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Research Paper Ideas: Where to Look?

It all starts with trying to find the right topic for your research paper. After all, selecting the right theme is the key that determines the overall success of your work. We have some tips to help you make the right choice.

Choose an area that seems truly fascinating to you

Take your time and think carefully about which sphere arouses your genuine interest and desire to delve into it. It will be much easier and more compelling for you to collect information and write about something that captures you. You should not waste time on something that seems tedious – in this case, you are unlikely to manage to write a decent research paper. Once you have decided on the topic, check the number of materials available. Can you reveal something new or has everything been said before?

Formulate the question 

Think about the main idea of your research paper – that’s where the focus of your work should lie. This question should be thought-provoking, arouse the reader’s interest and make him want to read the essay. Motivate people to look into your paper even if they don’t know anything about its subject.

Get a second opinion

If you feel stuck, do not hesitate to ask friends or acquaintances for advice. Sometimes ideas come from the most unexpected sources. Try brainstorming – this is an effective way to generate new ideas! Besides, you can always contact your mentor who will definitely be able to help if you have difficulty making the right choice.

Best research paper ideas for 2020 

Choosing a theme is, of course, the most crucial step. Once you have selected a topic, it may seem that the most difficult part has been done. Still, you have to gather a lot of information and data from the most reliable sources. Doing research can be extremely challenging since many things depend on what kind of research paper you want to write: something serious and controversial or funny?

Controversial research paper topics

Some of these subjects may cause different responses from readers and raise many other questions. They relate to such sensitive matters as gender roles, religion, politics and human relations.

1. Why do terrorist attacks happen and what is their background?
2. How can corruption be prevented in different countries?
3. Why is the transgender identity on the rise in today’s world?
4. What would be adequate punishment for rapists or murderers?
5. How can developed countries help those less fortunate?
6. What is the proper way to deal with the huge number of immigrants and refugees?
7. How will religion respond to the changing world?
8. Can new religions be invented for personal purposes?
9. How can teenage marriages be justified?
10. Is it possible to merge all existing religions into the universal one for the purpose of preventing religious wars?

Funny research paper topics

If you like to approach everything with humor, then perhaps you should consider these funny themes.

1. Has alien abduction ever taken place?
2. What are the dangers of sword-swallowing? 
3. Who can be called the weirdest historical figure of all time?
4. Are there comic books that amuse and educate children at the same time?
5. Is a pound of lead heavier than a pound of feathers?
6. Is it possible that woodpeckers get headaches? 
7. Why do people watch so many funny videos on YouTube?
8. Why do teenagers have the worst jobs?
9. Can wearing braces be fun and cute?
10. Why do clowns seem scary to so many adults?

Argumentative research paper topics

This is the case where you make an argument and support your opinion by using the information as evidence. Here are some ideas.

1. Do immigrants have a positive or negative impact on the economy?
2. How can cyberbullying be prevented?
3. Are video games causing violent and antisocial behavior in children? 
4. What is the proper age to start voting?
5. Does gender have a significant impact on education?
6. Does depression pose a significant threat to society nowadays?
7. Is space exploration a waste of money or a giant leap forward for humanity?
8. Do social norms and rules enslave people?
9. Should people be allowed to keep exotic animals at home?
10. Is it true that technological progress makes people lonely and disconnected?

Interesting research topics by discipline

If you wish to be innovative and feel like you are capable of doing extensive research, look for new ideas in different branches of knowledge.

Natural sciences (chemistry, biology, physics)

1. Why do allergies to specific foods happen?
2. Why is nanotechnology so important in medicine?
3. How do meteorites help us discover interesting facts about the universe?
4. Is the ketogenic diet optimal for good health?
5. How can the problem of space pollution be solved in the nearest future?
6. Are scientists likely to find life on other planets?
7. What exactly is the Higgs Boson and why is it so fascinating?
8. Why don’t birds get disoriented while flying in cloudy conditions?
9. Why does being warm cause sleepiness and tiredness? 
10. Will scientists be able to prolong human life?

History (anthropology)

1. What are the most crucial historical events that changed Europe?
2. What were the consequences of the Cold War for the world?
3. Why was the Weimar Republic a failure?
4. Who was the most influential monarch of Prussia?
5. What did Britain gain from colonialism in India?
6. What were the effects of the Russo-Japanese War?
7. Did women make a contribution to the Civil War?
8. How did Abraham Lincoln’s death influence the nation?
9. What were the effects of the Atom bomb on Nagasaki?
10. How did slavery impact the economy of the South?

Medicine (psychology, nursing)

1. How can insulin resistance be prevented without drugs?
2. How do antipsychotics influence different brain chemicals?
3. Why is massage therapy beneficial for the nervous system?
4. How does ageism influence mental and physical health?
5. Are alternative treatments to autism effective?
6. How do brain injuries impact language and speech abilities?
7. What can modern medicine offer to treat HIV?
8. What are antibiotics and what is the danger of an antibiotic overuse?
9. What is the placebo effect and what happens in the brain when patients experience it?
10. Is vaccination safe and important or can it cause harm? 

Business (marketing, finance)

1. Who are the most successful entrepreneurs of 2019?
2. What happened to business etiquette in the last decades?
3. What are the qualities needed to become a successful team leader?
4. How does cultural knowledge help in business?
5. What is the reason for the increasing popularity of stock markets?
6. How do commercials influence consumer choice?
7. What marketing trends will become popular in the near future?
8. What is impulsive buying and how do companies exploit it?
9. What brand do attributes make customers become loyal?
10. How do promotions and discounts change consumer behavior?

Science and Technology (math, computer science)

1. What were the most significant scientific achievements in the 20th century?
2. Who can be called the greatest mathematician nowadays?
3. What is so important about the first image of the black hole?
4. How will computer languages change in the future?
5. Will robots become more intelligent than humans?
6. How can education benefit from virtual reality and artificial intelligence?
7. What will be the role of humans when robots take over most of our tasks?
8. How did Blaise Pascal contribute to the study of probability?
9. What are the reasons for using Greek symbols in mathematics?
10. What were Archimedes’ most important contributions to mathematics?