Broad topic and specific topic examples

A common challenge when beginning to write a research paper is determining how to narrow down your topic. Even if your professor gives you a specific topic to study, it will almost never be so specific that you won’t have to narrow it down at least to some degree [besides, it is very boring to grade fifty papers that are all about the exact same thing!].

A topic is too broad to be manageable when a review of the literature reveals too many different, and oftentimes conflicting or only remotely related, ideas about how to investigate the research problem. Although you will want to start the writing process by considering a variety of different approaches to studying the research problem, you will need to narrow the focus of your investigation at some point early in the writing process. This way, you don't attempt to do too much in one paper.

Here are some strategies to help narrow your topic:

• Aspect -- choose one lens through which to view the research problem, or look at just one facet of it [e.g., rather than studying the role of food in South Asian religious rituals, study the role of food in Hindu ceremonies, or, the role of one particular type of food among several religions].
• Components -- determine if your initial variable or unit of analysis can be broken into smaller parts, which can then be analyzed more precisely [e.g., a study of tobacco use among adolescents can focus on just chewing tobacco rather than all forms of usage or, rather than adolescents in general, focus on female adolescents in a certain age range who choose to use tobacco].
• Methodology -- the way in which you gather information can reduce the domain of interpretive analysis needed to address the research problem [e.g., a single case study can be designed to generate data that does not require as extensive an explanation as using multiple cases].
• Place -- generally, the smaller the geographic unit of analysis, the more narrow the focus [e.g., rather than study trade relations in West Africa, study trade relations between Niger and Cameroon as a case study that helps to explain economic problems in the region].
• Relationship -- ask yourself how do two or more different perspectives or variables relate to one another. Designing a study around the relationships between specific variables can help constrict the scope of analysis [e.g., cause/effect, compare/contrast, contemporary/historical, group/individual, child/adult, opinion/reason, problem/solution].
• Time -- the shorter the time period of the study, the more narrow the focus [e.g., study of trade relations between Niger and Cameroon during the period of 2010 - 2020].
• Type -- focus your topic in terms of a specific type or class of people, places, or phenomena [e.g., a study of developing safer traffic patterns near schools can focus on SUVs, or just student drivers, or just the timing of traffic signals in the area].
• Combination -- use two or more of the above strategies to focus your topic more narrowly.

NOTE: Apply one of the above strategies first in designing your study to determine if that gives you a manageable research problem to investigate. You will know if the problem is manageable by reviewing the literature on this more specific problem and assessing whether prior research on the narrower topic is sufficient to move forward in your study [i.e., not too much, not too little]. Be careful, however, because combining multiple strategies risks creating the opposite problem--your problem becomes too narrowly defined and you can't locate enough research or data to support your study.

Booth, Wayne C. The Craft of Research. Fourth edition. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press, 2016; Coming Up With Your Topic. Institute for Writing Rhetoric. Dartmouth College; Narrowing a Topic. Writing Center. University of Kansas; Narrowing Topics. Writing@CSU. Colorado State University; Strategies for Narrowing a Topic. University Libraries. Information Skills Modules. Virginia Tech University; The Process of Writing a Research Paper. Department of History. Trent University; Ways to Narrow Down a Topic. Contributing Authors. Utah State OpenCourseWare.

Jule Romans is the author of "Take Advice from Shakespeare" and other books. She has over 30 years of experience in the field of education.

Good research topics

Good Research Topics, Ideas, and Examples

This article contains topics that are narrow enough to handle in a research paper but broad enough so that you can locate excellent information.

This is more than a list of general subjects. This is a collection of good research topics that make writing a paper easy and quick. Each research topic is specific, manageable, and easily divided into sections. This makes these topics much more valuable.

Many of these topics will work for multiple subjects in many different classes. Some may work better as high school research paper topics, while others will make good research paper topics for college students. These topics are not recommended for middle school students.

It may be useful to look at topics that don’t seem, on the surface, to match your assignment. Often, one topic can be adjusted or altered slightly to fit with another angle. You may also want to explore specific topic suggestions for history papers.

A good research topic is specific, manageable, and easily divided into sections.

Good Research Topics With Examples

As you look at the list of topics, you may consider changing one or more of the keywords within the topic. Changing one or more keywords can change the whole angle of a topic, making it more in line with your subject or assignment.

Here’s an example:

• Affirmative Action and College Admission Policies

This might be changed to:

• Academic Scholarships and College Admission Policies

Another variation of the same topic idea could be:

• Affirmative Action and Workplace Diversity Programs

Alter this topic to suit almost any assignment by changing keywords and keeping the structure.

You can continue to substitute keywords until you find a topic that suits you. Take any topic from one of these general lists, and experiment with the ideas.

Research Topic Examples You Can Use

Let's say the topic example is:

• Abortion Dilemmas Faced by Adults

Keep the overall structure of the topic example, but make significant changes in both of the main ideas.

Examples of adaptations for this topic might include:

• Life-Stage Dilemmas Faced by Older Adults

or

• Peer-Pressure Dilemmas Faced by Preteens in After School Hours

This idea can even work well with science topics, especially if you have a little bit of knowledge. In the ten science topics at the end of this article, there are multiple variations that can lead to interesting and creative research papers. Start with any science topic, and experiment with adjusting keywords based on your knowledge, experience, or interests.

Once you have determined your topic, the three sections will make it much easier to write a thesis sentence.

Good Research Topic Starters

Good Research Topic Ideas

Choose one idea from each column in the table below. Create a phrase that combines those ideas. Use this to generate the beginnings of a research topic.

Utilize a search engine to explore the phrase, and you may find a good research topic, even with the wildest combination of ideas.

Granted, this is a wildly creative approach, and not all topics will work well together. But even the most unusual combinations can yield productive ideas. For example, take the crazy combination of:

• Middle Eastern Fashion Trends in the Dark Ages

Place that text in a search engine, and you might be surprised. Several very interesting ideas present themselves. Many of them are perfectly realistic and appropriate for serious research papers.

Try it and see.

Research Topic Lists and Examples

Choosing a topic in a creative way can make writing a paper much more interesting. If you choose this route, you will also need to make sure that you have a good thesis sentence. Sometimes, you will start with a thesis statement that needs some help to become better.

10 Good Research Topics in Science

1. The Classification of the Species: How it Started
2. The Study of Constellations in Astronomy
3. Biology of the Wetlands: Three Key Species
4. Significant Advancements in Organic Chemistry
5. The Evolution of Computer Science.
6. Desert Ecology and Water Conservation
7. Geologic Ages That Created Coal
8. The Kepler and Hubble Telescopes
9. Damage to the Ozone Layer: Why It Matters
10. Structure and Actions of Tsunamis

20 Good Research Topics in the Humanities

1. Arthurian Legend in 19th Century Paintings
2. Definitions and Examples of Nocturnes in Musical Compositions
3. Science Fiction Versus Science Fantasy: Comparisons and Contrasts
4. Folklore and Fairy Tales of France
5. Historical Architecture of Germany
6. Theatre Styles of Ancient Rome
7. The Decorative and Practical Functions of Egyptian Ceramics
8. Archetypes in Heroic Literature
9. Obscure Religions of Spain
10. Sculptures Representing the Ideal Human Form
11. Christianity in the Middle East
12. Traditional Dances of Algeria
13. Textile Arts as an Expression of Cultural Beliefs
14. Protest Art: Posters, Paintings, and Murals
15. The Harlem Renaissance in Theatre
16. Regional Theatres and Summer Stock During the 1950s in the US
17. Evolution of Women’s Shoes
18. Design and Construction of Worship Houses
19. Family Structure in the Inuit Culture
20. The Function of Kivas in Worship and Social Life

30 Good Research Topics for Current Issues

1. Abortion Dilemmas Faced by Adults
2. Government Subsidies for Agriculture: Pros and Cons
3. Adopted Children: Issues Faced as Adults
4. Discovery of Pluto by Astrologists
5. Affirmative Action and College Admission Policies
6. Ethical Practices in Clothing Manufacture
7. African American Vernacular English (Ebonics) in Elementary Schools
8. Animal Management for Sustainable Living
9. Biased Media Practices in Television Reporting
10. Chemically Altered Products in Specialty Markets
11. Body Art as Personal Expression
12. Civil Rights Struggles of the 21st Century
13. Cost Analysis of Prescription Drugs
14. Disaster Relief Actions Following Earthquakes
15. Distribution of Condoms to Students in Urban Schools
16. Emotional Aspects of Cocaine Addiction
17. Growing Up in a Minority Culture: Confidence and Confusion
18. Identity Theft: Three Most Common Sources
19. Impact of Assisted Suicide on the Medical Community in the 1980s
20. Individuality Versus Conformity for Young Adults in College Settings
21. Physical Effects of Bulimia
22. Power of Women in the Media
23. Punishment and Prosecution of Hate Crimes in Alabama
24. Reform of Social Security Programs: Supplemental Security Income
25. Rural Poverty for Non-Agricultural Families
26. Recreational Marijuana’s Effect on the Economy
27. Effective Use of the Insanity Defense for Crimes Other Than Murder
28. Urban Farming Within City Limits
29. Variations in the Legal Drinking Age Among States: Effects and Causes
30. A Post-Privacy World: What Does It Mean?

More Help With Writing

• 7 Steps to Write a Good Thesis Statement
  Once you learn how to write a good thesis statement, it becomes much easier to tackle research papers, essays, and even other types of writing. Seven steps may sound like a lot of work, but once you master them, all your writing becomes easier.
• How to Write, Refine, and Revise Your Thesis Stateme...
  To write a good thesis statement, you’ll need to avoid the pitfalls of being general, imprecise, confusing, or incomplete. Here are quick strategies for writing a thesis statement.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

© 2018 Jule Romans