Research Essay Topics and Titles

Topic vs Title

What is the difference between research paper (or research essay) topic and research paper title?

Research paper title is one of the major components of your research paper. It should be formulated so that the reader would get the idea of what he/she will be reading about. Sometimes students mix up 2 different notions – research paper topic and research paper title. Let us analyze the difference between them. 

Research paper topic is what you will be investigating. Research paper topic is either given by your teacher or chosen by yourself. Usually students spend a huge amount of time on selecting the topic they are interested in. Research paper topic is the wider notion. It presents the area of investigation. 

Research paper title is the formulation of the area of your investigation. The purpose of research paper title is to attract the reader’s attention. That is one of the reasons why research paper title should be laconically formulated. Have you ever wondered why you get a real desire to read the article in any magazine? Do you not think that it is a psychological trick of attracting your attention? Well, you can do just the same with your research paper title. Formulate it so that the reader will be involved into reading your research paper. 

The list given below presents the examples of good research paper titles: 

Juvenile delinquency as the result of television
Death penalty – is it beneficial or unfavorable?
The TV impact on the modern society
The controversial character of Napoleon Bonaparte
The controversial character of Ch. Darvin’s theory

                                                        
TOPICS (General)

First, find a broad subject (topic). Then narrow it down (make it more specific).

One thing that works when finding the right research essay topics is to think of several subjects that interest you. Try writing down these subjects on a sheet of paper. Choose the one that interests you the most and then break down the general subject into smaller chunks of topics that are related to it.

Narrow down your topics to the most interesting one. If it is a controversial topic, choose a particular perspective that you will develop in your research essay. Read different points of view related to your topic as this expands your knowledge and makes writing your research essay easier.

Make sure you have enough resources for your topic.

Find a topic that is both interesting and has plenty of published material. Check magazine or journal articles, because these are usually shorter and are more updated than those found in books.

Check references in the library. Do not hesitate to ask College librarian for assistance. 

Check the suggestions below that can help you choose the right research paper topics:

Business and the Internet:
Cybersecurity
E-business
Ethics
Glass ceiling
Online retail
Outsourcing
Sweatshops
White collar crime

Crime and Law:
Acquaintance rape
Animal rights
Assisted suicide
Campus violence
Capital punishment
Civil rights
Drinking age, legal
Drug legalization
Gun control
Hate crimes
Insanity defense
Mandatory Minimum sentencing
Patriot Act
Police brutality
Prisons and prisoners
Serial killers
Harassment
Three Strikes Law

Drugs and Drug Abuse:
Alcohol
Cocaine
Doping in sports
Drug testing
Drunk driving
Heroin
Marijuana
Nicotine

Education:
Attention deficit disorder
Charter schools
College admission policies
College athletes
College tuition planning
Distance education
Diploma mills
Education and funding
Grade inflation
Greek letter societies
Hazing
Home schooling
Intelligence tests
Learning disabilities
Literacy in America
No Child Left Behind
Plagiarism

Environmental Issues:
Acid rain
Alternative fuel/hybrid vehicles
Conservation
Deforestation
Endangered species
Energy
Global warming
Greenhouse effect
Landfills
Marine pollution
Nuclear energy
Oil spills
Pesticides
Pollution
Population control
Radioactive waste disposal
Recycling
Smog
Soil pollution
Wildlife conservation

Family issues:
Child abuse
Domestic abuse
Family relationships
Family values

Health:
Attention deficit disorder
Alternative medicine
Alzheimer’s Disease
Anorexia Nervosa
Artificial insemination
Autism
Birth control
Cancer
Depression
Dietary supplements
Drug abuse
Dyslexia
Exercise and fitness
Fad diets
Fast food
Heart disease
HIV infection
In vitro fertilization
Medicaid, Medicare reform
Obesity
Organic foods
Prescription drugs
Plastic surgery
Sleep
Smoking
Stem cell research
Vegetarianism
Weight loss surgery

Media and Communications:
Body image
Censorship
Children’s programming and advertising
Copyright Law
Freedom of speech
Materialism
Media bias
Media conglomerates, ownership
Minorities in mass media
Political correctness
Portrayal of women
Reality television
Stereotypes
Talk radio
Television violence

Political Issues:
Affirmative Action
Budget deficit
Electoral College
Election reform
Emigration
Genocide
Illegal aliens
Immigration
Impeachment
International relations
Medicaid, Medicare reform
Operation Enduring Iraqi Freedom
Partisan politics
Prescription drugs
Social Security Reform
Third parties
Taxes

Psychology:
Child abuse
Criminal psychology
Depression
Dreams
Intelligence tests
Learning disabilities
Memory
Physical attraction
Schizophrenia

Social Issues:
Adoption
Airline safety, security
Affirmative Action programs
AIDS
Apartheid
Birth control
Child abuse
Child rearing
Discrimination in education
Employee rights
Gambling, online gaming
Gang identity
Gender discrimination
Genetic screening
Homelessness
Identity theft
Interracial marriage
Poverty
Race relations
Reverse discrimination
Suffrage
Suicide
Test biases
Textbook biases
Welfare

Terrorism:
Bioterrorism
Homeland Security
September 11

Women and Gender:
Cultural expectations and practices
Eating disorders
Education
Feminism
Health
Media portrayals
Parenting
Sports
Stereotypes
Work


TITLES (Specific)

1. Negative and positive impact of internet addiction on young adults
2. Acquired immune deficiency syndrome, the most serious epidemic in history
3. Cancer and psychological issues
4. Bullying among teenagers in schools
5. Parents, teens and technology: Bridging the generation gap
6. Advantages and disadvantages of smartphones in education
7. How environment pollution affects human health
8. Effects of environmental pollution on human health
9. Harmful effects of drug abuse and addiction
10. Harmful effects of drugs on the body
11. How autism affects learning
12. How autism affects teenagers
13. How autism affects communication and learning
14. Effects of overweight and obesity on human health
15. How the internet has changed young people's lives
16. How does the internet affect young people?
17. How the internet changed the world
18. Ethical and moral issues related to animal rights and medical research
19. The ethics of animal research
20. Ethical and moral issues in the use of animals in medical research
21. How smartphones have changed the world
22. How smartphones have changed our lifestyle
23. How smartphones have changed us socially
24. Education in the past and present in the UAE
25. Education in the past, present and future
26. How does domestic violence affect children's development?
27. How does family violence affect children?
28. Physiological and psychological effects of abortion on women
29. Psychological effects of abortion on women
30. Abortion, ethics and the law: issues for the new millennium
31. Ethical and legal aspects of abortion
32. How does fast food affect pregnant women and their babies?
33. How has television influenced the youth today?
34. Effects of television on youth
35. Influence of mass media on today's young people
36. Positive and negative influence of media among young people
37. Health benefits of sleep on human body and mind
38. Working women and family life
39. Childhood obesity: Assessment, prevention and treatment
40. Problems of global environmental protection
41. Who was the greater scientist and inventor: Leonardo da Vinci or Thomas Edison? 
42. Scientific study of dreams
43. Impact of domestic violence on child development
44. How fast food affects human body
45. What causes sharks to attack humans?
46. Disability, success and happiness: Case studies
47. Drugs and drug abuse among young people
48. Secrets of longevity and happiness
49. Advantages and disadvantages of vegetarianism
50. Is life imprisonment a good alternative to capital punishment?
51. Advantages and disadvantages of renewable energy
52. Origins of terrorism and its evolution
53. The effect of video games on children’s behavior
54. Child safety online: Global challenges and strategies
55. The effects of smoking on pregnant women's health
56. Environment pollution and human health
57. Nanotechnology and its applications
58. The effect of the internet on children’s education 
59. Problems of drug addiction among young people
60. Problems of education and learning in UAE
61. The effect of fast food on human body and mind
62. Breast cancer among women in the UAE
63. Drugs and their effects on human body and mind
64. Psychological aspects of friendship in modern society
65. How to deal effectively with emotionally disturbed people
66. The positive and the negative aspects of sports
67. The health effects of overweight and obesity in the UAE and other countries
68. Pollution and its effects on human health
69. Harms of cigarette smoking and health benefits of quitting
70. Domestic violence and its effects on society
71. Negative and positive effects of globalization
72. The nature of crime and psychological explanations of criminal behavior
73. The effect of social media on people
74. Climate change: Environment protection and global warming
75. Advantages and disadvantages of technology in education
76. The global economy and problems of cross-cultural communication 
77. Should scientists develop advanced robots that can make decisions of their own?
78. How nanotechnology can change human civilization
79. Secrets of longevity in humans
80. Positive and negative impact of computer on society
81. How nanotechnology is changing the future of medicine
82. Effects of fashion on human health
83. Health and nutrition problems among college students
84. The role of nutrition in health promotion and disease prevention
85. The positive and the negative aspects of plastic surgery
86. The outcome of anorexia nervosa in the 21st century
87. Positive and negative effects of fashion on people
88. Positive and negative aspects of interrelationships in travel and tourism
89. The role of extraterrestrial communications in our long-term future
90. Emotional intelligence: Implications for personal, social, academic, and workplace success
91. The World Wide Web: A technology to enhance teaching and learning
92. Similarities and differences between fruits and vegetables
93. Careers and occupations: Looking to the future 
94. Tomorrow's career trends: Case studies
95. The future of virtual reality 
96. Stress management techniques for students
97. Problems of population growth in developing countries
98. Genetically modified food advantages and disadvantages
99. Nanotechnology applications in medicine and dentistry.

Academic Essay Format

How to Start Writing an Academic Essay

Popular Search Engines