Research Paper Topics

The best research paper topics are those that are interesting to you, argumentative, and scholarly. For that reason, you should try to pick a topic within your major or field of interest, and then it will be more likely that you will enjoy learning about the topic as you do the research for the essay.

I encourage you to generate your own topic, but I have provided a list below of about 100 of the top research paper topics that I have ever encountered in my years of teaching college research writing classes as an English professor. The majors covered include: biology, business, chemistry, counseling, criminal justice, education, engineering, environmental science, exercise science, food science, health care, medicine, nursing, political science, psychology, and social work. If your major was not listed, or if you are in high school and you don’t have a major, you don’t have to worry because there is still probably something related to your field of interest below. All of the topics are argumentative, and I know that they really are the best research topic ideas because I have read the paper for each one. Still, all of these topic examples were created by students, and I again do recommend that you to generate your own, if only because you will take even more pride in your work.

Tips for generating your own argumentative research paper topics

• Look around and ask questions: Is drinking green tea really that healthy for you? What is the best way to treat anxiety? Are hands-free phones actually safer to use while driving?
• It’s very important that you avoid a topic that you’re overly passionate about because your opinions can hinder your ability to stay objective
• You probably want to avoid issues of law or current events because the articles either over-simplify the issue (often in a magazine or newspaper) or explain it in complicated legalese (in a law journal or an actual law)
• You definitely want to avoid anything to do with religious or moral debate, and perhaps instead search for a topic that is open to scientific debate
• Some of the best research paper topics are those that are the focus of scientific debate. When you eventually compile research for the essay, you should try to find more scientific studies and fewer news articles, fewer summaries of studies in consumer or trade magazines, and fewer compilations of research, such as the kind found at Wikipedia or About.com. A scientific study will have some or all of the following sections: abstract, introduction, method, results, discussion/conclusion, and references.
• If you want to explore a new area of a topic that you have researched before, you may, but attempting to re-use a previous research paper of your own counts as plagiarism, and I have actually caught people attempting to do this, so be warned
• If you still don’t have any ideas, here’s a site you may find helpful: https://www.holisticmed.com/index.shtml (a lot of the top research topics are about alternative treatment methods and whether or not they work)
• The same site offers a list of potentially harmful substances: https://www.holisticmed.com/toxic/
• Remember that it should be argumentative and not just informative

Top 100 Research Paper Topics (Updated for 2013)

Medicine / Health Care / Biology

• Maggot therapy is effective for cleaning wounds
• Plastic surgery helps to improve self-esteem
• Chiropractic care helps to treat stress
• Relaxation techniques are effective for treating dental phobia
• Having pets at a young age reduces allergies risk later in life
• Advanced maternal age is more dangerous than we think
• Acupuncture is excellent for fertility in both males and females
• Guided imagery reduces pain in cancer patients
• Video games can be helpful for stroke victims
• Migraine treatment using neurostimulation works
• Virtual autopsies are an effective teaching tool
• Mobile devices are useful for nursing education
• Nursing students benefit from stress management

Education

• Bullying prevention strategies work
• Switch to year-round schooling
• The education system in China is superior to the education system in the US
• Public service announcements only work under certain conditions
• Watching TV is bad for a child’s sleep
• Social networking is harmful to GPA
• Procrastination can be constructive
• Perfectionism is linked to depression and anxiety
• Having a college degree helps you to earn more and find a job more easily
• Business school is valuable, but there is no “best type of manager”
• Making more money will not make you any happier

Criminal Justine / Police / Firefighters

• Incarceration causes mental health issues
• Solitary confinement causes severe mental health issues
• Art therapy in prisons helps alleviate mental health issues
• Prison animal programs are extremely beneficial
• Police chases are no longer necessary because of current technology
• Shift work is dangerous to the mind and body
• The moon does not make people crazy
• Firefighters are dying because of cardiac issues
• Firefighters are hurting themselves greatly when they don’t wear their gear

Exercise Science

• Barefoot running is better than running with sneakers
• Running in general is hazardous to the body
• Riding a bike is dangerous
• Yoga can help treat eating disorders
• Yoga for depression
• Yoga for anxiety
• Yoga for stress
• Martial arts reduces stress
• Creatine is relatively safe
• Exercise is effective at treating different types of depression
• Saunas can help to treat aches and pains

Addiction Treatment Counseling / Social Work

• Multidimensional Family Therapy works well for treating addiction in adolescents
• Transcendental meditation is effective at treating addiction
• Acupuncture is helpful for treating substance abuse
• Bath salts are extremely dangerous
• Electronic cigarettes help people to quit smoking
• Tanning addiction is a very real phenomenon
• Social workers benefit greatly from stress management

Engineering / Technology

• Fracking poses a danger to the water supply
• Asteroids can be mined for profit
• The over-use of computers can lead to many physical problems
• Off shore wind turbines are cost effective

Environmental Science

• Wind turbines are bad for birds
• Vegetarianism is good for the environment
• The rainforest may be the place to find the cure for cancer
• Trap-Neuter-Return is not very effective at helping with the feral cat problem

Political Science

• Plumpynut is very helpful in the fight against starvation in Africa
• Prostitution should be legal for public health reasons
• Campaign finance reform is pointless
• Economic sanctions don’t work

Food Science / Nutrition / Biology / Chemistry

• Organic food has slightly higher amounts of vitamins and minerals
• Aspartame is dangerous
• Aspartame is safe
• Multivitamins are overrated
• Antibiotics are overprescribed
• Echinacea for colds has mixed results
• Olestra is beneficial for weight control
• Vegetarianism is good for the body and mind
• Caffeine is beneficialto the body (but not from soda)
• Caffeine is very dangerous during pregnancy
• Caffeine is beneficialfor the mind
• Fish oil is not a cure for Crohn’s Disease
• High fructose corn syrup is equally as dangerous as sugar
• Watching TV can increase obesity in many different ways
• St. John’s Wort is effective for treating mild depression but bad for bipolar depression
• Aluminum consumption may contributeto Alzhemier’s disease
• Treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome with probiotics doesn’t work

Psychology / Therapy

• Treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome with hypnotherapy works
• CBT for depression
• CBT for schizophrenia
• CBT for stress and anxiety
• CBT for social anxiety
• CBT for anorexia
• CBT for OCD
• CBT for PTSD
• EMDR for PTSD
• VRET for PTSD
• ECT for depression in the elderly
• Light Therapy is effective at treating seasonal depression
• Treating ADHD with neurofeedback
• Meditation is effective at treating stress
• Meditation has a positive effect on self-esteem
• Meditation for anxiety
• Transcendental meditation for high blood pressure
• Music therapy for Alzheimer’s disease
• Music therapy for autism
• Dance therapy for schizophrenia
• Emotional Freedom Technique helps with phobias

Research paper topics that do not work well

• Death penalty
• Abortion
• Euthanasia
• Same-sex marriage
• Affirmative action
• Immigration
• Stem cell research
• Cloning
• Healthcare
• Lower the drinking age
• UFOs built the pyramids
• Chocolate is the best flavor of ice cream
• The world will end on December 21st, 2012
• Lady Gaga is an Illuminati puppet