Research Paper Topic
Whether writing a research paper or otherwise, it is impossible to write without a topic. Unconsciously, you will lean towards a certain angle. In fact, you will notice that anytime students are given an assignment the next thing they ask is, what is the topic? But what happens when you are not given a research paper topic? The following steps are useful in choosing a good research paper topic.
a) Identify your area of interest
Research paper writing is a demanding assignment that requires hard work, which translates to comprehensive research and study that requires resting late in the night and sometimes talking to respondents who are not willing to cooperate. Without the necessary motivation required to go through those hurdles, conducting research to the end is difficult
b) Conduct a background study
A background study when formulating a research paper topic helps the researcher know the areas that have been explored, the perspectives taken by different researchers and hence guiding the researcher on the approach to take in research writing. Background research after identifying a topic helps to lay a foundation on which the intended research is conducted, in addition to helping the researcher identify important sources for the research.
c) Write the topic as a statement
Once you settle on the topic, write it as a statement that will help you develop a thesis statement that will guide your research assignment. a thesis statement shows the position of the researcher, and what exactly the researcher wants the reader to understand in the research.
d) Find keywords
Keywords are important in describing the research paper topic and guiding the terms that will be used effectively to deliver the research paper ideas. To get relevant keywords, the researcher can refer to previously done researches on his/her research paper topic or can utilize dictionaries, thesaurus, etc.