How to Pick a Controversial Research Paper Topic?

[exequor]

Does anyone want to help me choose a topic for a research paper? I am looking for something that is debatable and not too broad or too specific. I was looking at oil consumption in the U.S. and something related to artificial intelligence. I am open to any other suggestions.

 

[kant]

What about physics? You can`t go wrong it that!

 

[rachmaninoff]

Are you doing actual research?

 

[exequor]

no, not actual research, just a research paper for english. To me the hardest thing is finding a topic.

 

[heman]

what's your educational status??

 

[loseyourname]

I just wrote a short one contrasting Sir Gawain and Beowulf as heroic figures, focusing in on how each exemplified the ideals of their respective societies, and how those ideals varied according to the differences in the threats that each society faced. It was pretty interesting, and very simple.

What English class are you taking? It sounds like you're in a pretty basic one, something that teaches basic expository composition. I'm guessing this because oil consumption in the US isn't an English topic, so I'm assuming the point is simply to teach you how to write a good paper, regardless of what's it about. If that is the case, you may as well pick a topic out of a hat, as the possibilities are darn near endless. Personally, I'd write about something local.

One thing I would advise you to do is to not pick a topic. Peruse through various topics until an idea for a thesis crosses your mind. For instance, if you are looking over facts concerning oil consumption in the US, but are not being struck with any particular arguments you could make based on these facts, then there is little point in pursuing that line of research.

 

[kant]

Well, there are planty of stuff to discussion. If i had the chance, i might write somthing on math or physics. Just by tracing the evolution of a single idea, or equation, and you already have a book.

 

[dduardo]

You could write a research paper on writing research papers. That would be interesting.

 

[moose]

You could write a research paper on writing research papers. That would be interesting.

Or about chosing topics!

 

[Moonbear]

You could write a research paper on writing research papers. That would be interesting.

It would probably be more original than anything else the teacher has to read. Though, it's usually safer to write about something the teacher won't know well, so all they can do is check your writing ability, not your facts too.

 

[loseyourname]

You could write a research paper on writing research papers. That would be interesting.

That reminds me of our senior projects in high school. A kid in my class turned in a proposal to argue for the pointlessness of senior projects. His proposal came back with about eight "rejected" stamps on it. His was only the second-most enthusiastic rejection, too. I proposed to learn how to perform autopsies, then have a friend kill an animal so that I could figure out how he did it. Mine came back with a note attached that read "immoral and possibly illegal." So I ended up drawing a couple of portraits and writing a paper on Vermeer.