200 Great Ideas for Research Paper Topics 2020 and Helpful Tips on Research Paper Writing

At one point in time, every student gets such a type of an academic assignment as a research paper at least once. At first, it might seem easy as you have heard of research paper before and your friends have written it. But when it comes to actual research writing, numerous questions come to your mind, starting with the range of topics up to the paper format. Naturally,  the first question is how to choose a good topic for your research paper and do my essay or research paper. No panic! We have written an article with tips on how to choose a good topic and prepared a  list of the most interesting topics for your inspiration.

What is a research paper

Research paper is a type of academic assignment that is longer and is more complicated than an academic essay. It is a paper that presupposes conducting an investigation and analysis of the existing information or previous on the particular issues or perspective and making a conclusion or presenting new ideas on that issue.

A research paper has a specific structure as well as components that make it a research paper.

Five parts of the research paper

Every type of academic assignment has its structure. The research paper should include the following five components:

1. Introduction and Problem Statement
2. Methodology
3. Literature review
4. Discussion and Analysis
5. Summary, Conclusion, and Recommendations

However, please be attentive to the instructions given to you, and if they are unclear, do not be afraid to specify the instructions with your professor. Sometimes an abstract with keywords, limitations, and implementation parts are required. Thus, do not be afraid to ask questions.

How to write a research paper 

Professional writers have created a list of hints on how to create an outstanding research paper. Check them out:

1. Check and understand the assignment. Although it might seem unnecessary, do not miss this step. If you understand the assignment wrongly, you might have to rewrite the whole paper. Thus, make sure you have carefully read and understood every point of the assignment.
2. Pick a topic. The next step is choosing the topic. It must be interesting and relevant.
3. Know your audience. Make sure that the topic is not only interesting for you but also for your audience.
4. Make a research on the topic. Make a research on the topic you have chosen to find all the necessary information to base your research upon.
5. Create a strong and debatable thesis statement. Before writing your research, create a thesis statement. It should be clear, specific, concise, and debatable.
6. Create an outline. Creating an outline is a good idea. Write an outline with topic ideas for each part of your research.
7. Write a rough draft. Write your research paper considering the proper structure of the assignment and all the points that should be mentioned in it.
8. Properly format your paper. Make sure to format your paper according to the requested format, as this aspect will influence your mark. APA, MLA, and Chicago are the most common formatting styles.
9. Cite all the sources and create the reference list. All the ideas you take from the other sources should be properly cited in your paper. If not, it would be considered plagiarism. Apart from that, all the source from your reference list should be cited in paper, and all the citations from the text should be added to the bibliography.
10. Edit and proofread your research paper. Do not underestimate this step. Even though you think you have done your best, always proofread your paper for mistakes and inconsistencies. Such errors can spoil the general importance about your paper.

What makes a good research paper topics

Choosing the first topic from the list does not guarantee you an A+. You should choose the one you are well versed in or at least interesting in. Apart from that consider the following indicators of a good research topic:

• The topic is interesting for you
• It is interesting for your audience, too
• It is relevant
• There are enough resources to underpin your research and arguments with, such as examples, facts, and evidence.
• It corresponds to the instructions assigned by the professor

How to choose a good research paper topic  

One of the first steps when you need to write a research paper is choosing the topic. It might be an easy task for some students, but others find it difficult. Take this step seriously as when choosing the topic you need to make sure you have enough information and resources and will be able to complete a comprehensive research. 

If you do not know how to choose a good research paper topic, follow such steps:

1. Identify the area of your interest. If you were not assigned a topic by your professor, you have to choose it by yourself. It is important to choose the topic that is interesting for your, as it is a key to writing a good paper.
2. Consider the audience. When you write a research, consider the audience it is written for. Will the topic be interesting for them? Is it relevant?
3. Mind your level of expertise. Sometimes, even if you like the topic, you might have not enough knowledge to cover it. Thus, assess you knowledge, experience, and expertise before writing to understand whether you will cope with it.
4. Make preliminary research on the topic. After you have chosen the topic you like and that is relevant, make a research on it to find out whether there is enough information to write on the topic. If the issue is too broad, narrow it down. If the topic is narrow, add some more aspects to discuss or change the topic.

 

Ideas for best topics for a research paper

We have collected the most relevant and interesting topics for your inspiration. You can either write a research on one of them or change the topic based on your preferences.

High school research paper topics

1. Bullying in high school. Reasons and how to prevent it
2. Capital punishment
3. Impact of globalization on education
4. Results of Obama presidency
5. Will AI dominate the planet
6. Distant education. Is it worth it?
7. Reasons and outcomes of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombing
8. Does generation conflict still exist in 2020?
9. Homeland security in the US
10. Corporal punishment in schools

 

College research paper topics

1. Obama vs Trump presidency
2. Effects of substance abuse in college students
3. Pros and cons of private and public colleges in the US
4. Part-time job in college: pros and cons
5. The reasons behind the fall of the Roman empire
6. The role of a college education is building a career
7. The most popular colleges in the US
8. Life after college
9. Should gap year before college be mandatory?
10.  Climate change during the last 20 years

 

Education research paper topics

1. Does the diploma still matter today?
2. School vs home education
3. The education system in the US vs Europe
4. Are same-sex classrooms effective?
5. Success stories of college drop-outs
6. Education technologies that ease student’s lives
7. What is the best education system?
8. Scholarship programs
9. Does a diploma guarantee better career opportunities?
10. Is homework effective?

 

Easy research paper topics

1. Evolution of mobile phones
2. Immigration issues
3. The role of motivation in succeeding
4. The causes and effects of global warming
5. Endangered species in the US 
6. What is emotional intelligence
7. The most unusual cultural traditions
8. Who are the Founding Fathers and what is their role in the US history
9. The most powerful economies of the world
10. The milestones of the US history

 

Interesting research paper topics

1. The concept of the self-made man in Forrest Gump
2. Emotional intelligence in the institutional discourse
3. Non-verbal communication issues
4. Android vs iOS
5. Corruption in developed and developing countries
6. Reasons that led to Brexit
7. Doping in sports. Why is it prohibited?
8. Censorship in modern social media
9. What if grades in educational institutions will be canceled?
10. Cross-cultural differences at the workplace

 

Controversial research paper topics

1. Gun control in the US and Europe
2. Should marijuana be legal?
3. Doctor-assisted suicide
4. Is abortion a crime or a woman’s right?
5. Should vaccination be mandatory?
6. Is COVid-19 manmade?
7. Is stem cell research ethical and effective?]
8. Is homosexuality congenial or attained?
9. Animal testing: pros and cons
10. Should euthanasia be legalized?

 

Literature research paper topics

1. Shakespeare authorship question
2. The relevance of Classical literature for modern students
3. Difference between author and writer in literature
4. Allusions to Ovidius’ Metamorphoses in modern literature and movies
5. Feminism in literature
6. The psychological interpretation of fairy tales
7. Kafka and Phenomenology
8. Anna Karenina vs Madame Bovary
9. Interpretation and overinterpretation in literature
10. Nationalism in American literature

 

Persuasive and argumentative research paper topics

1. Animal testing is a crime that should be severely punished
2. Euthanasia: pros and cons
3. Propaganda in social media should be  punished
4. Negative outcomes of GMO consumption
5. Sex education in schools
6. Abortion: pros and cons
7. Emotional intelligence is more important than IQ
8. Police malpractice should be punished
9. Compensation for all the victims of the COVid-19 outbreak
10. Teachers’ salaries should be higher than sportsmen’s.

 

Health and medicine research paper topics

1. Patient confidentiality
2. What life will look like after COVid-19 
3. Reasons and ways to cope with medical depression
4. Alternative medicine. Is it effective?
5. What leads to substance abuse and addiction?
6. Effects of abortion on women’s health
7. The role of healthy sleep in organism functioning
8. Anorexia: reasons and outcomes
9. Autism rates in 2020
10. Corporate psychotherapist: pros and cons

 

Marketing, economics, business, and finance research paper topics

1. Effective leadership styles
2. The effect of global lockdown 2020 on small businesses
3. Is e-business profitable?
4. The most influential businessmen of the 21st century
5. The most powerful economy of the 21st century
6. Effective marketing strategies
7. How can marketing help increase company profits
8. Effects of advertisement on masses
9. The most expensive/creative advertisements of all times
10. Effective financing techniques

 

Environment research paper topics

1. Waste sorting and how to bring in to the masses
2. The outcomes of the Chernobyl tragedy
3. Effects of deforestation on the environment
4. Air/ water/soil pollution
5. Ways to encourage waste recycling
6. Pollution of the ocean with plastic
7. Are there ways to eliminate greenhouse effects?
8. Ways to go green
9. Effective ways of protecting the environment
10. Effects of population control in China

 

History research paper topics

1. Results on WWII in 2020
2. Contribution of Martin Luther’s protest against the Catholic church to the world history
3. The greatest terracts of XX-XXI century
4. Impact of WWII on women rights
5. The results of the Magdeburg Law adoption
6. US Civil War outcomes
7. Cold War reasons and outcomes
8. Aztec culture and empire
9. History of aviation
10. Causes of Yugoslavia breakup

 

Psychology research paper topics

1. Professional burnout. Reasons and how to avoid it
2. Reasons of stress in college students
3. Gambling as a type of disorder
4. Ethics in psychological practice
5. Does gaming provoke aggression in players
6. Obsessive-compulsive disorder in As good as it gets
7. Domestic violence
8. The outcomes of childhood traumas in adults
9. The causes of insomnia and how to deal with it
10. The meaning of dreams and their influence on our mood

 

Sociology research paper topics

1. Is emotional intelligence really that important?
2. Workplace harassment
3. Substance abuse among college students
4. Domestic violence
5. Intercultural marriages
6. How divorce affects children
7. Sex issues related to people under 18
8. Causes of childhood obesity
9. Is being a vegetarian really healthy?
10. Causes of nationalism among children

 

Art, culture, and media research paper topics

1. Popular culture and its impact on young people
2. Clash of cultures caused by globalization
3. The notion of art today
4. Impact of Instagram and TikTok on children
5. Evolution of the music genres in the US
6. Impact of Andy Warhol on the development of pop culture
7. Hippy culture today. Is it still alive?
8. Should celebrities expose private life on social media?
9. Are influencers from Instagram worse that title?
10. Sexism in rap culture

 

Science and technology research paper topics

1. Threats on opportunities of nuclear power 
2. Cybersecurity and cybercrime
3. Is IQOS smoking really safe?
4. Technological inventions of the 21st century that ease our life
5. How soon can AI replace manwork
6. Contribution of Elon Musk to the current technologies
7. Main breakthroughs of the XXI century
8. The future of self-driving cars
9. Does autocorrection reduce human literacy?
10. 3D printing technologies in medicine

 

Religion research paper topics

1. The Bible interpretations
2. Biblical motives in modern literature (films)
3. Reasons behind the popularity of atheism in the US
4. What will be the religion of the future
5. Common points in all the religions
6. Religion and society
7. Islam and terrorism: stereotypes and reality
8. Church and/vs religion
9. Same-sex marriages and different religions
10. Religious myths

 

Current social issues research paper topics 

1. Toxic leadership at work. Reasons, how to deal with it, and how to avoid it.
2. Should fast food restaurants be blamed for making people obese?
3. Literacy rates in third world countries
4. Poverty issues in third world countries
5. Human trafficking and slavery
6. Outcomes of the global lockdown 2020 on the global economy
7. Impact of social networks on the perception of life
8. I can’t breathe movement 2020
9. Reasons behind rising divorce rates after global lockdown 2020
10.  Social media is the new addiction of the XXI century

 

Women and gender studies research paper topics

1. Sexism and ageism in American society
2. Evolution of the body image in 100 years
3. Is the glass ceiling still the issue in 2020?
4. Career or maternity leave. What to choose?
5. Woman rights in developed and developing countries
6. Alcoholism among women
7. LGBT community issues
8. Gender discrimination
9. Gender roles in 2020
10. The portrayal of women 50 years ago and today

 

Law and criminal justice research paper topics

1. The role of technology in criminal justice
2. Will gun possession legalization contribute to increased crime rates?
3. Intellectual property issues
4. The most corrupted legal system
5. The role of psychology in criminal justice
6. Intellectual property laws
7. The most awkward US laws
8. Laws and religion
9. Laws protecting women rights
10. Doctor-assisted suicide: crime or help?

Need help with research paper writing? 

After reading an article you have a general idea of how to write a research paper and have learned about its compulsory parts that actually make it a research paper. You have also learned about the importance of choosing the right topic, what makes a good research topic, and how to choose the pertinent research paper topic.

You have a list of 200 relevant and interesting ideas for your research. However, if you need help with choosing the right topic or writing your research paper, you can use academic assistance services. We have a team of professional writers with extensive experience in any discipline. They will help you choose an effective topic and will write a quality paper for you based on the instructions you provide.