Research Paper Topics & Essay Ideas For College and High School Students

Wondering what are good topics to write a research paper on? Here is a free guide and examples of good research paper topics for college, high school, and graduate school students. The key focus of this tutorial is:

• What makes a good research paper topic
• How to find a good topic for a research paper.

Now that you have learnt how to write a research paper effectively, you might have realized that this is different from writing an essay where you probably don’t need to carry out extensive research before you even start writing. In academic writing, research papers are one of the assignments which needs a lot of attention otherwise you would score low marks on your academic paper.

In most cases, you will find that your professor or teacher requires you to find a research topic, research about the topic, write a proposal, create a research paper online, and eventually write a grade winning paper. This is where academic writing becomes a difficult task to most students. 

In this guide, you will learn how to find great research paper topics. This list applies to all students from high school, college, to graduate school students. 

What makes a great research paper topic:

Here are five key factors that define a great topic for your research paper. Make sure the topic that you choose by the end of this article possesses these qualities:

1. A good topic must be relevant to the readers and your subject of study
2. Your topic of study must be clear and have focused objectives
3. How important is the chosen topic in relation to your field of study?
4. Research on issues currently affecting the community
5. Must be original. Your research should focus on areas not well researched. 

How to find a good research paper topic 

1. Check if the topic is already given
2. Pick a broad topic and narrow down
3. Brainstorming
4. Discuss with friends and family
5. Identify issues affecting a particular set of people in your community
6. Review the existing literature based of your field of study

On this extensive list of hot topics for research papers, topics have been grouped based on the subjects and also academic level. 

Go through the listed topics and learn how to come up with great topics for research papers. 

Argumentative research paper topics

Argumentative research paper topics are topics that can be argued in two ways. Using facts and extensive research, a student is expected to support one side of an argument. Here are a few topics you can consider for your argumentative essay paper.

1. Children raised by single parents are likely to have behavioral issues.
2. Alcohol abuse among parents increases chances of teenage drug abuse
3. Abortion legalization can increase immorality among teenagers
4. Smoking in public places should be prohibited.
5. Voting age should be lowered
6. Marijuana is more addictive than tobacco
7. Teenage immorality is greatly influenced by social media
8. Globalization is doing more harm than good to african countries
9. Deforestation as a core contributor to climate change
10. Death sentence effectiveness in administration of justice
11. Poverty is the major cause of domestic violence

College research paper topics

Here are some of the most popular college research paper topics that you can write as a student. Note that this is not an exhaustive list of all research topics for college students. You can ask for more at our research paper writing help service.

Most popular topics include:

• Abortion
• School uniform
• LGBT/Gay rights
• Animal rights
• Corporal punishment
• Mercy Killing
• Disease research topics
• Climate change
• Agriculture and country economics
• World economics
• Animal anatomy
• Human anatomy
• Communicable diseases
• Food as a cause of disease
• College education vs income levels

High school research paper topics

Here is a list of interesting topics for a research paper for high school students.

• Obesity 
• Fast food
• Climate change
• Weather patterns
• Teenage pregnancy
• Sex education
• Divorce and separation
• Legal voting age
• Drug abuse
• Marijuana legalization
• Family planning
• Family structure

Controversial research paper topics

Controversial research paper topics are meant to enhance your debate skills. Here are sample controversial topics that you can research and write about. 

1. Can marriage amongst teenagers be justified?
2.  Should churches be taxed?
3.  Euthanasia as a form of palliative treatment
4.  Convicted criminals should not be allowed to join the community
5.  Is surrogacy ethically sound?
6.  vegans vs meat eaters
7.  Single-sex schools and children development
8. Parents deportation is an unethical practice
9. Churches should pay taxes like any other business
10. Is heaven real?

Psychology research paper topics

Here are popular psychology research topics that you can write about.

1. Rise in mental illnesses in united states
2. Eating disorders and obesity
3. Physical exercises in stress reduction 
4. Teenage depression
5. Junk food impact on learning abilities
6. Negative effect of divorce on children
7. Mental health and obesity
8. Exercises and mental health

History research paper topics

Writing a history research paper? Here are some of the history research paper topics that you can consider.

1. Palestine History before 1948
2.  Ancient greeks revolt
3.  Immortality in ancient egypt
4. The great recession
5. Syrian conflict and aftermath
6. United states civil war
7. The French revolution
8. Civil women's rights in 18th century
9. Origin of black month
10. Hiroshima and Nagasaki Bombings
11. American history
12. History of black people in America

Criminal Justice research paper topics

Here are a set of popular criminal justice essay topics that you can write about.

1. Is current law effective in reducing domestic violence
2. Gender bias in the workplace
3. Drug abuse prevention channels
4.  Abuse of power by policy
5.  Racial injustices in United States
6.  Effectiveness of witness programmes
7. Death penalty
8. Psychological effects of incarceration

Persuasive Research Paper topics

1. Guns should be allowed in colleges and universities
2. Human dependence on technology
3. Minimum wage should be increased
4. Security cameras invade our privacy
5. Colleges education should be made free
6. Corporal punishment is ineffective, 

English research paper topics

Here are some of the english research topics you can explore when writing your essay, research paper, or term paper. Some topics can be extended to create thesis papers.

Sociology research paper topics

1. Social problems of domestic violence
2. Teenage sex and unwanted pregnancies
3. Teenage conflict resolution methods
4.  Gender stereotyping and its effect in workplaces
5. Security of social networking platforms
6. Social media addiction amongst the youth
7.  Internet addiction and loneliness

Biology research paper topics

1. Biology of Marine Birds
2. Molecular Biology of Plants reproduction
3. Mutation of viruses
4. Spread of zoonotic virus in 21st century
5. Can the aging process be reversed
6. Effect of stress on Human immune system

Economics research paper topics

1. Income changes on consumer choices
2. Salary inequalities in developing economies
3. Effect of mass privatization of public enterprises by governments
4. Growth and development of stock markets in Africa
5. Effects of international trade on developing countries
6. Effect of online businesses on GDP of your country
7. Predatory Pricing and Strategic Entry Barriers

Education research paper topics

1. Effectiveness of homeschooling
2. Should the cost of education be lowered or increased
3. Violence in colleges
4. Bullying in schools
5. Does attaining college education guarantee higher salaries
6. Are college graduates more happy than high school graduates?
7. Is college education really worth it? 

Literature research paper topics

1. Works of shakespeare
2. Psychology and literature
3. Literature as a mirror of the society
4. Ancient Vs modern literature
5. Conflicts in literature
6. Role of literature in instilling morals
7. Antigone as a Feminist play: women vs. patriarchal power
8. Gender conflicts woman vs. man = the family vs. the state

Medicine, Medical, & Nursing research paper topics

1. ADHD in adults
2. Neonatal care in the united states
3. The rise of child mortality
4. The rise of child obesity, Nursing culture in United Kingdom
5. Ethical considerations when hiring foreign nurses
6. Rise in cardiovascular diseases
7. Nurses and doctors should have equal opportunities
8. Evolution in medicine in the last 50 years
9. Ethics amongst medical professionals.
10. Ethical medical billing.
11. Electronic data system and patient privacy

Science Research Paper Topics

1. Importance of sleep for children
2. Is cancer screening effective in reducing cancer related deaths
3. Research on main food allergies in the United States
4. Will Covid-19 vaccines be safe?
5. Should science subjects be made mandatory in college?
6. Should math be classified as a science?
7. Does eating more vegetables make your body stronger?
8. Research the reproductive system of an animal of your choice.

Business research paper topics

1. Ethical mistakes and bankruptcy
2. Importance of ethics in the workplace
3. Organizational crisis management
4. Role of women in managing businesses
5. Importances of signing NDAs
6. Wages versus productivity of employees

These are some of the most popular college research paper topics that you can write an essay or research paper on. Contact our tutors if you need help with writing any research topic.