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How To Come Up With Interesting Research Paper Topic Ideas

Research papers don’t have to be boring and tedious; they can be fun and interesting depending on what you choose to write about. Whether you are writing a research paper for a high school class or for a college class, know what the assignment is. If you’re writing a paper for your European History class, don’t write a paper about an Asian invention, unless it somehow impacted European countries. You have to consider what class you are writing the paper for, if the teacher or professor gave you a specific assignment and what he or she wants from you, and what you want to write about.

What Interests You?

The best way to come up with an interesting topic to write about is to think about what you find interesting. The reader isn’t going to be interested in reading something you didn’t want to write. Your disinterest and boredom will come through in your writing. If you write about a topic you are passionate about, that will also show through your writing and the reader will care about what you have to say.

Once you know what the assignment is, you can start thinking of topics. If you can write about anything within the parameters of the class, write about anything that interests you. If you are writing a research paper for a history class, research and write about anything from history, such as dictators, world wars, the Renaissance, Benjamin Franklin’s life and his inventions, famous movements, etc. If you have a specific assignment for the class and need to write a research topic about something from between the years 1500 and 1900, write about the Boston Tea Party, the War of 1812, Women’s Suffrage, etc.

Ways to Think of a Topic

To find something that peaks your interests, flip through your textbook for the class and look through your notes and your handouts. If the teacher is asking for something specific, look up things that fall into the assignment online or in the library and turn what you find into a topic that you want to write about.

Tips

There are several things to consider when deciding what to write about.


Coming up with an interesting research paper topic is pretty easy; you just need to do a bit of thinking and research to find what really intrigues you.