200 Best Research Paper Topics for 2021 with Examples

When you enroll in university, you are maybe not even aware of the number of obligations that you might have to face over the course of your studies, and this might make you feel overwhelmed and exhausted especially when it comes to writing and submitting research papers on time. Most students feel highly stressed and anxious about their assignments and exams that most of them feel lost and don’t even know how to choose the most appropriate topic for papers that would suit their writing style as well. Luckily, we are here to bring you a list of research paper topics 2021 that might as well be useful, interesting, and thought-provoking, which are the qualities of great writing tasks.

Table of contents

• How to select the best research paper topic?
  • Choosing a field of interest
  • Checking available material
  • Making a research question
  • Brainstorming research topic ideas
  • Create a thesis statement
• List of best research paper topics 2020
  • Easy research paper topics
  • Interesting research topics
  • Controversial topics for research paper
  • Funny research paper topics
  • Argumentative research topics
• Research topics by field of study
  • Natural sciences (physics, chemistry, ecology, biology)
  • Criminal Law and Justice
  • History (World, US, Anthropology)
  • Medical research topics (Dentistry, Nursing, Psychology)
  • Business (marketing, economics, and finance)
  • Science and technology (computer science, math, statistics)
  • Social sciences (social work, political science, sociology)
• Other great research paper topics:
  • Technology
  • Religion
  • Social media
  • Music
  • Education
  • Health
  • Social issues
  • Environment

How to select the best research paper topic?

Selecting research topics might be a nightmare to all college students since you are expected to write about something new even though nobody expects you to make some groundbreaking discovery, especially not during the early years of your studies. However, there are some tips on how to choose the right topics for research papers that can make the whole process much easier.

Choosing a field of interest

Topics for the research paper are not easy to find since there are different fields that have been already exhausted from the beginning of the year, but you can always go for an area of interest. In order to choose great research paper titles and interesting things to research, taking some time and contemplate on what makes you be passionate about a certain subject is a good starting point. This is, after all, of great importance since you won’t be able to commit fully to writing an amazing assignment if you are not so interested in the subject.
Once you managed to decide which topic might be of your interest, you should check available materials you could use to foster your research. You should analyze the available materials carefully in order to make the right choice on which subject you could thoroughly work on and expand it to a whole other level. If you skip this step, you might end up putting yourself under a lot of pressure to meet the due date of the research essay, topics, research paper submissions. Then again, if you enjoy conducting experiments and your chosen research topic allows you, maybe you could have a survey conducted with the help of your peers and write a paper after analyzing the data.

Making a research question

Topics for research papers might be demanding, but the most challenging part is related to making a research question. This is where you need to think hard about what your work will be focused on and what other people might find thought-provoking. You need to be able to motivate people to read your research essay even though they don’t know much about the subject itself.

Brainstorming research topic ideas

Dedicating your time and knowledge as well as skills to finish a paper based on well-done research asks for a lot of self-discipline. However, if you feel stuck at any point looking for research paper ideas, you should ask your peers about research proposal ideas. Sometimes, getting a second or even third opinion can help you brainstorm your research ideas much better. In addition, you can always turn to your mentor who can help you identify an issue or an idea you should work on.

Create a thesis statement

Some students still say that the most difficult stage of writing a research paper for them was to create a thesis statement. Throughout the studies, students have the chance to write a lot of essays on a variety of subjects that are not so closely connected, but they have never had to create a thesis statement. Therefore, most professors encourage students to ask for help in order to have the best possible ground statement for their research proposal topics.

List of best research paper topics 2020

Having a comprehensive list of topics for research papers might make students think that the most difficult part of work is done. However, research topics still need to do enough research and gather a lot of data and facts from reliable sources in order to complete their research paper. Then again, this can be quite demanding since a lot depends on what kind of paper you yourself want to write. Is it supposed to be a funny one, an interesting one, a controversial one or a simple argumentative essay?

Easy research paper topics

1. Evolution of anime – what made anime popular worldwide?
2. Is diversity a good thing within a team, and why?
3. Is traditional music of a country more important than the international music that is heard everywhere?
4. What makes one sport more popular than another?
5. How would the world be different without the discoveries of Nikola Tesla?
6. Why do people change their leisure time activities as they get older?
7. What hobbies are the most popular with children and adults in your area?
8. Are there hobbies you can do in your own country but not when you travel abroad? Why?
9. How to deal with procrastination?
10. What stereotypes are related to people from your country, and is there any truth to those?

Interesting research topics

1. Are older people always wiser and correct in their choices and opinions?
2. Is it true that technology can cause a gap between generations?
3. Are friendships between men different from friendships between women and why?
4. Can amusement parks have an educative purpose apart from an entertaining one?
5. What other common sayings such as “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” exist in your language?
6. What makes people in your country happy?
7. What makes some nations happier and more prosperous than others?
8. Does beauty, in general, determine how much a person will be successful in life?
9. What are some pros and cons related to plastic surgery?
10. How to be better at communicating with friends, family, work colleagues, and strangers?

Controversial topics for research paper

There are some subjects that might trigger different responses from people because most of these subjects are controversial and are prone to raise a series of other issues. Most of these research titles are related to politics, religion, gender roles, as well as human relationships.

1. What is the proper punishment for serial killers and rapists?
2. What caused two state-of-the-art planes to crash and what can be done to prevent further accidents?
3. How to prevent an increase in the number of homeless children?
4. What is the future of religion?
5. What is the morality in the world of cam girls?
6. What is the background of all terrorist attacks in the world?
7. What is it like to be transgender nowadays?
8. How to deal with a huge wave of immigrants?
9. Can police unions prevent corruption?
10. What can developed countries do in order to help underdeveloped countries?

Funny research paper topics

1. How to stop being a couch potato?
2. Why did we start celebrating Halloween Day?
3. What are some positive sides of energy drinks and coffee?
4. What are some ways to fund a trip around the world?
5. Who is the funniest historical figure, and why?
6. If you could turn into an animal, which one would you choose to be?
7. What makes people mispronounce .gif?
8. What comics are funny but educational?
9. What is the philosophy behind Assassin’s Creed?
10. Why do we talk and act like we are drunk when we become exhausted?

Argumentative research topics

1. Do immigrants provide good or bad impact on a country’s economy?
2. Are the virtual world and video games, causing more violence or more antisocial people?
3. Why more expensive sports like rowing and tennis should be more accessible to social and ethnic minorities?
4. Adoption rights for single parents: why are laws so strict?
5. City development: should we keep the grid pattern or move to the new approaches to city planning?
6. What makes communism the best political system in the world?
7. Did Andy Warhol manage to make high art more accessible to a wider audience?
8. How can raising the minimum wage help increase economic mobility?
9. Should steroids be allowed in sports?
10. What can be done to prevent cyberbullying?

Sample Research Papers

• Argumentative essays examples

Research topics by field of study

Research proposal ideas can be found in many fields of study that allow you to be innovative and do extensive research to put forward new ideas and opinions.

Natural sciences (physics, chemistry, ecology, biology)

1. Why being warm usually makes us feel tired and sleepy?
2. What causes visual abnormalities such as special frequency?
3. How is it possible that birds flying in bad and cloudy weather conditions don’t get disoriented?
4. When gas becomes plasma, what actually happens to molecules?
5. Why is skin on a face more sensitive to breakouts and touch than on any other part of the body?
6. What are some proofs of period alignment?
7. How do allergies to nuts and other fruits happen?
8. What chemical processes keep canned drinks mixed together and not separate into their ingredients?
9. What steps can be taken in third world countries to prevent ecological catastrophes?
10. Why are carbs bad for people who are insulin resistant?

Sample Research Papers

• Biology examples
• Chemistry examples
• Physics examples
• Ecology and Environmental Issues examples

Criminal Law and Justice

1. What have been some of the best decisions of the Supreme Court?
2. What have been some of the worst decisions of the Supreme Court?
3. What does it mean when jury rules that Bayer must pay in the Monsanto cancer trial?
4. How can students protect themselves from giving back students’ loans?
5. What can be done to improve family law?
6. What countries have the worst legal systems?
7. What countries have the best legal systems?
8. What are the main flaws of the legal system in the USA?
9. How to change abortion laws to pro-choice?
10. How corrupted are legal systems in South America?

Sample Research Papers

• Criminal Justice examples
• Criminal Law examples
• Criminology examples

History (World, US, Anthropology)

1. What is Operation Pastorius?
2. Was the Norse religion practice in the Danelaw, and to what extent?
3. Why did the Soviet Union want to invade Afghanistan?
4. Why did the Germanics abolish their religion?
5. What are the most important events in the history of Latin America?
6. Who foresaw the encroachment of Nazism?
7. What’s the story behind the Yugoslav wars in the 90s?
8. How did Greece become such a philosophical hotspot in ancient times?
9. How did people study foreign languages before the 19^th century?
10. Who profited the most from wars in the Middle Ages?

Sample Research Papers

• History examples
• American History examples

Medical research topics (Dentistry, Nursing, Psychology)

1. What improvements in dentistry marked the 21^st century?
2. How can implants provide a permanent solution to a lost tooth?
3. What nutrition can prevent insulin resistance?
4. What are the main symptoms of PCOS and how to deal with them?
5. What are the pros and cons of antipsychotics?
6. What are the benefits of massage therapy?
7. How many treatments to Autism are there?
8. What are the potential risks of water birth?
9. How can music therapy foster lactation?
10. How is ageism impacting mental health and addictions?

Sample Research Papers

• Medicine examples
• Nursing examples
• Psychology examples

Business (marketing, economics, and finance)

1. Who are the greatest businessmen in the 21^st century?
2. Who are the greatest businesswomen in the 21^st century?
3. How has business etiquette changed in the past few years?
4. How can the knowledge of culture help in doing business better?
5. What are the qualities of team leaders and how to become one?
6. Why are stock markets becoming more and more popular?
7. What is an all-female working environment like?
8. How is Islamic banking system different from interest?
9. How does finding gold and diamonds affect the economy?
10. How do offshore bank accounts work – the case of Panama papers?

Sample Research Papers

• Business examples
• Marketing examples
• Economics examples
• Finance examples

Science and technology (computer science, math, statistics)

1. What are some great scientific breakthroughs in the 21^st century?
2. Why is the first image of a black hole so important?
3. What is the significance of the number 0?
4. How do fractals have an unlimited perimeter but limited area?
5. How to be able to perform rapid mental calculations?
6. What is the math behind the NBA Draft lottery?
7. What is the fourth dimension?
8. What is the difference between parametric and non-parametric statistics?
9. How are the concepts of something impossible or random mathematically proven?
10. Who are some great mathematicians of the modern age?

Sample Research Papers

• Computer Science examples
• Math examples
• Statistics examples

Social sciences (social work, political science, sociology)

1. What social issues marked the beginning of the 21^st century?
2. Is there a difference in how men and women gain power?
3. How has the role of a woman in society changed over time?
4. Is the study of humanities necessary to develop critical thinking?
5. How to prevent child marriages?
6. Why has socialism been mostly unsuccessful?
7. How does globalization affect politics?
8. What is identity politics and how it affects society in general?
9. How can child welfare in underdeveloped countries be assured?
10. How to make the most out of clinical supervision?

Sample Research Papers

• Political Science examples
• Sociology examples

Other great research paper topics:

Technology

1. How are the latest improvements in the automobile industry working on the protection of the environment?
2. What makes smartphones so resistant to bugs and viruses compare to computers?
3. What is the story behind the Internet of Things?
4. Why didn’t vector graphics become mainstream instead of pixels?
5. What are some advances in technology related to medicine?
6. What are Molten Salt Nuclear Reactors?
7. Can everything be solar powered?
8. How are old recordings converted to new formats?
9. What are the differences between open and closed systems?
10. Why do smart our electronic devices get slower over time?

Sample Research Papers

• Technology paper examples

Religion

1. What do all religions have in common?
2. Why are younger generations less religious than older ones?
3. How are terrorist attacks in religious buildings affecting religion?
4. What are the new beliefs that are becoming popular?
5. What are some main differences between Orthodox and Catholic Christians?
6. Why did we stop believing in multiple gods?
7. What impact do religions have on the perception of the good and the bad?
8. Are Abrahamic religions the only ones that punish non-believers?
9. Can religion help to change the view of women in Arabic cultures?
10. Historically speaking, what has been the impact of religions in wars?

Sample Research Papers

• Religion paper examples

Social media

1. Are social networks making us lonely and unsociable?
2. How to protect children online?
3. What are some ways to identify pedophiles on social media?
4. Why do people have the need to post everything online?
5. How to stop cyber-bullying?
6. Can LinkedIn help people find jobs or further education?
7. How to make a break from social media?
8. Why are younger generations obsessed with the number of followers and likes?
9. Is there such a thing as social media addiction?
10. Who are world-famous influencers on social media?

Sample Research Papers

• Social media paper examples

Music

1. Why do people listen to sad music when they are in a bad mood?
2. What music to listen to when you want to relax?
3. How has hip-hop culture changed over the years?
4. Why is classical music becoming more popular these days?
5. What music to listen to in order to foster memorization?
6. Why are successful musicians more prone to become drug-abusers?
7. Who was Doris Day?
8. Why influences the popularity of soundtracks?
9. What are some all-time romantic songs?
10. What makes some music festivals more popular than others?

Sample Research Papers

• Music paper examples

Education

1. What are some successful anti-bullying programs at school?
2. Is student-centred learning effective?
3. Are there any benefits of taking a year off and what to do during the year?
4. What visual aids can be implemented in all classrooms?
5. What are some innovations in the USA Education system?
6. What is FERPA and what impact does it have on education?
7. What encourages students to cheat on exams?
8. How to prevent students from plagiarizing their research papers?
9. What education system is the best – the USA, Finland or France?

Sample Research Papers

• Education paper examples

Health

1. Why do more and more women suffer from PCOS?
2. What is insulin resistance and how to fight it?
3. What are some ways to encourage obese people to change their habits?
4. How can Israeli colon cancer research be a true breakthrough?
5. What health problems can be caused by emotional stress?
6. Can have too much coffee cause health problems?
7. How to lower blood pressure using natural medicines and herbs?
8. Is there a link between online bullying and depression?
9. Is it appropriate to fine parents for skipping vaccination?
10. Are antibiotics becoming useless and obsolete?

Sample Research Papers

• Health paper examples

Social issues

1. How can immigration crises be solved?
2. Is there a way to stop the raising of racism?
3. Why are there still anti-LGBT communities and?
4. How to encourage parents to educate themselves on vaccination?
5. Is there a way to stop sex trafficking in underdeveloped countries?
6. Is it too late to stop global warming?
7. Why are people fighting against abortion?
8. Are children becoming over-dependent on technology?
9. Which countries are known for media censorship?
10. What are the good and bad sides of digital currencies?

Sample Research Papers

• Social Issue paper examples

Environment

1. Is going vegan one way to protect the environment?
2. How can an average person contribute to saving the environment?
3. What can schools do to make children be more aware of environmental issues?
4. How is global warming affecting wildlife?
5. How are pesticides harming bird populations?
6. How is plastic ocean pollution harming the oxygen we breathe?
7. What eco-friendly products are better than the original ones?
8. What catastrophes in history had a bad impact on the environment?
9. Can solar technology become more sustainable?
10. How to attain land for reverse desertification on a tight budget?

Sample Research Papers

• Environment paper examples