Whether you’re in high school or college, there will come a time when you’ll be required to write a research paper. For many students, writing a research paper can be a challenging task.
Writing the research paper might seem like it’s the hardest part of the entire paper, but for many students, it’s picking out what topic to write about.
If you’re having a difficult time figuring out what topic to write your research paper about, we’ve compiled a list of 150 topics for you to choose from!
How to Choose a Topic for a Research Paper
- Pick a few areas or topics that you’re interested in and narrow it down to the topic that you like the best. You’ll be able to put together an insightful paper if you’re interested in the topic you chose.
- Make sure you have enough references for your topic. Doing a quick search will help you see if your topic is discussed enough for you to do research.
- Make sure your topic fits within your teacher’s guidelines. Your teacher may have set restrictions on certain topics or even requirements that they may want in your paper.
150 Research Paper Topics
Health Topics
- How can lifestyle habits influence overall health?
- How does breastfeeding improve the infant’s health?
- Reasons why the flu virus is different from year to year.
- Different types of stem cells and their usage.
- Sleep disorders’ impact on the overall health condition.
- The healthiest diet does not exist.
- Stop smoking to improve mental health.
- Why are carbs bad for people who are insulin resistant?
- Why is the skin on a face more sensitive to breakouts and touch than on any other part of the body?
- Low carbohydrate vs. low-fat diets.
Science Topics
- How has the earth’s climate changed in the past few decades?
- What are the pros and cons of fracking?
- Should the US rely on nuclear energy more?
- How are black holes created?
- Why is “dark matter” important?
- Is global warming a hoax? Is it being exaggerated?
- What are the main sources of marine pollution?
- Endangered species – How can we preserve them?
- What did you do to make the world a better place?
- What have NASA’s biggest successes and failures been?
Psychology Topics
- What Are Psychological Effects of Technology Addiction?
- What Causes Eating Disorders?
- How Do Certain People Become Leaders?
- How Important Is Love for the Child’s Development?
- How Does Lack of Sleep Affect Our Mental Health?
- Insomnia and its Effects on Human Health.
- Physical and Mental Violence on Children and Domestic Abuse.
- How dangerous are eating disorders?
- Post-traumatic stress syndrome.
- What causes depression?
Ethics Topics
- How and why have divorce rates changed over time?
- Should physician-assisted suicide be legal?
- How has stem cell research impacted the medical field?
- How can human trafficking be reduced in the United States/world?
- Importance of following ethics in psychological research.
Social Media Topics
- Are social networks making us lonely and unsociable?
- How to protect children online?
- Is there such a thing as social media addiction?
- Who are world-famous influencers on social media?
- Does social media affect our relationships?
- Are teens who spend more time on social media more likely to suffer anxiety and/or depression?
- Has social media made people more or less connected?
- How does social media influence interpersonal communication?
- How can one defend privacy issues on Facebook and other social media?
- Impacts of social media on youth.
Legal Issues Topics
- Should marijuana be legalized at the national level?
- Should there be a law preventing cyber-bullying?
- What can be done to improve family law?
- What countries have the worst legal systems?
- What countries have the best legal systems?
- What are the main flaws of the legal system in the USA?
- Does police brutality contribute to the onset of hate crimes?
- Why should the minimum legal drinking age be kept at eighteen years?
- Does drug legalization contribute to the increased crime rate?
- How do torrenting sites influence creativity and copyright?
Technology Topics
- Are teens who spend more time on social media more likely to suffer anxiety and/or depression?
- Has social media made people more or less connected?
- Do smartphones increase or decrease workplace productivity?
- What are the most effective ways to use technology in the classroom?
- How is Google search affecting our intelligence?
- What Are Psychological Effects of Technology Addiction?
- What are some advances in technology related to medicine?
- Can everything be solar powered?
- How is text messaging affecting teen literacy?
- How can technology help in preventing terrorist attacks?
Government Topics
- Several states have legalized recreational marijuana. What positive and negative impacts have they experienced as a result?
- Has the increase in US airport security made passengers safer?
- Should the federal government be allowed to regulate information on the internet?
- Should the United States of America reform its Immigration policies?
- Which prison reforms have proven most effective?
Education Topics
- Do students from wealthier backgrounds score higher on standardized tests?
- How does giving each student access to an iPad or laptop affect their studies?
- Do children who attend preschool do better in school later on?
- What impact does mandatory physical education classes have on students’ health?
- Which methods are most effective at reducing bullying in schools?
- How does college debt affect future life choices of students?
- E-Learning at home VS traditional education.
- The Effectiveness and Flaws of the No Child Left Behind Act.
- General tests and their effectiveness in various institutions.
- How to encourage students to study what they are passionate about?
Business Topics
- How has business etiquette changed in the past few years?
- Features that define a true business leader.
- Things that make young startups fail during the first couple of years.
- Does franchising make it easier to run a business?
- Pros & cons of outsourcing services.
Sports Topics
- Importance of physical exercise in school.
- Is cheerleading a sport?
- Do sports influence an individual’s emotional well-being?
- Safest exercises for students with disabilities.
- Collaboration on a sports field. What is the most effective communication strategy among sports team members?
Art Topics
- Differences in the Italian Renaissance and Northern Renaissance.
- Impacts famous artists had on the world.
- The art of Ancient Egypt.
- Censorship in art.
- Analyze the impact a famous artist had on the world.
Entertainment Topics
- Are violent video games really to blame for problems in children’s behavior?
- Are beauty contests making beauty standards even more unachievable?
- Are modern media gradually replacing newspapers?
- Reasons why we cannot do without the mass media.
- Compare and contrast the benefits of mass media to society.
- How have shows like “Project Runway” influenced fashion? Have they motivated people to become more creative and personal in what they wear?
- Are newspapers going extinct?
- Do TV shows impose unreal moral standards?
- Women competing against men: is it really fair?
- How fake moral standards are imposed by television
Current Events Topics
- Analyze the history of the relationship between the United States and North Korea.
- What factors contributed to the current decline in the rate of unemployment?
- What have been the impacts of states which have increased their minimum wage?
- How do US immigration laws compare to immigration laws of other countries?
- How have the US’s immigration laws changed in the past few years/decades?
- Is the U.S. economy becoming stronger or weaker?
- Is there a better way to fight the war against drugs internationally?
- Can Bitcoin really become the currency of the future in America?
- Preventing police brutality: history and what citizens can do.
- History of the electoral college system of voting.
History Topics
- What events led to the fall of the Roman Empire?
- Was the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki necessary?
- What were the causes of the Civil War?
- How did Abraham Lincoln’s assassination impact the country and reconstruction after the Civil War?
- Which factors contributed to the colonies winning the American Revolution?
- What caused Hitler’s rise to power?
- Discuss how a specific invention impacted history.
- What Factors Caused the Stock Market Crash in 1929?
- What Were the Social Consequences of the Vietnam War?
- What Is the Role of Women in the Military?
Physics and Astronomy Topics
- What Is Pluto if It’s not a Planet?
- Can We Determine How Old the Universe Is?
- What Are Dark Holes?
- Could People Survive on Mars?
- Is Space Exploration Really Necessary?
- Can We Prevent a Large Comet from Striking the Earth?
- What are the physics behind the creation of rainbows?
- The importance of robots in industries.
- The evolution of the self-driving car and its impact on the economy.
- The role of physics in the healthcare industry.
Animals Topics
- Do animals express love?
- Is animal testing a kind of animal cruelty?
- Should environments be protected if endangered species live there?
- How have humans bred domestic animals to be different from their original wild counterparts?
- What is the current genetic and fossil evidence that chickens, dogs, and other domestic animals were much different even a few hundred years ago?
Medical Topics
- The use of medical marijuana: pros and cons
- Is it safe for children to be vegetarians?
- How the society views on vaccines change
- Can pharmaceutical companies advertise prescription drugs directly to buyers?
- The role of doctors in the growing nation’s drug addiction
- How many treatments to Autism are there?
- How is ageism impacting mental health and addictions?
- What are the pros and cons of antipsychotics?
- Should alternative medicine be legalized?
- Is the relationship between the FDA and the pharmaceutical industry a good one?
