Choosing a Topic For Your Research Paper

One important aspect of your ENG 112 experience is composing your research paper. This will be an argumentative paper on a topic of your choosing (with your instructor's approval). The lesson modules provide you with guidelines for choosing a topic, including subjects that will not be approved. I'm going to offer some additional suggestions for choosing a topic, based on my own experiences.

First, here is a quick rundown: as you know, the topic you choose needs to have at least two points of view, one for and one against the subject. As per course instructions, the following topics are not acceptable for your research paper: abortion, evolution, intelligent design, conspiracy theories, and religion.

A topic needs to be something that you can be passionate/enthusiastic about, but you might not want to choose something you're too passionate about. Your goal in this essay is to accurately represent both sides of the debate, and then use convincing arguments to show your audience which side you fall on and why. When I was looking for topics, I found a couple that I couldn't write an effective argument about, because I felt too strongly about one side of the issue; I didn't feel that I could keep my emotions out of it long enough to present the opposing point of view. So I chose a topic that I was interested in, but opposing views wouldn't hurt my feelings. (Basically, it appealed to me on a mental level, but not an emotional one.)

I did find, though, that this strategy made my topic a little bit more difficult to write about. I didn't feel as strongly about it as I could have. I was still able to write capably (at least, I think I wrote capably :-)), so I felt okay about it. The decision is yours to make about how much you want to invest in your topic, but being aware of potential pros and cons may help you make the decision.

Another thing to keep in mind is that all of your assignments (from module 4 through completion of your research paper in module 10) on this topic. You will be doing some intensive researching, note-taking, critical thinking, and writing on it, so it may be helpful to choose a topic that you know you won't get sick of easily. Everyone goes through frustrations at certain points during the process, but if you have a topic that you feel connected with in some way, it's easier to work through those frustrations to reach the final goal.

There is a list of possible topics in module 04, but here are some things to think about if you'd like to choose a topic not on the list:

1) What were some of your childhood interests? Did you like a certain type of music; did you enjoy playing with a certain toy? If so, perhaps you could use this assignment as a trip down memory lane. For example, if you played with Barbie as a young girl, you could do a paper on the effect of Barbie on a young girl's body image. Does Barbie send the wrong message to girls? This is obviously not an example for everyone, but it was the first thing that came to mind. :-) However, anyone can think back to things they used to enjoy and look deeper into the issue. (My personal favorite is the argument of whether or not "action figures" count as dolls, but somehow I don't think that will fly as a college research paper!)

2) What are some topics that you've discussed or debated with friends? Sometimes conversation can serve as inspiration. From the reach and efficiency of zoning laws, work policies, the Olympics, and school, there are all kinds of potential topics. You may not be able to frame topics in terms of your own experiences, since the paper is written in the third person. However, a bit of familiarity with your subject can help push you in the right direction as far as researching.

3) What is your major? This may be a great opportunity to think critically about things you've been learning about. (Psychology is a hotbed of debate. Just saying.) You could also take a look at social implications within your major. For example, there is a common stereotype that women are not as successful at math or science as men. If you're a woman majoring in one of these areas, this may be an interesting topic. What could be some driving forces behind the stereotype, and what is the reality? Or if you're a man studying nursing, how are male nurses perceived by society/doctors/patients? Is there some sort of social stigma that prevents more men from taking jobs such as nursing?

4) Are there any popular topics you can view from a new perspective? For instance, there is a lot of information about unrealistic expectations and scrutiny of young women. Does society/the media put unfair expectations on boys and young men? This is just one example; there are many subject within the social sphere that you could debate.

5) What topics are in the news? As silly as this may seem, websites such as Yahoo! may be great sources of inspiration for finding a topic.

These are just a few of the possibilities. Brainstorming can be one of the most entertaining parts of writing a paper; it's the only part of the process where anything goes!

Here's one more quick suggestion for you before you settle on a topic: do some preliminary research on three or four frontrunners. Find out how much information is available about them, and how much each view is represented. It can be difficult if you choose a topic, only to find out that you can't find sufficient information!

Happy writing!