5 tips for generating interesting research paper topics

For some students, choosing an interesting topic for their research paper is a challenging task. There are so many different topics to choose from and even considering your interests can make things more challenging. There are a few things to think about when considering your topic. You want something that will be interesting to write and read. The following tips are a few ideas to help you get started in generating potential topics.

  1. Learn what your colleagues are writing about. Sometimes you can get some useful ideas learning about what other people are writing about. At times it is a matter of just listening to potential ideas to help you get a few of your own. It can also help you find something different or unusual to write about when challenging yourself to come up with something out of the ordinary.
  2. Make a list of your interests and what you want to learn more about. You can consider what you know and things you want to learn more about. In many cases you can choose your own topic based on what has been researched so far. Consider comparing your findings to help you choose a solid topic you feel comfortable conducting further research for.
  3. Conduct a few brainstorming sessions. Brainstorming is a common method used to breakdown a large or broad topic into something smaller and workable. You can do this for a few ideas to see what you come up with. Some students may consider doing small sessions for a day or so while thinking about what they came up with. Even if you do come up with a few ideas you can still do some light research on them to help you choose your final topic.
  4. Skim over previously written research papers by other students. There are databases available through schools, libraries and online that contain research papers written by students. You can compare your findings and read papers completed to get some ideas. It helps to try and choose something different that has not been researched multiple times to avoid getting bored.
  5. Select a topic that may lack deserved attention. This can be an opportunity to bring something to the forefront that may have information others should consider. It can help make things interesting for yourself and you may learn a few things about your topic that can be shared by others.
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