How to Choose an Analytical Research Paper Topic
Choosing any research paper topic can be difficult, but choosing an analytical one can be most challenging. This is especially true in college courses, where you are asked to think and interpret rather than re-tell. The steps below will help you in this endeavor.
Instructions
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Thoroughly Understand the Assignment
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Most likely, your instructor has given you an assignment sheet or other guidelines for your research paper. It is highly important that you fully understand all guidelines for the assignment, particularly the topic, before you begin working. You don’t want to get too deep into the research process if your topic does not meet the assignment’s requirements.
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Ask questions. If you are unsure about some aspect of the assignment, ask your instructor. Instructors are there to help you. Don’t be afraid of them!
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Talk to fellow students about their understanding of the assignment. But, do not steal a classmate’s topic idea. Instead, measure your own understanding of the kind of topic that should be chosen with their understanding. This will help you make sure that you are on the right track.
Think Beyond Simply Informing
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The days of essays that begin “George Washington was born in…” are over. In college, most often the job of research is to advance knowledge in some way, not to simply tell about something.
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Don’t regurgitate an encyclopedia entry. If one can easily look up your topic in an encyclopedia and get all of the information that you intend to provide in your paper, you do not have an analytical topic.
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Look for important issues in the field that you are researching. Is there a particularly controversial issue in the field of nursing or accounting? Consult with an expert in the field. He or she may be able to provide you with some good information that will help you develop a topic.
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Avoid over done topics like stem-cell research or the death penalty. These issues have been researched to death, so there is little room to advance knowledge in these areas.
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Instead of simply informing your reader about something, analyze, interpret or draw conclusions about something. For example, instead of writing a research paper about George Washington’s life, analyze the myths surrounding him, like the cherry tree story, or his methods of leadership in being the first U.S. president, possibly compared with the leaders of today. These ideas will keep you away from simply telling about something.
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Good conclusions can be drawn when you compare and contrast. Remember that you cannot compare two vastly different things; therefore, you must always have some basis for comparison.
Preliminary Research
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In the early stages of the research paper process, start looking for sources just to see what’s out there.
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Seeing what others have written about a particular subject will help you in developing your own topic.
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Show your expertise. It is important to express your unique conclusions or interpretations about a certain subject, but assert this knowledge as fact. Your research paper sources should be used as supporting evidence.
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