{"id":3021,"date":"2015-12-21T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-12-22T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/?post_type=essay-writing-blog&p=3021"},"modified":"2019-04-21T19:40:23","modified_gmt":"2019-04-22T02:40:23","slug":"how-to-choose-a-research-paper-topic-that-wins-big","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/how-to-choose-a-research-paper-topic-that-wins-big\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Choose a Research Paper Topic That Wins Big"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you ever stared at the rack of candy at your local convenience store trying to figure out which candy bar you want? Do you finally just grab one simply because a candy bar is a candy bar, and it\u2019s all chocolate, so one is just as good as the next?<\/p>\n

This might be a fine process for satisfying your sweet tooth, but it\u2019s definitely not a good strategy for choosing a research paper topic.<\/p>\n

All research topics are not created equal, so don\u2019t choose a topic out of desperation or simply because you can\u2019t think of anything else to write about. Learn how to choose a research paper topic by following these 5 quick tips that will put you on the path to the perfect paper.<\/p>\n

How to Choose a Research Paper Topic That Wins Big<\/h2>\n

1. Choose the right topic for your assignment<\/b><\/h3>\n

To put it bluntly, even if you write a research essay that\u2019s nothing short of amazing, but you\u2019re writing about the wrong topic, you\u2019ll still probably fail.  Not exactly the result you were hoping for.<\/p>\n

So here\u2019s a painfully obvious tip: If you\u2019re writing a research paper in a psychology class, pick a topic related to psychology<\/i>. Don\u2019t try to recycle your history paper detailing the timeline of the Civil War. It isn\u2019t going to work.<\/p>\n

You should also check to see if your professor has a list of banned topics. Issues like marijuana legalization, gun control, and texting and driving are likely on that list.<\/p>\n

Writing a brilliant research paper about a topic on this list could likely mean an \u201cF.\u201d Again, not the result you want.<\/p>\n

2. Choose a topic you care about<\/b><\/h3>\n

I know, I know. You hate English class. You hate literature, and you hate Shakespeare even more. How can you possibly find a topic to write about when you have almost zero interest in the subject?<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re writing a research paper for a required course, you might not feel much passion for the subject. I get that. I know it\u2019s hard to pretend to be interested, but try to choose a topic you can at least tolerate.<\/p>\n

Maybe you don\u2019t like Shakespeare, but maybe you\u2019re interested in history, violence, and war. Shakespeare is full of all of these, including plenty of violence. After all, in \u201cHamlet\u201d alone 8 people die<\/a>. Now that\u2019s interesting literature!<\/p>\n

So even if you\u2019re not thrilled about writing a research paper in a required course, if you think about your own interests and how they connect to the course, you\u2019ll be able to find a topic.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t forget, you\u2019ll be working with this topic over an extended period of time, so you need to have at least a mild interest in the subject.<\/p>\n

3. Choose an interesting topic<\/b><\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

Not everyone will be interested in every topic, but some topics are simply overused–like gun control and abortion.<\/p>\n

Instead of writing about a topic that you\u2019ve chosen for your last three research papers, why not be more original?<\/p>\n

Read your textbooks, news websites, or the local newspaper to get ideas about current events that might work for your paper. If you want the easy way out of this step, ask your politically active and informed friends for some ideas.<\/p>\n

Fresh out of ideas? We have a few. Check out 25 Interesting Research Topics to Get You Started<\/a> and 50 Research Topics to Help You Jumpstart Your Writing<\/a>.<\/p>\n

4. Narrow your topic<\/b><\/h3>\n

Even once you have a general sense of your research paper topic, you\u2019re still not ready to research and write.<\/p>\n

Sure, when you first think of it, violence in the media sounds like the <\/i>perfect topic, but have you stopped to think about how many pages you could write about the topic?<\/p>\n

Violence in the media might include discussions about video game violence, violence on television, violence on children\u2019s programs, or violence in music, just to name a few.<\/p>\n

How can you include all of these elements in one research paper? The answer: you can\u2019t<\/i>.<\/p>\n

The solution is to narrow your topic<\/i> so that you can write an effective essay in the time and word count allowed.<\/p>\n

What do you do if you have a broad idea for a research topic but you\u2019re not sure how to narrow it?<\/p>\n

Try a basic Google search. Read a few sources to learn some facts and background information about your topic. Once you have attained some basic knowledge about your topic, you can more easily narrow your focus.<\/p>\n

Completing preliminary research will not only help you learn more about your topic, but it will also help you write a better paper.<\/p>\n

5.<\/strong> Develop a research question<\/b><\/h3>\n

A research question<\/a> is a specific question about your topic that will help you develop a focus for your paper.<\/p>\n

If you have a clear direction for your paper before<\/i> you begin writing, you won\u2019t spend hours aimlessly searching the internet for what turns out to be useless information.<\/p>\n

Not only will you save time, but you\u2019ll also save yourself a lot of frustration and won\u2019t want to drop your class just because you\u2019re struggling with a research paper.<\/p>\n

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Start with a clear direction for your paper and you won\u2019t spend hours searching useless info.<\/a><\/div>\n

Click To Tweet<\/a><\/p>\n

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Here\u2019s an example:<\/b> Let\u2019s say you narrowed your media violence topic to violence in children\u2019s television programming.<\/p>\n

Google violence in children\u2019s television programming and you\u2019ll get about 56 million results. Yeah. That\u2019s a few too many results to read, even if you do have three weeks before the assignment is due.<\/p>\n

Sure, you might get lucky and find some useful sources within the first few results, but why chance it?<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t  try to incorporate anything and everything related to violence on kids\u2019 TV shows into your paper. If you do, your paper will be broad, generalized, and not very interesting. Readers (like your professor) will say, \u201cSo what? What\u2019s the point?\u201d<\/p>\n

Instead of aimlessly reading websites, let\u2019s approach this in a more effective way.<\/p>\n\t

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Your grades will thank you. <\/div>\n\t\t\t
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Try starting with this research question:<\/b> Does exposing preschool age children to violence portrayed in children\u2019s programming affect their behavior?<\/i><\/p>\n

Now we\u2019re getting somewhere!<\/p>\n

This question is clear and specific and gives you a direction for your research. You can research types of violence on kids\u2019 television shows and research how kids\u2019 behavior might change after watching acts of violence on kids\u2019 shows.<\/p>\n

Depending on the scope of your paper<\/a>, you might also discuss how this violent behavior impacts the child and the family.<\/p>\n

See, a research question makes life much easier, doesn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n

Now You Know How to Choose a Research Paper Topic! What\u2019s Next?<\/h2>\n