?
  • Role of Grandparents in Raising Children 
  • Lack of Communication Between Family Members
  • Why Do Children Kill Abusive Parents?
  • The Impact of Parents’ Depression on Their Children
  • Happy Childhood and Leadership 
  • Advantages of Having a Big Family
  • Drugs and Alcoholism in Modern Families
  • Impact of Home Life on Child Development 
  • Do All Children Need to Respect Their Parents?
  • The Criticism of Freud’s Theories
  • Important Parental Rights
  • Gender Roles in the Family
  • Basic Family Values
  • Domestic Abuse 

Easy and Interesting Research Paper Topics

Many students face difficulties when choosing an idea for composing an academic paper. If you are not good at writing on education, health, business, or family relationships, it might be great to search for something more exciting. Here is a list of diverse topics you might find good-looking. 

  • The Role of International Health Organizations in Modern Society 
  • Corporate and Business Laws: Most Common Issues
  • Why Do Many People Watch TV Shows and Series?
  • Future of Chinese Economy
  • The Future of Video Streaming Services
  • Women’s Rights in the Modern World
  • How to Support Global Peacekeeping 
  • Gender Stereotypes in Advertising
  • Classical Hollywood Cinema 
  • Landmark Court Decisions
  • Possible Ways to Use 3d Printers
  • Portrayals of Superheroes in Movies
  • Cannabis Legalization: Pros and Cons
  • Should Companies Stop Animal Testing?
  • Criminalizing Protests
  • Socialism vs. Capitalism
  • How Has Feminism Changed Over the Years?
  • Origins of Racial Discrimination 
  • Should Modern People Read More?
  • Top Effective Promotion Solutions for Startups
  • Crowdfunding & Outsourcing
  • Policies That Are Related to Transgenders 
  • Role of Cultural Revolutions
  • How to Decrease Crime Rates in Big Cities?
  • What Are the Benefits and Drawbacks of Fracking?
  • Freedom of Religion: Basic Issues
  • Body Cameras for Police Officers: Pros and Cons
  • Should Penalties for Drunk Driving Become Stricter?
  • Abstinence Program: Do They Truly Work?
  • The Importance of Writing Research Papers at Colleges
  • Effective Techniques to Erase Bad Memories 
  • Ways to Solve the Immigration Crisis
  • Stereotypes in Modern Culture
  • Gun Safety and Control Policies

Top Tips to Writing a Winning Research Paper 

Picking up an excellent topic is only about 20% of the job you need to do to compose a flawless research paper. What’s next? Are there any prompts that might help you finish your assignment in no time? Sure! Our experts are ready to share some secrets on composing fantastic essays within the shortest terms. 

Double-Check the Professor’s Instructions 

The secret truth is that there are many types of research papers you might face during your studies. Consequently, these papers might have different requirements and writing rules you need to follow. How to find out how to compose your essay? The easiest way to discover all details is to read the instructions shared by the professor. Although it is a must step all students need to do before they start writing, many learners often forget about this easy rule. By the way, what information can you find in the college writing instructions? As a rule, you will find these types of data:

  • deadlines for completing assignments;
  • formatting styles;
  • the tone of voice you need to use;
  • assignment goals;
  • length specifications;
  • list of topics;
  • key features for your writing;
  • submission method;
  • most common mistakes you need to avoid. 

It is recommended to read the instructions at least a couple of times to make sure you understand all the requirements and specifications of your research paper. Avoid starting to write your essay before you’ve learned its basic rules. 

Be Realistic 

Many students are very confident about their research and writing skills. Therefore, thousands of learners still believe they can effortlessly develop a top-notch research paper in just a couple of hours. However, even professional writers can’t compose a superior 3000-word essay in just an hour. 

Therefore, it is vital to be realistic when setting up your individual deadlines and creating writing schedules to cope with your academic assignments. Even if you choose current research topics that are incredibly easy to write about, you will still need to do advanced research, choose trustworthy sources, and pick up the most impressive arguments for your paper. All these tasks might take you plenty of time. 

It is also not recommended to write research papers at the last moment. First, you might fail to meet the deadline. Second, you might easily come up with poor quality writing because of being unattentive. Third, you will hardly have enough time to proofread and edit your essay. Fourth, when in a hurry, you might copy and paste data from different sources into your paper. This will inevitably lead to extremely high plagiarism levels. All these issues might lead to receiving low grades for your academic assignment. 

Follow the Rules 

There are many writing rules you will need to follow. However, the basic one is to choose a traditional structure of an academic paper. In other words, your research paper will need to have an introduction, body paragraphs, and the conclusion. Avoid being creative when choosing the structure of your paper - it is the worst place for showing off your innovation. If you would like to stand out from the crowd of other learners, it is better to select an out-of-the-box topic for your assignment. 

Proofread and Edit Your Paper

 Many students are so tired of doing the research and writing that they often forget to proofread their papers. However, this is an important step in completing any type of academic assignment. If you proofread your essay, you can easily detect dozens of inconsistencies, mistakes, and typos. Moreover, you can also find some repetitive phrases, sentences, or facts in your paper. All these issues can drastically worsen your quality of writing. Even if you are sure your writing is 100% excellent, make sure to proofread it before passing it to the professor. 

Check Originality 

Plagiarism is a true nightmare of any diligent student. How to avoid this serious issue when composing your academic paper? First, make sure to share the results of your analysis uniquely and uncommonly. Second, use citations carefully. Third, check your essay for plagiarism online! You can find dozens of plagiarism detecting tools and utilities designed for students on many websites. Feel free to use a couple of solutions to make sure your essay is fresh and original. If you suddenly find out your paper has a high plagiarism level, make sure to make significant modifications and be more original. After that, double-check your essay once again. 

The Best Way to Get a Perfect Research Paper 

There are plenty of important research topics you can use in your academic writing. But what if you’ve chosen a great idea but fail to compose a unique and flawless paper? Is there any solution if you don’t have enough time to meet the professor's deadline? Sure!

Thousands of students fail to deliver college or university assignments on time. The reasons for this issue might significantly vary. Some learners are not skilled writers, while others might not have a deep understanding of the chosen field. Moreover, many students are trying to build careers or dedicate all their free time to sports. Anyway, failure to meet deadlines might worsen the student’s academic performance and other problems related to studies. The good news is that you can avoid facing all these issues!

Our professional writers are always ready to help you complete any type of research paper within the shortest terms. You don’t need to provide any reasons for asking for writing help - we understand the students’ pain and can provide you with pro assistance anytime. Just place an order on our website, choose the deadline, and forget about all your learning issues. You will get a perfectly written academic paper right when you need it. We have thousands of happy customers and impressive guarantees, so you can always trust our service. We value each customer and always deliver superior papers to each of our clients.

Research Paper Topics: 50 Ideas to Get Started

Last Updated on May 26, 2023

You’ll most likely be writing a lot of research papers while in college, so it is important to master the skill of finding the right research paper topics. Unfortunately, not all the topics you are interested in may be that easy to write about. It becomes even more difficult if there is not enough research material on the topic you've chosen.

Research Paper Topics: Find a Broad Subject First, Then Narrow It Down

One thing that works when finding the right research paper topics is to think of several subjects that interest you. Try writing down these subjects on a sheet of paper. Choose the one that interests you the most, and then break down the general subject into smaller chunks of topics that are related to it.

Narrow down your topics to the most interesting ones. If it is a controversial topic, choose a particular perspective that you will develop in your research paper. Read different points of view related to your topic, as this expands your knowledge and makes writing your paper easier.

Mind mapping is always a good idea, too. To find out how much you actually know about a topic, make a mind map of it. Put the main concept in the middle of a sheet of paper, then start adding relevant terms around it. When you run out of terms on this topic, you'll see if they're sufficient for a paper. 

Another way to get yourself completely rid of all the trouble is to get a research paper writing service to help you. By delegating your assignment, you will free up some of your time and see how this type of paper is done by a professional. You can stay in touch with your paper writer every step of the way, ask them questions, and request drafts. This will allow you to stay on top of the process and see how a thesis statement becomes a full paper.

A helpful way to find a topic that would make writing a research paper easy is to use one you’ve already written about. Take one of the essays you’ve written for this particular subject and see if you can broaden this topic. How much more detail can you add? Has any new research been made on that topic? In academia, it’s quite normal to broaden and deepen your past research, so you might as well start now.

Make sure you have enough resources for your topic.

Do a quick online search on the topics on your list to see which one is widely researched. This means finding a topic that is discussed not just on websites or blogs, but more so in books, articles, and even encyclopedia references. Find a topic that is both interesting and has plenty of published material. Check magazine articles, because these are usually shorter and more updated than those found in books.

Check references online or at the library.

Once you have chosen your topic, check the internet for references and also try using your school's library database, which may also be available online. Don't hesitate to ask your librarian for assistance with an urgent research paper. Other resources beyond the library include research paper websites that provide professional research paper writing help .

Writing a research paper requires a lot of time, extreme concentration, and diligence. And not everyone can cope with this task. Therefore, some people turn to special services for writing student papers. However, we do not recommend ordering this work. It is better to order editing for the writing assignment. In any case, it is always better to analyze both writing and editing services.

It is difficult to identify scammers, so it is better to trust a professional like William Grabe. On his website, you will find a detailed analysis of the best essay writing services .

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

Business Research Paper Topics:

  • Cloud computing
  • Cybersecurity
  • Glass ceiling
  • The gender pay gap
  • Geo arbitrage
  • Gig economy
  • Online retail
  • Online whiteboards
  • Outsourcing
  • Machine learning and automation
  • Marketing and advertising
  • Customer Service
  • Operations Management
  • Business ethics and social responsibility
  • Human Resources Management
  • Software as a Service (SaaS)
  • Teleconferencing and video meetings
  • Voice over IP (VoIP)
  • White collar crime
  • Work from home

Crime, Law, and Social Justice Research Paper Topics:

  • Acquaintance rape
  • Animal rights
  • Assisted suicide
  • Campus violence
  • Capital punishment
  • Civil rights
  • Climate justice
  • Drinking age, legal
  • Drug legalization
  • Gun control and gun violence
  • Hate crimes
  • Hunger and food insecurity
  • Insanity defense
  • Mandatory minimum sentencing
  • Patriot Act
  • Police brutality
  • Prisons and prisoners
  • Racial equality
  • Refugee crisis
  • Self defense
  • Serial killers
  • Sexual harassment
  • Stand Your Ground Law
  • Three Strikes Law

Drugs and alcohol Research Paper Topics:

  • Addiction recovery
  • CBD (Cannabidiol) benefits
  • Doping in sports
  • Drug testing
  • Drug addition
  • Drunk driving
  • Hemp seed benefits
  • Marijuana and medical marijuana
  • Prescription drug abuse
  • Sober living
  • Substance abuse
  • Twelve Steps

Education Research Paper Topics:

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

Environmental Research Paper Topics:

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

Family Issues Research Paper Topics:

  • Battered woman syndrome
  • Child abuse
  • Divorce rates
  • Domestic abuse
  • Family relationships
  • Family values
  • Parental Leave Benefits and Their Impact on the Family
  • Children's Mental Health & Development Impacted by Parental Absence
  • The Cost of Child Care
  • What Future Education Systems Must Include to Support Familial Wellbeing and Successful Learning for All

Health Research Paper Topics:

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

Media and Communications Research Paper Topics:

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

Political Issues Research Paper Topics:

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

Psychology Research Paper Topics:

  • Criminal psychology
  • Physical attraction
  • Schizophrenia

Religion Research Paper Topics:

  • Christianity
  • Freedom of religion
  • The Religious Beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses
  • Religion as a Form of Therapy
  • A Comparison of Wicca and Catholicism in the Media
  • Religious Fundamentalism in the United States
  • Scientology
  • Teaching Islam in Public Schools
  • The Role of Religion on Sexuality

Social Issues Topics:

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

Technology Topics:

  • Changing Public Opinion & Politics in Social Media Era
  • Blockchain and Cryptocurrency
  • FTX Cryptocurrency Exchange
  • Innovation in AI and Machine Learning
  • Quantum Computing Revolutionizing Information Security
  • Smart Cities and Transportation Systems
  • The Future of Social Media

Terrorism Topics:

  • Bioterrorism
  • Homeland Security
  • September 11 attacks
  • Domestic terrorism
  • International terrorism
  • Religious terrorism
  • Irgun: Zionist terrorism
  • The Munich Olympics

Women and Gender Topics:

  • Birth control and pregnancy
  • Botox injections
  • Cultural expectations and practices
  • Discrimination
  • Eating disorders
  • Female genital mutilation
  • Gender Identity
  • Gender-neutral pronouns
  • Marriage and Divorce
  • Media portrayals
  • Menstruation
  • Modern women
  • Prostitution
  • LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender)
  • LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual, and more)
  • Social media influencers
  • Sex and sexuality
  • Female athletes
  • Women stereotypes
  • Women executives
  • Transgender
  • Traditional wife
  • Violence and rape
  • Women's rights

Source: University of Illinois Online Library

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Related posts, transforming vision into victory: how ‘moguls in the making’ shapes the future of hbcu talent, appeals letter for college financial aid: tips and examples, dive into college clubs: the ultimate hbcu experience guide, 5 thoughts on “research paper topics: 50 ideas to get started”.

Pick a topic that interests you or a topic that you have a lot of experience in. It’s much easier to address specific research issues when you either know the topic or have the interest to spend weekends and nights reading about it.

That was helpful

thank you this was very helpful!!

Thank you! Now i just need to do the difficult part of choosing a topic to write about.

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My Speech Class

Public Speaking Tips & Speech Topics

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.

Can We Write Your Speech?

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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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227 Amazing College Persuasive Essay Topics [Free Ideas]

college research paper topics

Ever wondered what a persuasive essay is? Are you struggling to differentiate it from an argumentative one? Do you think it’s impossible to find original persuasive speech topics for college students?

If you have answered yes to any question, you’ve come to the right place. Our team can help you!

A persuasive essay is a piece of academic writing that convinces readers to accept the author’s position and agree with their ideas. Through clear arguments and examples, the writer demonstrates the legitimacy of their point of view.

Below, we have provided a list of the most interesting and unique college persuasive essay topics. So, don’t waste any more of your time searching for the right title. Use our ideas and create an outstanding persuasive essay!

  • 👉 How to Choose?
  • ✨ Best Speech Topics
  • 🎓 Ideas on Education
  • 📜 Topics on History
  • ⚖ Ideas on Politics
  • 👍 Topics on Sociology
  • 💰 Ideas on Economics
  • 🚌 Transportation
  • 🌿 Environment
  • ⚙ Technology
  • 🌍 Traveling
  • ✌ Lifestyle
  • 🏫 Teenagers
  • 📚 Literature
  • 🖐 25 More Topics

👉 How to Choose a Persuasive Essay Topic for College?

The main secret of the successful persuasive essay is a compelling topic. Therefore, when choosing the right persuasive topic, follow these few simple pieces of advice:

  • Re-read the assignment . The task that you’ve received from your tutor can be of great assistance. You just have to read it correctly. Unfortunately, college students tend to underestimate the power of the question. Don’t make this mistake. Read your assignment carefully because it can provide clues on the topic to look for.
  • Brainstorm ideas. Before writing any paper, college students have to research. It will ensure the argumentative part of the persuasive essay. To understand what to examine, have an ideation session, and consider a variety of ideas. Picking the most appropriate one, you’ll see where to start your research. Try to find as many topics as you can. Free college essays collection is a good place to check out as a part of your session. You’ll be able to see what topics are already covered, and what you can expand upon. It will make your investigation and writing processes easier!
  • Don’t pick an idea if it’s too broad . You may think that in this case, you’ll have plenty of things to argue about. Well, maybe a bit too many. In your essay, you should cover an entire topic so that it sounds convincing. When the idea is too broad, you can’t fit every argument in one paper. So, specify your title. For instance, you want to persuade your readers to stay healthy. Then don’t investigate all the aspects of maintaining health. Focus on one specific issue. For example, explore the positive influence of sport on the general health condition of a human being.
  • Ensure that you have credible sources. In some colleges, even the smallest essays may require a list of references. Thus, make sure you have materials to research and later list as your sources. Remember: Good persuasive paper topics for college have to offer a wide variety of sources to investigate. So, if you are not confident in your materials, better change the title. It will prevent you from a lack of evidence to support your arguments.
  • Choose a topic of personal interest. We’re not compelling you to write something that you enjoy when it contradicts the assignment. But try to select an idea that doesn’t bore you from reading it out loud. It is always more pleasurable to write on a topic you are passionate about. Don’t miss your chance to make turn your essay writing process into an exciting activity.
  • Select something you have an opinion about, but open to debate. Your tutors can disagree with your position. Nevertheless, it is not a reason to give up. It’s the right time to show your critical thinking skills. State your position clearly and provide convincing arguments to support it. Show your readers that you can change your position if you see some compelling data. It can give you some extra credit. The best persuasion topics for college create an environment for debates and discussions.
  • Be unique! In colleges, the amount of papers done daily is enormous. Don’t make your professors read about the importance of waste sorting, for example, yet again. The topic of environmental protection is undoubtedly extremely significant. However: It is way too overused. The professors are tired of reading essays on the same issues again and again. Surprise them and stand out.

Finding an original topic for a persuasive essay is tricky.

✨ 12 Best Persuasive Speech Topics for College Students

  • How important is mental health?
  • Is online school more effective?
  • Are GMO products good?
  • Is social media dangerous?
  • What’s wrong with the education system?
  • Does recycling work?
  • Is veganism bad for the environment?
  • Should foreign policy be feminist?
  • Is marriage an obsolete institution?
  • Can protests and demonstrations bring change?
  • Can alternative medicine actually work?
  • Is modern advertising unethical?

🔑 Essential College Persuasive Essay Topics

We bet, every college student at least once had an assignment to write a persuasive essay. Haven’t you had yet? The best is yet to come! Thus, you have to be prepared to face all the challenges of a persuasive essay composing.

Searching for interesting persuasive essay topics is a complicated issue. However, you don’t have to worry about it. Our team of experts gathered the most popular and effective ideas in one place.

Don’t stress out about the topic:

Take a look at our list of persuasive essay topics for college students. We divided our ideas into sections so that you can find the most appropriate one. So, you can easily navigate throughout our page for a more effective search.

🎓 College Persuasive Essay Ideas on Education

  • An educational system should encourage creativity .
  • Student diversity should be present in a school classroom .
  • Why should college students care about their mental and physical health?
  • Why should we stop girls’ discrimination in the modern educational system?
  • Why should computer science programs be taught in colleges and universities?
  • Why should parents take part in their children’s education?

Parents should participate in their children's studying for numerous reasons.

  • Why reading performance of students with learning disabilities should be improved?
  • Studying abroad results in better education.
  • Homework does not help in the learning process.
  • The costs of higher education should be reduced.
  • A grade does not show a student’s knowledge.
  • The Internet overuse blocks the mental development of a modern teenager.
  • Education should not depend on technologies.
  • Essay writing develops the critical thinking skills of students.
  • Foreign language learning should be mandatory in school . Conduct research on how foreign languages influence children and teenagers. What are the positive sides of such education? Then, persuade your readers that foreign languages are essential in the school core curriculum.
  • Art classes should be a priority in middle school . Elaborate on the importance of the development of the sense of art for children and teenagers. Why should art classes be higher in the list of priorities than technical or science courses? How can the right perception of art help pupils in future life?
  • The core curriculum of the high school should not be too broad. Why do we have to narrow down our focus in high school? Explain how teenagers will benefit from studying particular subjects instead of getting general knowledge. Convince your readers about the importance of focusing on a specific field in high school.
  • A gap year before entering the university is beneficial. Give persuading evidence why students should take a gap year. What are the advantages? Make your readers debate whether a gap year is worth considering. Finally, convince them that it is worth it.
  • Mobile phones should not be allowed in school. State your position regarding the usage of smartphones during the learning process. What adverse ramifications do the mobile phones have on the academic results of pupils? Persuade your readers to prohibit phone usage in school.
  • Traditional education is more effective than remote learning . How the benefits of the conventional way of learning outweigh the advantages of remote education? Compare the aspects of remote learning for different age groups: 1st grade age, 6th grade age, and a college student.

📜 College Persuasive Essay Topics on History

  • The American Revolution was a turning point in USA history.
  • The year 1763 is crucial in US history.
  • The media played a crucial role in promoting the Vietnam War .
  • We shouldn’t underestimate the significance of African-American social reform.
  • Technological advancement of the 17th century was a new era in world history.
  • Without Enlightenment and Romantic Age , the European culture wouldn’t be so progressive nowadays.

Enlightenment took over the period of the 17th and 18th centuries.

  • People should’ve stopped the propaganda of Adolf Hitler and Jim Jones before the intensive development.
  • The historical influence of Abraham Lincoln should become a role model for modern political figures.
  • Americans should have abolished slavery in the United States way earlier.
  • The four voyages by Christopher Columbus are crucial in the progress of world history.
  • Cultural exchanges in the medieval period significantly impacted the civilizations.
  • Protestant reformation was the most influential Christian movement.
  • Japanese women in the Middle Ages should have been more powerful.
  • The world war should never happen again.
  • The age of exploration . Who are the key figures? How did they impact world history formation? Convince your readers of the importance of the age of exploration.
  • The Mayan calendar system did not predict the end of the world . Investigate the Mayan calendar system. What is your explanation of the fact that the calendar system ended in the year 2012? Persuade your readers that the suggestions about the end of the world in 2012 are false.
  • Racial discrimination in America violated human rights to a great extend . Give a brief overview of racial discrimination in the USA. Persuade the readers to perceive racial discrimination as an act of human rights violation.
  • Apollo 11 – the first spaceflight that landed people on the Moon . Discuss the importance of this event. Convince your readers about the significance of the Moon exploration.
  • History studying should become the top priority for students. The knowledge of history may help to prevent mistakes from the past. So, persuade your readers to explore historical events.
  • Holocaust should not be justified and denied . What are the horrible consequences of holocaust tragedy? Analyze an opinion regarding the denial of the holocaust. Persuade the readers not to support this idea.

⚖ College Persuasive Essay Ideas on Politics

  • Civil rights of black Americans should not be limited.
  • Migration should not be restricted because it has certain benefits to modern countries .
  • In the battle of socialism vs. democracy , the second one should win.

Why is socialism becoming so popular in democratic states?

  • Nationalism in international relations should be accepted.
  • E-government should become transparent and accountable for the citizens .
  • Celebrities should stay aside from political activities.
  • The laws for each state of America should become common.
  • A voting system should be transparent.
  • Ordinary people should not be allowed to own guns.
  • The federal tax return process should become more manageable.
  • Individual rights versus the common good . Express your position regarding the issue. What do you support: individual rights or common good? Persuade the readers to follow your ideas.
  • Gay marriage should be allowed . If you don’t agree with the topic, express the opposing opinion. Elaborate on your arguments and provide counterarguments. Exclude harsh comments and offensive language from the narrative.
  • The death penalty cannot be justified . Why do you think so? Give clear arguments to support your opinion. If you believe that the death penalty is justifiable, prove your position.
  • Electronic voting in the United States should not be banned . Present the positive sides of this way of voting and convince the readers in your rightness. Don’t you agree with this opinion? Then, provide counterarguments.
  • Abortion should be legal . Provide clear arguments to express your position. Or provide counterarguments to contradict the idea of abortion legalization.

👍 College Persuasive Essay Topics on Sociology

  • Community services should be provided for mentally disabled people .
  • Equality and diversity are the main social issues .
  • Interpersonal communication skills are crucial in modern society.
  • Gender inequalities in the 21st century should be overcome .
  • Should the Canadian government legalize prostitution?
  • Max Weber’s rationality theory should be accepted by society .
  • China should take specific steps to overcome the overpopulation problem .
  • Gender stereotypes in a family should be dismantled.

Present studies aim to fill a gap in the literature on gender role attitudes and family dynamics.

  • Abusive relationships in a family should not be hidden.
  • Implementing more tough punishments on the lawbreakers should reduce the crime rates of the USA.
  • Does family promote or limit mobility? Choose one side of the issue and provide clear arguments to support your ideas.
  • Divorce has negative effects on children . Do you agree with this statement? Convince the readers to accept your point of view by stating your position clearly and powerfully.
  • Birth control should be monitored on a governmental level. Express your opinion regarding birth control in modern society. Conduct a study on the cultural, religious, and political aspects of the birth control issue.
  • Is there the right age to get married? Decide if there are any age suggestions to create a family or no? Support your choice with bright ideas and appropriate examples.
  • To resolve the conflict, we need to know the nature of the conflict . Do you agree or disagree with this idea? Provide strong arguments to make people believe in your point of view. How do you think psychology works while resolving the conflict?

💰 College Persuasive Essay Ideas on Economics

  • Competing theories are the core of economic development.
  • We have to consider John Locke’s and Karl Marx’s economic ideas nowadays.
  • Demand and supply correlation in the market matters a lot.
  • Adam Smith’s “invisible hand” concept can improve modern economics .
  • If we want to stabilize the economy, we have to implement the monetary policy .
  • Should big banks be broken up?
  • We should consider the relationship between money supply and inflation while preventing the high level of inflation.
  • We shouldn’t take the Keynesian explanation of the recession too seriously.
  • Industrialization plays a significant role in economic development.
  • Small business owners should receive financial support during the period of crisis.

As an example or evidence for this persuasive topic, talk about the COVID-19 crisis.

  • The governments should reduce monopoly power.
  • The role of understanding the goals of human resource management in the context of human capital theory . Explain the significance of effective HR management for a business flourishing. Persuade your readers to invest enough resources in human capital.
  • Exchange regimes have a significant impact on macroeconomic performance . Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Provide well-developed arguments to prove your point of view. Persuade your readers to accept your position.
  • Consumer behavior is different in every country. If you agree, develop this idea by providing strong arguments. If you don’t, state your position. Either way, support your arguments with supporting evidence. Make your readers follow your opinion.
  • The understanding of the basic concepts of economics is essential for every person . Explain how the knowledge of economics can help people to manage their money wisely. How to survive during the crisis? How to lead a business successfully, etc. Persuade your readers to study the basics of economics.

💡 Interesting College Persuasive Essay Topics

Are you already impressed with a diversity of topics our team collected for you? But don’t think that’s all we have to offer for you. Since our mission is to help you, we have more persuasive essay ideas for college to share.

Below, you can find more fascinating ideas for your assignments. For your convenience, we divided persuasive essay topics for college into several sections. Investigate our ideas and don’t hesitate to use them.

🚌 Transportation Persuasive Essay Topics

  • Planes should newer take off if weather conditions are inappropriate .
  • Never drive a car if you are under the alcohol or drug effect .
  • Hybrid cars are environmentally friendly, so they should become the future of the transportation industry .
  • Why should people study driving?
  • The usage of alternative energy resources should reshape the global transportation infrastructure .
  • The governments should invest enough money in public transport advancement .
  • Cars usage should be regulated .
  • A school bus should be checked at least once a month to ensure the safety of pupils.
  • The reserves of petroleum should be replenished to provide a proper transportation industry operation.
  • The shipping of essential goods during the state of emergency (quarantine, dangerous natural conditions, etc.) should be free.
  • We should use public transport instead of private cars to save the environment.
  • Hybrid engine vs. standard engine . Examine the positive and negative aspects of both of them. Which one would you prefer? Persuade your readers to support your opinion by giving clear arguments.
  • Information technology influences the logistics industry to a great extent . Provide appropriate examples of the IT impact on logistics. Convince your readers of the importance of your opinion.
  • The role of transportation in the development of tourism . Prove your audience that transportation progress has a direct impact on tourism opportunities.

Transportation plays a vital role in tourism.

  • We have to reduce the use of crude oil in the transportation industry . What are the possible adverse ramifications of such oil usage? Persuade your readers to limit applying this type of fuel. If you don’t agree with the idea, express the opposing opinion. Elaborate on your arguments and provide counterarguments.

🌿 Environmental Persuasive Essay Topics

  • The government should control the overpopulation to prevent consequences for the environment .
  • Human activity should be limited to preserve biodiversity .
  • We have to examine an ecologically sustainable approach .
  • Alternative energy sources are essential for saving the planet .
  • We should try our best to live a zero-waste lifestyle .
  • Saving endangered species must be a top priority issue for environmental organizations.
  • Solar energy can save the environment.
  • Hunting sports should be banned because they harm biodiversity.
  • The conservation of global resources is necessary for maintaining the lifecycle of the planet.
  • Waste sorting should be mandatory all around the world.
  • Stopping deforestation will prevent the loss of natural habitat for animals.
  • Tourism negatively affects wildlife. Comment no the negative consequences of traveling on nature. If you believe that tourism does not harm wildlife, provide counterarguments to claim your position.
  • Farming has to be wise. Explain how intensive farming damages nature. Convince your readers about the importance of following the farming rules. They can help to prevent intensive farming’s adverse ramifications.
  • The Prime Days on Amazon should be banned . Explain how the incredibly low prices on items during the Prime Days result in extremely high costs for the environment. Persuade your readers to resist the desire to buy unnecessary goods from Amazon.
  • Without rainforests, our planet will suffocate . Prove the significance of the preservation of the rainforests for the environment.

Tropical forests are responsible for around 34 percent of photosynthesis occurring on land.

⚙ Technology Persuasive Essay Ideas

  • Globalization influences computer technologies to a great extent .
  • The government should implement Internet censorship .
  • Cloud computing is an innovative era in computer science .
  • Cyberbullying should be controlled to prevent a negative influence on youth .
  • Dependency on computers is a considerable threat to human well-being .
  • Data and information security should be a top concern of every internet user .
  • Investing money in developing information technology systems is profitable for companies.
  • The internet blocks the development of human intelligence.
  • To prevent the development of serious illnesses, we should use genetic technology.
  • Technological advancement should focus on the improvement of the health sector.
  • We have to use technology wisely to make people smarter.
  • A scientific revolution started the technological advancement. Convince your readers about the importance of the scientific revolution in technological development. If you don’t agree with the topic, express the opposing opinion, providing counterarguments.
  • E-books or audiobooks will never replace paper books. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? State your position clearly and make your readers accept it.
  • Nowadays, society is too dependent on computer technologies . Comment on its negative and positive sides in the life of modern people. Persuade the readers not to overuse technology in everyday life.
  • Technology and science complement each other. Provide clear arguments to prove this idea or counterarguments to disprove it.

😃 Easy College Persuasive Topics

Do you think that persuasive essays have to cover only serious or global issues? Do you feel as if you have to be overwhelmed with the complexity of the subject? You are mistaken. A paper won’t become less successful if it explores even everyday life topics.

That’s why:

We prepared the next section of the article for you. Here you can find simple persuasive essay ideas for college students. Select a fascinating topic and compose an outstanding essay.

🎶 Persuasive Essay Ideas for College about Music

  • Music has a significant impact on culture .
  • Music preferences depend on personality type .
  • Music can influence our behavior .

Research suggests music can influence us a lot. It can impact illness, depression, spending, productivity, and our perception of the world.

  • Songs with lyrics that promote violent behavior should be banned.
  • A musician is not just a job; it is a vocation.
  • Medical workers should investigate the positive effect of music on mental illnesses’ treatment.
  • Music can be helpful in the learning process.
  • Good song lyrics can inspire people . Provide a sample of inspiring verses. How can it motivate listeners? Persuade the readers to pay attention to the song lyrics while listening to music.
  • A guitar is always a good idea for friendly gatherings . Prove to your readers that several songs played on a guitar can create a warm and cozy atmosphere.
  • Rap reflects violence. This is a generally accepted opinion. Do you agree or disagree with it? Prove your point of view by providing well-developed arguments.

🌍 Persuasive Topics for College on Traveling

  • While traveling, health and safety issues should be a top priority .
  • Tourism should be sustainable .
  • A trip to India will make you see the world from the other side.
  • Summer will become more memorable and fascinating if you travel.
  • Traveling broadens people’s minds.
  • Traveling with family or friends is an essential part of a happy life.
  • Spending a holiday on a trip is always more pleasurable than in front of a TV or computer.
  • Every person should visit Europe at least once in life. Explain why Europe is a must-see destination for every tourist.
  • People should travel as much as they want. Persuade people not to resist the desire to explore new places by listing the advantages of traveling.
  • Traveling is affordable for everyone. Persuade people to visit various countries, even with a limited budget.

Give some useful tips to persuade your reader to travel more.

✌ Persuasive Essay Ideas for College about Lifestyle

  • Parents should be responsible for their children’s obesity .
  • Proper nutrition and positive behavior prevent cancer .
  • A healthy lifestyle prevents aging .
  • Weight management programs and hypnotherapy are useful in maintaining good shape and a healthy organism .
  • An active way of life should replace a sedentary lifestyle to prevent heart diseases.
  • You should plan your weight loss process wisely.
  • Well-balanced nutrition is a way to a healthy and beautiful body.
  • Regular yoga and fitness will help you to maintain mental and physical wellness.
  • Regular physical activities and enough sleep can help students to study better.
  • Media influences the development of eating disorders . Explain the mechanisms media’s effect on eating disorders. Persuade your readers to pay enough attention to the information on social media.

📺 Persuasive Topics for College about Media

  • The role of mass media in modern society shouldn’t be underestimated .
  • Media affects the way people look at society .

Dr. Pamela Rutledge says about the media's influence on society.

  • TV shows have a negative influence on children .
  • Parents should control the effects of mass media advertising on teenagers .
  • Professional psychologists should review every cartoon before being released on television.
  • The information on the internet should be filtered to avoid the spreading of fake news.
  • Censorship is a must-have for modern television.
  • Old cartoons are more insightful than modern ones. Compare and contrast old and new animated films. Prove the usefulness of old ones. Convince the audience to make their children familiar with old cartoons.
  • Social media develops an inferiority complex among teenagers . How pictures of luxurious life in social networking sites influence adolescents’ self-esteem? Persuade the readers to filter the information seen in social media.
  • Mass media in the 1950s was more ethical than contemporary mass media. Analyze the ethical issues that are present in modern media. Why is following the ethical rules while sharing the information through the mass media vital?

🏫 Persuasive Essay Ideas for College on Teens

  • Both abstinence and sex education should be taught in high schools .
  • Professional psychologists or psychiatrists should treat anxiety disorders in children and adolescents .
  • Cheating in schools should be strictly punished.
  • Understanding teen depression is a crucial step in overcoming it.
  • The federal government should enact anti-bullying laws .
  • Bullying in school should be the main issue to deal with for the headteacher.
  • The teenage period requires constant monitoring of children’s behavior by parents and teachers.
  • Parents should have access to teenagers’ academic results.
  • The mental health of teens is precarious. Convince the readers to monitor and maintain adolescents’ mental health.
  • Parents should control social media usage by teenagers. Why should parents monitor the social networking accounts of their children? Explain why it is useful to teach teens how to behave on social media.

Persuade the parents to keep track of kids’ social networking activity.

📚 Persuasive Topics for College on Literature

  • Literature studying should be mandatory in schools.
  • Literature teaches us how to live a worthy life.
  • Robin Hood should become an example to follow.
  • You have to read some books several times throughout life to get the idea.
  • Lyric poetry may help in dealing with inner conflicts.
  • William Shakespeare is an outstanding figure of English literature that should always be appreciated.
  • Every person should have one book that will always remain their favorite one.
  • The theme of Romeo and Juliet will always remain relatable. Support this idea by providing compelling arguments and examples from the play. If you don’t agree with the statement, present clear counterarguments to prove your point of view.
  • The parents should read fairy tales to their children from early childhood. Persuade your audience to make their kids familiar with the fairy tales. Explain the importance of positive aspects of this genre of literature.
  • Dorian Gray and Oscar Wilde are connected. Describe Oscar Wilde’s background. Analyze how the author reflected his personality in the character of Dorian Gray. Convince your readers to accept your point of view. Propose examples from the book and the author’s biography.

🖐 25 More Topics to Persuade College Students

Here you can find a pleasant bonus from our team—25 more ideas to write about. You can use them not only for essays but also as persuasive speech topics for college.

So, take the benefit of our list of topics. Show an outstanding academic performance in the college.

College Persuasive Essay Topics: Family

  • A happy relationship should be based on trust and honesty.
  • In small and big families, parents should treat their children equally.
  • After giving birth, motherhood should become the primary concern of a woman’s life.
  • Parents should be the most significant support for their kids when they are sad, confused, or lost in life.
  • Children should take their retired parents to their home instead of the nursing home.

Support your position by providing strong arguments.

College Persuasive Essay Topics: Health

  • Physical activity is an effective way to prevent heart diseases.
  • People should quit smoking .
  • Mental health is not less important than physical health.
  • Well-balanced nutrition is key to a healthy body.
  • Taking care of general wellness should be everyone’s primary concern.

College Persuasive Essay Topics: Medicine

  • Strong pain killers should be sold by prescription only.
  • Drug prices should be set ethically .
  • Herbal medications are the safest.
  • Self-medication is extremely dangerous, even in the case of a simple cold or an allergy.
  • Differentiating various forms of medicines is essential . What is the working principle of a capsule, pill, syrup, etc.? Prove that the inappropriate application will not have an appropriate effect.

College Persuasive Essay Topics: Sports

  • Visiting a gym is extremely useful for our health .
  • Physical education should be mandatory in high school.
  • Extreme sports are only for professional athletes.
  • The governments should invest enough money in the development of sports schools.
  • Football is not only for boys. Women can create a successful football team, as well.

College Persuasive Essay Topics: Religion

  • Discrimination by religion or culture should not be acceptable in modern society.
  • Every person should have a right to choose a god or goddess to worship.
  • The representatives of different religions should be tolerant of each other.
  • The attitude towards wealth in Christianity differs from the perception of wealth in Islam.
  • Any other religious representatives should not criticize the central beliefs of Judaism .

Select a persuasive topic on a touchy subject with care.

Thank you for visiting our page! We hope the information was useful to you. Don’t forget to leave your comments and share the article with other students.

🔗 References

  • Persuasive Essays, Writing Resources, Hamilton College
  • Persuasive Essay Outline: HCC Learning Web, Houston Community College
  • Choosing a Topic for Your College Essay: Essay Writing Center, International Student
  • Choosing College Essay Topics: Accepted
  • 35 College Essay Prompts and Topics: Kayla Rutledge, SignUpGenius
  • How to Write a College Essay: Kelly Mae Ross, Devon Haynie, and Josh Moody for U.S. News
  • How To Answer the 2022-23 Common App Essay Prompts: College Essay Advisors
  • Writing a Political Science Essay: Charles King, Georgetown University
  • Writing a Paper about an Environmental Issue: Frederic Beaudry, ThoughtCo
  • Evidence: The Writing Center, the University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill
  • Introducing Quotations and Paraphrases: UNSW Current Students
  • How Do I Write an Intro, Conclusion, & Body Paragraph: College of Literature, Science, and Arts, University of Michigan
  • Essay Writing Guide for Psychology Students: Saul McLeod, Simply Psychology
  • How to Write a Persuasive Essay: Writing Guides, Ultius
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160 Good Argumentative Essay Topics for Students in 2024

April 3, 2024

The skill of writing an excellent argumentative essay is a crucial one for every high school or college student to master. In sum, argumentative essays teach students how to organize their thoughts logically and present them in a convincing way. This skill is helpful not only for those pursuing degrees in law , international relations , or public policy , but for any student who wishes to develop their critical thinking faculties. In this article, we’ll cover what makes a good argument essay and offer several argumentative essay topics for high school and college students. Let’s begin!

What is an Argumentative Essay?

An argumentative essay is an essay that uses research to present a reasoned argument on a particular subject . As with the persuasive essay , the purpose of an argumentative essay is to sway the reader to the writer’s position. However, a strong persuasive essay makes its point through diligent research and emotion while a strong argumentative essay should be based solely on facts, not feelings.

Moreover, each fact should be supported by clear evidence from credible sources . Furthermore, a good argumentative essay will have an easy-to-follow structure. When organizing your argumentative essay, use this format as a guide:

  • Introduction
  • Supporting body paragraphs
  • Paragraph(s) addressing common counterarguments

Argumentative Essay Format

In the introduction , the writer presents their position and thesis statement —a sentence that summarizes the paper’s main points. The body paragraphs then draw upon supporting evidence to back up this initial statement, with each paragraph focusing on its own point. The length of your paper will determine the amount of examples you need. In general, you’ll likely need at least two to three. Additionally, your examples should be as detailed as possible, citing specific research, case studies, statistics, or anecdotes.

In the counterargument paragraph , the writer acknowledges and refutes opposing viewpoints. Finally, in the conclusion , the writer restates the main argument made in the thesis statement and summarizes the points of the essay. Additionally, the conclusion may offer a final proposal to persuade the reader of the essay’s position.

How to Write an Effective Argumentative Essay, Step by Step

  • Choose your topic. Use the list below to help you pick a topic. Ideally, a good argumentative essay topic will be meaningful to you—writing is always stronger when you are interested in the subject matter. In addition, the topic should be complex with plenty of “pro” and “con” arguments. Avoid choosing a topic that is either widely accepted as fact or too narrow. For example, “Is the earth round?” would not be a solid choice.
  • Research. Use the library, the web, and any other resources to gather information about your argumentative essay topic. Research widely but smartly. As you go, take organized notes, marking the source of every quote and where it may fit in the scheme of your larger essay. Moreover, remember to look for (and research) possible counterarguments.
  • Outline . Using the argument essay format above, create an outline for your essay. Then, brainstorm a thesis statement covering your argument’s main points, and begin to put your examples in order, focusing on logical flow. It’s often best to place your strongest example last.
  • Write . Draw on your research and outline to create a first draft. Remember, your first draft doesn’t need to be perfect. (As Voltaire says, “Perfect is the enemy of good.”) Accordingly, just focus on getting the words down on paper.
  • Does my thesis statement need to be adjusted?
  • Which examples feel strongest? Weakest?
  • Do the transitions flow smoothly?
  • Do I have a strong opening paragraph?
  • Does the conclusion reinforce my argument?

Tips for Revising an Argument Essay

Evaluating your own work can be difficult, so you might consider the following strategies:

  • Read your work aloud to yourself.
  • Record yourself reading your paper, and listen to the recording.
  • Reverse outline your paper. Firstly, next to each paragraph, write a short summary of that paragraph’s main points/idea. Then, read through your reverse outline. Does it have a logical flow? If not, where should you adjust?
  • Print out your paper and cut it into paragraphs. What happens when you rearrange the paragraphs?

Good Argumentative Essay Topics for Middle School, High School, and College Students

Family argumentative essay topics.

  • Should the government provide financial incentives for families to have children to address the declining birth rate?
  • Should we require parents to provide their children with a certain level of nutrition and physical activity to prevent childhood obesity?
  • Should parents implement limits on how much time their children spend playing video games?
  • Should cell phones be banned from family/holiday gatherings?
  • Should we hold parents legally responsible for their children’s actions?
  • Should children have the right to sue their parents for neglect?
  • Should parents have the right to choose their child’s religion?
  • Are spanking and other forms of physical punishment an effective method of discipline?
  • Should courts allow children to choose where they live in cases of divorce?
  • Should parents have the right to monitor teens’ activity on social media?
  • Should parents control their child’s medical treatment, even if it goes against the child’s wishes?
  • Should parents be allowed to post pictures of their children on social media without their consent?
  • Should fathers have a legal say in whether their partners do or do not receive an abortion?
  • Can television have positive developmental benefits on children?
  • Should the driving age be raised to prevent teen car accidents?
  • Should adult children be legally required to care for their aging parents?

Education Argument Essay Topics

  • Should schools ban the use of technology like ChatGPT?
  • Are zoos unethical, or necessary for conservation and education?
  • To what degree should we hold parents responsible in the event of a school shooting?
  • Should schools offer students a set number of mental health days?
  • Should school science curriculums offer a course on combating climate change?
  • Should public libraries be allowed to ban certain books? If so, what types?
  • What role, if any, should prayer play in public schools?
  • Should schools push to abolish homework?
  • Are gifted and talented programs in schools more harmful than beneficial due to their exclusionary nature?
  • Should universities do away with Greek life?
  • Should schools remove artwork, such as murals, that some perceive as offensive?
  • Should the government grant parents the right to choose alternative education options for their children and use taxpayer funds to support these options?
  • Is homeschooling better than traditional schooling for children’s academic and social development?
  • Should we require schools to teach sex education to reduce teen pregnancy rates?
  • Should we require schools to provide sex education that includes information about both homosexual and heterosexual relationships?
  • Should colleges use affirmative action and other race-conscious policies to address diversity on campus?
  • Should public schools remove the line “under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance?
  • Should college admissions officers be allowed to look at students’ social media accounts?
  • Should schools abolish their dress codes, many of which unfairly target girls, LGBTQ students, and students of color?
  • Should schools be required to stock free period products in bathrooms?
  • Should legacy students receive preferential treatment during the college admissions process?
  • Are school “voluntourism” trips ethical?

Government Argumentative Essay Topics

  • Should the U.S. decriminalize prostitution?
  • Should the U.S. issue migration visas to all eligible applicants?
  • Should the federal government cancel all student loan debt?
  • Should we lower the minimum voting age? If so, to what?
  • Should the federal government abolish all laws penalizing drug production and use?
  • Should the U.S. use its military power to deter a Chinese invasion of Taiwan?
  • Should the U.S. supply Ukraine with further military intelligence and supplies?
  • Should the North and South of the U.S. split up into two regions?
  • Should Americans hold up nationalism as a critical value?
  • Should we permit Supreme Court justices to hold their positions indefinitely?
  • Should Supreme Court justices be democratically elected?
  • Is the Electoral College still a productive approach to electing the U.S. president?
  • Should the U.S. implement a national firearm registry?
  • Is it ethical for countries like China and Israel to mandate compulsory military service for all citizens?
  • Should the U.S. government implement a ranked-choice voting system?
  • Should institutions that benefited from slavery be required to provide reparations?
  • Based on the 1619 project, should history classes change how they teach about the founding of the U.S.?
  • Should term limits be imposed on Senators and Representatives? If so, how long?
  • Should women be allowed into special forces units?
  • Should the federal government implement stronger, universal firearm licensing laws?
  • Do public sex offender registries help prevent future sex crimes?
  • Should the government be allowed to regulate family size?
  • Should all adults legally be considered mandated reporters?
  • Should the government fund public universities to make higher education more accessible to low-income students?
  • Should the government fund universal preschool to improve children’s readiness for kindergarten?

Health/Bioethics Argumentative Essay Topics

  • Should the U.S. government offer its own healthcare plan?
  • In the case of highly infectious pandemics, should we focus on individual freedoms or public safety when implementing policies to control the spread?
  • Should we legally require parents to vaccinate their children to protect public health?
  • Is it ethical for parents to use genetic engineering to create “designer babies” with specific physical and intellectual traits?
  • Should the government fund research on embryonic stem cells for medical treatments?
  • Should the government legalize assisted suicide for terminally ill patients?
  • Should organ donation be mandatory?
  • Is cloning animals ethical?
  • Should cancer screenings start earlier? If so, what age?
  • Is surrogacy ethical?
  • Should birth control require a prescription?
  • Should minors have access to emergency contraception?
  • Should hospitals be for-profit or nonprofit institutions?

Good Argumentative Essay Topics — Continued

Social media argumentative essay topics.

  • Should the federal government increase its efforts to minimize the negative impact of social media?
  • Do social media and smartphones strengthen one’s relationships?
  • Should antitrust regulators take action to limit the size of big tech companies?
  • Should social media platforms ban political advertisements?
  • Should the federal government hold social media companies accountable for instances of hate speech discovered on their platforms?
  • Do apps such as TikTok and Instagram ultimately worsen the mental well-being of teenagers?
  • Should governments oversee how social media platforms manage their users’ data?
  • Should social media platforms like Facebook enforce a minimum age requirement for users?
  • Should social media companies be held responsible for cases of cyberbullying?
  • Should the United States ban TikTok?
  • Is social media harmful to children?
  • Should employers screen applicants’ social media accounts during the hiring process?

Religion Argument Essay Topics

  • Should religious institutions be tax-exempt?
  • Should religious symbols such as the hijab or crucifix be allowed in public spaces?
  • Should religious freedoms be protected, even when they conflict with secular laws?
  • Should the government regulate religious practices?
  • Should we allow churches to engage in political activities?
  • Religion: a force for good or evil in the world?
  • Should the government provide funding for religious schools?
  • Is it ethical for healthcare providers to deny abortions based on religious beliefs?
  • Should religious organizations be allowed to discriminate in their hiring practices?
  • Should we allow people to opt out of medical treatments based on their religious beliefs?
  • Should the U.S. government hold religious organizations accountable for cases of sexual abuse within their community?
  • Should religious beliefs be exempt from anti-discrimination laws?
  • Should religious individuals be allowed to refuse services to others based on their beliefs or lifestyles? (As in this famous case .)
  • Should the US ban religion-based federal holidays?
  • Should public schools be allowed to teach children about religious holidays?

Science Argument Essay Topics

  • Would the world be safer if we eliminated nuclear weapons?
  • Should scientists bring back extinct animals? If so, which ones?
  • Should we hold companies fiscally responsible for their carbon footprint?
  • Should we ban pesticides in favor of organic farming methods?
  • Should the federal government ban all fossil fuels, despite the potential economic impact on specific industries and communities?
  • What renewable energy source should the U.S. invest more money in?
  • Should the FDA outlaw GMOs?
  • Should we worry about artificial intelligence surpassing human intelligence?
  • Should the alternative medicine industry be more stringently regulated?
  • Is colonizing Mars a viable option?
  • Is the animal testing worth the potential to save human lives?

Sports Argument Essay Topics

  • Should colleges compensate student-athletes?
  • How should sports teams and leagues address the gender pay gap?
  • Should youth sports teams do away with scorekeeping?
  • Should we ban aggressive contact sports like boxing and MMA?
  • Should professional sports associations mandate that athletes stand during the national anthem?
  • Should high schools require their student-athletes to maintain a certain GPA?
  • Should transgender athletes compete in sports according to their gender identity?
  • Should schools ban football due to the inherent danger it poses to players?
  • Should performance-enhancing drugs be allowed in sports?
  • Do participation trophies foster entitlement and unrealistic expectations?
  • Should sports teams be divided by gender?
  • Should professional athletes be allowed to compete in the Olympics?
  • Should women be allowed on NFL teams?

Technology Argumentative Essay Topics

  • Should sites like DALL-E compensate the artists whose work it was trained on?
  • Should the federal government make human exploration of space a more significant priority?
  • Is it ethical for the government to use surveillance technology to monitor citizens?
  • Should websites require proof of age from their users? If so, what age?
  • Should we consider A.I.-generated images and text pieces of art?
  • Does the use of facial recognition technology violate individuals’ privacy?
  • Is online learning as effective as in-person learning?
  • Does computing harm the environment?
  • Should buying, sharing, and selling collected personal data be illegal?
  • Are electric cars really better for the environment?
  • Should car companies be held responsible for self-driving car accidents?
  • Should private jets be banned?
  • Do violent video games contribute to real-life violence?

Business Argument Essay Topics

  • Should the U.S. government phase out the use of paper money in favor of a fully digital currency system?
  • Should the federal government abolish its patent and copyright laws?
  • Should we replace the Federal Reserve with free-market institutions?
  • Is free-market ideology responsible for the U.S. economy’s poor performance over the past decade?
  • Will cryptocurrencies overtake natural resources like gold and silver?
  • Is capitalism the best economic system? What system would be better?
  • Should the U.S. government enact a universal basic income?
  • Should we require companies to provide paid parental leave to their employees?
  • Should the government raise the minimum wage? If so, to what?
  • Should antitrust regulators break up large companies to promote competition?
  • Is it ethical for companies to prioritize profits over social responsibility?
  • Should gig-economy workers like Uber and Lyft drivers be considered employees or independent contractors?
  • Should the federal government regulate the gig economy to ensure fair treatment of workers?
  • Should the government require companies to disclose the environmental impact of their products?
  • Should companies be allowed to fire employees based on political views or activities?
  • Should tipping practices be phased out?
  • Should employees who choose not to have children be given the same amount of paid leave as parents?
  • Should MLMs (multi-level marketing companies) be illegal?
  • Should employers be allowed to factor tattoos and personal appearance into hiring decisions?

In Conclusion – Argument Essay Topics

Using the tips above, you can effectively structure and pen a compelling argumentative essay that will wow your instructor and classmates. Remember to craft a thesis statement that offers readers a roadmap through your essay, draw on your sources wisely to back up any claims, and read through your paper several times before it’s due to catch any last-minute proofreading errors. With time, diligence, and patience, your essay will be the most outstanding assignment you’ve ever turned in…until the next one rolls around.

Looking for more fresh and engaging topics for use in the classroom? You might consider checking out the following:

  • 125 Good Debate Topics for High School Students
  • 150 Good Persuasive Speech Topics
  • 7 Best Places to Study
  • Guide to the IB Extended Essay
  • How to Write the AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Essay
  • AP Lit Reading List
  • How to Write the AP Lang Synthesis Essay
  • 49 Most Interesting Biology Research Topics
  • High School Success

Lauren Green

With a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from Columbia University and an MFA in Fiction from the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas at Austin, Lauren has been a professional writer for over a decade. She is the author of the chapbook  A Great Dark House  (Poetry Society of America, 2023) and a forthcoming novel (Viking/Penguin).

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What’s behind the growing gap between men and women in college completion?

College graduates sit at a commencement ceremony.

The growing gender gap in higher education – both in enrollment and graduation rates – has been a topic of conversation and debate in recent months. Young women are more likely to be enrolled in college today than young men, and among those ages 25 and older, women are more likely than men to have a four-year college degree. The gap in college completion is even wider among younger adults ages 25 to 34.

A line graph showing that women in the U.S. are outpacing men in college graduation

Women’s educational gains have occurred alongside their growing labor force participation as well as structural changes in the economy . The implications of the growing gap in educational attainment for men are significant, as research has shown the strong correlation between college completion and lifetime earnings and wealth accumulation .

To explore the factors contributing to the growing gender gap in college completion, we surveyed 9,676 U.S. adults between Oct. 18-24, 2021. Everyone who took part is a member of Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Read more about the ATP’s methodology .

Data on rates of college completion came from a Center analysis of Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (IPUMS). The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the data collection for the 2020 ASEC. The response rate for the March 2020 survey was  about 10 percentage points lower than in preceding months. Using administrative data, Census Bureau researchers have shown that nonresponding households were less similar to respondents than in earlier years. They also generated  entropy balance weights to account for this nonrandom nonresponse. The 2020 ASEC figures presented used these supplementary weights.

Here are the questions used for this report, along with responses, and its methodology .

A majority (62%) of U.S. adults ages 25 and older don’t have a four-year college degree, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of Current Population Survey data. But the reasons for not completing a four-year degree differ for men and women, according to a new Center survey of adults who do not have such a degree and are not currently enrolled in college.

A chart showing that about a third of men who haven’t completed four years of college say they ‘just didn’t want to’ get a degree

Financial considerations are a key reason why many don’t attend or complete college. Among adults who do not have a bachelor’s degree and are not currently enrolled in school, roughly four-in-ten (42%) say a major reason why they have not received a four-year college degree is that they couldn’t afford college. Some 36% say needing to work to help support their family was a major reason they didn’t get their degree.

Overall, about three-in-ten adults who didn’t complete four years of college (29%) say a major reason for this is that they just didn’t want to, 23% say they didn’t need more education for the job or career they wanted, and 20% say they just didn’t consider getting a four-year degree. Relatively few (13%) adults without a bachelor’s degree say a major reason they didn’t pursue this level of education was that they didn’t think they’d get into a four-year college.

Men are more likely than women to point to factors that have more to do with personal choice. Roughly a third (34%) of men without a bachelor’s degree say a major reason they didn’t complete college is that they just didn’t want to. Only one-in-four women say the same. Non-college-educated men are also more likely than their female counterparts to say a major reason they don’t have a four-year degree is that they didn’t need more education for the job or career they wanted (26% of men say this vs. 20% of women).

Women (44%) are more likely than men (39%) to say not being able to afford college is a major reason they don’t have a bachelor’s degree. Men and women are about equally likely to say needing to work to help support their family was a major impediment.

The shares of men and women saying they didn’t consider going to college or they didn’t think they’d get into a four-year school are not significantly different.

The reasons people give for not completing college also differ across racial and ethnic groups. Among those without a bachelor’s degree, Hispanic adults (52%) are more likely than those who are White (39%) or Black (41%) to say a major reason they didn’t graduate from a four-year college is that they couldn’t afford it. Hispanic and Black adults without a four-year degree are more likely than their White counterparts to say needing to work to support their family was a major reason. There aren’t enough Asian adults without a bachelor’s degree in the sample to analyze this group separately.

While a third of White adults without a four-year degree say not wanting to go to school was a major reason they didn’t complete a four-year degree, smaller shares of Black (22%) and Hispanic (23%) adults say the same. White adults are also more likely to say not needing more education for the job or career they wanted is a major reason why they don’t have a bachelor’s degree.

In some instances, the gender gaps in the reasons for not completing college are more pronounced among White adults than among Black or Hispanic adults. About four-in-ten White men who didn’t complete four years of college (39%) say a major reason for this is that they just didn’t want to. This compares with 27% of White women without a degree. Views on this don’t differ significantly by gender for Black or Hispanic adults.

Similarly, while three-in-ten White men without a college degree say a major reason they didn’t complete college is that they didn’t need more education for the job or career they wanted, only 24% of White women say the same. Among Black and Hispanic non-college graduates, roughly similar shares of men and women say this was a major reason.

Among college graduates, men and women have similar views on the value of their degree

Looking at those who have graduated from college, men and women are equally likely to see value in the experience. Overall, 49% of four-year college graduates say their college education was extremely useful in terms of helping them grow personally and intellectually. Roughly equal shares of men (47%) and women (50%) express this view.

Some 44% of college graduates – including 45% of men and 43% of women – say their college education was extremely useful to them in opening doors to job opportunities. A somewhat smaller share of bachelor’s degree holders (38%) say college was extremely useful in helping them develop specific skills and knowledge that could be used in the workplace (38% of men and 40% of women say this).

There are differences by age on each of these items, as younger college graduates are less likely than older ones to see value in their college education. For example, only a third of college graduates younger than 50, compared with 45% of those 50 and older, say their college experience was extremely useful in helping them develop skills and knowledge that could be used in the workplace.

Note: Here are the questions used for this report, along with responses, and its methodology .

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