A research paper is a scientific work that demonstrates the level of your knowledge (and skills) on a given topic. In addition, it is the research paper that will characterize you as a competent, “thinking,” engaged student. Many people think that writing the work itself is the most difficult task, but, in fact, a big problem for many students is the choice of the topic of the future study.
Virtues of the Well-Chosen Topic
Correctly chosen research paper topic will help you:
- To engage with great interest into research and development, gather the necessary information, read literature, translate articles of foreign authors when applicable.
- To establish constructive relations with the scientific adviser. Constructive relations include regular consultations, correction of mistakes and recommendations. This point flows smoothly from the above. If you like the topic, then you are actively engaged in it and show the results of your study to your supervisor.
- Do preparatory work for the future diploma. Ideally, each research paper should be a new brick, of which at the end of your education path you can create a full thesis. Therefore, choosing a topic, you need to remember this.
Lots of professors claim that a correctly chosen topic is half of your research paper’s success. It might sound as an overestimation, but one you choose not relevant topic that doesn’t truly interest you, you will understand the scale of the mistake made. Choose carefully and invest yourself into this process.
The Main Criteria for Choosing a Research Paper Topic
- Relevance and topicality. The theme of your research paper should be modern, accessible, meaningful for society. For example: “Confrontation of superpowers: Russia against the United States.” Writing about the Cold War in the mid-40s of the twentieth century will not be entirely relevant if you do not make a historical review of events. A more modern and lively theme is the introduction of US sanctions against various sectors of the Russian economy.
- Novelty. There are several pitfalls here. If you take a little explored topic, you can face a shortage of literature, as well as professionals who could give good advice. On the other hand, if you take a topic that is already nimbly packed and you can not invent anything new there (for example, such an issue as the “Tourist potential of Greece”), then your personal contribution will be minimal, and hence the professor will assess your work accordingly.
- Controversy. This is one of the good options for your research paper. If your topic contains two opposite points of view on the problem, then you can consider both hypotheses, give arguments or criticisms in favor of one or the other. And in the end, make an excellent move — propose your own third scenario of development of events or solution of the problem.
- The unproved theorem. As a topic, you can take materials that were previously claimed, but remained unproven or insufficiently substantiated. Such hypotheses can be taken as a basis of the research.
- New methodology. We can consider the question that has already been studied, but apply new methods and methods of research to it (for example, computer processing and modeling).
How to Confirm the Chosen Topic
Follow this simple algorithm to make the initial stage of your research paper writing go smoothly and efficiently:
- Consult with the supervisor (the earlier, the better);
- Select a topic from the list of the suggested issues approved by your supervisor;
- Study the literature sources recommended by the scientific adviser;
- Develop an approximate list of sources (approve it with your supervisor)
- Define the working schedule (working with sources, a compilation of notes, summaries)
- Draw up a work plan (approve it with your supervisor).
It should be noted that when choosing a topic, you should not jump above your head, you do not have to take a very complicated problem. It is better to break the more significant theme into parts and study some specific element or properties. If the topic is offered to you by the supervisor, do not hurry to refuse, think carefully. Sometimes he knows better what theme you can reveal to the full, which is difficult for you, and which one will sound quite primitive.
If you need assistance with picking the best research paper topics, you can always get in touch with highly qualified research paper writers who will help you immediately.