How to pick the best topic for a research paper

Description: Writing a research paper is a challenging task. Make sure to ease the process by choosing the right topic – we have tips on how to do that painlessly.

 Choosing a Winning Research Paper Topic

When it comes to writing a winning research paper for college, the first step that you have to take is to understand the task. If you fail at the point, you’re going to find yourself down a lot of dead-end roads. As a result, you will waste your precious time that you need to cope with the assignment. Never hesitate to approach your professor to clarify certain things. In case your tutor is busy, custom research paper writing services are at your service as well. A solid understanding of the task will enable you to focus on every stage of work, such as outlining, writing, proofreading, and editing.

A good research paper topic is…

  1. something you’re interested (or even passionate about) in;
  2. written according to the assignment instructions;
  3. the one that you can support by string evidence.

Without further ado, we’ll check some of the simplest tips on how to select the best topic for your research paper.

Choose the Most Interesting Topic

When you get an idea of what you’re required to accomplish in your research project, you start looking for the most appropriate topic. To make sure you’re going to have a winning project, ensure to give preference to the topic that you’re interested in. The reality is that it doesn’t matter how simple the topic is – if you lack interest in a specific idea, the process of writing will turn into torture. So make sure to choose the topic that you have always wanted to research or that you’re passionate about. Even if you face any difficulties in the process, your interest in the chosen topic will help you keep on working.

Brainstorm ASAP

When you’re assigned to write a research paper, it is important to start as early as you can. If you start thinking about potential topics the day you get the project, it means you begin two rewarding processes called planning and organizing. Once you consider your research paper your priority, you may start having different ideas throughout the day. Brainstorming is one of the best ways for college undergrads to come up with some good ideas. As you get more and more ideas down on paper, it will become your motivation for the writing process.

Although brainstorming is an effective technique when you know your topic, you can also benefit from it when you can’t narrow your topic down. The process includes the so-called writing session when you just sit down and list all the ideas that pop up in your mind. As a rule, this can be done in bulleted or list form. Make sure to set a certain timeframe, and when it ends, you will be able to use your list to select the most interesting topic. If you find yourself paying more attention to a particular topic, make sure to choose it for your research.

Narrow Your Topic Down

If you’re lucky to find loads of books, articles, and other sources that are related to your topic, and you find it hard to pick one, narrow your topic. Check your keywords again – is there a certain time period, place, person, or event that you could use as your topic?

  1. Too broad: religious practices in the modern world
  2. Better: religious practices in India
  3. Best: religious traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism in India

Make sure to be flexible at the point – there’s nothing wrong with changing your topic as you proceed with your research work. You never know where you’re going to find yourself next time.

Get Background Info

If you’re considering two or three topics at a time, make certain to read some general encyclopedia articles on each. When you get your hands on some broad summary, you get an opportunity to check an overview of this or that topic and find out in what way your idea is related to narrower, broader, and related matters. Besides, this practice may provide you with a reliable source for finding words that scholars use to describe the topic in your field of study. Put them down to use later. If you can’t find any articles related to your topic, approach librarians to ask them for help.

When you choose an initial topic for your research project, make sure to keep in mind that you may end up writing on completely different issues. As a rule, research topics are fluid. It means your ongoing research dictates what topic you should write on. There’s nothing wrong with this kind of fluidity, so ensure to embrace and benefit from it as one of the elements of the research process.

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