Every student knows that writing a research paper is a time consuming task. It is one of the more comprehensive papers a student will be required to write during their academic career. Undoubtedly when it comes time to write a research paper your goal will be to create one that is not only impresses your professor, but one that gains you the well-deserved recognition for making a worthy contribution in your field of study.
Choosing a topic will be the first and most important step to writing your research paper. Understandably, any student who wants to write a strong paper will have to consider which topic they want to write about carefully. The following tips should help any student in the decision process for narrowing down their topic:
- Choose a topic that interests you- the researching and writing process will always be easier when you write about a topic you are interested in- of course this isn't always possible especially when you have to write a research paper for a boring class, but if you really take your time and think about it, chances are you'll come up with a topic you, at least, want to know more about.
- Choose a topic that has information which is available and attainable- Nothing can be more frustrating than choose a topic that has a limited amount of information you can base your paper on- especially if you need to write a 10 page paper. Try not to narrow your topic down too much- the broader the topic, the more information you will have access to. And remember- your research will be the evidence which will support your argument or case so you will want to find a sufficient amount of research to ensure your paper is credible.
- Choose a topic you have some knowledge about- writing about a familiar topic always makes the task of writing much easier. It can prepare you better in getting organized and give you a better idea of where to start looking for your research.
- Choose a topic that is relevant- look for topics in the news or current social issues that inspire you and that will invoke an interest in others.
- Choose a topic 'out of the blue'- sometimes students find the best topics to write about when they are at loss on what to write about- go to the library and start looking through books related to your course or start searching the internet. Often, when you least expect it, a topic will 'jump out at you' or in the very least, pique your interest.
Although choosing a topic for your research paper will be the first step, research paper writing will involve a great deal of your time. Waiting until the last minute to get started is never a good idea, so as soon as you are assigned your paper start thinking about a topic immediately. When you decide on your topic, everything else will no doubt fall into place and the end result will be a well thought out paper that is comprised of all the credible research which is needed to ensure your research paper is a successful one.
