50 Best College Research Paper Topic Ideas

Before writing a research paper, you need to choose a topic to write on. Your choice of topic should be intriguing enough to motivate your readers to read the entire piece. Here are 50 ideas for research paper topics you may choose from to create a perfect and insightful college research paper:

1. Research Paper Topic by Category

1.1. Topics for Argumentative Essays

1. Should athletes be role models?
2. Does a shorter working week boost productivity?
3. Should the legal drinking age be lowered?

1.2. Topics for Persuasive Essays

1. Animal testing is wrong.
2. Why parents should monitor their children’s internet activity.
3. Reasons why the United States should stop interfering in global conflicts.

1.3. Topics for Controversial Essays

1. Adoption of children by same-sex partners.
2. STEM education should be made compulsory.
3. Should schools ban homework?

2. Research Paper Topics By Level of Education

2.1. High School Research Paper Topics

1. Should the use of smartphones in high school classrooms be legalized?
2. Leadership training in high school.
3. Explore Plato’s philosophy of mathematics.

2.2. College Research Paper Topics

1. Analyze cognitive development in children.
2. Pre-election and the effects on voter conduct.
3. What brings about societal stereotypes?

3. Research Paper Topics By Subject

3.1. Research Paper Topics on Technology

• How can technology help prevent terrorist attacks?
• What innovative technologies promise to change the third decade of the 21st century?
• How did Steve Jobs change the world?

3.2. Research Paper Topics on Environment

• How does global warming affect wildlife?
• Ocean pollution: the unseen tragedies.
• Endangered species: how can we protect them?

3.3. Research Paper Topics on Legal Issues

• How do torrent sites influence creative industry and show business?
• Should marijuana be legalized at the national level?
• Various laws on abortion around the world.

3.4. Topics on Business

• How can creative marketing increase your sales?
• Does taxation kill small businesses?
• Sexual harassment in the working environment.

3.5. Topics on World Politics

• How did Angela Merkel change Europe?
• Are there chances of a Korean reunification?
• Conflicts in Africa.

3.6. Topics on Religion

• The most popular new age religions.
• Should religious beliefs influence health matters?
• Atheism and agnosticism

3.7. Topics on Health

• Vaccination in the 21st century.
• Are there effective ways to prevent cancer?
• Anorexia and obesity: two sides to one story.

3.8. Topics on Social Issues

• LGBTQ tolerance around the world.
• Global citizenship: pros and cons.
• Discrimination of black women in modern-day America.

3.9. Topics on Education

• Is accumulating a huge debt to achieve higher education worth it?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of homeschooling?
• The importance of multilingual education.

3.10. Topics on Popular Culture

• How do reality shows influence teenagers?
• How American and European cultures interact?
• How did YouTube change pop culture?

4. Interesting and Funny Research Paper Topics

• Love, Death & Robots.
• Effects of cocaine on honey bees.
• Explore the possibility of unicorns.
• Do woodpeckers suffer from headaches?
• Death by falling coconuts.

For anyone to write a good research paper, they need to be confident in their argument. For this reason, you should conduct thorough research on a topic. Make use of the suggested research paper topic ideas to create a successful research paper.