PRELIMINARY RESEARCH
QUESTION: HOW DO I FIND A TOPIC?
Step 1: Think about your interests; decide on something you would want to
spend weeks looking up, learning about, and writing about.
Here are some ideas for broad research paper topics:
Race and Ethnicity
Gender and Sexuality
Multiculturalism and Diversity
Advertising and Marketing
Economic Issues
Environmental Issues
Media Issues
Consumerism and Convenience
Culture
TV and Film
Sports and Entertainment
Criminal Justice
Religion
The Political Process
Education
National/International Policies
Health Issues
Civil Liberties
Counter-Culture Issues
Youth Issues
Local Area Issues
QUESTION: HOW DO I KNOW IF IT’S A GOOD TOPIC?
Step 2: Figure out if your topic is accessible. In other words, there should be
plenty of information on it out there for you to use.
Go here http://www.lz95.org/lzhs/library/
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Scroll down to the white box
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Click on SIRS Researcher under Social Issues and Opposing Viewpoints
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Either type your topic right into the search bar, or, if you are still looking for a topic,
click the topic browse tab at the top of the page
Specific Topic ideas:
Companies should/should not use animals to test products
The fast food industry is/is not at fault for obesity
Abstinence only education should/shouldn’t be taught in schools
Americans should/shouldn’t be allowed to own guns
Violent video games/music do/don’t have a negative effect on children
Tobacco companies should/shouldn’t be held accountable for cigarette-related deaths
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Should pornography be restricted by law?
What is the impact of automation on American culture and lifestyles?
Should newspaper reporters be required to reveal their sources?
Should law or custom regarding American funeral practices be revised?
Should parents and other interested citizens censor textbooks and other literature for children in schools?
Where and how, if at all, should sex education be conducted?
Should the United States have mandatory military conscription? For whom?
Should laws regarding minimum wage (or the forty-hour work week) be revised?
Should mandatory (or voluntary) prayer be permitted in public schools?
Should the government provide child day care centers for working parents?
Should donors or their families be compensated for organ donations? How should people be selected to receive
donor organs?
Should homosexuals be permitted to serve in the armed forces?
Should genetic engineering be controlled by law?
What impact on the family (or the workplace) have changes in gender roles had?
Have the large salaries of professional athletes had a negative impact on the athletes or the sports?
How should colleges manage their athletic programs in relation to their academic goals?
Do certain children's toys create social or emotional or other problems?
Should public servants (like school teachers, hospital workers, trash collectors) have the right to strike?
Should imports of foreign cars or other foreign products be limited or restricted by law?
Should academic freedom for teachers and students be limited by law?
Does society have an obligation to protect privacy as a basic individual right?
Should sex and violence on television or in the movies be restricted?
To what extent does the private life and private morality of a public figure affect his or her ability to serve the
public interest?
Should divorce laws be changed in ways that will be more equitable or just for all the parties?
What restrictions should be placed on polygraph testing (or drug testing or personality testing such as MeyersBrigg Type Indicator) either for the criminal justice system or for the workplace?
What place should "creationism" have in the public education system?
Should controversial speakers (on whatever subject) be allowed on college campuses?
What types of regulations of smoking in public places should the legal system impose?
Do "beauty" contests (Mr. America, Miss America, etc.) serve any purpose in society?
Should "victimless crimes" such as prostitution and other sexual activity between consenting adults be free from
governmental interference?
Are American Indians being treated fairly in the current decade?
What prevention techniques and/or penalties should be applied to child molestation and child abuse?
Does the American system of justice need reform to ensure that criminals are properly punished?
To what extent should individuals have the protection of the law and the assistance of the medical establishment
in terminating their own lives?
What should be done to protect the rights of minorities (of all kinds) in America in the 1990s?
What techniques should the public schools use to strengthen literacy at all grade levels?
Should children be required to attend school past the age of sixteen?
Should a rating system be required for song lyrics?
To what extent should advertising aimed at children be regulated by law?
Should the courts require that contracts and other legal documents be written in nontechnical language so that
clients can understand the documents?
Should English be declared the official language of the United States?
To what extent should bilingual education be offered in public schools?
What role should the federal government take in dealing with the problem of AIDS, homelessness, or other
widespread social, medical, and economical problems (pick only one problem for a focus)?
Should surrogate motherhood be either banned or regulated be law?
Should adoption records be open rather than sealed?
Should unapproved drugs be made available as a last resort to patients with conditions for which conventional
treatments are known to be ineffective?