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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.

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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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190 Best English Research Topics and Ideas

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What are the best English Research Topics? Do you want to write an impressive research paper on a unique English research topic? In general, when it comes to writing a research paper on English, there are numerous topics you can research about. However, out of them all, choosing an interesting topic that will help you grab the attention of the readers is challenging.

If you are confused about how to choose a good English research topic and write a brilliant English research paper, then continue reading this blog and learn how to get started. Also, explore the suggested list of the top English research paper topics and ideas for writing an A+ English assignment.

English Research Paper Topic Selection

Every student needs to know how to select a good topic for writing an academic essay or research paper. No matter whether it is an English research paper or the research papers of any other subject, whenever you are assigned a task to write a research paper by selecting a topic on your own, this is what you should do.

  • First, identify the topic of your interest.
  • Conduct background research and brainstorm different ideas related to your area of interest.
  • Note down various keywords that will help you narrow down the essay topic.
  • Finally, analyze and get different perspectives on the topic by raising questions such as what, why, who, and when.
  • Based on your answers to the variety of questions, prepare an outline of how your content would look like.
  • Before finalizing your research topic, keep in mind the length, and due date, and also check whether or not your topic meets all the assignment requirements shared by your instructor.

For choosing the best English research topic, you don’t need to be so focused on a specific topic. Instead, you can modify your topic and generate new interesting research ideas to deal with by analyzing the different perspectives of the topic.

Remember, the research topic you choose is said to be good only if it is interesting and exciting to you and your readers. Also, it is advisable to go with a topic you are familiar with and have a wide research scope and different reference sources. So, when generating research paper topic ideas, keep these aspects in mind and make sure to pick a unique topic that will help you earn an A+ grade.

Read More – Learn and Understand the Common English Techniques

English Research Topics

List of English Research Topics and Ideas

As said earlier, English is a broad subject with a variety of research topics. If you are asked to write an English research paper, you can choose any topic from categories that are related to English literature, technology, drugs and alcohol, politics, culture, religion, gender discrimination, and activism.

Usually, searching and finding a good research topic consumes a lot of time and effort. Hence, to make your search process easier and to help you save time, here we have recommended a list of the top English Research Topics and Ideas.

Go through the entire list of ideas and pick a research topic that is comfortable for you to perform research and write a top-quality English research paper.

Outstanding English Research Topics

  • Examine American Literature
  • How have women contributed to literature?
  • Advantages of studying internationally versus locally
  • What is the prevalence of discrimination at work today?
  • How do alcohol and drug addiction lead to suicide?
  • Ways of improving race relations
  • How have novels impacted political issues?
  • Should corporal punishment be allowed?
  • Analyze terrorism and its impact on business
  • Should drug testing be mandatory for student-athletes?
  • How effective is the No Child Left Behind Act?
  • The effect of cell phones and texting
  • The impact of tenure on teaching quality
  • The impact of tariffs on domestic jobs
  • The issue of accessibility of contraceptives for high school students

Amazing English Research Paper Topics

  • Should people sell their organs to get money?
  • Ways of reducing human trafficking in America
  • The role of technology in economics
  • Psychological factors that influence consumer choice
  • Biblical allegories in modern literature
  • The democratic political system along with its benefits and limitations
  • Difference between authoritarianism, democracy, and monarchy
  • Biblical hermeneutics
  • Manuscripts of the New Testament
  • Textual Criticism of the New Testament
  • Controversies related to Euthanasia
  • Describe the contributions of Indian writers to English literature.
  • Explain the theme of racism in Heart of Darkness by Josef Conrad.
  • The manifestation of non-standard usage of English among University Students.
  • Describe the personal happiness versus societal norms in Victorian literature.

Also read: Top 12 Longest Words in the English Language

Intriguing English Research Paper Topics

  • Find and compare the same characters in Japanese Myths and anime series
  • How has Miguel de Cervantes ridiculed chivalrous ideals, and why is it now essential for society?
  • The consequences of negativity in modern literature.
  • How can hunting become a necessary means in some cases?
  • Provide a detailed history of the Hundred Years’ War and its results.
  • Holy Roman Empire: from successor to the Romans to a Nazi symbol.
  • Liberalism in national politics: emergence and evolution.
  • The history of the world is a series of conquests.
  • Impact of counseling and guidance on scholars’ academic performance.
  • Sexism in the media industry
  • Drawbacks of a democratic political system
  • The issue of feminist women being too harsh on other women who don’t support the movement
  • Whether or not convicted criminals should be eligible for social welfare.
  • The effects of gangs in poor urban centers
  • How can the pleasure of literature lead to a dark side?

Best English Research Ideas

  • The perception of how women love in the legend of La Llorona
  • The importance of the digitization of medical records
  • Life in London in the 18th century
  • Literary Criticism of The Monk by Mathew Lewis
  • Compare and contrast Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold and The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S Eliot.
  • Discuss the theme of industrialization, corruption, and capitalism using Williams Blake’s London.
  • The expectation of women in Marge Piercy’s Barbie Doll
  • Criticism of gender roles in The Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
  • The theme of racism in Heart of Darkness by Josef Conrad
  • How modern-day heroes shape young people
  • The link between illegal immigration and terrorism
  • Does modern technology for teaching affect the quality of education?
  • How marriage has changed in modern society
  • Celebration of Pride Month in the United Kingdom
  • Cases of Mercy Killing in the United States

Informative Topics for English Research Paper

  • Euthanasia – Right to Die versus Right to Life
  • Use of automation in the Healthcare system
  • What is the neoclassical period in English Literature?
  • What is Medieval English Literature as well as the idea of the anthology?
  • Explain the variations across the different dialects and speakers of English
  • What is the impact of diversity on a society’s development and progress?
  • Should the government control what is served in school cafeterias?
  • The high school curriculum should include subjects related to real life. Discuss.
  • What are the psychological effects of the Holocaust on the survivors?
  • Effectiveness of the federal education system as compared to other countries’ education systems.
  • Discuss the role of postsecondary educational institutions in American literacy.
  • Legal consequences of plagiarism in academic writing.
  • How to boost English communication skills for international students?
  • Technical barriers in oral and written communication in the English language.

Interesting English Research Topics

  • Pros and Cons of e-learning
  • The American Dream for immigrants and marginalized group
  • Are UFOS a reality or fiction?
  • Write about the life of tribals.
  • How has the role of women in the military and battlefield changed?
  • How technology is revolutionizing terrorism
  • The drawbacks of online dating apps
  • How depression affects human behavior
  • Violent discipline by caregivers affects a child’s mental growth
  • How alternative medicine for cancer is unsafe
  • Negative effects of doing the wrong exercises
  • Cybercrime is the new terrorism
  • European influence on fashion in the world
  • The genetic link to optimism can shape attitudes. Explain
  • The Impact of Bioterrorism

Captivating English Research Paper Ideas

  • Effects of commercialization of sports
  • Dangers of consuming organic foods
  • The refugee crisis is increasing terrorism
  • Analysis of the Crisis between Ukraine and Russia
  • Impact of the Controversial Cartoon of Prophet Muhammad
  • The recent issue on Prophet Muhammad
  • The threat of Third World War
  • How the English Language Has Evolved Over the Last 20 Years Due to Improvements in Technology.
  • What is the difference between communicative English as well as Written English?
  • Discuss the role of America in the aerospace field.
  • What is psychology and Literature?
  • Does beauty, in general, determine how much a person will be successful in life?
  • What are some pros and cons related to plastic surgery?
  • Cross-cultural influences of the English language.
  • Should sports betting be regulated?
  • Critical analysis of the role of the National Organization for Women (NOW)
  • What other common sayings such as “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” exist in your language?
  • Discuss the Importance of Grammar in English language to increase employability in developed nations
  • Communism as an ideology and communism in the USSR are many different things: Explain
  • Theatre artists often risk their mental health while playing the roles of killers: Explain with justification

Excellent English Research Paper Topics

  • Tobacco advertising and its effects
  • Dangers of weight lifting on women
  • The definition of feminism has changed since the 18th century
  • Should it be mandatory for parents to control their kid’s social media accounts?
  • Globalization and How It Affects the Economy
  • Contributions by Indian writers to English literature.
  • The civil rights movement and its effects
  • Shakespeare’s contribution to English literature.
  • Industrialization and agricultural activities are the greatest contributors to climate change
  • Is social media making it easy for models to become rich?
  • The reasons for fictional languages in literature
  • Female writers in English literature.
  • Gender controversy in modern English.
  • Challenges of learning English as a second language
  • The role of women in the military.

Popular English Research Topics

  • The impact of child labor on society.
  • The decline or increase of divorce over the decades
  • The role of affirmative action in education or work
  • The COVID-19 – An Unrestricted Bio-weapon
  • The Outbreak of Monkeypox
  • Contribution of the World Poet Rabindranath Tagore in the field of global Literature
  • Contribution of William Gaddis in the field of US literature
  • Can fan fiction be considered in terms of independent literature?
  • What do you mean by comedy literature?
  • What is the influence of modern technology on the quality of education?
  • How does depression affect human behavior?
  • The effective ways to reduce bullying in learning institutions
  • What has led to the reduction of unemployment today?
  • Analyze crimes orchestrated by white collars and the punishments
  • How prevalent are wrongful convictions?

Impressive English Research Paper Topics

  • Should we legalize all immigrants without papers?
  • How efficient are police borders?
  • How are activism and protests criminalized?
  • The modern pop musician has more influence than musicians of the 80s
  • Children should be taught at school about various types of sexual orientation
  • Therapy and how it can be an effective rehabilitation method for hard-core prisoners
  • Is bodybuilding only for boosting ego or for health reasons?
  • Dehumanization effects of colonialism in Heart of Darkness by Josef Conrad
  • Sea symbolism in Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold
  • Use The Monk by Matthew Lewis as a response to formal realism.
  • Strange medieval family laws and their influence on society
  • Golan Heights and its importance to the Israelites
  • The pros and cons of legalizing prostitution
  • Second-hand smoke is the major cause of lung cancer deaths
  • Athletes are excelling because of their professional trainers.
  • Critical analysis of the impact of religious believers and stereotypes of society
  • Discuss the similarities and differences between classical music and modern music
  • Analyze the relationship between social status and political power depicted in William Shakespeare’s play
  • What should be actions every government needs to undertake to provide equal rights and opportunities to the people belonging to the LGBTQ+ community?
  • Discuss how Europeans perceive Indians and Middle-East countries’ people

Awesome English Research Questions

  • Discuss the impact of grammatical mistakes on English writing skills.
  • Explain the role of poetry in learning English literature.
  • Write about Modern American English Literature.
  • Examine the obstacles in modern English Literature.
  • Suggest digital tools to advance English fluency.
  • How to search for credible resources for writing English papers?
  • Discuss the role of mobile applications in advancing English verbal communication.
  • Explain the impact of reading in English communication.
  • Explain how to boost English communication skills for international students.
  • Examine Intensive English Programs (IEPs) in the US.

Also read: Learn About Different Language Features in English

Trending English Research Paper Topics

  • How obsession with healthy eating can drive more people into anorexia
  • Ethical Use of Stem Cells
  • What are the reasons for the fictional languages in the literature?
  • Is it ethical to wear fur coats?
  • Are standardized tests a good way to evaluate a student’s knowledge?
  • Is random drug testing in the workplace ethical and necessary?
  • Is technology affecting health management?
  • If college education is made free, will it be more or less qualitative?
  • Does motivation play a role in human development?
  • Do pharmaceutical companies view the Ebola vaccine as unprofitable?
  • Should the use of marijuana be regulated?
  • Have the effects of religious cults changed today as compared to those in ancient society?
  • Caricature and Nigger – An Anti-Black Imagery
  • Effect of systemic diseases on olfactory functioning among coronavirus infected patients
  • Which practices of the Native Americans helped them to protect nature?
  • Discuss the way music listening practices changed during the last three decades
  • Analyze the negative impacts of social media networking sites on face-to-face or physical communications
  • What should be strategies every government needs to undertake to ensure equal access to technology, health, and education?
  • Compare and contrast the philosophy of African culture and European culture

Final Words

From the list of English research topics and ideas suggested in this blog post, you can use any topic of your choice and come up with an excellent, top-scoring English research paper. If you still find it difficult to choose an impressive English research paper topic, then you can use our English Assignment Help service without hesitation.

We are well-known for offering reliable essay writing and research paper writing services to our customers by connecting them with well-experienced academic writers in various fields of study. So, without any second thought, just avail of our USA assignment help & writing service to enjoy the necessary academic benefits at a reasonable rate.

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101 English Research Paper Topics, Questions and Ideas

Patrick Allen

English Research Paper Topics and Ideas

When it comes to English, there is no limit to the topics you can research about. English research paper topic is the question you’re going to answer in your paper based on your research. However, choosing an interesting topic that will capture the attention of your readers and show your academic prowess can be challenging. The trick to getting an idea worth writing about which will also give you a good grade is to pick a topic that you’re interested in and that which you have some background knowledge. It must also be narrow yet have adequate research material and be related to the specific class you’re currently taking. If you’re having trouble finding a good research topic, here are helpful tools on how to get started.

How to Select the Best English Research Paper Topics? Here Is the Easiest Way

Knowing how to select the best research paper topic is an essential skill that every student must have. It is crucial not only for English courses but also for other assignment papers that you will need to write. Selecting a great paper topic starts with choosing a topic of interest. You then need to do background research and brainstorm different ideas.

During the research, you also need to note down various keywords which will help you narrow down your topic. Finally, you need to use the why, who, what and when questions to get different aspects of the topic and to create an outline of how your content is going to look like.

Even with all the information, keep in mind the length, due date and makes sure your topic meets all the assignment requirements.  However, don’t be so focused on your topic that you fail to modify it based on the research. In most instances, during the research process, it is normal to find some other aspects of the topic that are more interesting. So be flexible!

List of English Research Paper Topics for All Students

Your ideal paper topic should be written as a thesis statement. The thesis statement should be between one and two sentences. Keep in mind that the title of your paper may not be the same as your thesis statement, but both should convey the purpose and focus of your research. In English literature, there are so many topics at your disposal that it might overwhelm you. The best way to go about choosing your topic is to look at the different categories.

Look at the similarities between the two genres in the story or what are the differences. Is one genre more effective than the other and how each genre is portrayed in the story? You can also explain how a particular genre emerged or literature in current society.

What issues do the characters try to bring out ion the story? Or how are the characters important to the novel and how do they reflect in real society?  These are some of the research topics you can consider.

  • Gender Roles

How is the gender portrayed in the story? What are the roles of men and women in the novel? You can examine equality or gender expectations as part of your research topics.

  • Culture and Literature

What cultural issues is the book addressing?

  • Politics and Religion

In the novel is there any connection between politics and religion? What beliefs is the book promoting?

Interesting 101 English Research Paper Topics

  • Role of technology in economics
  • Advantages of studying internationally versus locally
  • Importance of teamwork collaboration for nurses
  • School-based mandatory student drug testing approach work to reduce illicit substance use in adolescents
  • Does pissing on demand: workplace drug testing and the rise of the detox industry by Kenneth D. Tunnell advocate for invasiveness?
  • Psychological factors that influence consumer choice
  • Should Drug testing be mandatory for student-athletes?
  • The benefits of drug testing for welfare individuals
  • Employee drug testing can result in business productivity
  • Biblical allegories in modern literature
  • Steinberg display hypocrisy of modern Christianity
  • In The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, rose of Sharon’s baby is a symbol of hope or death
  • Important themes in The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck and their reflection in today’s society
  • Is The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck an educative classic novel or a controversial piece of writing?
  • Today’s immigrant can relate to the Joad family in The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
  • The issue of accessibility of contraceptives for high school students
  • Sexism in the media industry
  • Whether or not convicted criminals should be eligible for social welfare
  • How hunting can become a necessary means in some cases
  • Drawbacks of a democratic political system
  • The issue of firearms and whether or not they should be registered with the police
  • Effects of gangs in poor urban centers
  • The pros and cons of legalizing prostitution
  • How early modern treatment of extremes resonate in present-day culture in Excess and the Mean in Early Modern English Literature by Joshua Scodel
  • How individual freedom and modern English culture is portrayed in Excess and the Mean in Early Modern English Literature by Joshua Scodel
  • How the pleasure of literature can lead to a dark side? Use the book Futile Pleasures: Early Modern Literature and the Limits of Utility by Corey McEleney
  • In the book Animal Characters: Nonhuman Beings in Early Modern Literature by Bruce Thomas explain how animal characters relate to the emerging economy and culture of the European Renaissance
  • The relationship between literary form and code of conduct in the book Rhetoric and Courtliness in Early Modern Literature by Jennifer Richards
  • Importance of digitization of medical records
  • The issue of feminist women being too harsh on other women who don’t support the movement
  • Life in London in the 18 th century
  • Ethical use of stem cells
  • Golan Heights and its importance to the Israelites
  • Various conflicts that have revolved around the Golan Heights
  • The issue of who are the legal occupants of Golan Height
  • Strange medieval family laws and their influence on society
  • The significance of the little bird in Trifles by Susan Glaspell
  • Changes in the role of women from Susan Glaspell’s Trifles
  • Use The Monk by Matthew Lewis as a response to formal realism.
  • The role of feminine men and masculine men in The Monk by Matthew Lewis
  • Feminism in Susan Glaspell’s Trifles
  • The role of violence in Victorian society in Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold
  • Literary criticism of The Monk by Mathew Lewis
  • Sea symbolism in Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold
  • How is the Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold a presentation of a changing world?
  • Is Susan Glaspell’s trifle the ultimate women suffrage story?
  • The Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold is a mockery of the Victorian society
  • Compare and contrast the Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold and The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S Eliot
  • The perception of how women love in the legend of La Llorona
  • The expectation of women in Marge Piercy’s Barbie Doll
  • Unfair treatment of women in the poem A work of Artifice by Marge Piercy
  • Discuss the theme of industrialization, corruption, and capitalism using Williams Blake’s London
  • London in the eighteenth century by William Blake’s London
  • Criticism of gender roles in The Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
  • Social distinction in The Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
  • Dehumanization effects of colonialism in Heart of Darkness by Josef Conrad
  • The theme of racism in Heart of Darkness by Josef Conrad
  • How the characters portray differences in social class in Pamela by Samuel Richardson
  • Teachers using modern technology affect the quality of education
  • How modern-day heroes shape young people
  • How marriage has changed for modern society
  • The link between illegal immigration and terrorism
  • The drawbacks of online dating apps
  • European influence on fashion in the world
  • How myths about eating certain foods are affecting health
  • Are UFOS a reality or fiction?
  • Pros and Cons of e-learning
  • Is bodybuilding only for boosting ego or for health reasons
  • The America dream for immigrants and minorities
  • How technology is revolutionizing terrorism
  • Eliminating the SAT for college admission can make education better
  • How the role of women in the military and battlefield has changed?
  • How depression affects human behavior
  • The genetic link to optimism can shape attitudes. Explain
  • Violent discipline by caregivers affects a child’s mental growth
  • Therapy and how it can be an effective rehabilitation method for hardcore prisoners
  • Secondhand smoke is the major cause of lung cancer deaths
  • How alternative medicine for cancer is unsafe
  • Children should be taught at school about various types of sexual orientation
  • Cybercrime is the new terrorism
  • The impact of Bioterrorism
  • The refugee crisis is increasing terrorism
  • Social media and modeling industry: Is social media making it easy for models to become rich?
  • Industrialization and agricultural activities are the greatest contributors to climate change
  • Effects of commercialization of sports
  • Negative effects of doing the wrong exercises
  • Dangers of consuming organic foods
  • Dangers of weight lifting on women
  • Whether or not sports betting should be regulated
  • Should gambling addiction be ranked in the same category as hard drugs?
  • Athletes are excelling because of their professional trainers
  • The modern pop musician has more influence than musicians of 80s
  • The definition of feminism has changed since the 18th century
  • Going to music school influences the success of a modern musician
  • Tobacco advertising and its effects
  • How obsession with healthy eating can drive more people into anorexia
  • The link between Social media and suicide for teenagers and youths
  • Should it be mandatory for parents to control their kid’s social media accounts
  • The civil rights movement and the effects
  • Analysis of strategies used to alter consumer attitudes
  • Globalization and how it affects the economy

Examples of English Research Paper Questions

One of the main parts of writing English research paper is to define the research paper question. The question often leads to a hypothesis or thesis statement. Good research questions will generally be based on the who, why, how and what type of questions.

For example, what are the main questions that a reader might ask in this topic or what are your opinions about the topic and who is affected by it? How is the culture portrayed in that particular novel or book? Which political values is the novel questioning? What are the differences and similarities between the two characters?

Once you have a couple of various research questions, you can choose the top three questions and use them to generate a thesis statement.  You can then construct your paper around good research questions. If you don’t have a clue what to write, here are a couple of questions to inspire you.

  • Is random drug testing in a workplace ethical and necessary?
  • Do pharmaceutical companies view Ebola vaccine as unprofitable?
  • Has the role of the first lady changed?
  • Does motivation play a role in human development?
  • Should the use of marijuana be regulated?
  • Have the effects of religious cults changed today as compared to those in ancient society?
  • Is technology affecting health management?
  • Is it ethical to wear fur coats?
  • If a college education is made free, will it be more or less qualitative?
  • Are standardized tests a good way to evaluate a student’s knowledge?

How to Come up with the Best English Research Paper Ideas

The main point of choosing a research topic is to go for aspects of the subjects that you understood better and that which interests you the most. What’s great about a teacher asking you to come up with a research topic is that you can go in any direction that you want. You can look at imagery within the novel, or discuss the allegory of two random but related novels.

However, the process of coming up with English research paper topic that will impress your lecturer is not easy. If you don’t understand your assignments, then don’t hesitate to use our services. Feel free to call us now, and we will help you narrow down good topics that your lecturer will love.

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Write an Exemplary English Research Paper: An All in One Guide for You

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Table of Contents

English literature is probably the universal favourite subject. If it is not a favourite language, it can be considered the most known and used language worldwide. 

And do you know what the irony is? Studies say there are more than 7000 languages in the world. However, English is considered the most widely used language even though it is the native language of fewer than 15 countries in the world among 195 countries. 

This is because English is the official language of various nations. Owing to this, many people of non-English native origin must learn and communicate in English academically and professionally. The result is they require more guidance to write, communicate or generate ideas in English. 

If you are a non-native or native English speaker pursuing a major in English and have to submit a research paper in English, for that reason, you are looking for the best English research paper topics to work on. Then you are at the right place. 

Keep reading to find out why! But before that, let us check out the structure of an english essay writing .

Reading a book or watching a movie in English and majoring in English are two different worlds entirely, as are writing a journal and writing a research paper on  English literature essay topics. Writing a research paper can be a daunting task, especially for non-native speakers of English.

However, with proper planning and organisation, anyone can write an effective research paper in English. You can refer to the English research paper examples and check out the structure used in those. 

A. Title Page:

The research paper’s title page should include the paper’s title, the author’s name, the author’s institutional affiliation, and the date of submission.

B. Abstract:

The abstract is a brief summary of the paper, typically no more than 250 words. It should concisely overview the research question, methodology, results, and conclusions.

C. Introduction:

The introduction should provide a background to the research question, explaining why the topic is important and what previous research has been done in this area. It should also state the research question or hypothesis and explain the methodology used in the study.

D. Literature Review:

The literature review analyses previous research on the topic, highlighting key findings and identifying gaps in the existing research. This section should provide a critical literature analysis, identifying previous studies’ strengths and weaknesses.

E. Methodology:

The methodology section should describe the methods used in the study, including the research design, data collection procedures, and data analysis techniques. This section should be detailed enough that another researcher could replicate the study.

F. Results:

The results section should present the findings of the study clearly and concisely. Tables and figures can be used to present data in a more visual format.

G. Discussion:

The discussion section should interpret the study results, explaining what they mean in the context of previous research and the research question. This section should also identify any limitations of the study and suggest areas for future research.

H. Conclusion:

The conclusion should summarise the study’s main findings and restate the research question or hypothesis. It should also briefly discuss the implications of the findings and suggest areas for future research.

I. References:

The references section should list all sources cited in the paper, following a particular citation style (APA, MLA, etc.). All references should be accurate and complete.

In conclusion, writing a research paper in English requires careful planning and organisation. Following the above structure, you can create a well-written and well-structured research paper that effectively communicates your findings to your audience.

The Secret to Higher Grades is Good English Research Paper Topics – Here’s Why!

Topics for research papers in English are the most crucial part of your research paper. It is that first that can make or break the gsame. Hence, choosing the right topic for your English research paper is critical to your academic success. It is the foundation on which your entire research paper will be built, and it will ultimately determine the quality of your work. 

Here are some reasons why choosing the right English literature research paper topics is so important:

a) Interest and Motivation

Choosing a topic that you are genuinely interested in will make your research process much more enjoyable and rewarding. When you are passionate about a topic, you are more likely to stay engaged throughout the research and writing process. This interest and motivation will reflect in the quality of your research paper, making it more likely to be well received.

b) Originality and Creativity

An original and creative topic can set your research paper apart from others. Choosing a unique perspective on a topic, or exploring an aspect of a topic that has not been extensively researched, can make your research paper stand out. It will also demonstrate your ability to think critically and independently, an essential academic skill.

c) Relevance and Significance

Choosing a relevant and significant topic for your field of study is essential to ensure your research paper has value. Your research should be able to address a knowledge gap, contribute to ongoing debates or provide new insights into a topic. It should also be relevant to current events or societal issues that may be of interest to others in your field.

d) Feasibility and Manageability

Choosing a feasible and manageable topic within the given timeframe and resources is crucial. You should consider the availability of primary and secondary sources, the complexity of the topic, and the time required to analyse and interpret the data. It’s important to be realistic about what you can accomplish within the given constraints of your research project.

e) Career Advancement

Choosing a well-researched and well-written research paper can be an asset to your career advancement. A successful research paper can be used as a writing sample when applying for jobs or graduate school. It can also demonstrate your research and writing skills, which are highly valued in many fields.

Take the time to carefully consider your options and choose a topic you are passionate about that meets the criteria for a successful research paper.

How to Choose the Best English Research Topic?

Writing an English research paper is tough, but choosing the best English research topic can be an even more challenging task. That said it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. In fact, it can be an exciting opportunity to explore a subject that interests you and make a valuable contribution to the English language and literature field. Here are some tips to help you choose the best English research topic:

a) Follow your passion

Start by identifying your interests and passions. What aspects of the English language or literature do you find most intriguing? Do you enjoy reading novels or analysing language patterns? What kind of topics do you enjoy discussing with your peers or professors? Choosing a topic that resonates with your interests will motivate you to dive deep into the research and produce high-quality work.

b) Narrow your focus

Once you have a general idea of what you want to research, narrowing down your focus is important. A broad topic like “Shakespeare’s influence on English literature” may be too broad for a research project. Consider breaking it down into more specific subtopics such as “The use of language in Hamlet” or “The portrayal of women in Othello.” This will help you develop a clear and focused research question you can answer in your project.

c) Conduct preliminary research

Before finalising your research topic, conducting some preliminary research to see what has already been studied in the field is essential. This will help you to avoid choosing a topic that has already been extensively researched or one that has little existing literature. Use academic databases, search engines, and other research tools to find articles, books, and other sources related to your potential topic.

d) Consider the feasibility of your topic

It’s important to choose a topic that is feasible to research within the given timeframe and resources. Consider the availability of primary and secondary sources, the complexity of the topic, and the time required to analyse and interpret the data. Be realistic about what you can accomplish within the given constraints of your research project.

e) Seek feedback from others

Finally, seek feedback from your peers, professors, or mentors. They can provide valuable insights into your research topic, offer suggestions for improvement, and help you refine your research question. By receiving feedback from others, you can ensure that your research topic is relevant, meaningful, and impactful.

Keep these pointers in mind to choose a research topic that is engaging, relevant, and feasible and make a valuable contribution to the field of English language and literature.

Top Picks of English Research Paper Topics for You

Here you will find English 101 research paper topics to work on. Let us check them out. 

1. Outstanding English Research Topics

  • The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health
  • The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture
  • Gender Stereotypes in the Workplace
  • The Rise of Artificial Intelligence and Its Ethical Implications
  • The Role of Education in Reducing Poverty
  • The Relationship between Parental Involvement and Student Achievement
  • The Effectiveness of Online Learning vs. Traditional Classroom Learning
  • The Influence of Music on Mood and Memory
  • The Psychological Effects of Colour on Marketing
  • The Impact of Globalisation on Cultural Identity

2. Amazing English Research Topics

  • The Intersection of Race, Gender, and Class in Contemporary Society
  • The Future of Space Exploration and Colonization
  • The Ethics of Gene Editing and Genetic Enhancement
  • The Impact of Social Media on Political Discourse and Democracy
  • The Psychology of Motivation and Goal-Setting
  • The Relationship between Language and Thought
  • The Evolution of Human Rights and International Law
  • The Economics of Sustainable Development and Green Energy
  • The Role of Arts and Culture in Building Strong Communities
  • The History and Significance of Cryptography in Modern Society.

3. Excellent English Literature Topics

  • The Concept of the American Dream in Literature
  • The Significance of Symbolism in Poetry
  • The Representation of Women in Literature
  • The Use of Foreshadowing in Gothic Literature
  • The Portrayal of Mental Illness in Contemporary Fiction
  • The Influence of Shakespeare on Modern Literature
  • The Theme of Identity in Postcolonial Literature
  • The Role of Religion in Literature
  • The Evolution of Science Fiction as a Literary Genre
  • The Impact of War on Literature and Culture.

4. Best English Research Paper Topics

  • The Effects of Social Media on Body Image and Self-Esteem in Adolescents
  • Exploring the Relationship between Sleep Deprivation and Academic Performance
  • Analysing the Impact of Crypto currency on Financial Markets
  • The Psychological and Social Effects of Virtual Reality Technology
  • Investigating the Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Anxiety and Depression
  • The Ethics of Genetic Engineering and Gene Editing
  • Examining the Role of Social Capital in Community Development
  • The Representation of Race and Ethnicity in Popular Media
  • The Future of Autonomous Vehicles and Their Impact on Society
  • The Effects of Climate Change on Human Health and Well-Being
  • The Psychological Effects of Online Dating and Social Networking
  • Investigating the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Education
  • Analysing the Effects of Income Inequality on Social Mobility
  • The Significance of Storytelling in Human Culture and Communication.

4. English Research Paper Topics on Historical Events

  • The Causes and Consequences of World War I
  • The Impact of the Industrial Revolution on Society and Culture
  • The Civil Rights Movement in the United States
  • The Causes and Effects of the French Revolution
  • The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire
  • The Reconstruction Era in American History
  • The Holocaust and its Legacy in Modern Society
  • The American Revolution and the Birth of a Nation
  • The Cold War and its Impact on International Relations
  • The Causes and Consequences of the Great Depression
  • The Age of Exploration and Its Impact on World History
  • The Renaissance: Art, Literature, and Scientific Advancement
  • The Russian Revolution and the Rise of Communism.
  • The Role of Women in Historical Events and Movements
  • The French Resistance during World War II
  • The Cultural Revolution in China
  • The Scramble for Africa and Its Consequences
  • The Cuban Missile Crisis and the Threat of Nuclear War.

5. English Research Topics on Films

  • The Evolution of the Film Industry: Past, Present, and Future
  • The Analysis of Film Techniques and Their Effect on Audience Perception
  • The Representation of Gender and Race in Contemporary Cinema
  • The Influence of Film Noir on Modern Cinema
  • The Portrayal of Mental Health in Film and Television
  • The Significance of Music in Film: Soundtracks, Scores, and Songs
  • The Cultural Impact of Superhero Movies on Society
  • The Role of Horror Films in Contemporary Culture
  • The Representation of Historical Events and Figures in Film
  • The Effects of the Pandemic on the Film Industry
  • The Portrayal of Science and Technology in Science Fiction Films
  • The Use of Animation and Special Effects in Modern Cinema

6. English Research Topics for College Students

  • Exploring the Link between Music and Emotion: An Interdisciplinary Study
  • The Future of Renewable Energy: Advancements and Challenges
  • Investigating the Effects of Meditation on Mental Health and Well-being
  • The Significance of Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace
  • Examining the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare
  • The History and Evolution of the Fashion Industry
  • The Ethics of Animal Testing: Balancing Scientific Advancement and Animal Welfare
  • The Psychology of Decision Making: Theories and Applications
  • The Role of Education in Promoting Social Justice and Equity
  • Analysing the Effects of Social Support on Mental and Physical Health
  • The Impact of Globalisation on Cultural Identity and Diversity
  • Investigating the Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Anxiety and Depression

There are thousands of other English topics to write about all over the internet, but the above-mentioned are the best ones handpicked for you to score impressively with your research paper writing service . All the best!

English Research Paper Examples

Below are some sample parts of English Research Paper –

english major research paper topics

Most Popular Questions Searched By Students

Q1. how do i choose a research topic in english.

Ans. To choose a research topic in English:

  • Start by identifying your interests and passions.
  • Narrow down your focus by breaking your topic into specific subtopics.
  • Conduct preliminary research to see what has already been studied in the field, 
  • Consider the feasibility of your topic, and 
  • Seek feedback from peers and mentors.

Q2. What is the best way to narrow down a research topic in English?

Ans. To narrow down a research topic in English:

  • Start by brainstorming a list of potential subtopics related to your broader area of interest.
  • Evaluate the feasibility and significance of each subtopic, and determine which ones have the most potential for further exploration.
  • Conduct preliminary research on each subtopic to assess the availability of sources and existing scholarship.
  • Select the most promising subtopic for your research.

Q3. How do I structure an English research paper?

Ans. An English research paper should have a clear structure, including an introduction, literature review, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusion.

  • The introduction should provide background information and a clear thesis statement.
  • The literature review should summarise previous research on the topic.
  • The methodology should describe the methods used to conduct the research.
  • The results should present the findings, and the discussion should analyse and interpret the results.
  • The conclusion should summarise the key findings and implications of the research.

Q4. How do I write a strong thesis statement for my English research paper?

Ans. To write a strong thesis statement for an English research paper:

  • Start by identifying the main topic or question you want to address.
  • Craft a concise statement that presents your argument or perspective on the topic.
  • Make sure your thesis statement is clear, specific, and debatable.

It should also provide a roadmap for your paper and set the tone for your research.

Q5. Do I analyse data in an English research paper?

Ans. Whether or not you need to analyse data in an English research paper depends on your specific research question and methodology. If your research involves collecting and analyzing data, you must include a results section that presents and analyses your findings. However, if your research is more focused on literature analysis or other qualitative methods, you may not need to include a data analysis section.

Q6. How do I evaluate sources for my English research paper?

Ans. When evaluating sources for an English research paper, consider the following:

  • Relevance: Determine if the source is directly relevant to your research question and thesis statement.
  • Authority: Determine the credibility of the author and their expertise in the field. Check their credentials and look for signs of bias or conflicts of interest.
  • Currency: Determine how recent the source is and if it provides up-to-date information.
  • Accuracy: Determine if the information in the source is reliable, accurate, and supported by evidence.
  • Objectivity: Determine if the source presents a balanced perspective or if it is biased towards a particular viewpoint.
  • Audience: Determine the source’s intended audience and consider if it is appropriate for your research.
  • Accessibility: Determine if the source is accessible to you, both physically and legally.

Q7. How do I properly cite sources in my English research paper?

Ans. To properly cite sources in an English research paper, use a citation style such as MLA, APA, or Chicago. Include in-text citations whenever you use a direct quote, paraphrase, or summarise information from a source. Also, include a works cited or references page at the end of your paper that lists all sources cited in your paper. Be sure to follow the specific guidelines of your chosen citation style.

Q8. How do I write a literature review for my English research paper?

Ans. To write a literature review for an English research paper:

  • Start by identifying relevant sources related to your research topic.
  • Read and evaluate each source, noting important themes, arguments, and research findings.
  • Organise your literature review into sections that correspond to these themes, and use them to construct an overview of the current state of research in your field.
  • Cite all sources properly.

Q9. How do I write a strong conclusion for my English research paper?

Ans. To write a strong conclusion for an English research paper:

  • Summarise the key findings and implications of your research.
  • Restate your thesis statement and review the main points of your paper.
  • Reflect on the significance of your research and suggest areas for future study.
  • Avoid introducing new information in your conclusion, and make sure your final statements leave a lasting impression on your reader.

Q10. How can I effectively revise and edit my English research paper?

Ans. To effectively revise and edit your English research paper,

  • Start by taking a break after completing a draft to gain a fresh perspective.
  • Read your paper out loud and look for areas that need clarification, organisation, or improvement.
  • Check for grammar and spelling errors and ensure your formatting and citation style are correct.
  • Consider seeking feedback from peers or a writing centre, and make necessary revisions before submitting your final draft.

Mark

Hi, I am Mark, a Literature writer by profession. Fueled by a lifelong passion for Literature, story, and creative expression, I went on to get a PhD in creative writing. Over all these years, my passion has helped me manage a publication of my write ups in prominent websites and e-magazines. I have also been working part-time as a writing expert for myassignmenthelp.com for 5+ years now. It’s fun to guide students on academic write ups and bag those top grades like a pro. Apart from my professional life, I am a big-time foodie and travel enthusiast in my personal life. So, when I am not working, I am probably travelling places to try regional delicacies and sharing my experiences with people through my blog. 

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English Literature Research Paper Topics

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This guide, centered on English literature research paper topics , serves as a comprehensive resource for students seeking to delve deep into the diverse epochs, authors, and themes that have shaped English literary tradition. Navigating the intricate tapestry of English literature offers scholars a multitude of avenues for exploration. From the mystique of medieval tales to the introspective narratives of modernism, this guide not only provides a plethora of English literature research paper topics but also offers insights on choosing the ideal topic, structuring the research paper, and harnessing the unmatched writing services of iResearchNet. Dive in to unravel the rich heritage of English literature and discover the myriad opportunities it presents for academic exploration.

100 English Literature Research Paper Topics

Diving into English literature is like embarking on a journey through time and culture. From ancient ballads to modernist narratives, it offers a vast panorama of themes, styles, and societal reflections. Below is a comprehensive list of English literature research paper topics spanning across different eras and genres:

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Medieval Literature

  • The significance of chivalry in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight .
  • The Christian and Pagan elements in Beowulf .
  • Courtly love in The Knight’s Tale from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales .
  • Dream visions in Pearl and Piers Plowman .
  • The role of fate and providence in The Consolation of Philosophy .
  • The art of storytelling in The Decameron vs. The Canterbury Tales .
  • The Seven Deadly Sins in Everyman .
  • The evolution of the English language: Old English vs. Middle English.
  • Religious allegory in The Second Shepherd’s Play .
  • Women and femininity in the Lais of Marie de France .

Renaissance and Elizabethan Age

  • Shakespeare’s portrayal of power in Macbeth .
  • Love and beauty in Sonnet 18 .
  • The idea of the “New World” in The Tempest .
  • The virtues in Spenser’s The Faerie Queene .
  • Magic and science in Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe.
  • The pastoral settings of As You Like It .
  • The politics of gender in Twelfth Night .
  • Revenge and madness in Hamlet .
  • John Donne’s metaphysical poetry and its innovation.
  • The darker side of the Renaissance: The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster.

The Restoration and the 18th Century

  • The satirical world of Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels .
  • Class struggles in Daniel Defoe’s Moll Flanders .
  • Alexander Pope’s critique of society in The Rape of the Lock .
  • Aphra Behn and the emergence of the woman writer.
  • The wit and wisdom of Samuel Johnson’s essays.
  • The rise of the novel: Richardson vs. Fielding.
  • Sentimentality and society in Sterne’s Tristram Shandy .
  • Politics and plays: John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera .
  • Women, education, and literature: Mary Wollstonecraft’s ideas.
  • The mock-heroic in English literature.

Romantic Period

  • Nature and transcendence in Wordsworth’s Tintern Abbey .
  • The Byronic hero in Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage .
  • Shelley’s Ozymandias and the ephemeral nature of power.
  • The Gothic romance of Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights .
  • George Gordon Lord Byron and the Romantic antihero.
  • The visionary world of William Blake’s poems.
  • The exotic and the familiar in Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
  • Keats’s exploration of beauty and mortality.
  • The industrial revolution’s reflection in literature.
  • Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and the dangers of ambition.

Victorian Era

  • Charles Dickens and his critique of Victorian society.
  • The challenges of morality in Thomas Hardy’s novels.
  • The bildungsroman in Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre .
  • The plight of women in George Eliot’s Middlemarch .
  • Oscar Wilde’s wit and irony in The Importance of Being Earnest .
  • The debate on science and religion in In Memoriam A.H.H by Alfred Lord Tennyson.
  • The mystery and suspense of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories.
  • The “Woman Question” in Victorian literature.
  • The realism of Anthony Trollope’s Chronicles of Barsetshire.
  • Gothic elements in Dracula by Bram Stoker.
  • The fragmented narrative of Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse .
  • T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land and the disillusionment of the post-war era.
  • The struggles of the working class in D.H. Lawrence’s novels.
  • The impact of World War I on English poetry.
  • James Joyce’s revolutionary narrative techniques in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man .
  • E.M. Forster’s exploration of social and racial themes.
  • The critique of colonialism in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness .
  • W.B. Yeats and the Irish literary revival.
  • The emergence of the stream-of-consciousness technique.
  • The Jazz Age and decadence in the writings of F. Scott Fitzgerald.

The Gothic Tradition

  • Origins of Gothic fiction: Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto .
  • The supernatural and macabre in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.
  • Ann Radcliffe’s influence on the Gothic novel.
  • The role of the Byronic hero in The Vampyre by John Polidori.
  • Duality of human nature in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde .
  • The haunting atmospheres in Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë.
  • Gender and sexuality in Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu.
  • Edgar Allan Poe’s influence on English Gothic literature.
  • Dracula by Bram Stoker: Themes of sexuality and fear of the unknown.
  • The Gothic novel as a reflection of societal fears and anxieties.

The Angry Young Men Era

  • Social criticism in John Osborne’s Look Back in Anger .
  • Exploring masculinity in Saturday Night and Sunday Morning by Alan Sillitoe.
  • The disillusionment of post-war Britain in The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner .
  • The class struggle in Kingsley Amis’s Lucky Jim .
  • Existential themes in John Wain’s Hurry on Down .
  • Feminine perspectives in the era: Shelagh Delaney’s A Taste of Honey .
  • The critique of academia in The History Man by Malcolm Bradbury.
  • The Angry Young Men and their influence on modern theater.
  • The transformation of British literature in the 1950s and 1960s.
  • The lasting legacy of the Angry Young Men movement in contemporary literature.

Postmodern British Literature

  • Metafiction in Julian Barnes’s Flaubert’s Parrot .
  • The playfulness of language in Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses .
  • Intertextuality in Jeanette Winterson’s Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit .
  • The fragmented narrative in Graham Swift’s Waterland .
  • Reality and fiction in Ian McEwan’s Atonement .
  • Gender and postcolonial themes in Angela Carter’s The Passion of New Eve .
  • The exploration of identity in Zadie Smith’s White Teeth .
  • The deconstruction of traditional narrative in Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell.
  • Postmodern gothic in The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield.
  • Magical realism in The Porcelain Doll by Julian Barnes.

Contemporary English Literature

  • The multicultural London in Brick Lane by Monica Ali.
  • Exploring family dynamics in On Beauty by Zadie Smith.
  • The concept of time in Ian McEwan’s Amsterdam .
  • The role of history in Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall .
  • The exploration of love and loss in Julian Barnes’s The Sense of an Ending .
  • Postcolonial Britain in Andrea Levy’s Small Island .
  • The challenges of modern life in Nick Hornby’s High Fidelity .
  • The evolution of the English detective novel: Kate Atkinson’s Case Histories .
  • The legacy of the British Empire in The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai.
  • The digital age and its influence on literature: The Word Exchange by Alena Graedon.

English literature boasts a rich and varied tapestry of themes, periods, and genres. This comprehensive list is a testament to the dynamism and depth of the field, offering a myriad of research avenues for students. As they venture into each topic, they can appreciate the nuances and complexities that have shaped the literary tradition, making it an invaluable component of global culture and heritage.

English Literature and the Range of Topics It Offers

English literature, encompassing the vast historical, cultural, and artistic legacy of writings in the English language, boasts a rich tapestry of narratives, characters, and stylistic innovations. From the earliest Old English epic poems to the reflective and multifaceted postmodern novels, English literature offers an expansive array of topics for analysis, discussion, and research. The depth and breadth of this literary tradition are mirrored by the diverse range of English literature research paper topics it can inspire.

The Medieval Foundation

Diving into the early origins of English literature, we encounter works like Beowulf , an Old English epic poem of heroism, fate, and the struggle against malevolent forces. Medieval English literature, characterized by religious texts, chivalric romances, and philosophical treatises, sets the stage for the evolution of narrative styles and thematic explorations. The rich allegorical narratives, like Piers Plowman or Sir Gawain and the Green Knight , present intricate societal and spiritual commentaries that still resonate with readers today. These works invite inquiries into the socio-religious dynamics of medieval England, the evolution of the English language, and the literary techniques employed.

Renaissance and Enlightenment: A Burst of Creativity

The Renaissance and Elizabethan Age saw the emergence of revered playwrights like William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe, whose dramas, whether tragedies, comedies, or histories, plumbed the depths of human emotion, politics, and existence. The genius of Shakespeare’s Hamlet or Othello , juxtaposed against Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus , provides a fertile ground for investigating themes of ambition, betrayal, love, and existential angst. Moreover, with poets like Edmund Spenser and his epic The Faerie Queene , English literature expanded its horizons, both thematically and stylistically.

The subsequent Restoration and the 18th century ushered in a period of social and literary change. With authors like Jonathan Swift and Alexander Pope, satire became a powerful tool to critique society and politics. Furthermore, the emergence of the novel, as exemplified by Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe and Samuel Richardson’s Pamela , offered researchers a chance to explore the evolving societal values, gender norms, and narrative techniques.

Romanticism, Victorian Era to Modernism: A Spectrum of Emotion and Thought

The Romantic period, marked by poets like William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and John Keats, celebrated nature, emotion, and individualism. In contrast, the Victorian era, with novelists like Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, and the Brontë sisters, addressed societal change, morality, and industrialization. Both periods are a goldmine for English literature research paper topics around the individual vs. society, the role of nature, and the exploration of the self.

Modernism in English literature, with heavyweights like Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, and T.S. Eliot, revolutionized narrative structure and thematic depth. Works from this era, such as To the Lighthouse or The Waste Land , demand analysis on fragmented narrative, stream of consciousness, and the introspective exploration of the human psyche.

Contemporary Reflections

Contemporary English literature, shaped by postcolonial, feminist, and postmodern influences, gives voice to a plethora of perspectives. Authors like Salman Rushdie, Zadie Smith, and Julian Barnes tackle issues of identity, multiculturalism, history, and reality versus fiction. Such works present a plethora of avenues for research, from analyzing the postcolonial identity in Rushdie’s narratives to the intricate tapestries of familial and societal dynamics in Smith’s novels.

Concluding Thoughts

In essence, English literature is an evolving entity, reflecting and shaping societal, cultural, and individual values and challenges over the centuries. For students and researchers, the wealth of English literature research paper topics it offers ranges from historical and linguistic analyses to deep dives into thematic cores and stylistic innovations. Whether one wishes to explore the chivalric codes of medieval romances, the biting satires of the 18th century, the emotional landscapes of Romanticism, or the fragmented realities of postmodern narratives, English literature provides an inexhaustible reservoir of research opportunities.

How to Choose an English Literature Topic

Choosing a research paper topic, especially within the expansive field of English literature, can be a challenging endeavor. The centuries-spanning literature offers a treasure trove of stories, themes, characters, and socio-political contexts that beckon exhaustive exploration. As such, students often find themselves at a crossroads, wondering where to begin and how to narrow down their choices to find that one compelling topic. Here’s a detailed guide to streamline this process:

  • Align with Your Interests: Dive into periods, genres, or authors that genuinely intrigue you. If Victorian novels captivate your imagination or if Shakespearean dramas resonate with you, use that as your starting point. Genuine interest ensures sustained motivation throughout your research journey.
  • Evaluate Academic Relevance: While personal interest is vital, ensure your chosen topic aligns with academic goals and curriculum requirements. Some English literature research paper topics, while intriguing, might not offer substantial academic value for a particular course or level of study.
  • Seek Familiar Ground (But Not Too Familiar): Leverage your previous readings and coursework. Familiarity offers a foundation, but challenge yourself to explore uncharted territories within that domain. If you enjoyed Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice , maybe delve into its feminist interpretations or comparative studies with other contemporaneous works.
  • Embrace Complexity: Opt for English literature research paper topics that lend themselves to multifaceted exploration. Simple topics might not provide enough depth for comprehensive research papers. Instead of a general overview of Romantic poetry, explore the portrayal of nature in Wordsworth’s works versus Shelley’s.
  • Historical and Cultural Context: Literature isn’t created in a vacuum. Understand the historical and societal backdrop of a literary work. This context can offer a fresh perspective and can be an excellent lens for your research.
  • Contemporary Relevance: How does a particular work or literary period converse with today’s world? Exploring the modern implications or relevance of classic works can be both enlightening and academically rewarding.
  • Diverse Interpretations: Embrace English literature research paper topics open to various interpretations. Works like George Orwell’s 1984 or Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot can be analyzed from political, psychological, existential, or linguistic viewpoints.
  • Consult with Peers and Professors: Engage in discussions with classmates and seek advice from professors. Their feedback can provide new perspectives or refine your existing topic ideas.
  • Read Critiques and Literary Journals: Academic journals, critiques, and literary analyses offer insights into popular research areas and can help you identify gaps or lesser-explored aspects of a work or period.
  • Flexibility is Key: As you delve deeper into your research, be open to tweaking or even changing your topic. New findings or challenges might necessitate slight shifts in your research focus.

Choosing the right research topic in English literature requires a blend of personal passion, academic relevance, and the potential for in-depth exploration. By aligning your interests with academic goals, and being open to exploration and adaptation, you pave the way for a fulfilling and academically enriching research experience. Remember, the journey of researching and understanding literature can be as enlightening as the end result. Embrace the process, and let the vast ocean of English literature inspire and challenge you.

How to Write an English Literature Research Paper

Penning an English literature research paper is a task that demands meticulous planning, a deep understanding of the subject, and the ability to weave thoughts coherently. English literature, with its vast and rich tapestry, offers endless avenues for exploration, making it both an exciting and daunting endeavor. Below are step-by-step guidelines to craft a compelling research paper in this domain:

  • Understanding the Assignment: Before diving into the research phase, ensure you fully understand the assignment’s requirements. Is there a specific format? Are certain sources mandatory? What’s the word count? This foundational clarity sets the stage for efficient research and writing.
  • Preliminary Research: Start with a broad exploration of your topic. Read general articles, introductory chapters, or review papers. This will give you a general overview and can help narrow down your focus.
  • Thesis Statement Formulation: Your thesis is the backbone of your research paper. It should be clear, precise, and arguable. For instance, instead of writing “Shakespeare’s plays are influential,” you might specify, “ Macbeth illustrates the dire consequences of unchecked ambition.”
  • Diving Deeper – Detailed Research: With your thesis in hand, dive deeper into primary (original texts) and secondary sources (critiques, essays). Libraries, academic databases, and literary journals are treasure troves of valuable information.
  • Organize Your Findings: Use digital tools, index cards, or notebooks to categorize and annotate your findings. Grouping similar ideas together will make the writing process smoother.
  • Drafting an Outline: An organized structure is essential for clarity. Create an outline with clear headings and subheadings, ensuring a logical flow of ideas. This will serve as a roadmap as you write.
  • Introduction Crafting: Your introduction should be engaging, offering a glimpse of your thesis and the significance of your study. Remember, first impressions count!
  • Literary Analysis: Delve into the text’s intricacies – symbols, themes, character development, stylistic devices, and historical context.
  • Critiques and Counter-arguments: Discuss various interpretations of the text, and don’t shy away from addressing dissenting views. This lends credibility and depth to your paper.
  • Comparative Analysis (if applicable): Compare the chosen work with others, drawing parallels or highlighting contrasts.
  • Maintaining Coherence and Transition: Each paragraph should have a clear main idea and transition smoothly to the next, maintaining the paper’s flow and ensuring the reader’s engagement.
  • Conclusion Crafting: Reiterate your thesis and summarize your main findings. Discuss the broader implications of your study, potentially suggesting areas for further exploration.
  • Citing Your Sources: Always attribute ideas and quotations to their original authors. Depending on the assigned format (MLA, APA, etc.), ensure that in-text citations and the bibliography are correctly formatted.
  • Revision and Proofreading: Once your draft is complete, take a break before revisiting it. Read it aloud to catch awkward phrasings. Check for grammatical errors, consistency in argumentation, and clarity in presenting ideas. Consider seeking peer reviews or utilizing editing tools.
  • Seek Feedback: Before final submission, consider sharing your paper with a mentor, professor, or knowledgeable peer. Their insights can be invaluable in refining your research paper.

Writing an English literature research paper is as much an art as it is a science. While meticulous research and structured writing are crucial, allowing your passion for literature to shine through will elevate your paper. Remember, literature is about exploring the human experience, and as you dissect these masterpieces, you’re not just analyzing texts but delving into profound insights about life, society, and humanity. Embrace the journey, and let every step, from research to writing, be a process of discovery.

iResearchNet Writing Services for Custom English Literature Research Paper

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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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How to Write a Research Paper | A Beginner's Guide

A research paper is a piece of academic writing that provides analysis, interpretation, and argument based on in-depth independent research.

Research papers are similar to academic essays , but they are usually longer and more detailed assignments, designed to assess not only your writing skills but also your skills in scholarly research. Writing a research paper requires you to demonstrate a strong knowledge of your topic, engage with a variety of sources, and make an original contribution to the debate.

This step-by-step guide takes you through the entire writing process, from understanding your assignment to proofreading your final draft.

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Table of contents

Understand the assignment, choose a research paper topic, conduct preliminary research, develop a thesis statement, create a research paper outline, write a first draft of the research paper, write the introduction, write a compelling body of text, write the conclusion, the second draft, the revision process, research paper checklist, free lecture slides.

Completing a research paper successfully means accomplishing the specific tasks set out for you. Before you start, make sure you thoroughly understanding the assignment task sheet:

  • Read it carefully, looking for anything confusing you might need to clarify with your professor.
  • Identify the assignment goal, deadline, length specifications, formatting, and submission method.
  • Make a bulleted list of the key points, then go back and cross completed items off as you’re writing.

Carefully consider your timeframe and word limit: be realistic, and plan enough time to research, write, and edit.

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There are many ways to generate an idea for a research paper, from brainstorming with pen and paper to talking it through with a fellow student or professor.

You can try free writing, which involves taking a broad topic and writing continuously for two or three minutes to identify absolutely anything relevant that could be interesting.

You can also gain inspiration from other research. The discussion or recommendations sections of research papers often include ideas for other specific topics that require further examination.

Once you have a broad subject area, narrow it down to choose a topic that interests you, m eets the criteria of your assignment, and i s possible to research. Aim for ideas that are both original and specific:

  • A paper following the chronology of World War II would not be original or specific enough.
  • A paper on the experience of Danish citizens living close to the German border during World War II would be specific and could be original enough.

Note any discussions that seem important to the topic, and try to find an issue that you can focus your paper around. Use a variety of sources , including journals, books, and reliable websites, to ensure you do not miss anything glaring.

Do not only verify the ideas you have in mind, but look for sources that contradict your point of view.

  • Is there anything people seem to overlook in the sources you research?
  • Are there any heated debates you can address?
  • Do you have a unique take on your topic?
  • Have there been some recent developments that build on the extant research?

In this stage, you might find it helpful to formulate some research questions to help guide you. To write research questions, try to finish the following sentence: “I want to know how/what/why…”

A thesis statement is a statement of your central argument — it establishes the purpose and position of your paper. If you started with a research question, the thesis statement should answer it. It should also show what evidence and reasoning you’ll use to support that answer.

The thesis statement should be concise, contentious, and coherent. That means it should briefly summarize your argument in a sentence or two, make a claim that requires further evidence or analysis, and make a coherent point that relates to every part of the paper.

You will probably revise and refine the thesis statement as you do more research, but it can serve as a guide throughout the writing process. Every paragraph should aim to support and develop this central claim.

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A research paper outline is essentially a list of the key topics, arguments, and evidence you want to include, divided into sections with headings so that you know roughly what the paper will look like before you start writing.

A structure outline can help make the writing process much more efficient, so it’s worth dedicating some time to create one.

Your first draft won’t be perfect — you can polish later on. Your priorities at this stage are as follows:

  • Maintaining forward momentum — write now, perfect later.
  • Paying attention to clear organization and logical ordering of paragraphs and sentences, which will help when you come to the second draft.
  • Expressing your ideas as clearly as possible, so you know what you were trying to say when you come back to the text.

You do not need to start by writing the introduction. Begin where it feels most natural for you — some prefer to finish the most difficult sections first, while others choose to start with the easiest part. If you created an outline, use it as a map while you work.

Do not delete large sections of text. If you begin to dislike something you have written or find it doesn’t quite fit, move it to a different document, but don’t lose it completely — you never know if it might come in useful later.

Paragraph structure

Paragraphs are the basic building blocks of research papers. Each one should focus on a single claim or idea that helps to establish the overall argument or purpose of the paper.

Example paragraph

George Orwell’s 1946 essay “Politics and the English Language” has had an enduring impact on thought about the relationship between politics and language. This impact is particularly obvious in light of the various critical review articles that have recently referenced the essay. For example, consider Mark Falcoff’s 2009 article in The National Review Online, “The Perversion of Language; or, Orwell Revisited,” in which he analyzes several common words (“activist,” “civil-rights leader,” “diversity,” and more). Falcoff’s close analysis of the ambiguity built into political language intentionally mirrors Orwell’s own point-by-point analysis of the political language of his day. Even 63 years after its publication, Orwell’s essay is emulated by contemporary thinkers.

Citing sources

It’s also important to keep track of citations at this stage to avoid accidental plagiarism . Each time you use a source, make sure to take note of where the information came from.

You can use our free citation generators to automatically create citations and save your reference list as you go.

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The research paper introduction should address three questions: What, why, and how? After finishing the introduction, the reader should know what the paper is about, why it is worth reading, and how you’ll build your arguments.

What? Be specific about the topic of the paper, introduce the background, and define key terms or concepts.

Why? This is the most important, but also the most difficult, part of the introduction. Try to provide brief answers to the following questions: What new material or insight are you offering? What important issues does your essay help define or answer?

How? To let the reader know what to expect from the rest of the paper, the introduction should include a “map” of what will be discussed, briefly presenting the key elements of the paper in chronological order.

The major struggle faced by most writers is how to organize the information presented in the paper, which is one reason an outline is so useful. However, remember that the outline is only a guide and, when writing, you can be flexible with the order in which the information and arguments are presented.

One way to stay on track is to use your thesis statement and topic sentences . Check:

  • topic sentences against the thesis statement;
  • topic sentences against each other, for similarities and logical ordering;
  • and each sentence against the topic sentence of that paragraph.

Be aware of paragraphs that seem to cover the same things. If two paragraphs discuss something similar, they must approach that topic in different ways. Aim to create smooth transitions between sentences, paragraphs, and sections.

The research paper conclusion is designed to help your reader out of the paper’s argument, giving them a sense of finality.

Trace the course of the paper, emphasizing how it all comes together to prove your thesis statement. Give the paper a sense of finality by making sure the reader understands how you’ve settled the issues raised in the introduction.

You might also discuss the more general consequences of the argument, outline what the paper offers to future students of the topic, and suggest any questions the paper’s argument raises but cannot or does not try to answer.

You should not :

  • Offer new arguments or essential information
  • Take up any more space than necessary
  • Begin with stock phrases that signal you are ending the paper (e.g. “In conclusion”)

There are four main considerations when it comes to the second draft.

  • Check how your vision of the paper lines up with the first draft and, more importantly, that your paper still answers the assignment.
  • Identify any assumptions that might require (more substantial) justification, keeping your reader’s perspective foremost in mind. Remove these points if you cannot substantiate them further.
  • Be open to rearranging your ideas. Check whether any sections feel out of place and whether your ideas could be better organized.
  • If you find that old ideas do not fit as well as you anticipated, you should cut them out or condense them. You might also find that new and well-suited ideas occurred to you during the writing of the first draft — now is the time to make them part of the paper.

The goal during the revision and proofreading process is to ensure you have completed all the necessary tasks and that the paper is as well-articulated as possible. You can speed up the proofreading process by using the AI proofreader .

Global concerns

  • Confirm that your paper completes every task specified in your assignment sheet.
  • Check for logical organization and flow of paragraphs.
  • Check paragraphs against the introduction and thesis statement.

Fine-grained details

Check the content of each paragraph, making sure that:

  • each sentence helps support the topic sentence.
  • no unnecessary or irrelevant information is present.
  • all technical terms your audience might not know are identified.

Next, think about sentence structure , grammatical errors, and formatting . Check that you have correctly used transition words and phrases to show the connections between your ideas. Look for typos, cut unnecessary words, and check for consistency in aspects such as heading formatting and spellings .

Finally, you need to make sure your paper is correctly formatted according to the rules of the citation style you are using. For example, you might need to include an MLA heading  or create an APA title page .

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Checklist: Research paper

I have followed all instructions in the assignment sheet.

My introduction presents my topic in an engaging way and provides necessary background information.

My introduction presents a clear, focused research problem and/or thesis statement .

My paper is logically organized using paragraphs and (if relevant) section headings .

Each paragraph is clearly focused on one central idea, expressed in a clear topic sentence .

Each paragraph is relevant to my research problem or thesis statement.

I have used appropriate transitions  to clarify the connections between sections, paragraphs, and sentences.

My conclusion provides a concise answer to the research question or emphasizes how the thesis has been supported.

My conclusion shows how my research has contributed to knowledge or understanding of my topic.

My conclusion does not present any new points or information essential to my argument.

I have provided an in-text citation every time I refer to ideas or information from a source.

I have included a reference list at the end of my paper, consistently formatted according to a specific citation style .

I have thoroughly revised my paper and addressed any feedback from my professor or supervisor.

I have followed all formatting guidelines (page numbers, headers, spacing, etc.).

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ENGL 101: Academic Writing: How to write a research paper

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How to write a research paer

Understand the topic, what is the instructor asking for, who is the intended audience, choosing a topic.

  • General Research

Books on the subject

Journal articles, other sources, write the paper.

You've just been assigned by your instructor to write a paper on a topic. Relax, this isn't going to be as bad as it seems. You just need to get started. Here are some suggestions to make the process as painless as possible. Remember, if you have any questions ASK .

Is the assignment a formal research paper where you have to do research and cite other sources of information, or is the assignment asking you for your reaction to a particular topic where all you will need to do is collect your thoughts and organize them coherently. If you do need to research your topic, make sure you know what style manual your instructor prefers (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc).

Make sure you keep track of any restrictions that your instructor places on you. If your instructor wants a 4 page paper, they won't be happy with a 2 page paper, or a 10 page paper. Keep in mind that the instructor knows roughly how long it should take to cover the topic. If your paper is too short, you probably aren't looking at enough materials. If you paper is too long, you need to narrow your topic. Also, many times the instructor may restrict you to certain types of resources (books written after 1946, scholarly journals, no web sites). You don't want to automatically lessen your grade by not following the rules. Remember the key rule, if you have any questions ask your instructor!

You will also need to know which audience that you are writing for. Are you writing to an audience that knows nothing about your topic? If so you will need to write in such a way that you paper makes sense, and can be understood by these people. If your paper is geared to peers who have a similar background of information you won't need to include that type of information. If your paper is for experts in the field, you won't need to include background information.

If you're lucky, you were given a narrow topic by your instructor. You may not be interested in your topic, but you can be reasonably sure that the topic isn't too broad. Most of you aren't going to be that lucky. Your instructor gave you a broad topic, or no topic at all and you are going to have to choose the specific topic for your paper.

There are some general rules that you can use to help choose and narrow a topic. Does a particular topic interest you? If you are excited by a particular field, choose a topic from that field. While doing research you will learn more about the field, and learn which journals are written for your topic. Are you answering a relevant question? You and your instructor are going to be bored if you are writing a paper on the hazards of drunken driving. However, it might be more interesting to write about what causes people to drink and drive. The more interesting your topic the more you will enjoy and learn from writing your paper. You may also want to focus on a specific point of view about the topic, such as what teenagers think the causes of drunken driving are.

Do General Research

Now that you have a topic, it is time to start doing research. Don't jump to the card catalog and the indexes yet. The first research that you want to do is some general research on your topic. Find out what some of the terms used in the field are. You will also find that this research can help you further define you topic.

One source of general research is a general encyclopedia. Depending on the encyclopedia, at the end of each entry there may be a bibliography of suggested works. Good encyclopedias to consult are Encyclopedia Britannica , Encyclopedia Americana, and World Book.

You will also want to check to see if your topic is in a field that has a subject Encyclopedia, a Subject Handbook, or a Subject Dictionary. These guides contain information about a wide variety of topics inside a specific field. Generally the information in more detailed that what is contained in a general encyclopedia. Also the bibliographies are more extensive.

Find further information

Now that we have some background information on our topic; we need to find information about our specific topic. Before searching, ask yourself what type of information you are looking for. If you want to find statistical information, you will need to look in certain types of sources. If you are looking for news accounts of an event, you will need to look in other types of sources. Remember, if you have a question about what type of source to use, ask a librarian.

Have you asked your instructor for suggestions on where to look? Why not? This person is experienced in the field, and they have been doing research in it longer than you have. They can recommend authors who write on your topic, and they can recommend a short list of journals that may contain information on your topic.

Books are one type of resource that you can use for your research. To find a book on your topic, you will need to use the online catalog, the CamelCat . Taking the list of keywords that you created while doing general research, do keyword searches in the catalog. Look at the titles that are being returned, do any look promising? If none do, revise your search using other keywords. If one does, look at the full record for that book. Check the subject headings that it is cataloged by. If one of those headings looks pertinent to your research, do a subject search using that particular heading.

Once you've got the books that you want to use start evaluating whether the book will be useful. Is it written by an author who is knowledgeable about that particular topic? Is the author qualified to write about the topic? What biases does the author have about the topic? Is the book current enough to contain useful information?

Once you've answered these questions, use the books that you deem useful for your research. Remember while taking notes to get the information that you need to do a proper citation. Also, pay attention to any bibliographies that are included in the book. These can help you locate other books and articles that may be useful for your research.

The Campbell University Libraries subscribe to a wide variety of Indexes and Journals for the use of students and faculty. Increasingly these materials are provided as Electronic Databases. These databases contain citations of articles and in some cases the full text of articles on a variety of topics. If you don't know which database will be useful for you, ask a librarian and they will be happy to assist you. You can also use the Find Articles link to search multiple databases at one time for information on your topic.

Once you've selected a database to use, use the keywords that you developed from your general research to find articles that will be useful for you. Once you've found one, see which terms the database used to catalog the article and use those terms to find more articles. Don't forget to set limits on the database so that only scholarly articles are returned if your instructor has made that a requirement for your paper.

Look at the journal articles that you have selected, and examine the bibliographies. Are there any authors that are mentioned in more than one article? Are there any articles that are mentioned more than once? You should find those authors and articles and include them in your research.

There are other useful sources that you can use in your research. If your report tends to be on a business topic or if you need company information for your research there are many companies that provide company reports. The contents of these reports differ, depending on which service that you are using. Generally speaking you will find company officers, financial statements, lists of competitors, and stock price.

The Internet is another source for information on a variety of topics. The major problem with the using Internet resources is authority. Anybody who knows HTML can produce a web site that looks pretty decent. However, a website produced by a sophomore in high school on a topic is not going to be useful to you in your research. Before using a website for information, you need to evaluate the site. Here are some questions you will want to ask: Who created the site? (If you can't tell, don't use it.) Has the site been recently updated? Is the site promoting a specific agenda/ does it have a bias? (Bias isn't necessarily bad, but you need to keep it in mind when interpreting the information presented?) Are there any misspellings on the site? (If there is one misspelling careless error more than three, don't use the page) Do the links on the page work? (If a few don't work, not a big problem, if most of the links don't work, the site isn't being maintained, and should not be used.)

You have all of your research, now it is time to write the paper. Don't forget to cite all of the research that you have collected using the preferred citation style of your instructor. If possible try to give yourself a couple of days to let the paper sit before you edit it. Look at a hard copy of the paper and check for mechanical errors (spelling, punctuation). Also try to imagine that you are the intended audience for the paper. Does your paper make sense? Are the arguments logical? Does the evidence presented support the arguments made? If you answered no to any of these questions, make the necessary changes to your paper.

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101 research paper topics.

  • Why do we sleep ?
  • How do GPS systems work?
  • Who was the first person to reach the North Pole ?
  • Did anybody ever escape Alcatraz ?
  • What was life like for a gladiator ?
  • What are the effects of prolonged steroid use on the human body?
  • What happened during the Salem witch trials ?
  • Are there any effective means of repelling insects ?
  • How did trains and railroads change life in America?
  • What may have occurred during the Roswell  UFO incident of 1947?
  • How is bulletproof clothing made?
  • What Olympic events were practiced in ancient Greece?
  • What are the major theories explaining the disappearance of the dinosaurs ?
  • How was the skateboard invented and how has it changed over the years?
  • How did the long bow contribute to English military dominance?
  • What caused the stock market crash of 2008?
  • How did Cleopatra come to power in Egypt what did she do during her reign?
  • How has airport security intensified since September 11 th , 2001?
  • What is life like inside of a beehive ?
  • Where did hip hop originate and who were its founders?
  • What makes the platypus a unique and interesting mammal?
  • How does tobacco use affect the human body?
  • How do computer viruses spread and in what ways do they affect computers?
  • What is daily life like for a Buddhist monk ?
  • What are the origins of the conflict in Darfur ?
  • How did gunpowder change warfare?
  • In what ways do Wal-Mart stores affect local economies?
  • How were cats and dogs domesticated and for what purposes?
  • What do historians know about ninjas ?
  • How has the music industry been affected by the internet and digital downloading?
  • What were the circumstances surrounding the death of Osama Bin Laden ?
  • What was the women’s suffrage movement and how did it change America?
  • What efforts are being taken to protect endangered wildlife ?
  • How much does the war on drugs cost Americans each year?
  • How is text messaging affecting teen literacy?
  • Are humans still evolving ?
  • What technologies are available to home owners to help them conserve energy ?
  • How have oil spills affected the planet and what steps are being taken to prevent them?
  • What was the Magna Carta and how did it change England?
  • What is the curse of the pharaohs?
  • Why was Socrates executed?
  • What nonlethal weapons are used by police to subdue rioters?
  • How does the prison population in America compare to other nations?
  • How did ancient sailors navigate the globe?
  • Can gamblers ever acquire a statistical advantage over the house in casino games?
  • What is alchemy and how has it been attempted?
  • How are black holes formed?
  • How was the assassination of Abraham Lincoln plotted and executed?
  • Do the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks?
  • How do submarines work?
  • Do lie detector tests accurately determine truthful statements?
  • How did Cold War tension affect the US and the world?
  • What happened to the lost settlers at Roanoke ?
  • How does a hybrid car save energy?
  • What ingredients can be found inside of a hotdog ?
  • How did Julius Caesar affect Rome?
  • What are some common sleep disorders and how are they treated?
  • How did the Freedom Riders change society?
  • How is internet censorship used in China and around the world?
  • What was the code of the Bushido and how did it affect samurai warriors ?
  • What are the risks of artificial tanning or prolonged exposure to the sun?
  • What programs are available to help war veterans get back into society?
  • What steps are involved in creating a movie or television show?
  • How have the film and music industries dealt with piracy ?
  • How did Joan of Arc change history?
  • What responsibilities do secret service agents have?
  • How does a shark hunt?
  • What dangers and hardships did Lewis and Clark face when exploring the Midwest?
  • Has the Patriot Act prevented or stopped terrorist acts in America?
  • Do states that allow citizens to carry guns have higher or lower crime rates?
  • How are the Great Depression and the Great Recession similar and different?
  • What are the dangers of scuba diving and underwater exploration?
  • How does the human brain store and retrieve memories ?
  • What was the Manhattan Project and what impact did it have on the world?
  • How does stealth technology shield aircraft from radar?
  • What causes tornadoes ?
  • Why did Martin Luther protest against the Catholic Church?
  • How does a search engine work?
  • What are the current capabilities and future goals of genetic engineers ?
  • How did the Roman Empire fall?
  • What obstacles faced scientists in breaking the sound barrier ?
  • How did the black plague affect Europe?
  • What happened to Amelia Earhart ?
  • What are the dangers and hazards of using nuclear power ?
  • How did Genghis Khan conquer Persia?
  • What architectural marvels were found in Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire ?
  • From where does spam email come and can we stop it?
  • How does night vision work?
  • How did journalists influence US war efforts in Vietnam ?
  • What are the benefits and hazards of medical marijuana ?
  • What causes desert mirages and how do they affect wanderers?
  • What was the cultural significance of the first moon landing ?
  • What are sinkholes and how are they formed?
  • Have any psychics ever solved crimes or prevented them from occurring?
  • Who is Vlad the Impaler and what is his connection to Count Dracula ?
  • What are the risks of climate change and global warming ?
  • What treatments are available to people infected with HIV and are they effective?
  • Who was a greater inventor, Leonardo di Vinci or Thomas Edison ?
  • How are the Chinese and American economies similar and different?
  • Why was communism unsuccessful in so many countries?
  • In what ways do video games affect children and teenagers?

This is an image of a young woman in a library. She is sitting at a desk with a pile of books and looking toward the ceiling. She appears to be in deep thought.

923 Comments

I like using this website when I assist kids with learning as a lot of these topics are quickly covered in the school systems. Thankyou

Mackenah Nicole Molina

Wow! I always have trouble deiciding what to do a research project on but this list has totally solved that. Now my only problem is choosing what idea on this list I should do first!

Most of these my teacher rejected because apparently ‘these aren’t grade level topics, and I doubt they interest you”

I’m sorry to hear that. Sounds like you will have a potentially valuable character-building experience in the short-term.

Edwin Augusto Galindo Cuba

THIS SITE IS AWESOME, THERE ARE LOTS OF TOPICS TO LEARN AND MASTER OUR SKILLS!

research kid

I need one about animals, please. I have been challenged to a animal research project, Due Friday. I have no clue what to research! somebody help, thanks for reading!

You can do one on bats

For international studies you can do Defense and Security.

This was very helpful.

Research on Ben Franklin? I think THAT will get a real charge out of everyone (hehehehegetit)

Mandy Maher

“Is it possible to colonize Mars?”

maddy burney

these are silly topics

thx for making this real.

more gaming questions!!!!!!

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

Yes, yes it is still considered stealing.

I need topics on memes

Mary Nnamani

Please I need project topics on Language Literature

Marcella Vallarino

I would appreciate a list of survey questions for middle school grades 6-8

I need a research topics about public sector management

I NEED FIVE EXAMPLES EACH ON QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH (EDUCATION, HEALTH, TECHNOLOGY, ECONOMY AND ENGINEERING)

publish research that are interesting please……

hey can you do one on the burmiueda triangle

Anybody know video games effect kids,and,teens. There Fun!!

they’re

I need a topic about woman history if any of u can find 1 please that would be great!

You could research about the history of the astronauts, and of human past (WWI, WWII, etc.)

so about women? Manitoba Women Win the Right to Vote in Municipal Elections, The First Women, January 23, 1849: Elizabeth Blackwell becomes the first woman to graduate from medical school and become a doctor in the United States, Rosa Parks Civil Rights Equal Pay. I have way more. so if you need more just ask.

communism is good

what are you a communist?!?!

Did FDR know about the upcoming attack on Pearl Harbor on 07 DEC 1941.

do you know how babies are born

Christine Singu

kindly assist with a research topic in the field of accounting or auditing

need more about US army

Please can yiu give me a topic in education

I think one should be how can music/Video games can affect the life for people

or How Do Video Games Affect Teenagers?

zimbabwe leader

I think a good topic is supporting the confederate flag!

Need a research topic within the context of students union government and dues payments

do more weird ones plz

joyce alcantara

Hi pls po can you give me a topic relate for humanities pls thank u.

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100 Good English Research Paper Topics & Ideas to Make Successful Submission

English research paper topics

Working in the English language always creates a compelling experience in your learning. It will allow you to explore the language and its interesting features. Surprisingly, more than 1.35 billion people speak English globally. According to Statista 2021 findings, English is the most spoken language worldwide. Consider the facts in your mind while working on your English research papers. For that reason, pick the interesting English research paper topics and unbox your understanding smartly.

To make your learning more presentable, you should understand the significance of the English paper topics. If you pick a good topic for drafting your English research papers, you can easily advance your learning. It makes your academic writing more productive and credible. So, browse the suggestions for selecting the easy research paper topics for English projects.

Table of Contents

Educational English Research Paper Topics

To make your work more engaging, you should focus on topic selection. Go through the list of numerous topics for English research papers to expand your learning of the language.

  • Present a study on various credible sources of learning the English language.
  • Impact of grammatical mistakes on English writing skills.
  • Understanding of the English language for non-native speakers.
  • Difficulties faced by non-American students in English communication.
  • Role of poetry in learning English literature.
  • Reflects the interpretation of Shakespeare’s work.
  • Discuss mythology as literature.
  • How to correlate literature with psychology?
  • Discuss stream of consciousness writing style.
  • Is there any relation between literature and religion?
  • Glorification of romance in literature.
  • Feminist perspective in English literature.
  • Modern American English Literature.
  • Impact of language in society development.
  • Verbal English communication for teaching moral values.
  • Importance of imagination in poetry writing.
  • Fiction Vs Nonfiction: which one is keeping more interesting appeal.
  • Poetry work of Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth.
  • Romantic philosophy in Walt Whitman’s poetry.
  • Impact of counselling and guidance on scholars’ academic performance.
  • How to boost students’ interest in academic literature?
  • Creativity analysis on poetry composition.
  • Today’s communication language barrier.
  • Obstacles in modern English literature .
  • Explore easy poetic techniques for beginners.

Interesting English Research Paper Topics

Make your English research paper writing more interesting by picking an interesting topic. Unload your thoughts precisely and make your work more worthy to read. Consider good research paper topics for drafting good English projects.

  • Significance of distance education.
  • How to address learning disabilities in a college education?
  • Importance of sex education in college scholars.
  • Methods to discrimination in educational administration.
  • Effective college administration for successful placement.
  • Same-sex Vs mixed-sex education: which one is better?
  • Pensive analysis on No Child Left Behind Act.
  • Effectiveness of the federal education system as compared to other countries’ education systems.
  • Strong methodology to lower bullying in schools.
  • Online education Vs physical education: which one is more effective?
  • Analysis of the grading system on students’ learning.
  • Discuss Montessori Method of Education.
  • Examine Intensive English Programs (IEPs) in the US,
  • Discuss the role of postsecondary educational institutions in American literacy.
  • Legal consequences of plagiarism in academic writing.
  • Impact of tuition fees for home students.
  • Is student engagement with social media affecting their studies?
  • Methods to control sleeping disorders.
  • How to develop positivity in college students?
  • Role of leadership for handling real-life problems.
  • Psychology impacts of COVID on students.
  • Role of family relationship on students’ mental abilities.
  • Career prospects of literature students.
  • How to boost English communication skills for international students?

Research Paper Ideas For English Topics Related to Technology

Unimaginable changes are brought by technical advancement and it is hard to ignore. Capturing the advancement in your research topics for English papers allows you to expand your knowledge. So, think pensively on the following topic ideas.

  • Impact of over-used computers on students’ health.
  • Role of digital communication in learning the English language.
  • Stress management to advance learning abilities.
  • Technical barriers in oral and written communication in the English language.
  • Digital tools to advance English fluency.
  • Future of electric-vehicle.
  • Methods to improve speaking attributes.
  • Role of online classes in knowledge enhancement.
  • The credibility of digital certification.
  • How to search for credible resources for writing English papers?
  • Role of kinesics in communication.
  • Impact of technology exposure on students’ learning skills.
  • Importance of technical advancement in advancing academic progress.
  • Advantages as well as disadvantages of e-learning.
  • International Vs national learning: Pros and cons.
  • Scope of digital marketing for small businesses.
  • Use of modern technology to improve the quality of education.
  • Is social media increasing suicidal thoughts on students’ minds?
  • Role of mobile applications in advancing English verbal communication.
  • Is digital technology altering consumer attitudes?
  • Use of online assignment help in writing a good essay.
  • Impact of online tutoring in students’ knowledge enhancement.
  • Role of artificial intelligence in educational advancement.
  • Efficacy of digital tools to check plagiarism.
  • Future aspects of machine learning in the education sector.

English Research Paper Topics For Mini Projects

When you do not need to write lengthy papers, pick the easiest topic for your projects. So, modify your research for selecting appropriate topics for English research papers. It will help to prepare your mini projects and meet the deadlines.

  • Interpretation of American English Drama.
  • Role of English communication in business management.
  • Impact of the internet in students’ psychology.
  • Teaching methodology for the English language.
  • Significance of soft skills.
  • Differentiate between modern vs traditional classrooms.
  • Examine active listening techniques.
  • Impact of reading in English communication.
  • Effect of mother tongue on learning the English language.
  • How to control people management and leadership?
  • Socio-ideological values of television programs.
  • Role of functional English in daily routine.
  • Techniques to develop speaking attributes.
  • Ways to improve writing skills.
  • Tips to compose strong descriptive paragraphs.
  • How does pronunciation vary in different learning cultures?
  • How to develop interview skills?
  • Impact of audiobooks in enhancing learning abilities.
  • How to develop a positive mindset?
  • Ways to learn time management skills.
  • Influence of standardized tests for knowledge evaluation.
  • A key motivation for students’ knowledge enhancement.
  • Is it practicable to make college education free?
  • Positivity learning techniques.
  • How to prepare health management for students?

Also, Read: 100+ Compelling Linguistics Research Topics

Tips To Pick the Right Research Topics For English Papers

When it is about sharing your ideas on your research topics, you should be attentive. Your research writing reflects your critical thinking, writing abilities, and creative mindset. Therefore, you must concentrate on research paper ideas for the English projects. For that, go through the following tips to pick the English papers topics.

  • Understand your area of interest. If you pick the right topic according to interest, it will be easy for you to project your learning.
  • Do not jump straight to any research topic for English papers. Make sure to brainstorm the idea deeply so that you can unlayer your understanding properly.
  • Good research topics for English papers reflect your knowledge and time management skills. Choose the topic according to your project submission deadline.
  • Paying utmost attention to a particular idea while writing your papers can limit your creativity. So, absorb the other aspects of topics for writing compelling English research papers.
  • Before finalizing any English papers topic, make sure to look around. It means you need to write according to your audiences’ interests. Otherwise, you would fail to create a good impression.

Still In Doubts? Turn Your Attention To Expert’s Suggestion!

Are you feeling puzzled while selecting the English research paper topics? Holding your research paper for longer can hurt your performance. So, search for the solutions instead of creating tension in your mind. If you cannot focus on your English research paper writing, ask for experts’ help. Use our noteworthy paper help and share your concerns with our English writers. Their interpretation and proficiency in the English language will help you out. Under their guidance, you will find the right research.

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250+ Research Paper Topic Ideas For Every Learner

Since you are reading this page, you might be looking for good research topics for your school or college papers or just need a little bit of inspiration to start or continue. Regardless if you are looking for psychology research topics for college students or hope to find something that will simply stand out, remember that choosing a good topic is already half of a successful paper. If you choose something you know well and the subject meets your list of arguments, continue with an outline and come up with an excellent paper. Your topic must be competitive and unique, which is why it is so important to look through the list of possible research paper ideas.

How to Choose a Topic for a Research Paper?

research paper topic ideas

Before you give up on your challenges and think about a cheap research paper , take your time to learn what it means to choose a good topic. You should start with the following checklist that will help you to brainstorm the best research paper topics:

  • Explore Things That Interest You.
  • Check Your List of Relevant Sources.
  • Consult Your Grading Rubric.
  • Brainstorm Competitive Research Topic Ideas.
  • Talk to Your Course Instructor or a School Teacher.

Moreover, always take time to check similar research papers but remember about possible plagiarism risks and always provide due reference if you mention any idea that is not yours.

What is a Good Topic for a Research Paper?

As a rule, a good topic for a research paper must meet provided assignment requirements to the letter. If you are not sure about some aspect, always ask your college professor or talk to your teacher in advance.

Next, you must choose something that you know well and provide more than one opinion unless you are asked to provide your opinion only . It is also recommended to avoid topics that are too broad because you may easily make your research too vague.

Most importantly, your chosen topic should also reflect your main thesis statement or an argument that you make.

The List of Research Topics by Field of Study

As you are thinking about various research paper topics ideas, it is high time to consider taking a closer look at our helpful list that has all the necessities provided by categories. Regardless if you need something useful for your middle school paper or you keep looking for something controversial and demanding, our 250+ research topics list includes it all.

Science research paper topics

  • Should nanotechnologies be made available to the general public?
  • Should genetic experiments be banned completely?
  • What are the challenges of conversion to green energy?
  • How can additional research in the field of Chemistry improve food quality?
  • The connection of chemicals in the seawater and the weather changes.
  • The implementation of bioluminescence aspects in medical applications.
  • The boron nitride research and crystallization.
  • The future of non-petroleum manufacturing.
  • The ethical side of pharmaceutical competition and pollution.
  • The ways how biocomputing technology assists in scientific research.

English research paper topics

  • The consequences of negativity in modern literature.
  • Professional jargon on social media.
  • How does language help to shape one's cultural identity?
  • The link of language aspects to literacy.
  • The use of language in political competition.
  • The challenges of modern English literature.
  • How can specific words impact our perception of things?
  • Neuro-linguistic programming in the English language.
  • The linguistic peculiarities between middle and low-class communities.
  • The use of automatic grammar checkers in education.

Literature research paper topics

  • The portrayal of gender roles in the literature of the 18th century.
  • How has the mystery genre changed with the arrival of digital technologies?
  • The digital books vs books in print.
  • How has modern literature changed in the last two decades?
  • The challenges of modern book authors.
  • The perception of religion in modern literature.
  • The analysis of "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien.
  • How do allusions and metaphors help in literature?
  • Do history books help college students to learn the subject?
  • How can reading books improve a person's mental state?

History topics

  • The Declaration of Independence 1776 analysis.
  • The challenges of slavery in the United States.
  • What has caused the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863?
  • The Civil War’s causes and effects.
  • The cultural impact of Native Americans.
  • The echoes of the Vietnam War.
  • The Black Lives Matter Social Movement
  • How has industrialization changed American society?
  • Interwar Period in popular media.
  • The portrayal of the Great Depression.

Healthcare research topics

  • How should stem cell research be approached?
  • Will portable medical devices create a revolution in the ER department?
  • Is the building of artificial organs ethical?
  • The causes of colon cancer.
  • The link between antibiotics overuse and the increase in epidemics.
  • What causes the long-forgotten diseases to return once again in 2021?
  • How do annual doctor visits prevent diseases and help people to stay healthy?
  • Is autism an illness and how can it be helped?
  • The ways to help people with epilepsy.
  • The origins of the West Nile virus.

Law and criminology research paper topics

  • The problem of sexual harassment in the workplace.
  • What causes hate crimes towards a race?
  • The list of war crimes committed by the United States.
  • An analysis of police brutality.
  • What causes human rights activists to become biased?
  • How can juvenile crimes be decreased?
  • Should the drug courts be modified?
  • What are criminal justice ethics?
  • The pros and cons of capital punishment?
  • Crime prevention with the help of social media.

Anthropology research paper topics

  • The agricultural practices and religious beliefs.
  • The role of omen in Ancient Roman culture.
  • Analysis of the burial customs in Europe.
  • The body image modification challenges in 2021.
  • The role of cinematography in history studies.
  • What causes the biocultural evolution of humans?
  • The digital communication aspects.
  • Immersion between Western and Eastern cultures.
  • Biological deformation during the Vietnam War.
  • The challenges of biological determinism.

Math research topics

  • The types of Math used in our daily life.
  • The use of numerical data in healthcare.
  • Analysis of the binomial theorem.
  • The use of a philosophical approach in Maths.
  • The use of geometry for the creation of a matrix.
  • How can imaginary numbers help in prognosis?
  • How can discrete geometry be approached?
  • What are the main challenges of students failing to cope with Math problems?
  • The use of n-dimensional spaces in 3D design.
  • The use of Maths and Horn's paradox.

Social science topics for research papers

  • The role of social movements in 2021.
  • How can the youth culture shape be helpful to prevent crimes?
  • The problems of class conflict and inequality in the United States.
  • How can gender studies help people to approach their sexuality?
  • The challenges of food sociology.
  • How can community work help students learn better?
  • How can social media contacts improve one's social skills?
  • How has mass media changed in the last two decades?
  • The reasons behind the major gender stereotypes.
  • The race and the cultural perceptions.

Ethics paper topics

  • The pros and cons of plastic surgery.
  • Should abortion be banned in the United States?
  • How safe is animal testing?
  • Why should capital punishment be banned?
  • The reasons behind human trafficking.
  • Are human beings good or evil by nature?
  • Should the pharmaceutical industry be fully governmental?
  • Is ethnic adoption racial?
  • The pros and cons of childhood stardom.
  • Should euthanasia be allowed?

Education research paper topics

  • The pros and cons of Montessori schools.
  • Should children adopt technology from early childhood?
  • The challenges of computer literacy in 2021.
  • How have the learning styles changed during Covid-19?
  • Should the government fund education and make it free?
  • The charter school’s pros and cons.
  • The use of technology in education.
  • What are the main issues of school safety in 2021?
  • How good is online education?
  • Should school exams and tests become universal?

Research Paper Topics Based On Different Education Levels

We all know what it felt like to be a middle school student who needed just a bit of help and inspiration to start writing. Keeping this fact in mind, we came up with a helpful list of research paper topic examples based on various educational levels.

Middle School Paper Topics

  • My role model.
  • What does friendship mean to you?
  • How can social media increase our safety?
  • The social movements in my community.
  • How can school students fight procrastination?
  • The ways to combat bullying in school.
  • Why living with a pet makes people better.
  • The subject I would like to add to my school curriculum.
  • My favorite personality in American history.
  • Should children be allowed to vote and why?

5th-grade research paper topics

  • Why do people have to sleep?
  • Who has founded hip-hop music?
  • How do smartphones connect?
  • How do our pets recognize us?
  • How did the ancient sailors navigate through their journeys?

6th-grade research paper topics

  • Does the curse of the pharaohs really exist?
  • How do dolphins communicate?
  • How does our brain retrieve memories?
  • How can we help grandparents become better with computers?
  • The importance of Martin Luther King Jr. for me .

7th-grade research paper topics

  • How can children address global warming and climate changes?
  • The great inventors in history (Thomas Edison, for example, or N. Tesla).
  • How can video games help us do better at school?
  • What causes tornadoes and how can we stay safe?
  • The cultural peculiarities of X country.

8th-grade research paper topics

  • What is the code of samurai warriors?
  • How has The Black Lives Matter movement changed lives in my local community.
  • The use of the Internet among teenagers and the apparent dangers.
  • How can we make school safety better?
  • How has popular music changed during the last three years?

High School research topics

  • What was the significance of the Magna Carta for England?
  • The ways high school students can get ready for college.
  • How tobacco use affects our lungs.
  • How can sports or music make us better at socializing?
  • The history and significance of the Olympic games.
  • The ecological issues in my local community.
  • What is necessary to create a successful video blog post?
  • The best ways to study more efficiently when in high school.
  • The tips and tricks to using Google in 2021.
  • How can social media help students become more inventive?

9th-grade research paper topics

  • How will genetic engineering change our future?
  • The main beliefs in the Roman Empire.
  • How can social movements control the perception of the world's issues?
  • The causes of the Great Depression.
  • My favorite personality in 19th-century literature.
  • The First Moon Landing in the popular media.
  • How has rap music brought up the majority of social problems?
  • How can science help to prevent and identify crimes?
  • Startup projects and the school students.
  • The ways we can participate in international volunteering.

12th-grade research paper topics

  • Would the elimination of the grading system in schools improve the learning outcomes?
  • What are the main goals of feminists?
  • The diversity in school.
  • Should students who graduate create special clubs or unions?
  • The censorship and the Internet.

Senior research paper topics

  • Should recreational marijuana be banned?
  • How have our lives changed since September 11th?
  • Will AI tools appear helpful in education (prognosis paper)?
  • The link of social media use to anxiety and depression.
  • Do smartphones increase or decrease our productivity?

College research paper topics

  • How can a college student cope with college debt?
  • The weight gain problem among first-year college students.
  • How can approaching mental help services keep anxious students safe?
  • The use of additional online courses and academic success.
  • The most efficient methods to improve one's memory.
  • The effect of college challenges on future choices.
  • The cons and pros of remote education.
  • How can college bullying be reduced?
  • The importance of sports and music while in college.
  • The Waldorf education and modern college life.

Good Research Paper Topics

Without a doubt, we all need good research paper topics as we do not want to spend too much time and would rather wish to have something funny. Here are some ideas to keep your creativity high:

Funny Research Paper Topics

  • What was the life of a Sparta warrior?
  • Should plastic surgery businesses be banned?
  • The pros and cons of playing video games at work.
  • Can telling a lie be beneficial?
  • Are we really what we eat?
  • Can our childhood shape our destiny?
  • How does the sixth sense work?
  • How can you keep your brain always engaged?
  • The most efficient ways to remember things.
  • Do we form our taste in music by instinct or it is acquired?

Easy research paper topics

  • Do men really have to protect women?
  • The role of AI for social media.
  • The false image of forensic science created by popular TV shows.
  • Why do people watch horror movies?
  • How can students make their opinion heard?
  • Why did the Black Lives Matter movement become so popular?
  • The pros and cons of the small living space.
  • The link between profit and social responsibility.
  • The reasons why people become biased.
  • The pros and cons of being a celebrity.

Interesting research paper topics

  • Is Atheism considered a religion?
  • Is coffee harmful to our health?
  • The mental aspect of being a Vegetarian.
  • How can everyone become happy?
  • The pros and cons of technology use in a child's life in 2021.
  • What causes people to choose certain behavior types when stressed?
  • The impact of video games on the human brain.
  • How can music become a mental remedy for people facing PTSD?
  • The global warming challenge vs myths.
  • How should people address the Covid-19 problem?

Other great research paper topics

The ones who would like to turn to more challenging topics for research paper can consider the list below. It includes everything from controversial to creative subjects.

Controversial research paper topics

  • The negative aspect of the Black Lives Matter movement.
  • Should social media bloggers become involved in politics?
  • Should vaccination be obligatory?
  • How does censorship affect our freedom of speech?
  • Climate change is the largest myth.
  • The pros and cons of gender equality.
  • The portrayal of heroes in action movies.
  • Can scientists be objective?
  • Is democracy the best approach?
  • The gun control laws in 2021.

Persuasive Research Paper Topics

  • There should be more than 12 jurors present in courts.
  • The felons should be allowed to vote.
  • Religious institutions should pay taxes.
  • AI technology should be under strict control.
  • Climate change is a reversible process.
  • Cheerleading should be considered a sport.
  • College athletes should receive more financial support.
  • Palm oil production causes deforestation.
  • Genetically modified foods are dangerous.
  • The animals should be considered as individuals.

Environmental topics for research papers

  • The problem of the wildfires and the temperature rise.
  • How can noise pollution be addressed?
  • The use of remote sensing to prevent damage.
  • How can urban ecology be improved?
  • The pros and cons of renewable energy.
  • The negative effect of sunlight on human skin.
  • How can the rivers be kept clean?
  • The practices of Native Americans in relation to nature protection?
  • Environmental protection as a science.
  • The challenges of Bioremediation in 2021.

Global issue topics for research papers

  • The impact of Covid-19 on planet Earth.
  • The pros and cons of remote education.
  • The negative influence of social media.
  • The risks related to bitcoin mining practices.
  • How can people challenge illegal gambling?
  • The police violence and the safety issues.
  • Should people still read the books in print?
  • The role of grandparents in the lives of modern children?
  • How should college students approach plagiarism?
  • The ways to challenge air pollution.

Analytical research paper topics

  • Why do people have various phobias?
  • How can one get rid of alcohol addiction?
  • What is the moral side of telling a lie?
  • What causes our body to ask for more sugar?
  • How do our memories often become false?
  • Is love only a mixture of chemical reactions?
  • What is the essence of being a true American?
  • How do European people perceive Americans?
  • Ways to improve communication between parents and children.
  • Why do we have nightmares?

Religion paper topics

  • How do people understand the will of God?
  • Are all religions biased?
  • Can religions become united?
  • What are the ways to settle down various religious conflicts?
  • Do religious people take a special niche in society?
  • Should religious education be compulsory?
  • Should alternative religious practices be banned?
  • The religion on social media.
  • The innocence of children in various religions.
  • The pros and cons of religious literature.
  • How can playing a musical instrument improve a person's mental state?
  • How have music listening practices changed during the last two decades?
  • The history of rock music.
  • Is metal music always aggressive?
  • The acoustic peculiarities of the banjo.
  • Should music producers have due education?
  • The role of rap music in modern social movements.
  • How can AI compose music?
  • The role of Physics in the creation of innovative synthesis methods.
  • The music among the world's tribal people.

Entertainment and Sport

  • Should sports bets be made illegal?
  • The moral side of martial arts.
  • Should women compete against men in most sports?
  • Should college athletes have adjusted study curriculums?
  • How can children become engaged in sports?
  • The political bias in sports.
  • Should the Olympic Games be a shared event?
  • How can sports help to fight addiction?
  • Video games are not a sport.
  • The philosophy of chess.

Technology topics

  • Technology makes us lazy.
  • How the use of smartphones helps to save lives.
  • The use of AI-powered technologies in education.
  • Can a modern person survive without technology in 2022.
  • The generational gap and technology.
  • The negative impact of social media on physical communications.
  • The history of the Internet.
  • The ways to prevent online risks in 2022.
  • How can technology prevent human trafficking?
  • How can we provide equal technology all over the world?

Creative research paper topics

  • The use of children's programming on TV channels.
  • The media bias problem.
  • How has Instagram changed our body image perceptions?
  • What does being successful mean in 2022?
  • How can we improve our social skills?
  • The ways how joining a band can make you creative.
  • How can watching history films improve our modern skills?
  • The role of college students in the scientific research world.
  • The reasons behind the Israel-Palestine conflict.
  • How can people with special needs receive better education?

As a rule, your research topic must pose a strong argument or explore a certain idea. If some topic is too broad for your needs, think about ways how it could be narrowed down to meet your thesis. The trick is to make it unique and let it stand out from the rest!

Learn to Inspire

As you are making your topic choice from the list above, it doesn't matter if you are looking for some medical research topics or want to explore something else because the most important in either case is to find something that inspires you. By doing so, you can impress your school teacher or a college professor by showing genuine passion and knowledge regarding the subject. Feel free to learn with the help of our research topic ideas and remember that the more you brainstorm various ideas, the better!

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english major research paper topics

ENG 102/105/108, First-Year Composition

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Finding Topics Tutorial

Tools for exploring topics.

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  • Finding Topics Online Tutorial (2:40) Use the online tutorial to help you find and define a workable topic.

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english major research paper topics

Are There Research-Related Opportunities for English Majors?

This article was written based on the information and opinions presented by English majors Brooke Elkjer and Katie DiFrancesco in a CollegeVine livestream. You can watch the full livestream for more info.

What’s Covered

Working with professors, research projects, writing programs.

You might not think of English literature right away when you think about college research projects. It’s not as though English students are performing scientific experiments, after all. But the discipline does do interesting research work. For example, professors are examining and reexamining classic works constantly to figure out how best to analyze them. This article will show you how to get involved in English research and what exactly literature scholars look to study.

Just like biology professors need assistants for lab work, English professors look for assistants to help with their research. Most often, students interested in English research reach out to their instructors directly to see if they’re working on anything that requires assistance.

The University of Southern California , for example, offers programs called Student Opportunities for Academic Research (SOAR) and Summer Undergraduate Research Fund (SURF). You can apply to these and get grant money to assist a professor with their research. You’ll learn as you work and receive an income. 

If you are fond of a professor or class, you can approach that instructor and ask them if they’re looking for student researchers. If they say yes, you can apply for those grants. It’s probably best suited to summer work than during the semester, as it can be quite intensive. It should feel exciting to do that kind of in-depth reading, especially in a subject that you’re passionate about and may not have had the chance to explore fully.

English research isn’t like STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) research. Instead of working in a laboratory, observing experiments, and recording data, you’ll be doing a deep dive into different literature. You’ll probably end up reading a good deal of literary theory too. 

English professors working on independent research often end up developing their own theories. These can be used to analyze and provide a new lens on works of literature. You can think of these as a type of theme—they’ll look at important texts and try to come up with a new way to think about them or make new points about what they’re saying. 

If you’re just applying to college, it can be difficult to understand exactly what this means. As you move through an English major, your analytical skills will develop and deepen.

A good example would be Judith Butler’s work on gender as performance. A research project may apply that concept to a work like Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night , where there are many characters who dress up as different genders, and conflicts happen as a result. You would then take Butler’s theories of gender to see how the characters are performing these roles and how those theories contribute to the overall narrative. This kind of research involves shedding a different light on classic literature.

At the University of Pennsylvania , there are a fair number of scholarships that enable students to do independent research. Many of these scholarships and research grants go toward the Kelly Writers House .

The Kelly Writers House is a physical space on campus (essentially a center) where you can find writing activities and coursework. Most writing classes take place there. There’s also a radio program, poetry readings, and other speaker events. Funding is provided if you would like to create a piece of writing—an article, essay, or work of fiction—that you would then present to some of your peers.

Travel stipends are also given out, so you could travel nationally or internationally to do whatever work your research entails. It’s mostly self-directed, so you’ll have a great deal of freedom in whatever you choose to pursue. If you’re interested in research that would involve creative writing, you might want to look at this program, as it could be a good fit for you.

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Home > HFA > ENGLISH > ENG_DISS

English

English Department Dissertations Collection

Current students, please follow this link to submit your dissertation.

Dissertations from 2023 2023

In Search of Middle Paths: Buddhism, Fiction, and the Secular in Twentieth-Century South Asia , Crystal Baines, English

Save Our Children: Discourses of Queer Futurity in the United States and South Africa, 1977-2010 , Jude Hayward-Jansen, English

Epistemologies of the Unknowable in Nineteenth-Century U.S. Literature , Maria Ishikawa, English

Revenge of the Nerds: Tech Masculinity and Digital Hegemony , Benjamin M. Latini, English

The Diasporic Mindset and Narrative Intersections of British Identity in Transnational Fiction , Joseph A. Mason, English

A 19TH CENTURY ETHNOGRAPHIC EXHIBIT UN/CAGED: NARRATIVES OF INFORMAL EMPIRE, AFROLATINIDAD, AND CONTEMPORARY ARTISTIC (RE)FRAMINGS , Celine G. Nader, English

Dissertations from 2022 2022

Writing the Aftermath: Uncanny Spaces of the Postcolonial , Sohini Banerjee, English

Science Fiction’s Enactment of the Encouragement, Process, and End Result of Revolutionary Transformation , Katharine Blanchard, English

LITERARY NEGATION AND MATERIALISM IN CHAUCER , Michelle Brooks, English

TRANSNATIONAL POLITICAL AND LITERARY ENCOUNTERS: THE IDEA OF AMERÍKA IN ICELANDIC FICTION, 1920–1990 , Jodie Childers, English

When Choices Aren't Choices: Academic Literacy Normativities in the Age of Neoliberalism , Robin K. Garabedian, English

Redefining Gender Violence: Radical Feminist Visions in Contemporary Ethnic American Women’s Fiction and Women of Color Activism 1990-2010 , Hazel Gedikli, English

Stories Women Carry: Labor and Reproductive Imaginaries of South Asia and the Caribbean , Subhalakshmi Gooptu, English

The Critical Workshop: Writing Revision and Critical Pedagogy in the Middle School Classroom , Andrea R. Griswold, English

Racial Poetics: Early Modern Race and the Form of Comedy , Yunah Kae, English

At the Limits of Empathy: Political Conflict and its Aftermath in Postcolonial Fiction , Saumya Lal, English

The Burdens and Blessings of Responsibility: Duty and Community in Nineteenth- Century America , Leslie Leonard, English

No There There: New Jersey in Multiethnic Writing and Popular Culture Since 1990 , Shannon Mooney, English

Ownership and Writer Agency in Web 2.0 , Thomas Pickering, English

Combating Narratives: Soldiering in Twentieth-Century African American and Latinx Literature , Stacy Reardon, English

“IT DON’T ‘MEAN’ A THING”: TIME AND THE READER IN JAZZ FICTIONAL NARRATIVE , Damien C. Weaver, English

SATURNINE ECOLOGIES: ENVIRONMENTAL CATASTROPHE IN THE EARLY MODERN WORLD, 1542-1688 , John Yargo, English

Dissertations from 2021 2021

"On Neptunes Watry Realmes": Maritime Law and English Renaissance Literature , Hayley Cotter, English

Theater of Exchange: The Cosmopolitan Stage of Jacobean London , Liz Fox, English

“The Badge of All Our Tribe”: Contradictions of Jewish Representation on the English Renaissance Stage , Becky S. Friedman, English

On Being Dispersed: The Poetics of Dehiscence from "We the People" to Abolition , Sean A. Gordon, English

Echoing + Resistant Imagining: Filipino Student Writing Under American Colonial Rule , Florianne Jimenez, English

When Your Words Are Someone Else's Money: Rhetorical Circulation, Affect, and Late Capitalism , Kelin E. Loe, English

Indigenous Impositions in Contemporary Culture: Knotting Ontologies, Beading Aesthetics, and Braiding Temporalities , Darren Lone Fight, English

NEGRITUDE FEMINISMS: FRANCOPHONE BLACK WOMEN WRITERS AND ACTIVISTS IN FRANCE, MARTINIQUE, AND SENEGAL FROM THE 1920S TO THE 1980S , Korka Sall, English

Negotiating Space: Spatial Violation on the Early Modern Stage, 1587-1638 , Gregory W. Sargent, English

Stranger Compass of the Stage: Difference and Desire in Early Modern City Comedy , Catherine Tisdale, English

Dissertations from 2020 2020

AFFECTIVE HISTORIES OF SOUTHERN TRAUMA: SHAME, HEALING, AND VULNERABILITY IN US SOUTHERN WOMEN’S WRITING, 1975–2006 , Faune Albert, English

Materially Queer: Identity and Agency in Academic Writing , Joshua Barsczewski, English

ANGELS WHO STEPPED OUTSIDE THEIR HOUSES: “AMERICAN TRUE WOMANHOOD” AND NINETEENTH-CENTURY (TRANS)NATIONALISMS , Gayathri M. Hewagama, English

WRITING AGAINST HISTORY: FEMINIST BAROQUE NARRATIVES IN INTERWAR ATLANTIC MODERNISM , Annaliese Hoehling, English

Passing Literacies: Soviet Immigrant Elders and Intergenerational Language Practice , Jenny Krichevsky, English

Lisa Ben and Queer Rhetorical Reeducation in Post-war Los Angeles , Katelyn S. Litterer, English

Daring Depictions: An Analysis of Risks and Their Mediation in Representations of Black Suffering , Russell Nurick, English

From Page to Program: A Study of Stakeholders in Multimodal First-Year Composition Curriculum and Program Design , Rebecca Petitti, English

Forms of the Future: Indigeneity, Blackness, and the Visioning Work of Aesthetics in U.S. Poetry, 1822-1863 , Magdalena Zapędowska, English

Dissertations from 2019 2019

Black Men Who Betray Their Race: 20TH Century Literary Representations of the Black Male Race Traitor , Gregory Coleman, English

“The Worlding Game”: Queer Ecological Perspectives in Modern Fiction , Sarah D'Stair, English

Afrasian Imaginaries: Global Capitalism and Labor Migration in Indian Ocean Fictions, 1990 – 2015 , Neelofer Qadir, English

Divided Tongues: The Politics and Poetics of Food in Modern Anglophone Indian Fiction , Shakuntala Ray, English

Globalizing Nature on the Shakespearean Stage , William Steffen, English

Gilded Chains: Global Economies and Gendered Arts in US Fiction, 1865-1930 , Heather Wayne, English

“ÆTHELTHRYTH”: SHAPING A RELIGIOUS WOMAN IN TENTH-CENTURY WINCHESTER , Victoria Kent Worth, English

Dissertations from 2018 2018

Sex and Difference in the Jewish American Family: Incest Narratives in 1990s Literary and Pop Culture , Eli W. Bromberg, English

Rhetorical Investments: Writing, Technology, and the Emerging Logics of the Public Sphere , Dan Ehrenfeld, English

Kiskeyanas Valientes en Este Espacio: Dominican Women Writers and the Spaces of Contemporary American Literature , Isabel R. Espinal, English

“TO WEIGH THE WORLD ANEW”: POETICS, RHETORIC, AND SOCIAL STRUGGLE, FROM SIDNEY’S ARCADIA TO SHAKESPEARE’S THEATER , David Katz, English

CIVIC DOMESTICITY: RHETORIC, WOMEN, AND SPACE AT HULL HOUSE, 1889-1910 , Liane Malinowski, English

Charting the Terrain of Latina/o/x Theater in Chicago , Priscilla M. Page, English

The Politics of Feeling and the Work of Belonging in US Immigrant Fiction 1990 - 2015 , Lauren Silber, English

Turning Inside Out: Reading and Writing Godly Identity in Seventeenth-Century Narratives of Spiritual Experience , Meghan Conine Swavely, English

Dissertations from 2017 2017

Tragicomic Transpositions: The Influence of Spanish Prose Romance on the Development of Early Modern English Tragicomedy , Josefina Hardman, English

“The Blackness of Blackness”: Meta-Black Identity in 20th/21st Century African American Culture , Casey Hayman, English

Waiting for Now: Postcolonial Fiction and Colonial Time , Amanda Ruth Waugh Lagji, English

Latina Identities, Critical Literacies, and Academic Achievement in Community College , Morgan Lynn, English

Demanding Spaces: 1970s U.S. Women's Novels as Sites of Struggle , Kate Marantz, English

Novel Buildings: Architectural and Narrative Form in Victorian Fiction , Ashley R. Nadeau, English

CATCH FEELINGS: CLASS AFFECT AND PERFORMATIVITY IN TEACHING ASSOCIATES' NARRATIVES , Anna Rita Napoleone, English

Dialogue and "Dialect": Character Speech in American Fiction , Carly Overfelt, English

Materializing Transfer: Writing Dispositions in a Culture of Standardized Testing , Lisha Daniels Storey, English

Theatres of War: Performing Queer Nationalism in Modernist Narratives , Elise Swinford, English

Dissertations from 2016 2016

Multimodal Assessment in Action: What We Really Value in New Media Texts , Kathleen M. Baldwin, English

Addictive Reading: Nineteenth-Century Drug Literature's Possible Worlds , Adam Colman, English

"The Book Can't Teach You That": A Case Study of Place, Writing, and Tutors' Constructions of Writing Center Work , Christopher Joseph DiBiase, English

Protest Lyrics at Work: Labor Resistance Poetry of Depression-Era Autoworkers , Rebecca S. Griffin, English

From What Remains: The Politics of Aesthetic Mourning and the Poetics of Loss in Contemporary African American Culture , Kajsa K. Henry, English

Minor Subjects in America: Everyday Childhoods of the Long Nineteenth Century , Gina M. Ocasion, English

Enduring Affective Rhetorics: Transnational Feminist Action in Digital Spaces , Jessica Ouellette, English

The School Desk and the Writing Body , Marni M. Presnall, English

Sustainable Public Intellectualism: The Rhetorics of Student Scientist-Activists , Jesse Priest, English

Prosthetizing the Soul: Reading, Seeing, and Feeling in Seventeenth-Century Devotion , Katey E. Roden, English

Dissertations from 2015 2015

“As Child in Time”: Childhood, Temporality, and 19th Century U.S. Literary Imaginings of Democracy , Marissa Carrere, English

A National Style: A Critical Historiography of the Irish Short Story , Andrew Fox, English

Homosexuality is a Poem: How Gay Poets Remodeled the Lyric, Community and the Ideology of Sex to Theorize a Gay Poetic , Christopher M. Hennessy, English

Affecting Manhood: Masculinity, Effeminacy, and the Fop Figure in Early Modern English Drama , Jessica Landis, English

Who Do You Think You Are?: Recovering the Self in the Working Class Escape Narrative , Christine M. Maksimowicz, English

Metabolizing Capital: Writing, Information, and the Biophysical World , Christian J. Pulver, English

Audible Voice in Context , Airlie S. Rose, English

The Role of Online Reading and Writing in the Literacy Practices of First-Year Writing Students , Casey Burton Soto, English

Dissertations from 2014 2014

RESURRECTION: REPRESENTATIONS OF THE BLACK CHURCH IN CONTEMPORARY POPULAR CULTURE , Rachel J. Daniel, English

Seeing Blindness: The Visual and the Great War in Literary Modernism , Rachael Dworsky, English

HERE, THERE, AND IN BETWEEN: TRAVEL AS METAPHOR IN MIXED RACE NARRATIVES OF THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE , Colin Enriquez, English

Interactive Audience and the Internet , John R. Gallagher, English

Down from the Mountain and into the Mill: Literacy Sponsorship and Southern Appalachian Women in the New South , Emma M. Howes, English

Transnational Gestures: Rethinking Trauma in U.S. War Fiction , Ruth A.H. Lahti, English

"A More Natural Mother": Concepts of Maternity and Queenship in Early Modern England , Anne-Marie Kathleen Strohman, English

Dissertations from 2013 2013

Letters to a Dictionary: Competing Views of Language in the Reception of Webster's Third New International Dictionary , Anne Pence Bello, English

Staging the Depression: The Federal Theatre Project's Dramas of Poverty, 1935-1939 , Amy Brady, English

Our Story Has Not Been Told in any Moment: Radical Black Feminist Theatre From The Old Left to Black Power , Julie M Burrell, English

Writing for Social Action: Affect, Activism, and the Composition Classroom , Sarah Finn, English

Surviving Domestic Tensions: Existential Uncertainty in New World African Diasporic Women's Literature , Denia M Fraser, English

From Feathers to Fur: Theatrical Representations of Skin in the Medieval English Cycle Plays , Valerie Anne Gramling, English

The Reflexive Scaffold: Metatheatricality, Genre, and Cultural Performance in English Renaissance Drama , Nathaniel C. Leonard, English

The World Inscribed: Literary Form, Travel, and the Book in England, 1580-1660 , Philip S Palmer, English

Shakespearean Signifiers , Marie H Roche, English

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13.1 Formatting a Research Paper

Learning objectives.

  • Identify the major components of a research paper written using American Psychological Association (APA) style.
  • Apply general APA style and formatting conventions in a research paper.

In this chapter, you will learn how to use APA style , the documentation and formatting style followed by the American Psychological Association, as well as MLA style , from the Modern Language Association. There are a few major formatting styles used in academic texts, including AMA, Chicago, and Turabian:

  • AMA (American Medical Association) for medicine, health, and biological sciences
  • APA (American Psychological Association) for education, psychology, and the social sciences
  • Chicago—a common style used in everyday publications like magazines, newspapers, and books
  • MLA (Modern Language Association) for English, literature, arts, and humanities
  • Turabian—another common style designed for its universal application across all subjects and disciplines

While all the formatting and citation styles have their own use and applications, in this chapter we focus our attention on the two styles you are most likely to use in your academic studies: APA and MLA.

If you find that the rules of proper source documentation are difficult to keep straight, you are not alone. Writing a good research paper is, in and of itself, a major intellectual challenge. Having to follow detailed citation and formatting guidelines as well may seem like just one more task to add to an already-too-long list of requirements.

Following these guidelines, however, serves several important purposes. First, it signals to your readers that your paper should be taken seriously as a student’s contribution to a given academic or professional field; it is the literary equivalent of wearing a tailored suit to a job interview. Second, it shows that you respect other people’s work enough to give them proper credit for it. Finally, it helps your reader find additional materials if he or she wishes to learn more about your topic.

Furthermore, producing a letter-perfect APA-style paper need not be burdensome. Yes, it requires careful attention to detail. However, you can simplify the process if you keep these broad guidelines in mind:

  • Work ahead whenever you can. Chapter 11 “Writing from Research: What Will I Learn?” includes tips for keeping track of your sources early in the research process, which will save time later on.
  • Get it right the first time. Apply APA guidelines as you write, so you will not have much to correct during the editing stage. Again, putting in a little extra time early on can save time later.
  • Use the resources available to you. In addition to the guidelines provided in this chapter, you may wish to consult the APA website at http://www.apa.org or the Purdue University Online Writing lab at http://owl.english.purdue.edu , which regularly updates its online style guidelines.

General Formatting Guidelines

This chapter provides detailed guidelines for using the citation and formatting conventions developed by the American Psychological Association, or APA. Writers in disciplines as diverse as astrophysics, biology, psychology, and education follow APA style. The major components of a paper written in APA style are listed in the following box.

These are the major components of an APA-style paper:

Body, which includes the following:

  • Headings and, if necessary, subheadings to organize the content
  • In-text citations of research sources
  • References page

All these components must be saved in one document, not as separate documents.

The title page of your paper includes the following information:

  • Title of the paper
  • Author’s name
  • Name of the institution with which the author is affiliated
  • Header at the top of the page with the paper title (in capital letters) and the page number (If the title is lengthy, you may use a shortened form of it in the header.)

List the first three elements in the order given in the previous list, centered about one third of the way down from the top of the page. Use the headers and footers tool of your word-processing program to add the header, with the title text at the left and the page number in the upper-right corner. Your title page should look like the following example.

Beyond the Hype: Evaluating Low-Carb Diets cover page

The next page of your paper provides an abstract , or brief summary of your findings. An abstract does not need to be provided in every paper, but an abstract should be used in papers that include a hypothesis. A good abstract is concise—about one hundred fifty to two hundred fifty words—and is written in an objective, impersonal style. Your writing voice will not be as apparent here as in the body of your paper. When writing the abstract, take a just-the-facts approach, and summarize your research question and your findings in a few sentences.

In Chapter 12 “Writing a Research Paper” , you read a paper written by a student named Jorge, who researched the effectiveness of low-carbohydrate diets. Read Jorge’s abstract. Note how it sums up the major ideas in his paper without going into excessive detail.

Beyond the Hype: Abstract

Write an abstract summarizing your paper. Briefly introduce the topic, state your findings, and sum up what conclusions you can draw from your research. Use the word count feature of your word-processing program to make sure your abstract does not exceed one hundred fifty words.

Depending on your field of study, you may sometimes write research papers that present extensive primary research, such as your own experiment or survey. In your abstract, summarize your research question and your findings, and briefly indicate how your study relates to prior research in the field.

Margins, Pagination, and Headings

APA style requirements also address specific formatting concerns, such as margins, pagination, and heading styles, within the body of the paper. Review the following APA guidelines.

Use these general guidelines to format the paper:

  • Set the top, bottom, and side margins of your paper at 1 inch.
  • Use double-spaced text throughout your paper.
  • Use a standard font, such as Times New Roman or Arial, in a legible size (10- to 12-point).
  • Use continuous pagination throughout the paper, including the title page and the references section. Page numbers appear flush right within your header.
  • Section headings and subsection headings within the body of your paper use different types of formatting depending on the level of information you are presenting. Additional details from Jorge’s paper are provided.

Cover Page

Begin formatting the final draft of your paper according to APA guidelines. You may work with an existing document or set up a new document if you choose. Include the following:

  • Your title page
  • The abstract you created in Note 13.8 “Exercise 1”
  • Correct headers and page numbers for your title page and abstract

APA style uses section headings to organize information, making it easy for the reader to follow the writer’s train of thought and to know immediately what major topics are covered. Depending on the length and complexity of the paper, its major sections may also be divided into subsections, sub-subsections, and so on. These smaller sections, in turn, use different heading styles to indicate different levels of information. In essence, you are using headings to create a hierarchy of information.

The following heading styles used in APA formatting are listed in order of greatest to least importance:

  • Section headings use centered, boldface type. Headings use title case, with important words in the heading capitalized.
  • Subsection headings use left-aligned, boldface type. Headings use title case.
  • The third level uses left-aligned, indented, boldface type. Headings use a capital letter only for the first word, and they end in a period.
  • The fourth level follows the same style used for the previous level, but the headings are boldfaced and italicized.
  • The fifth level follows the same style used for the previous level, but the headings are italicized and not boldfaced.

Visually, the hierarchy of information is organized as indicated in Table 13.1 “Section Headings” .

Table 13.1 Section Headings

A college research paper may not use all the heading levels shown in Table 13.1 “Section Headings” , but you are likely to encounter them in academic journal articles that use APA style. For a brief paper, you may find that level 1 headings suffice. Longer or more complex papers may need level 2 headings or other lower-level headings to organize information clearly. Use your outline to craft your major section headings and determine whether any subtopics are substantial enough to require additional levels of headings.

Working with the document you developed in Note 13.11 “Exercise 2” , begin setting up the heading structure of the final draft of your research paper according to APA guidelines. Include your title and at least two to three major section headings, and follow the formatting guidelines provided above. If your major sections should be broken into subsections, add those headings as well. Use your outline to help you.

Because Jorge used only level 1 headings, his Exercise 3 would look like the following:

Citation Guidelines

In-text citations.

Throughout the body of your paper, include a citation whenever you quote or paraphrase material from your research sources. As you learned in Chapter 11 “Writing from Research: What Will I Learn?” , the purpose of citations is twofold: to give credit to others for their ideas and to allow your reader to follow up and learn more about the topic if desired. Your in-text citations provide basic information about your source; each source you cite will have a longer entry in the references section that provides more detailed information.

In-text citations must provide the name of the author or authors and the year the source was published. (When a given source does not list an individual author, you may provide the source title or the name of the organization that published the material instead.) When directly quoting a source, it is also required that you include the page number where the quote appears in your citation.

This information may be included within the sentence or in a parenthetical reference at the end of the sentence, as in these examples.

Epstein (2010) points out that “junk food cannot be considered addictive in the same way that we think of psychoactive drugs as addictive” (p. 137).

Here, the writer names the source author when introducing the quote and provides the publication date in parentheses after the author’s name. The page number appears in parentheses after the closing quotation marks and before the period that ends the sentence.

Addiction researchers caution that “junk food cannot be considered addictive in the same way that we think of psychoactive drugs as addictive” (Epstein, 2010, p. 137).

Here, the writer provides a parenthetical citation at the end of the sentence that includes the author’s name, the year of publication, and the page number separated by commas. Again, the parenthetical citation is placed after the closing quotation marks and before the period at the end of the sentence.

As noted in the book Junk Food, Junk Science (Epstein, 2010, p. 137), “junk food cannot be considered addictive in the same way that we think of psychoactive drugs as addictive.”

Here, the writer chose to mention the source title in the sentence (an optional piece of information to include) and followed the title with a parenthetical citation. Note that the parenthetical citation is placed before the comma that signals the end of the introductory phrase.

David Epstein’s book Junk Food, Junk Science (2010) pointed out that “junk food cannot be considered addictive in the same way that we think of psychoactive drugs as addictive” (p. 137).

Another variation is to introduce the author and the source title in your sentence and include the publication date and page number in parentheses within the sentence or at the end of the sentence. As long as you have included the essential information, you can choose the option that works best for that particular sentence and source.

Citing a book with a single author is usually a straightforward task. Of course, your research may require that you cite many other types of sources, such as books or articles with more than one author or sources with no individual author listed. You may also need to cite sources available in both print and online and nonprint sources, such as websites and personal interviews. Chapter 13 “APA and MLA Documentation and Formatting” , Section 13.2 “Citing and Referencing Techniques” and Section 13.3 “Creating a References Section” provide extensive guidelines for citing a variety of source types.

Writing at Work

APA is just one of several different styles with its own guidelines for documentation, formatting, and language usage. Depending on your field of interest, you may be exposed to additional styles, such as the following:

  • MLA style. Determined by the Modern Languages Association and used for papers in literature, languages, and other disciplines in the humanities.
  • Chicago style. Outlined in the Chicago Manual of Style and sometimes used for papers in the humanities and the sciences; many professional organizations use this style for publications as well.
  • Associated Press (AP) style. Used by professional journalists.

References List

The brief citations included in the body of your paper correspond to the more detailed citations provided at the end of the paper in the references section. In-text citations provide basic information—the author’s name, the publication date, and the page number if necessary—while the references section provides more extensive bibliographical information. Again, this information allows your reader to follow up on the sources you cited and do additional reading about the topic if desired.

The specific format of entries in the list of references varies slightly for different source types, but the entries generally include the following information:

  • The name(s) of the author(s) or institution that wrote the source
  • The year of publication and, where applicable, the exact date of publication
  • The full title of the source
  • For books, the city of publication
  • For articles or essays, the name of the periodical or book in which the article or essay appears
  • For magazine and journal articles, the volume number, issue number, and pages where the article appears
  • For sources on the web, the URL where the source is located

The references page is double spaced and lists entries in alphabetical order by the author’s last name. If an entry continues for more than one line, the second line and each subsequent line are indented five spaces. Review the following example. ( Chapter 13 “APA and MLA Documentation and Formatting” , Section 13.3 “Creating a References Section” provides extensive guidelines for formatting reference entries for different types of sources.)

References Section

In APA style, book and article titles are formatted in sentence case, not title case. Sentence case means that only the first word is capitalized, along with any proper nouns.

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English 101 research paper topics.

Johannes Helmold

The perennial popularity of English 101 and similar subjects among students is undeniable. This course, which is a requisite for most college majors, aims to enhance students’ abilities in deep reading, information comprehension, analysis, and critical thinking. It also refines their writing skills and cultivates their capacity to organize and structure their thoughts. This holistic development is crucial not only for academic growth as a student or emerging professional but also for overall personal development.

An infographic that deals with problem of english research paper topics and provides information on this matter

One of the standout elements in this subject is the essay, which has always been and continues to be, the most effective method for assessing student progress. Essays clearly display a student’s evolving skills and allow adjusting teaching methods, if necessary. The significant role of the essay in academia contributes to the enduring appeal of English 101. Consequently, it is one of the most popular subjects for which students seek assistance from an online essay service . Here are some examples of common topics students often request help with.

Most Popular English 101 Essay Topics 2023

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English 101 essay topics

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How to choose research paper topics for English 101? 

When choosing a research paper topic for English 101, consider what interests you the most, what you are passionate about, or what questions you have about the course materials. Your topic should be related to the course content and broad enough to research but not so broad that it would be impossible to cover in a single paper. Make sure it can be discussed and analyzed comprehensively within the word limit of your assignment.

What are some interesting English 101 research paper topics? 

Interesting English 101 research paper topics can encompass a broad range of subjects. For instance, one could explore the impact of social media on language and communication. Alternatively, a deep dive into the role of symbolism in a specific novel or short story can be insightful. Comparative analysis of two works by the same author can provide intriguing observations while exploring the evolution of a particular literary genre, or the representation of gender or race in a specific literary work can be equally engaging. Also, topics like culture’s influence on language or censorship’s effects on literature hold considerable interest.

How to brainstorm ideas for English 101 research paper topics?

 Start by reviewing your notes from the course. Identify any themes or topics that you found particularly interesting or intriguing. Think about any discussions or lectures that sparked your interest. You could also look at the headlines in relevant academic journals or magazines for ideas. Finally, consider doing some preliminary research on a topic that interests you to see what possible angles might exist.

Can you provide examples of English 101 research paper topics? 

There are numerous exciting topics to consider. One could look at analyzing the use of irony in a specific work of literature or consider the impact of technology on modern literature. The role of the setting in a particular novel or short story could offer fascinating insights, as could an exploration of how a specific author’s life influenced their writing. Another approach could be analyzing how a particular theme is treated in two different works of literature. The influence of historical events on the literature of the time is another rich area to delve into. Finally, a linguistic analysis of a particular dialect or accent could offer a unique perspective.

What are the best practices for researching English 101 paper topics? 

Start with the course materials, including textbooks and lecture notes. Use academic databases to find scholarly articles related to your topic. Keep your research organized by using note cards or a digital tool to record your sources and the information you find. Be sure to evaluate your sources for credibility, relevance, and accuracy.

How to narrow down English 101 research paper topics?

To narrow down your topic, consider focusing on a specific time period, genre, author, or work of literature. You could also narrow your topic by focusing on a specific theme, character, or literary device. Another approach is to analyze a broad topic through a specific lens, such as a cultural, historical, or theoretical perspective.

What are the current trends in English 101 research paper topics?

Current English 101 research paper trends include exploring diversity and representation in literature, the impact of digital media on language, analysis of postmodern literature, and studies on the influence of global events on contemporary literature. However, trends can change rapidly, so it’s always a good idea to check recent publications and conference topics for the most up-to-date trends.

How to write a compelling thesis statement for English 101 research papers? 

A compelling thesis statement should be clear, concise, and specific. It should present your argument or main idea and indicate your paper’s direction. For example, instead of writing, “This paper will discuss symbolism in ‘The Great Gatsby’,” you might write, “F. Scott Fitzgerald uses symbolism in ‘The Great Gatsby’ to critique the American Dream.”

How to conduct thorough research for English 101 paper topics?

Thorough research involves a deep dive into your chosen topic. First, start with your course materials and any recommended readings. This will give you a good foundation and understanding of your topic. Then, use academic databases like JSTOR, Google Scholar, or your university’s library resources to find scholarly articles, books, and other resources related to your topic. Read broadly at first to get a comprehensive understanding of your topic, then gradually focus on more specific sources that directly relate to your thesis statement. Be sure to keep track of your sources for citation purposes and note important points or arguments you come across in your research.

What are the essential elements of a successful English 101 research paper topic?

A successful English 101 research paper topic should be interesting, relevant, and manageable. It should be a topic that you are curious about and interested in studying in depth. It should be relevant to the course and the current state of the field. It should also be manageable in that it can be thoroughly researched and analyzed within the constraints of the assignment, such as the word limit or the time you have to complete the assignment. A successful topic will also have plenty of source material available for you to use in your research.

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70+ English Research Topics For High School Freshman [PDF Included]

Welcome to high school English, where you will embark on an exciting journey of self-discovery through the power of language. As a freshman, you will be challenged to think critically and will have the opportunity to explore topics that are close to your heart. From classic novels to contemporary poetry , you will explore a range of themes and topics that will expand your knowledge of the world and your own unique perspective. 

As a freshman, you may find the idea of writing a thesis intimidating, but fear not! This is a chance for you to delve deeply into a subject that you are passionate about and to express your own unique perspective. You might choose to investigate a historical event, analyze a work of literature, explore a social issue, or examine a scientific theory.

Whatever your topic may be, the process of researching and writing will develop your skills in critical thinking, research, and communication. This is your chance to make a meaningful contribution to a field that interests you and to leave your mark on the world. So, get ready to embark on a journey of discovery, creativity, and personal growth, and remember that the sky’s the limit when it comes to thesis writing!

English research topics for high school freshman

An excellent research topic typically requires a lot of time and effort to find. Therefore, we have included a list of the best English research topics and ideas here to assist you in saving time and making the search process easier.

Look through the complete list of suggestions and choose a subject you feel confident conducting research on and producing a top-notch English research paper.

English Research Paper Trending Topics

  • Is wearing a fur coat moral?
  • Do standardized tests provide an accurate assessment of a student’s knowledge?
  • Is it moral and essential to conduct arbitrary drug tests at work?
  • How does technology impact the management of health?
  • Will the quality of a free college education increase or decrease?
  • Does human growth involve motivation?
  • In comparison to ancient culture, have religious cults’ influence changed today?

Several topics for English research papers for students

  • Is there a health benefit to bodybuilding beyond ego enhancement?
  • colonialism’s dehumanizing effects in Josef Conrad’s novel Heart of Darkness
  • Sea symbolism in Matthew Arnold’s Dover Beach
  • Use Matthew Lewis’ novel The Monk as a retort against formal realism.
  • Since they have specialized coaches, athletes are thriving.
  • How a fixation on healthful eating can lead more people to develop anorexia
  • Stem cell usage that is moral
  • What are the justifications behind the invented languages in literature?

Impressive Topics for English Research Papers

  • The best approaches to stop bullying in educational settings
  • What factors contributed to the current decline in unemployment?
  • Compared to musicians from the 1980s, the present pop musician has more influence.
  • Shakespeare’s use of language and rhetoric shapes the themes and meanings of his plays
  • The evolution of feminist literature
  • The portrayal of mental illness in literature

Great topics for research in English

  • The English language impacts other cultures.
  • Should laws govern sports wagering?
  • risks of weight training for women
  • Since the 18th century, feminism has come to mean different things.
  • Should parents be required to manage their children’s social media accounts?
  • The impact of globalization on the economy
  • Indian authors’ contributions to English literature.
  • Effects of the civil rights movement
  • Shakespeare’s literary contribution to English.
  • The biggest causes of climate change are industrialization and agricultural practices.

Several Interesting Topics for English Research

  • Effects of sports’ commercialization
  • Risks associated with eating organic food
  • How Technological Advancements Have Caused the English Language to Change Over the Past 20 Years.
  • What makes written English and communicative English different from one another?
  • The use of symbolism in modern poetry:
  • The impact of technology on the production, distribution, and consumption of literature.

Fascinating Topics for English Research

  • How dietary misconceptions are hurting health
  • E-learning benefits and drawbacks
  • Are UFOS real or made up?
  • Violent parenting stunts a child’s ability to think critically.
  • The use of magical realism in Latin American literature
  • The influence of mythology on contemporary literature
  • The representation of disability in children’s literature
  • The representation of mental health in young adult literature

A few excellent topics for English research papers

  • How contemporary heroes influence children
  • Does using current technology in the classroom affect how well students are taught?
  • How marriage has evolved in contemporary culture
  • Pride Month is observed in the United Kingdom.
  • Automating the healthcare system
  • What does English literature’s neoclassical era mean?

Excellent topics for an English research paper

  • How can reading for enjoyment have a negative side?
  • The significance of digitalizing medical records
  • The way of life in 18th-century London
  • The role of setting in literature in character development, theme, and mood
  • The influence of postmodernism on contemporary literature
  • The use of intertextuality in literature
  • The role of censorship in literature

Amazing topics for research in English

  • The economic impact of technology
  • psychological variables that affect customer decision-making
  • New Testament manuscripts
  • Review of the New Testament’s text
  • The role of the family in literature
  • The portrayal of the working class in literature
  • The representation of history in historical fiction.

Outstanding Topics for English Research

  • Analyze American writing
  • What literary contributions have women made?
  • advantages of studying abroad versus at home
  • What percentage of workplace discrimination is there today?
  • Methods for enhancing racial relations
  • What impact have books had on political issues?
  • Should student-athletes have to submit to drug testing?

Research Topics For High School Freshman English

How to choose the perfect research topic for yourself

High school is the time to polish your skills. The same can be done during the summers, as many research programs exist which can make students better at the art of researching. Students should be familiar with choosing a solid subject for research or academic essays. It is what you should do anytime you are tasked with writing a research paper by selecting a topic on your own, regardless of whether it’s an English research paper or a different subject research paper.

  • Determine your area of interest first.
  • Do some background study and generate various concepts about your field of interest.
  • Make a list of distinct keywords that can aid you in focusing on your essay’s subject.
  • Finally, by posing questions like “what,” “why,” “who,” and “when,” examine and gain diverse viewpoints on the subject.
  • Create an outline of your content’s structure based on your responses to the various questions.
  • Before choosing a research topic, consider its length, the assignment’s deadline, and whether it complies with all the guidelines provided by your professor.

You can focus more on a particular issue while selecting the ideal English research topic. Instead, by examining the various perspectives, you can change your topic and come up with fresh, intriguing research questions to address.

Remember that an excellent study topic is only one that you and your readers will find intriguing and thrilling. Also, choosing a topic that you are knowledgeable about with a broad research scope and a variety of reference sources is advised. To choose a topic that will help you get an A+ grade, consider these factors when coming up with research paper topic ideas.

Final Takeaway

Teaching students how to draw crucial connections, articulate understanding, synthesize data and explain discoveries requires them to write well-structured organized research papers. High school research paper themes are only some things students must think of before selecting one and writing their paper. A strong subject will enable you to establish a rapport with the evaluating audience, such as your instructors and peers. However, many students need help with good high school research ideas .

You can choose any topic from this blog article’s list of English research themes and ideas list of English research themes and ideas provided in this blog article to create a fantastic, top-scoring English research paper. Our list of high school research paper themes can serve as an inspiration for you. We have no doubt that your research paper will be presented and written beautifully!

english major research paper topics

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english major research paper topics

Research Paper Topics: 200 Best Picks

english major research paper topics

Did you know that the world's largest desert is not the sandy expanse of the Sahara but rather the icy wilderness of Antarctica? It's a captivating fact that challenges our conventional understanding of deserts. While we typically associate deserts with endless dunes and scorching heat, Antarctica, with its bone-chilling cold and vast stretches of barren ice, meets the technical criteria of a desert. This fascinating paradox showcases the complexity of our natural world and serves as a reminder that there's always more to discover, even in the most unexpected places. In much the same way, choosing research paper topics can lead us to unexpected insights and open new intellectual horizons.

Research Paper Topics: Short Description

Are you struggling to find the perfect essay topics that ignite your academic passion? Look no further! Dive into our comprehensive guide, where you'll uncover a curated list of 200 of the best research paper topics spanning across various subjects. Whether your interests lie in the realms of science, humanities, technology, or the arts, we've got you covered. Let this invaluable resource be your compass on your scholarly journey, helping you identify that ideal topic that not only sparks your curiosity but also propels your academic pursuits to new heights.

What Are Good Research Topics

Choosing a research topic is akin to setting off on a thrilling expedition. You want to venture into uncharted territory, but you also need a compass to keep you on track. So, what makes a research topic good? Let's uncover the secrets from our ' write my paper ' experts:

What Are Good Research Topics

1. Relevance is Key : The best research topics often intersect with real-world issues. They're questions waiting to be answered or problems in need of solutions. For instance, in the realm of environmental science, 'The Impact of Microplastics on Marine Ecosystems' is a hot topic because it addresses a pressing global concern.

2. Passion Igniters : Good research topic ideas align with your personal interests. If you're fascinated by artificial intelligence, delving into 'Ethical Dilemmas in AI Development' won't feel like a chore; it'll be a captivating journey.

3. Unexplored Avenues : Look for gaps in existing research. The most exciting discoveries often happen where no one has tread before. If everyone's talking about 'The Effects of Climate Change,' maybe you can explore 'Climate Change Adaptation Strategies for Vulnerable Communities' - a less explored path with immense potential.

4. Scope Matters : Consider the scope of your project. A topic too broad might lead to superficial research, while one too narrow can be limiting. Strike a balance. Instead of 'The History of World Literature,' try 'The Influence of Japanese Haiku Poetry on Modern American Literature.'

5. Controversy and Debate : Controversial topics can be both intriguing and polarizing. 'Should Genetic Editing in Humans Be Regulated?' is bound to stir passionate discussions, making it an excellent choice for thought-provoking research projects.

6. Fresh Perspectives : Seek topics that allow for diverse viewpoints. 'The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health' can be approached from psychological, sociological, and even technological angles, providing a rich landscape for exploration.

7. Feasibility : Finally, consider the resources and time you have at your disposal. Some interesting research topics might require extensive fieldwork or access to expensive equipment. Opt for a topic that's feasible within your constraints.

Selecting the Right Research Paper Topic

Picking research paper topics can be as easy as pie if you follow these simple steps:

How to Select the Right Research Paper Topic

1. Think About What You Like:

Start by thinking about what you really like or are curious about. It could be anything – from animals to space, movies to history. Imagine writing about something that makes you excited!

2. See What's Already Been Done:

Look around a bit. Find out if others have written about your topic before. This is like checking out the map to see where others have gone. You want to find your own path.

3. Make It More Specific:

Once you know how to research a topic , it's time to narrow down your topic. Instead of talking about 'animals,' you could focus on 'endangered pandas.' This is like choosing a trail in the forest instead of wandering all over.

4. Ask for Help:

Talk to your teacher or friends about your idea. They might have cool suggestions or tips. It's like having buddies on your adventure who know the way.

5. Check Your Tools:

Before you start, make sure you have every tool you need. It's like checking if you have the right gear before going camping. Make sure you have books or internet access for research and enough time to finish.

After settling on a topic, you can buy a research paper easily from our skilled writers, who will expertly manage it on your behalf!

Research Paper Topics on Math

These research papers reflect the diverse and evolving nature of mathematics and its applications in various fields. Researchers in mathematics continue to make significant contributions, pushing the boundaries of knowledge and technology.

  • Quantum Computing Algorithms: Investigating the development of quantum algorithms for solving complex mathematical problems and their potential impact on cryptography and computational mathematics.
  • Topological Data Analysis: Exploring the applications of topological methods in data analysis, particularly in fields like neuroscience, biology, and materials science.
  • Machine Learning and Mathematics: Analyzing the mathematical foundations of machine learning algorithms, including deep learning and neural networks.
  • Homotopy Type Theory: Investigating the connections between homotopy theory, category theory, and type theory and their role in the foundations of mathematics.
  • Number Theory and Cryptography: Exploring recent advances in number theory and their applications in modern cryptography, including post-quantum cryptography.
  • Differential Equations in Epidemiology: Studying the role of differential equations in modeling the spread of infectious diseases, as highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Graph Theory and Network Analysis: Investigating new algorithms and techniques in graph theory for analyzing complex networks, such as social networks and transportation networks.
  • Mathematics of Machine Vision: Examining the mathematical principles behind computer vision and image processing techniques, including object recognition and image reconstruction.
  • Algebraic Geometry and Robotics: Exploring the intersections of algebraic geometry and robotics, particularly in the context of robot motion planning and control.
  • Combinatorial Optimization in Operations Research: Analyzing recent developments in combinatorial optimization algorithms and their applications in solving complex real-world problems in logistics, transportation, and resource allocation.

Research Paper Topics on Science

These are great research paper topics that highlight the dynamic and interdisciplinary nature of scientific research, showcasing the ongoing efforts to understand and address complex global challenges.

  • CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Editing Technology: Investigating recent developments and ethical considerations surrounding CRISPR-based gene editing techniques.
  • Quantum Computing and Quantum Information: Exploring the latest advancements in quantum computing hardware, algorithms, and their potential applications in fields like cryptography and materials science.
  • Artificial Intelligence in Drug Discovery: Analyzing the use of machine learning and AI algorithms for identifying potential drug candidates and accelerating the drug discovery process.
  • Astrobiology and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life: Discussing recent discoveries related to extremophiles, exoplanets, and the potential for life beyond Earth.
  • Climate Change and Oceanography: Examining the impact of climate change on ocean ecosystems, including rising sea levels, ocean acidification, and changes in marine biodiversity.
  • Neuroscience and Brain-Computer Interfaces: Investigating the development of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) and their applications in healthcare, communication, and assistive technologies.
  • Particle Physics and the Search for Dark Matter: Discussing recent experiments and theories related to dark matter, one of the most significant mysteries in modern physics.
  • Synthetic Biology and Bioengineering: Exploring the latest advancements in synthetic biology, including the design of artificial organisms and bioengineering for medical and environmental applications.
  • Renewable Energy Technologies: Analyzing recent breakthroughs in renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and advanced energy storage systems.
  • Artificial Photosynthesis: Investigating the development of artificial photosynthesis systems for sustainable energy production and carbon dioxide reduction.

Research Paper Topics on Business

These business research paper topics reflect the ever-changing landscape of the business world, where innovation, ethics, and global challenges play significant roles in shaping business practices and strategies.

  • Sustainability in Business: Examining strategies for integrating sustainability practices into corporate operations and measuring their impact on profitability and social responsibility.
  • E-commerce and Online Marketplaces: Investigating the growth of e-commerce, including the role of online marketplaces, consumer behavior, and the future of traditional brick-and-mortar retail.
  • Entrepreneurship and Startup Ecosystems: Analyzing the factors contributing to the success of startup ecosystems, including access to capital, mentorship, and government policies.
  • Digital Marketing Trends: Exploring recent developments in digital marketing, such as influencer marketing, content marketing, and the use of AI in marketing campaigns.
  • Global Supply Chain Management: Studying the challenges and opportunities in global supply chains, including risk management, sustainability, and the impact of disruptive events.
  • Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility: Examining ethical dilemmas in business, corporate governance, and the social responsibility of corporations.
  • Financial Technology (Fintech): Investigating the impact of fintech innovations, including digital banking, cryptocurrency, and peer-to-peer lending, on traditional financial institutions and markets.
  • Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace: Analyzing the benefits and challenges of fostering diverse and inclusive work environments and their impact on employee performance and organizational success.
  • Data Analytics and Business Intelligence: Exploring the use of data analytics and business intelligence tools to make informed decisions, improve operations, and gain a competitive advantage.
  • Corporate Innovation and Open Innovation Strategies: Investigating how companies foster innovation by collaborating with external partners, startups, and customers, and the impact of open innovation on corporate success and competitiveness.

Research Paper Topics on Psychology

Explore fascinating subjects like mental health, cognitive processes, and the intricacies of human behavior with these psychology research paper topics:

  • Mental Health Stigma: Analyzing the impact of stigma on individuals seeking treatment for mental health disorders and strategies to reduce stigma in society.
  • Social Media and Mental Health: Investigating the relationship between social media use, mental health outcomes, and potential interventions for healthier online behavior.
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Exploring the latest research on PTSD, including treatment modalities, risk factors, and the neurobiology of trauma.
  • Positive Psychology and Well-being: Examining the science of well-being, happiness, and positive emotions and their practical applications in therapy and everyday life.
  • Childhood Development and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): Investigating the long-term effects of adverse childhood experiences on mental health and strategies for prevention and intervention.
  • Psychology of Sleep: Analyzing the importance of sleep in mental health, the consequences of sleep disorders, and effective treatments for improving sleep quality.
  • Substance Abuse and Addiction: Studying the psychological factors contributing to substance abuse, addiction treatment approaches, and the impact of addiction on individuals and society.
  • Cross-Cultural Psychology: Exploring cultural variations in psychological processes, including cognition, emotion, and behavior, and their implications for mental health and therapy.
  • Neuroplasticity and Rehabilitation: Investigating the brain's ability to adapt and recover after injury, with a focus on rehabilitation techniques for conditions like stroke and traumatic brain injury.
  • Psychological Resilience: Examining factors that contribute to psychological resilience in the face of adversity, trauma, or stress and interventions to enhance resilience.

Research Paper Topics on Literature

Explore the world of words and uncover the deeper meanings behind the texts with the following topic suggestions:

  • Postcolonial Literature and Identity: Analyzing the theme of identity and its intersection with postcolonialism in works of literature from former colonies.
  • Feminism in Classic Literature: Exploring feminist themes, characters, and narratives in classic literature and their relevance in contemporary society.
  • Dystopian Literature and Social Commentary: Investigating how dystopian literature serves as a commentary on current social, political, and technological issues.
  • Literature and Environmentalism: Analyzing how literature portrays environmental concerns, climate change, and humanity's relationship with the natural world.
  • Adaptation of Literature to Film: Examining the challenges and artistic choices involved in adapting literary works into successful films.
  • Literature of the Harlem Renaissance: Studying the cultural and artistic movement known as the Harlem Renaissance, with a focus on key literary figures and their contributions.
  • Magical Realism in Latin American Literature: Exploring the use of magical realism in the works of authors like Gabriel García Márquez and Isabel Allende.
  • Literature and Mental Health: Investigating the portrayal of mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, in contemporary literature and their impact on stigmatization.
  • Literature and Technology: Analyzing how literature reflects the influence of technology on society, communication, and human relationships.
  • Literature and Social Justice: Examining literature's role in advocating for social justice, civil rights, and equity, with a focus on diverse voices and marginalized communities.

Research Paper Topics on Environment

Discover the planet's pressing issues with these critical topics:

  • Climate Change Mitigation Strategies: Investigating innovative approaches to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change, including renewable energy adoption, carbon capture and storage, and sustainable transportation.
  • Biodiversity Conservation and Restoration: Analyzing conservation efforts to protect endangered species, restore ecosystems, and enhance biodiversity in the face of habitat loss and climate change.
  • Plastic Pollution and Marine Ecosystems: Exploring the impact of plastic pollution on marine life, ecosystems, and potential solutions for reducing plastic waste in oceans.
  • Urban Sustainability: Studying sustainable urban planning, green infrastructure, and policies to create environmentally friendly and resilient cities.
  • Water Resource Management: Investigating strategies for sustainable water resource management, including groundwater replenishment, watershed protection, and water-efficient technologies.
  • Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture: Analyzing methods to improve food production while minimizing environmental impacts, such as organic farming, precision agriculture, and alternative protein sources.
  • Ecosystem Services and Valuation: Exploring the value of ecosystem services (e.g., clean air, water, pollination) and methods to incorporate them into decision-making and policy development.
  • Land Use Change and Deforestation: Studying the drivers of deforestation, land degradation, and the conservation of forests and natural landscapes.
  • Environmental Justice: Investigating environmental inequalities, including the disproportionate impacts of pollution and climate change on marginalized communities and strategies for achieving environmental justice.
  • Green Technology and Innovation: Analyzing emerging green technologies, such as sustainable materials, clean energy innovations, and eco-friendly transportation solutions.

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

Well, why not order our collection of funny research paper topics and let the hilarity begin? Your grades will thank you later!

Research Paper Topics on Biology

Let's delve into the fascinating realms of genetics, ecology, and the intricate workings of living organisms:

  • The Human Microbiome: Exploring the role of the microbiome in human health, including its impact on digestion, immunity, and its potential in treating various diseases.
  • Evolutionary Adaptations to Climate Change: Analyzing how species are adapting or struggling to adapt to changing environmental conditions due to climate change.
  • Neurobiology of Addiction: Investigating the neurobiological mechanisms underlying addiction and potential targets for treatment and prevention.
  • Conservation Biology: Analyzing strategies for the conservation of endangered species and ecosystems, with a focus on the role of protected areas and habitat restoration.
  • Emerging Infectious Diseases: Exploring the biology of newly emerging infectious diseases, their origins, and strategies for prevention and control.
  • Plant Genetics and Crop Improvement: Investigating genetic engineering and breeding techniques to improve crop yield, resistance to pests, and nutritional content.
  • Neurodegenerative Diseases: Studying the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's and potential therapeutic approaches.
  • Synthetic Biology: Analyzing the field of synthetic biology, including the design and construction of novel biological systems and their applications in medicine, energy production, and biotechnology.
  • Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services: Investigating the relationship between biodiversity and the services ecosystems provide to humanity, such as pollination, water purification, and climate regulation.
  • Epigenetics and Environmental Influences: Exploring the role of epigenetic modifications in gene expression and how environmental factors can impact these modifications, potentially leading to heritable traits or diseases.

Research Paper Topics on Health and Medicine

The following health research paper topics reflect the dynamic and evolving nature of the health and medicine field.

  • Vaccine Hesitancy: Understanding and addressing concerns about vaccines.
  • Telemedicine and Telehealth: The growth of remote healthcare services and their impact on patient care.
  • Personalized Medicine: Tailoring medical treatments to individual genetics and characteristics.
  • Cancer Immunotherapy: Advancements in using the immune system to treat cancer.
  • Antibiotic Resistance: Strategies to combat the growing resistance of bacteria to antibiotics.
  • Health Disparities: Addressing disparities in healthcare access and outcomes among different populations.
  • Aging Population: Healthcare challenges and innovations in an aging society.
  • Nutrition and Obesity: Research on the effects of diet on health and strategies to combat obesity.
  • Artificial Organs and 3D Printing: Advancements in creating artificial organs and tissues.
  • Precision Nutrition: Customized dietary recommendations based on an individual's genetics and health status.

Research Paper Topics on Education

Shape the future of learning with these education research paper topics, where you can delve into current challenges, innovations, and strategies in the world of education:

  • Critical Digital Literacy Education: Exploring the importance of teaching critical digital literacy skills to students, including media literacy, online safety, and ethical online behavior.
  • Educational Neuroscience and Learning: Studying the intersection of neuroscience and education to better understand how the brain learns and applying this knowledge to improve teaching methods and curriculum design.
  • Personalized Learning Environments: Analyzing the implementation of personalized learning environments, including adaptive learning platforms and customized learning pathways, to enhance student engagement and achievement.
  • The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Education: Investigating the use of AI-driven tools and platforms for personalized tutoring, assessment, and content creation in educational settings.
  • Global Citizenship Education: Exploring strategies for integrating global citizenship education into curricula to promote cross-cultural understanding, social justice, and environmental sustainability.
  • Homeschooling and Educational Equity: Examining the growth of homeschooling and its potential impact on educational equity, including regulations, resources, and outcomes for homeschooled students.
  • Teacher Well-being and Burnout: Studying the factors contributing to teacher burnout and stress, along with strategies and policies to improve teacher well-being and retention.
  • Environmental Education and Sustainability: Analyzing the role of education in fostering environmental awareness and sustainable practices, including green curricula and school sustainability initiatives.
  • Early Career Teacher Support: Investigating mentorship programs, induction strategies, and professional development opportunities to support and retain early career teachers in the education profession.
  • Education Equity in the Digital Divide Era: Investigating strategies to bridge the digital divide and ensure equitable access to technology and online resources for all students, particularly in underserved communities.

Research Paper Topics on Sports

Let's dive into the realm of athleticism with the following topics, exploring diverse aspects of sports science.

  • Concussions in Sports: Analyzing the long-term effects of concussions, prevention strategies, and advances in concussion diagnosis and management in various sports.
  • The Impact of Sports on Mental Health: Investigating the relationship between sports participation, mental well-being, and strategies to promote mental health among athletes.
  • Gender Equity in Sports: Exploring gender disparities in sports, including pay gaps, opportunities, and challenges for female athletes, coaches, and administrators.
  • Sports Psychology and Peak Performance: Studying the psychological factors that influence athletes' performance, including motivation, confidence, and stress management.
  • Sports and Social Change: Analyzing the role of sports in promoting social justice, diversity, and inclusion, including athlete activism and the impact on broader societal issues.
  • Youth Sports and Long-Term Development: Investigating the effects of youth sports participation on character development, physical fitness, and future success in sports and life.
  • Sports Nutrition and Performance: Examining the role of nutrition, dietary supplements, and hydration in optimizing athletic performance and recovery.
  • Sports and Technology: Exploring the use of technology, including wearables, video analysis, and data analytics, in sports training, performance analysis, and injury prevention.
  • Sports Medicine and Injury Prevention: Studying the latest advancements in sports medicine, rehabilitation techniques, and injury prevention strategies for athletes.
  • Sports and Technology Ethics: Investigating ethical issues related to the use of emerging technologies such as genetic enhancements, AI-driven performance analysis, and virtual reality training in sports.

In the world of academia, the journey of selecting a research paper topic is one that should not be taken lightly. It's a voyage that can both fascinate and inspire as your chosen subject becomes a canvas for your curiosity and passion. Remember, our research proposal writing service is here to guide you not only in finding intriguing research paper ideas but also in mastering how to write a reflective essay that captures the essence of your academic exploration!

Looking for A+ Argumentative Research Paper Topics?

Let our research essay service be your guide to crafting compelling essays that win debates and top grades!

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Narrative Essay Topics: 200 Best Ideas

EU AI Act: first regulation on artificial intelligence

The use of artificial intelligence in the EU will be regulated by the AI Act, the world’s first comprehensive AI law. Find out how it will protect you.

A man faces a computer generated figure with programming language in the background

As part of its digital strategy , the EU wants to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) to ensure better conditions for the development and use of this innovative technology. AI can create many benefits , such as better healthcare; safer and cleaner transport; more efficient manufacturing; and cheaper and more sustainable energy.

In April 2021, the European Commission proposed the first EU regulatory framework for AI. It says that AI systems that can be used in different applications are analysed and classified according to the risk they pose to users. The different risk levels will mean more or less regulation. Once approved, these will be the world’s first rules on AI.

Learn more about what artificial intelligence is and how it is used

What Parliament wants in AI legislation

Parliament’s priority is to make sure that AI systems used in the EU are safe, transparent, traceable, non-discriminatory and environmentally friendly. AI systems should be overseen by people, rather than by automation, to prevent harmful outcomes.

Parliament also wants to establish a technology-neutral, uniform definition for AI that could be applied to future AI systems.

Learn more about Parliament’s work on AI and its vision for AI’s future

AI Act: different rules for different risk levels

The new rules establish obligations for providers and users depending on the level of risk from artificial intelligence. While many AI systems pose minimal risk, they need to be assessed.

Unacceptable risk

Unacceptable risk AI systems are systems considered a threat to people and will be banned. They include:

  • Cognitive behavioural manipulation of people or specific vulnerable groups: for example voice-activated toys that encourage dangerous behaviour in children
  • Social scoring: classifying people based on behaviour, socio-economic status or personal characteristics
  • Biometric identification and categorisation of people
  • Real-time and remote biometric identification systems, such as facial recognition

Some exceptions may be allowed for law enforcement purposes. “Real-time” remote biometric identification systems will be allowed in a limited number of serious cases, while “post” remote biometric identification systems, where identification occurs after a significant delay, will be allowed to prosecute serious crimes and only after court approval.

AI systems that negatively affect safety or fundamental rights will be considered high risk and will be divided into two categories:

1) AI systems that are used in products falling under the EU’s product safety legislation . This includes toys, aviation, cars, medical devices and lifts.

2) AI systems falling into specific areas that will have to be registered in an EU database:

  • Management and operation of critical infrastructure
  • Education and vocational training
  • Employment, worker management and access to self-employment
  • Access to and enjoyment of essential private services and public services and benefits
  • Law enforcement
  • Migration, asylum and border control management
  • Assistance in legal interpretation and application of the law.

All high-risk AI systems will be assessed before being put on the market and also throughout their lifecycle.

General purpose and generative AI

Generative AI, like ChatGPT, would have to comply with transparency requirements:

  • Disclosing that the content was generated by AI
  • Designing the model to prevent it from generating illegal content
  • Publishing summaries of copyrighted data used for training

High-impact general-purpose AI models that might pose systemic risk, such as the more advanced AI model GPT-4, would have to undergo thorough evaluations and any serious incidents would have to be reported to the European Commission.

Limited risk

Limited risk AI systems should comply with minimal transparency requirements that would allow users to make informed decisions. After interacting with the applications, the user can then decide whether they want to continue using it. Users should be made aware when they are interacting with AI. This includes AI systems that generate or manipulate image, audio or video content, for example deepfakes.

On December 9 2023, Parliament reached a provisional agreement with the Council on the AI act . The agreed text will now have to be formally adopted by both Parliament and Council to become EU law. Before all MEPs have their say on the agreement, Parliament’s internal market and civil liberties committees will vote on it.

More on the EU’s digital measures

  • Cryptocurrency dangers and the benefits of EU legislation
  • Fighting cybercrime: new EU cybersecurity laws explained
  • Boosting data sharing in the EU: what are the benefits?
  • EU Digital Markets Act and Digital Services Act
  • Five ways the European Parliament wants to protect online gamers
  • Artificial Intelligence Act

Related articles

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COMMENTS

  1. 113 Great Research Paper Topics

    113 Great Research Paper Topics Posted by Christine Sarikas General Education 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.

  2. 190 Best English Research Topics and Ideas

    190 Best English Research Topics and Ideas Home » 190 Best English Research Topics and Ideas Table of Contents English Research Paper Topic Selection List of English Research Topics and Ideas Outstanding English Research Topics Amazing English Research Paper Topics Intriguing English Research Paper Topics Best English Research Ideas

  3. 55 Research Paper Topics to Jump-Start Your Paper

    A research paper topic is the main focus of a piece of academic writing, encompassing the author's main argument, thesis, or hypothesis that they plan to research and investigate.

  4. 101 English Research Paper Topics, Questions and Ideas

    English research paper topic is the question you're going to answer in your paper based on your research. However, choosing an interesting topic that will capture the attention of your readers and show your academic prowess can be challenging.

  5. 100+ Best English Research Paper Topics with Examples & Samples [2023]

    Top Picks of English Research Paper Topics for You 1. Outstanding English Research Topics 2. Amazing English Research Topics 3. Excellent English Literature Topics 4. Best English Research Paper Topics 4. English Research Paper Topics on Historical Events

  6. English Literature Research Paper Topics

    Below is a comprehensive list of English literature research paper topics spanning across different eras and genres: Academic Writing, Editing, Proofreading, And Problem Solving Services Get 10% OFF with 24START discount code Medieval Literature The significance of chivalry in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

  7. 500 Good Research Paper Topics

    500 Good Research Paper Topics September 7, 2022 | In Preparing | By Emily 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!

  8. Research Topics in English Literature

    1. Gender roles How are the roles of men and women portrayed in the text? Are they distinctly different? Do they have equal rights? What gender expectations do they follow or fight against? 2. Comparisons between genres How does each genre tell its story? What are the differences and similarities between the two?

  9. How to Write a Research Paper

    The academic proofreading tool has been trained on 1000s of academic texts and by native English editors. Making it the most accurate and reliable proofreading tool for students. Try for free. Choose a research paper topic. There are many ways to generate an idea for a ... The major struggle faced by most writers is how to organize the ...

  10. ENGL 101: Academic Writing: How to write a research paper

    Write the paper. You have all of your research, now it is time to write the paper. Don't forget to cite all of the research that you have collected using the preferred citation style of your instructor. If possible try to give yourself a couple of days to let the paper sit before you edit it.

  11. 101 Research Paper Topics

    101 Research Paper Topics By: Mr. Morton Why do we sleep? How do GPS systems work? Who was the first person to reach the North Pole? Did anybody ever escape Alcatraz? What was life like for a gladiator? What are the effects of prolonged steroid use on the human body? What happened during the Salem witch trials?

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    Discuss stream of consciousness writing style. Is there any relation between literature and religion? Glorification of romance in literature. Feminist perspective in English literature. Modern American English Literature. Impact of language in society development. Verbal English communication for teaching moral values.

  13. 250+ Best Research Paper Topics Ideas that Inspire

    The ethical side of pharmaceutical competition and pollution. The ways how biocomputing technology assists in scientific research. English research paper topics The consequences of negativity in modern literature. Professional jargon on social media.

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    This page will cover the following points: Topics overview. Historical college research paper topics. Political college research paper topics. Literature college research paper topics. Science college research paper topics. Medical college research paper topics. Business college research paper topics. Psychology college research paper topics.

  15. Finding Topics

    ENG 102/105/108, First-Year Composition Finding Topics Tutorial Finding Topics Online Tutorial (2:40) Use the online tutorial to help you find and define a workable topic. Tools for Exploring Topics Having trouble deciding what to write about? Try looking at the links below to get some ideas: Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center

  16. Are There Research-Related Opportunities for English Majors?

    The University of Southern California, for example, offers programs called Student Opportunities for Academic Research (SOAR) and Summer Undergraduate Research Fund (SURF). You can apply to these and get grant money to assist a professor with their research. You'll learn as you work and receive an income.

  17. Library: ENG 102 Research Topics: Research topics

    The population was incoming baccalaureate students at one less selective 4-year institution (N=783) who graduated from high school in the spring of 2005. Phase II employed a phenomenological study of 3 African American men predicted by the model to fail, yet remained in good standing after 2 years.

  18. English Department Dissertations Collection

    Dissertations from 2022. Writing the Aftermath: Uncanny Spaces of the Postcolonial, Sohini Banerjee, English. Science Fiction's Enactment of the Encouragement, Process, and End Result of Revolutionary Transformation, Katharine Blanchard, English. LITERARY NEGATION AND MATERIALISM IN CHAUCER, Michelle Brooks, English.

  19. 13.1 Formatting a Research Paper

    Set the top, bottom, and side margins of your paper at 1 inch. Use double-spaced text throughout your paper. Use a standard font, such as Times New Roman or Arial, in a legible size (10- to 12-point). Use continuous pagination throughout the paper, including the title page and the references section.

  20. English 101 Research Paper Topics: Best Essay Ideas

    Most Popular English 101 Essay Topics 2023. English 101 essay topics. "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love" by Raymond Carver a creative piece based on the story. President George W. Bush's Leadership Style. Critique of " Ethical College Admissions: The Real Victims". How does outdoor exercises impact our health and well-being.

  21. 5 Topics For A Master's In English Thesis

    A good literary adaptation, analyzed in tandem with its source material, could make for an interesting Master's thesis topic. 5. Look to Other Disciplines. English departments are recognizing that the skills required by literary study are strengthened when combined with skills from other fields like history or even the sciences.

  22. 70+ English Research Topics For High School Freshman [PDF Included]

    March 4, 2023 by Rupa Marwah Welcome to high school English, where you will embark on an exciting journey of self-discovery through the power of language. As a freshman, you will be challenged to think critically and will have the opportunity to explore topics that are close to your heart.

  23. Research Paper Topics That Fascinate and Inspire

    A topic too broad might lead to superficial research, while one too narrow can be limiting. Strike a balance. Instead of 'The History of World Literature,' try 'The Influence of Japanese Haiku Poetry on Modern American Literature.'. 5. Controversy and Debate: Controversial topics can be both intriguing and polarizing.

  24. EU AI Act: first regulation on artificial intelligence

    As part of its digital strategy, the EU wants to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) to ensure better conditions for the development and use of this innovative technology. AI can create many benefits, such as better healthcare; safer and cleaner transport; more efficient manufacturing; and cheaper and more sustainable energy.. In April 2021, the European Commission proposed the first EU ...