Research Writing and College Life

Have you ever stared at a blank computer screen, heard the clock ticking in the background, the research paper due the next morning and you don’t even have a topic picked out yet? Picking out the topic is one of the hardest parts of writing a research paper. If you pick a topic too narrow, you won’t be able to find enough information to write on. If your research paper topic is too broad, the whole paper will sound like fluff and there will be no focus to the writing. You must pick a topic that is narrow enough to be relevant to what you discuss each day in class, yet broad enough to be able to find interesting and informative resources. So how do you pick the perfect topic for a research paper? It really quite simple to pick a research topic and you can do it five minutes or less!

The first step to picking a research paper topic is to ask yourself a few questions such as, What do I like about what we are studying now in class? What do I find interesting? What caught my attention when I was either in class or studying for the class? The goal with this question is to find a topic that is interesting to you and that will keep your attention. It is much easier to write on something that you find interesting and you will also remember what you research if you can relate to it.

You should now have an idea of what you find interesting in the class. Now take this broad area that you find interesting and open your textbook to the chapter that has information about the topic. Scan through it and make a list of headings that catch your eye. After you have 5 or 6 written down, pick one that you feel would be a good topic. Google the topic and see what kind of information you can find. Are there enough resources available? If yes, you have a topic! If no….pick another topic on your list and Google again. Do this until you have a topic you are happy with.

Picking the perfect research paper topic is more about you than you think. While keeping in mind what the professor expects is important, you cannot write a good research paper without some personal connection to the topic. If your professor is kind enough to allow you to pick the topic, make sure you connect with the topic of your research paper!

No related posts.

Karen Term Paper "How To's"