200 Outstanding Research Paper Topics for Students in 2021

JustBuyEssay.com • Posted on 10.30.2020 • Updated 07.01.2021

Once you are assigned a research paper to complete, the first thought that comes to mind is, "what research paper topics can I choose?". The initial step is to pick a subject of your interest (like an argumentative essay topic). But before you make your final decision, ensure that there is enough information to research. 

Our list of compelling research paper topics is dedicated to helping the students in need. We have divided them according to the subjects for your convenience. Other helpful tips on writing a research paper are also here. Check them out to learn more and find a topic for your inspiration!

What Is a Research Paper?

A research paper is a type of academic assignment that presupposes analysis and an in-depth investigation of the topic. It is more significant than such papers as informative essays or reaction paper. A student should inform the reader or make a claim, analyze the existing materials, make conclusions, and provide recommendations on the topic.

Features of Great Research Paper Topics

Choosing a good and relevant topic can be a challenging task. Before picking the right one, you should understand what makes a good research paper topic. Please consider such factors. A good research paper topic is:

1. Interesting for you and your audience
2. Relevant
3. Broad enough to be covered in a research 
4. There is enough information to research the topic
5. Corresponds to the instructions given

Best Research Paper Topics for 2022

We have created a comprehensive list of topics to help you choose one and start writing your research paper. They are divided into categories to make it easier for you to make a choice.

Easy Research Paper Topics

1. The outcomes of Global warming
2. Recent coming outs of celebrities
3. Does social media provoke aggression in teenagers?
4. Can money buy happiness?
5. Pets therapy as a way to reduce aggression in children
6. Importance of emotional intelligence
7. The most corrupt countries in the world
8. Murals: vandalism or art?
9. Rap culture as a style of life
10. Alternative vs. traditional medicine

Persuasive and Argumentative Topics

1. Should athletes receive college scholarships?
2. Doctors and teachers should receive higher salaries than actors and football players
3. Women and men should be given equal rights at the workplace
4. Emotional intelligence is more important than IQ
5. A person needs 21 days to quit or get a new habit
6. Hunting should be punished by law
7. Education should be made accessible for all
8. Milk is harmful to adults
9. All the diseases are a result of psychosomatics
10. Social media and networks should be blocked in educational establishments 

Good Research Paper Topics

1. How divorce affects children
2. Gender inequality at the workplace (Consult: gender equality essay)
3. Most common social media stereotypes
4. Why is one sport more popular than another?
5. Global lockdown 2020-2021 as the main reason behind increased divorce rates
6. The results of Trump presidency
7. Most common mental disorders
8. iOS vs. Android
9. A sexual appeal in marketing
10. The most iconic commercials 

Topics for High School

1. Does homework help improve the quality of education?
2. Healthy ways to cope with depression
3. Health impacts of drug abuse
4. Causes and outcomes of child obesity in the US
5. The most prestigious world awards
6. The greatest ancient civilizations
7. Do children study better in only girls or boys schools?
8. Is summer homework effective?
9. Animal protection activities
10. Causes of cruelty among teenagers

Topics for College Students

1. Main problems of third-world countries
2. Adverse effects of consumerism culture 
3. Why has TikTok become so popular?
4. Substance abuse among college students
5. TOEFL vs. IELTS
6. The main reasons and results of Civil Rights Movements
7. Should students be allowed to have jobs when in college? (Read our blog on online jobs for college students.)
8. Economic powers of the world
9. Does physical activity improve mental activity?
10. The history of music genres in the US

Sociology Topics

1. Single-parent families
2. Do men make better bosses?
3. The most effective leadership style
4. Workplace discrimination based on race and religion
5. Leading causes of teenage pregnancy
6. Age-based discrimination in employment
7. Classical music as a way to avoid stress and depression
8. Instagram is an unreliable source of information that distorts teenagers' perception of reality
9. Child upbringing in same-sex couples
10. Sex education in schools as a way to prevent teenage pregnancy

Social Issues and Social Media

1. The Black Lives Matter movement
2. Is cancel culture toxic?
3. Idealization of body image in social media
4. How social media distorts our reality
5. The positive and negative influence of social media on teenagers
6. How does social media affect our lives
7. The urge to post stories on Instagram - addiction, way of life, or source of income?
8. Cyberbullying in social networks
9. Social movements caused by Black Lives Matter: cry for equality or vandalism?
10. The outcomes of the global lockdown in 2020-2021

Business, Economics, and Politics

1. Trump vs. Biden: the issues behind past elections
2. Should immigrants be given the right to vote?
3. How has Coronavirus affected businesses?
4. Cybersecurity as a new business
5. The influence of the global lockdown 2020-2021 on the worldwide economy
6. The most profitable green businesses
7. The most significant business people of the XXI century
8. Advantages and drawbacks of running a small business
9. Companies that benefited and suffered the most financial losses due to the Coronavirus outbreak
10. The outcomes of the Trump presidency in the US economy

Religion

1. Should there exist a universal religion?
2. Biblical motives in modern books
3. Three most widespread religions in the world
4. Why is Buddhism gaining popularity these days? 
5. Attitude to women in different religions
6. Religion and sex
7. Biblical motives in books and movies
8. Stereotypes related to Islam
9. What will be the consequences of freedom of religion?
10. Religion and politics 

Education

1. How COVID-19 has affected education
2. Online education vs. traditional schooling
3. Does a degree guarantee getting a better job
4. How technologies have made studying more accessible for students (Consult: best study apps blog)
5. Bullying at school: causes and prevention
6. Should students wear a uniform?
7. US vs. EU education
8. Can tests measure the student's level of knowledge correctly?
9. Corporal punishment in educational establishments
10. Is homeschooling or online education as practical as traditional?

Environmental Studies

1. The main contributors of global warming
2. How recycling helps minimize pollution
3. The effect of ocean pollution on marine life
4. Change of weather patterns in the recent years
5. Endangered species in 2021
6. Green initiatives
7. How does vegetarianism help protect the environment
8. Eco-friendly clothes brands
9. Hybrid vehicles as a way to reduce pollution
10. Are there ways to control or slow down global warming? 

Health and Medical Treatment

1. Is the use of 3D printing in medicine ethical?
2. Health outcomes of COVID- 19
3. Doctor-patient confidentiality
4. Decrease of sugar intake as a way to a healthy lifestyle and diabetes prophylactics
5. Is vegetarianism healthy?
6. Consequences of lack of restorative sleep
7. Health complications caused by stress and depression
8. Results of eating disorders in women caused by distorted body image in social media and social networks
9. Vaccination: pros and cons
10. Are there effective diets?

Psychology

1. Is visiting a psychologist is a must in the XXI century?
2. Most widespread mental disorders of our times
3. Is Freud's theory still relevant today?
4. Oedipus complex in children
5. Stockholm syndrome portrayed in the Beauty and the Beast
6. Why are autism rates increasing these days?
7. Do colors affect our mood?
8. Causes of insomnia and how to deal with it
9. Does the quality of sleep affect the quality of life?
10. Psychological causes behind obesity

Criminal Law and Justice

1. The worst and best legal systems
2. Black Lives Matter movement as a result of police officers brutality towards minorities
3. Should abortion be considered a crime?
4. Leading causes of juvenile crimes
5. Most common white-collar crimes in the US and the primary reasons behind them
6. Domestic violence: causes and punishment.
7. How to treat crimes committed due to mental illnesses
8. Is there a correlation between increased crime rates and immigration?
9. The outcomes of malpractice 
10. Countries with the most severe human rights violation

Ethics

1. Is the transplantation of organs ethical?
2. Should euthanasia be made legal?
3. Right for abortion: human right or a homicide
4. Should corporate ethics be mandatory to follow?
5. Should marijuana be legalized?
6. Gun control legalization
7. Is animal testing ethical?
8. Toxic leadership style
9. Should Instagram celebrities expose their private life online?
10. Is cheating in exams ethical?

Women and Gender Studies 

1. Women suffrage movements in the US
2. Should sex education be made compulsory in schools?
3. Female literature in the US
4. Female genital mutilations
5. Is the glass ceiling actual these days?
6. Why should women choose between family and career?
7. LGBT community tolerance
8. The portrayal of gender roles in children books, films, and cartoons
9. How gender roles have changed with time (Take as an example our gender roles essay)
10. The greatest women of XX – XXI centuries 

Science and Technology

1. Does autocorrection contribute to the reduction of literacy level?
2. The most useful technological inventions of the XXI century
3. Will AI replace man work?
4. Are self-driving cars the near future?
5. Does breastfeeding improve a child's immune system?
6. Will alternative sources of energy replace fossil fuels one day?
7. Dating apps are a new reality
8. Does social media make people closer or farther?
9. Elon Musk is a new guru of technologies
10. The use of online platforms by companies for the search of employees

History Research Paper Topics

1. Causes, outcomes, and lessons learned from the 9/11 attack
2. Turning points in the US history
3. What were the causes and the effects of the Cold War for both countries
4. Hiroshima and Nagasaki: results and lessons learned
5. What were the reasons that led to the outbreak of WWII
6. The conflict between the US and Vietnam
7. How has Martin Luther changed the history
8. Women movements in the US history
9. History of nazism
10. History of the rise of American literature

Controversial Topics

1. Gun control in the US
2. Is COVID-19 human-made?
3. Should capital punishment be legalized in all states?
4. Animal testing: pros and cons
5. Eating meat is healthy or harmful
6. The women's right to abortion
7. Euthanasia: pros and cons
8. Are men and women given equal rights and opportunities at the workplace
9. What is better for the business: boss or leader
10. What is more critical, IQ or EQ? 

Interesting Research Paper Topics

1. The concept of the self-made man in the US
2. Andy Warhol's pop art and comics
3. How has the global lockdown 2020-2021 affected the world
4. Is education accessible for everyone?
5. Why is plagiarism considered to be academic dishonesty?
6. Concepts of beauty in different cultures
7. The most significant environmental disasters of the XX – XXI centuries
8. Instagram influencers under 18 becoming millionaires
9. Hate culture on Instagram and TikTok
10. How has COVID-19 changed the world?

How to Start a Research Paper?

When you receive an assignment to write a research paper, your teacher often gives the topic. But sometimes, the professor leaves the choice of the matter to you. In such a case, picking the right topic is the first step in your paper writing. This process can be a tricky task, though. It is also a crucial stage, as the topic determines the direction of your work. When starting to write your research paper, follow the three essential steps:

1. Choose the topic. Brainstorm and write down all the ideas that come to your mind. You may consider the exciting topics you have covered in class or check the lists of available topics online.
2. Create a strong thesis statement. A thesis statement is the leading and central idea of the whole paper. Thus, it is logical to formulate the main idea and then an outline.
3. Draft an outline for your research. An outline is a plan for your essay. Place all the main ideas in it briefly. 

Research Paper Structure

A research paper structure differs from a typical essay. It usually consists of the following components:

• Introduction and Problem Statement
• Methodology
• Literature review
• Discussion and Analysis
• Conclusion
• Recommendations

It is the most common research structure. However, you should always clarify it with your professor, as they may require to add other parts, such as an abstract or an executive summary. 

Looking for capstone project ideas? No worries! We have a whole article dedicated to this topic. 

How to Find a Good Topic for Research?

If your professor has not assigned you a topic, you'll have to do it by yourself. It is a great chance to choose something you are really interested in. However, remember that a topic should be both exciting for you and relevant to the class. If you have trouble choosing the right one from the list above, follow this simple algorithm we have created to ease this task for you. 

1. Identify the area of your interest
The first step is to determine what field interests you. If you like what you write about, you will be more motivated and learn more details.

2. Brainstorm the ideas
When you have chosen the field, it's time to brainstorm. Write down all the ideas that come to your mind. If you are out of ideas, you may search for some lists of topics on the Internet or use ours.

3. Consider the audience
Not only your interest is essential, but your audience either. Please take into account the course you are writing your research for. For instance, writing about cars might be an irrelevant topic for a biology or sociology class.

4. Check whether the topic fits the instructions
When you finally have chosen several topics, you should check the instructions given to you. If you are not sure about the issue, you can always clarify this question with the professor. They will specify all the details and maybe even offer you some compelling topics.

5. Make a research on the available information
Availability of information is another issue. Even if you have chosen the topic for your research paper that you like and which fits the instructions, it might turn out to be too broad to be covered in your research. In such a case, you may either change the topic or discuss only some of its aspects. It also might happen that the matter is too narrow. If this happens, it will be better to change the topic. 

6. Formulate research questions
Formulating research questions is probably the most critical part of research paper writing. Research paper questions are the inquiries the author is going to address in the paper. Thus, they should be specific, informative, and straightforward.

Research questions differ based on the type of research paper and its intent. There are three main types of research questions:

• Descriptive. This research question is used when the purpose of the research paper is to describe something or explain how something works. It does not aim to determine the cause or relationships between the issue or compare some things. It aims just to describe something. 
• Comparative, observational, or relational. This type of question is relatively standard. It aims to compare things or to establish a relationship between them.  
• Causal research question. It is used when the purpose of the research is to identify whether one variable causes another variable's outcomes. 

7. Create a thesis statement
A thesis statement presents the paper's main idea, serving as a road map to the whole document. A thesis statement is usually placed at the end of the introductory part. It should be clear, specific, concise, debatable, and present the author's position.  

In case you have any questions about a theoretical framework while writing your research paper, read one more blog on our platform.


Bottom Line

Our comprehensive list of ideas for research paper topics can help you find the right one or inspire you. When you have chosen the topic, developed the thesis statement and research questions, you are on the right track to completing your paper. However, if you don't know how to do it right or have other tasks to do, you can try using an online writing service. Our experienced writers are experts in different disciplines. They will help you choose a good topic for your research and write it according to your instructions. If you have already created a draft, they will proofread and edit it for you to make your research paper flawless.