Finding Good Research Paper Topics -Approaching Things from the Correct Angle

When the end of a semester comes near, it is usually time for students to begin working on research papers. In many cases, the student is asked to select a topic that relates to what the instructor has covered throughout the term. The question is, how does a student sift through everything s/he has studied in order to narrow down the potentially good research paper topics? Of course, in addition to the challenge of selecting good topics for a research paper, there are often other parameters the student must consider. This might include the minimum number of pages, format, and the number of required sources. In the end, students face two challenges: how to write a good research paper and selecting a topic that best demonstrates what they have learned. The question is, then, on of how to proceed.

If you are looking for good topics for research papers, the best place to start is with the subject matter you find to be most interesting. Once you have that figured out, you can begin looking at the topic from a variety of points of view. If you are in an education, sociology, psychology, or journalism class, for example, maybe one of the topics your instructor covered was the influence of social media on children. There are a ton of potentially good ideas for research paper topics on this subject! The key is narrowing the topic down, and then considering a variety of viewpoints. What if you decide to research cyber-bullying? What are some of the potential points of view related to this topic?

• What is it like to be a victim of internet bullying?
• What motivates somebody to become a bully on the internet?
• How do parents cope with these situations if their children are aggressors?
• Should schools become involved in internet bullying?
• How should parents and school administrators differentiate between true acts of bullying and simple arguments, disagreements, and personality conflicts?

Once you have taken the time to examine the subject from all angles, you can figure out what is a good topic for a research paper on the subject of internet bullying. There is a good chance that your paper will be on the role of schools when it comes to off-campus internet bullying and harassment. The question now becomes, how will you select the best hypothesis to begin your research? Here are a few writing prompts that might help you to write a good research paper:

• Should school officials be allowed to demand a student's social media passwords?
• Should school officials monitor the Facebook accounts of their students?
• Is it ever appropriate for a teacher to contact students on social media?
• Is it possible for social media to be a valid educational outlet, or should all social media websites be blocked while children are attending school?
• Some students and parents believe that schools have gone too far in their effort to prevent bullying. What should be done to ensure that school officials aren't micro-managing normal conflicts?
• Should school districts be held liable if the injury or death of a student can be related to internet bullying involving one or more of their students?
• Some school districts have been very successful in creating programs that educate their students about the potential dangers of social media. Analyze their methods and determine which methods have the best results according to statistics.
• Examine the differences in internet bullying as it relates to urban students, suburban students, and rural students. How does culture influence internet behavior?

So, here you have just one example of how a robust topic area can be related to a variety of specific courses, based upon the thesis that one might select. Find ways to combine your personal interests with specific course curriculum, and you will find good research paper topics that you will enjoy pursuing!