Help Me Choose A Research Topic For A College Paper

Do you feel like you are stuck? Can't come up with a good research topic for your college paper? Or is the academic world far too fascinating a place for you to pick just one topic, when so many great ideas are out there? Whatever the cause of your research topic trouble, we are here to help.

A good place to start would be to decide on a field of study that interests you. You will always produce better work if you are researching and writing about something that you truly want to know more about. Also, if you can come up with a topic that you already know something about, you will not need to spend as much time on research.

If you have an opinion on a particular subject, don't be afraid to take a strong position. You must however, defend your thesis and opinion. The research that you will be doing should back up the claims that you make in your opening paragraphs. Be aware that in some cases, your position can be empowered if you briefly explore an alternative, opposite opinion. But you must provide data that weakens that opposite argument, thus strengthening your own.

What Do You Like To Research?

Your choice of a topic for your paper may be restricted by the instructions and guidelines that your instructor provides you with. Be sure to read, re-read, and follow directions when searching for a subject for your next essay. A brilliant, ground-breaking, microbiology paper that is submitted for a literature course will earn you a big, fat, F! If you are uncertain as to the degree of latitude your professor will grant you, check before you begin doing your research.

Looking back over your course notes, or re-reading chapters of a textbook that you found , can provide inspiration as well. Reading the newspaper may give you a different angle from which to approach a current event that relates to your discipline.

For example, the rising cost of energy in Europe is a hot issue right now. You could attempt to explain it as primarily a political, economic or environmental issue. Decide what you think the causes for a recent event are, formulate a thesis, and defend it!

Two Areas To Look Into:

• Business And The Economy

Few people would argue that the last decade has seen considerable economic upheaval, and financial instability around the world. But you could! Perhaps the changes we have seen recently are just part of the boom and bust cycle. Or is it the end of the world as we know it?

• Social Change

Is it true that the more things change, the more they stay the same? What do you feel have been the movements that caused the greatest social change in your country (or city, or town)? What would you like to see change in the way your society functions?