Interesting Research Paper Topics – They can Make All the Difference!

Nothing is worse than having to write a research paper on a topic that is just utterly boring! You will have no motivation to even conduct the research, much less come up with a thesis and write the darn thing! While you may not always have a choice to choose interesting research paper topics, when you are given a general topic area in which you have some latitude, you should pick your topic carefully, so that at least there is enough personal interest to motivate.

Finding that Topic

Once you have been given a general topic area, you need to do a little bit of simple research on that topic. If, for example, you must write a research paper on Dante’s Inferno for a literature class, and you are a physics major, you may really be struggling to find interesting topics for a research paper on such an antiquated work, written in a style that is horrible to understand and covering a topic in which you have little-to-no interest. After all, you are a science major, and your focus is on the fields of matter and energy! How about combining your area of strength (physics) and the concepts of Heaven and Hell held by most Christian religions of the world? Perhaps you can approach the concept of Hell from your scientific vantage point. Given current knowledge in your field, especially related to space-time continuum, where would Hell be located? Could it be a physical place of which we have no physical evidence? Just by conducting a bit of cursory online research, you will be able to find a wealth of information on how current physicists approach the religious concept of Hell and how they either support or negate it. You will then have one of the most interesting topics for research papers on Dante that your professor has ever read, and that uniqueness will probably result in a higher grade. More important, however, is the fact that you will have a topic that interests you!

Another approach to finding interesting topics for a research paper is to Google the specific topic area with keywords “research paper topics” in your search. If, for example, you are in a biology class that is addressing the topic of biogenetic engineering, you can conduct a search for “interesting research paper topic ideas in biogenetic engineering.” There are literally hundreds of pages that will pop up, and you can find all sorts of suggestions, many of which are sure to peak your interest.

Once You Find Your Specific Topic

O.K. You have found a specific area for research within a wider topic area that interests you. Now, you must conduct the research that will allow you become somewhat of an “expert” on the topic and that will give you a thesis for your paper. Again, the best method for finding those resources is another online search. This time, you will looking for more specific interesting research paper topics ideas. Going back to the topic of biogenetic engineering, perhaps you have decided that your focus will be on the ethical questions involved. Now, your search will include such keyword phrases as “ethical issues related to biogenetic engineering.” Again, you will find hundreds of results, and these will point you in the direction of actual academic writings on that specific topic. You can then pick and choose those that you will be using, based upon your thesis. For example, if your thesis statement is, “Advances in biogenetic engineering are occurring so rapidly that we have not had the time to reflect upon their implications for society,” then you will select those resources that speak directly to that issue.

Things are Different at the College Level

When you were in high school, the purpose of your research papers was to provide information and data. There was little emphasis on the development of a thesis statement. At the college level, this changes, and research papers must be more sophisticated. Part of this sophistication involves the development of your thesis, and, make no mistake about it, you will not receive a decent grade unless you have a point to make or a viewpoint to posit. You cannot simply report on the advances made in biogenetic engineering, for example. You must have thesis, and this thesis is developed by asking yourself such questions as, “Why is this important?” or “How do I feel about this?” Interesting research paper topics for college must include some personal response to the topic you are addressing and researching. Without that, you are back in high school and just providing information!