Debate Issues & Paper Topics

Choosing a topic is one of the most difficult parts of writing a research paper. Even if your teacher assigns you a topic, it might be too broad to research thoroughly before your assignment is due. Here are some tips for initial brainstorming of a research paper topic:

• What topic would you like to learn more about? Has there been a issue in the news that you would like to investigate? Examples: increased opioid addiction, rising cost of college tuition, racial profiling.
• Is there a political or social cause you are interested in, passionate or angry about? A research paper is a great opportunity to investigate why you feel strongly about a certain issue. The research process can reinforce ideas you already had or it can open you up to new ideas and opinions. Be open to changing your mind.
• Is your topic too broad? Too narrow? The scope of your research question will determine how many sources you will be able to find. Be flexible and ready to makes changes to your research question.

NOTE: These tips focus on writing an argumentative paper on a current event or issue. Depending on what subject your assignment is on, you might ask yourself different questions than the ones above. The questions you ask for a history paper will be different than the ones you ask for a research paper on current events. 

Once you know your research topic, it is time to formulate your research question. Your research question will later become your thesis statement, which will be your guide in finding sources that support your argument. Here are some tips to help you formulate a research question.

• Find an encyclopedia article for your topic. An encyclopedia entry will give you a broad overview of your topic, introduce you to the vocabulary surrounding the issue, and may give you an idea of how to narrow your topic. For example, an encyclopedia entry on "climate change" introduces the concepts of global warming, greenhouse gases, and changes in weather patterns.
• Focus your topic. Background reading on your topic makes it much easier to narrow focus and begin to develop your research question. Your can narrow your focus in many different ways, such as: by time frame (How have weather patterns changed in the last ten years?), by geographic area (Are rising sea-levels a concern in Florida?), or by population group (How has an increase in air pollution effected senior citizens?).
  • Remember not to narrow your focus too far. The question, "Has there been an increase in greenhouse gas emissions in Colorado Springs, CO in the last 25 years?" might be difficult to find enough sources to complete your assignment.
• Look for Key Words. Have you noticed any repeated words, concepts, or issues in your background reading? Those words will be useful as search terms in library databases and internet searches.

• Example:
  • Research topic or idea: Cost of college tuition.
  • Research question after background reading: Has the rising cost of college tuition affected potential applicants?
  • Research question focused by time period and population group: How has the rising cost of college tuition since the year 1990 affected students from lower socio-economic backgrounds?

A Thesis Statement is not the same thing as your research topic. One your have chosen a topic and formulated your research question, it is time to begin thinking about the thesis of your research assignment. A topic is general idea or subject that you would like to research, while a thesis is a an argument for a specific angle on that topic supported by research.

Your thesis statement is the answer to your Research Question and the basis for the rest of your research, as well as, your paper's argument.

The thesis statement is your paper in a nutshell. It informs your audience of idea that you are going to develop and support throughout the paper. It not only aids your audience's understanding of your topic, but it also gives you something to consult in order to make sure all of your points support the central claim of your argument.

Consider what kind of paper are you writing:

• An analytical paper breaks down an issue or an idea into its component parts, evaluates the issue or idea, and presents this breakdown and evaluation to the audience.
• An expository (explanatory) paper explains something to the audience.
• An argumentative paper makes a claim about a topic and justifies this claim with specific evidence. The claim could be an opinion, a policy proposal, an evaluation, a cause-and-effect statement, or an interpretation. The goal of the argumentative paper is to convince the audience that the claim is true based on the evidence provided.

A thesis statement should be:

• Precise: Although the scope of your paper might seem overwhelming at the start, generally the narrower the thesis the more effective your argument will be. Your thesis or claim must be supported by evidence. The broader your claim is, the more evidence you will need to convince readers that your position is correct.
• Debatable: An argumentative or persuasive piece of writing must begin with a debatable thesis or claim. In other words, the thesis must be something that people could reasonably have differing opinions on. If your thesis is something that is generally agreed upon or accepted as fact then there is no reason to try to persuade people.
• Flexible: Be prepared for your thesis statement to change as you do more research.

Adapted from: Purdue OWL, Berea College