Vital Advice: Avoid Picking Overused Research Paper Topics

At times, students choose research paper topics that have been overused. Unfortunately, students do this because of the vast amount of information on the Internet and in the library about the topic. Teachers can often become frustrated when facing the task of reading four papers on athlete drug abuse, and six papers on abortion. While these topics are still important to remember, there are plenty of underused topics that would equally impress your teacher and your classmates.

There are several ways to avoid picking an overused research paper topic. These include:

• Talking to Classmates
• Talking to Your Teacher
• Researching a Topic of Interest
• Searching your Potential Topic Online

Talking to Classmates

By talking to classmates, it is easy to figure out who is covering what topics in his or her research papers. Unfortunately, there may be one or two students who are covering the same topic. Take the lead and suggest signing up for possible research topics so that no one is writing a double paper. This is a simple way to avoid writing about an overused topic.

Talking to Your Teacher

Asking your teacher about acceptable topics is a great way to start off your research. A teacher can be very candid when it comes to certain topics, and by paying attention, you can learn about the topics that the teacher is sick of reading about. Remember: your teacher has to read all of his or her student’s papers…each semester or trimester. By brainstorming with your teacher, you may be able to come across a topic that is interesting and not overused.

Researching a Topic of Interest

What better research topic than one that you have an interest in? An important rule of thumb is writing about a topic that you know and are interested in. These can include: adoption policies, paranormal phenomena, cults, Ebonics and Black English, and rainforests. By finding a topic that interests you, the paper will be much easier to write.

Searching you Potential Topic Online

Before deciding on a topic, make sure to do your research online and in the library. Chances are, when a topic is overused, websites will mention it as an overused topic. If you are attached to your topic, try to see it from a different angle. This way, you can put a spin on an overused topic and make it your own.