Finding Your Topic
The first step in writing a research paper is to choose what you want to write about. If you're having trouble deciding, here are some suggestions:
Developing your Topic
Unless you are writing a long research paper (20+ pages), avoid choosing a topic that covers too broad an area. Focus on a particular event, time, person or group, and/or place. For example, the American Revolutionary War involved many countries spanning the globe (Thirteen Colonies, Britain, France, Spain, the Netherlands, and Mysore) and involved too many aspects to cover in a short research paper. Instead, focus on one aspect, such as the Battle of Lexington or the surrender of Cornwallis.
However, be sure to not make your topic too narrow. If your topic is too specific, you may have trouble finding enough information to support your paper.
Use one of the Library's comprehensive reference databases to find a topic:
This handout from Purdue's Online Writing Lab offers more advice how to choose a topic for a research paper.
Choosing a topic for your research can sometimes be a difficult process. Watch this video to learn how to effectively choose a research topic with Literati.