Where To Search For Fresh Topic Ideas For A Research Paper

It is an essential task, but not always an easy one. You need to come up with a fresh and new idea for a research paper, but with everything else that you have on your academic plate, it's easier said than done. You need to find ways to make efficient use of your time and brainpower to nail down a truly awesome topic. Where can you start?

The Solution May Be Inside Yourself! What Interests You?

What interests you? You may get an inspiration by browsing through your bookshelves. What are the topics of the books, movies, even songs that you most enjoy? Can you come up with a new twist on a topic that has always been a favourite? It doesn't need to be academic in nature. Sometimes a novel, a movie or even a computer game can provide you with a starting point when searching for a fresh idea.

Ask Around. Creative Conversation Could Inspire A Terrific Research Paper Topic!

Get together with classmates or a course advisor to brainstorm. Two brains can certainly be better than one when it comes to coming up with an original angle and new perspective on a familiar theme. Family and friends can often offer us insights and observations that we might have missed. What are other people curious to find out more about? Just as some research paper topics have been done to death, there are others that have been overlooked. What are they? You don't need to be an expert in your area of study to be able to provide helpful input.

Go Back To The Books. Textbooks, Course Notes And Previous Research Papers

Review you course notes and read through some of the chapters from your textbooks that you found especially interesting. Check the bibliographies of the books and course references. There may be new ideas waiting to be expolred in the material you are already familiar with. This may also save you time when it comes to researching your work. If you are already familiar with the topic, but can find an original angle to approach it from, this is a win/win situation. Less time online and in the library and more effort spent getting your own original ideas across.

Suggestions:

  • Anything related to cyberspace, online security and the future of the internet and mobile technology should provide you with plenty of ideas. E-business, E-commerce, E-erotica; you name it! Find an original angle and start your research.
  • The more it changes the more it seems to stay the same. Politics. The global political economy is undergoing incredible transformations at the speed of light. It may not be doing a lot for international stability and security, but there is lots to talk about!
  • Play the Devil's Advocate. Take a position that you abhore, and do your best to defend it. It may seem like a strange approach, and you'll probably ruffle a few feathers. But you'll score high on originality, and you're sure to generate some discussion!