There are controversial topics in almost every area of human endeavor. The following lists should demonstrate to you that is practically no limit to the topics which are possible for a research paper. Some of the following items are written as statements, while others are questions. Your task will be to write a research question when you finally decide on your topic.
Fashion
Furs as fashion: Should they be banned?
Film
There is too much censorship in the movies.Hollywood has not portrayed the Native Americans accurately.
Exported American movies have adversely affected foreign cultures.
Hollywood uses too many stereotypes in its western movies.
Colorization of old movies should be discontinued.
Literature
Hamlet was insane.Books like Harry Potter should not be allowed in schools.
Music
Rock stars are not musiciansThe music industry should not monopolize the distribution of music
Who really benefits from "aid" concerts?
Marketed music is not real music.
Art
Can technology be art?Earthwork sculpture: is it art or landscape blight?
History
Did the ancient Greeks practice real democracy?Did Atlantis really exist?
Traditional insularity has adversely affected the economic development of Japan.
What were the real causes and effects of the Boxer Rebellion?
The relationship between blue-collar workers and employers in Japan needs to change.
Should trade barriers between nations be loosened or tightened?
What was the real cause of ___________ 's death?
John Kennedy. Adolf Hitler, Dian Fossey, etc.What was the real cause of ________________ ?
Crash of Pan Am flight 103, Lockerbie, Scotland;Exxon Valdez oil spill, 1989; etc.
Was Christopher Columbus a great explorer?
Did the Americans really land on the moon?
What really happened during the Salem witch trials?
Did the sexual revolution of the 60s harm society?
Why is the United States military in the Gulf?
Who was responsible for the Kent State killings?
Agriculture
Is organic farming better than chemical farming?Should genetically-engineered crops be banned?
Are modern farming methods destroying the world?
Should we keep trying to feed the world's ever-growing population?
Biology
Can animals think?What can we do to stop the harvesting of wild animals for food in Africa?
Can apes acquire language?
Should the military use dolphins as weapons?
Seal hunting in Canada must be stopped.
Anthropology
How can we save the bedouin from extinction?Are ancient human fossils fake?
Aggression is both natural and desirable.
Polyandry and polygamy should be legal.
Archaeology
Ancient ruins must not be reconstructed.Ancient art and artifacts must be returned to their country of origin.
Architecture
Skyscrapers should be banned.Green architecture should be promoted by the government.
Astronomy
Should billions of dollars be spent on space exploration?Will the universe collapse?
Does an infinite number of universes exist?
Were the American missions to the moon justified?
How old is the universe?
Bioethics
For-profit hospitals are detrimental to quality patient care.To what extent should technology be used to prolong a life?
Who should decide if a patient should be euthanized?
Should the federal government fund research using fetal cell transplants?
Should the French abortion pill, RU486, be available on demand in the United States?
Administering the death penalty by lethal injection is viewed by many health professionals as an ethical issue
Should doctors assist patients who wish to commit suicide because of pain and terminal illness?
Should suicide be everyone's personal choice? Anyone's?
The use of animal organs as human transplants: does the animal have any rights in these cases?
All human life must be preserved, regardless of the suffering or cost involved.
Should those who test HIV positive or have AIDS be identified?
Chemistry
Who is responsible for toxic dumping?Could life have arisen from a primordial soup?
Economics
Would decreased taxation stimulate employment and production?A national health care program would be good for the economy
The economics of nuclear power.
Are industrialized countries preventing developing countries ever repaying their national debt?Immigration reform is necessary for the health of the economy.
Gas and oil companies are preventing the development of renewable fuels.
Should the government prohibit mergers of Fortune 500 corporations?
Can the market system be used to correct environmental problems?
Other Science Areas:
Energy Nuclear PowerEnvironment Oceans and Seas
Geography Philosophy
Geology Technology
Language Technology-History
Medicine Weather and Climate
Business
Advertising Personal FinanceAutomotive Small Business
Aviation Television and Radio
Boats and Boating Transportation
Computers Travel
Libraries, Books and Publishing
Social Science
Adolescents HumanitiesConsumer Labor
Contemporary Issues Population
Crime and Criminal Justice Religion
Education Sports and Recreation
Ethnic and Minority Groups Urban Affairs
Government & Law Working World
Health World Scene
Hobbies
Some tips on choosing a topic:
1. Think about yourself! Are you genuinely interested in this topic? If not, you will suffer greatly as you read articles in search of material for your paper. Choose a topic that you really want to know about.
2. You must read, read, read. There is no way you can write a good research question until you have acquired sufficient knowledge about the topic.
3. Don't "lock in" to a research question. As you read, you will discover new information about your topic which will surely affect the way you think about it. Be prepared to alter your research question to reflect what you have found out.
4. Be prepared to make your research question either broader or more narrow. Even after you have read many articles, your focus will change after you start writing. You may discover that your topic is so narrow that you can only write two pages about it, or you may find out that your topic so huge that you can't really cover it all in the few pages required by the assignment.
"Narrowing Your Essay Topic" at the University of Victoria Writer's Guide (http://web.uvic.ca/wguide/Pages/EssayNarrowTopics.html) has some excellent examples of how to move from a broad subject to a more narrow topic.
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This page last updated January 2002