We now begin the process of preparing to write your research paper. Before you begin to do that, I want to offer some parameters for your writing of this paper.
First, you should not be submitting a research paper that you wrote for another class. I don’t care how carefully you authored it; without instructor permission, this is considered an ethics violation. You’re free to revisit and research further a topic you may have considered previously–all good scholars do this–but you cannot turn in a paper identical to another that you’ve written.
Second, while it is an axiom of good writing that any research topic can be executed successfully, I’ve found this applies to only the best and most experienced writers. In other words, choose your topic extraordinarily carefully. If you choose worn topics, such as papers about the Amish, or Donald Trump, or the Steelers’ history, or Autism, you’ll merely be repeating what others have already said–similar to what the young woman did way back in the Pirsig essay from the first week of class . An even bigger trap is to write about topics that are too large, such as the coronavirus, Black Lives Matter, abortion, terrorism, veterans, the history of Pittsburgh, the history of steel, anything like this about which many books have been written.
The most successful essays will be those that have very narrowly defined topics, or those that have a focus that hasn’t often been explored. Or those that deal with themes about which you’ve been writing all semester for this course. I’ve seen students write about such broad topics as “family” for this essay, and do it successfully because they approach it an unusual way, say, like Susan Griffin. I’ve seen other students write successful essays because they choose unusual topics, such as bagpiping or the history of the golf ball. The point is to choose something that interests you that you can approach in a fresh way without being overwhelmed by information. If, for instance, you’re interested in writing about police brutality or shootings, then write about it first from a local perspective, while underscoring its importance from a national perspective. Don’t give us the same generalized reports and information most of us have heard dozens of times before. And remember, too, that your essay should have scholarly underpinnings: you’re writing for college level thinkers, do don’t treat your audience as if they’re in ninth grade.
Again, the key is the topic you choose, how well define it is, and what ways you choose to decide to write about it.
And remember: a good portion of your success with this essay will be determined by your ability to work with the Modern Language Association (MLA) formatting that we introduced earlier in the term in UNIT 2, which you should consult frequently if you’re uncertain about formatting. Remember, those links still exist for you. I don’t expect the formatting for this paper to be flawless, but I do expect it to be well-managed
Below is a list of possible research paper topics that my professor sent us or you can come up with your own of course.
Goodpastures
Dewormer medication
Children born to Mothers Behind Bars
Homelessness Among LBGTQ+ Youth
Lack of proper sex education across the U.S.
Effect of Internet Influences on Youth and Adults
Impact of Coronavirus on Sports
Should College Student Athletes Be Paid
Current Issues in American Public Schools
LBGTQ+ Media Representation
Post-Modernism in Pop Culture
The Rise of Ur-Fascism in America
Bias in Media: How it Leads to Hatred
Gun Violence in America
Mental Health During Quarantine
Disability Rights Advocacy in Pittsburgh
Labor Rights and Black Workers in the Pittsburgh Area
Urban Renewal in Pittsburgh from the 1940s through Today
How to Care for Orchids
Melatonin and its Effects
Stay at Home Dads
Selecting a tattoo
Surge in Permits for Carrying Guns
Is the protocol for returning to play from a concussion necessary and working
Benefits of hiring remote workers
How do Community Organizations Discharge their Duties?
Benefits of eating breakfast daily
PTSD from War
Soldiers Treatment when they Return from the Battlefield
The Reality of War
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
GMOs in Food
Schizophrenia
Stigma of Borderline Personality Disorder
Impact of Cybercrime on Childhood Development
The Myths of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Life In A Refugee Camp
My Immigration Journey To America
Integrating into American Culture
How the Irish Language Died
How Social Media Has Changed the Ways We Look at Food
Effects of Minimum Drinking Age in the United States
Childhood Abuse
Sexual Addiction and its Impact on Marriage
Raising a Child With Diabetes
History of Ozarks Jubilee
The Evolution of Woodworking Tools
The Unfortunate Beginnings and Eventual Rise or Ha Ha Tonka
Has Social Media Made Us More or Less Connected?
Teens, Social Media, and Depression
Consequences of anti-abortion laws
How and Why Divorce Rates Have Changed Over Time
Lympthedema
Luxating patella in small dogs
The First Trimester of Pregnancy
The Genetics of Consumption
Lotteries and Literature
The Brilliance of Shakespeare’s Love
PTSD
Dreams and Nightmares
National Debt and our Future
The Early Years of Amazon or Apple
Early Life of a Serial Killer
Police Brutality
Mass extinction
History of Equal Rights in the U.S.
Trans Rights
Human Trafficking
Different Parenting Styles
Is our food killing us?
Living with Social Anxiety
COVID 19’s impact on moral values
COVID 19’s impact on family dynamics
Bioluminescent Bays
Mind-gut relationship
Alzheimer’s Disease
Burnout and Compassion fatigue in Veterinary Medicine
Impact of COVID on the travel industry
Impact of Exercise and Training Activities
How Do Animals Reduce Stress
Youth Sports Impact on Adult Experiences
Positive Correlations Between Exercise and Nutrition
The Hot Housing Market
Elon Musk’s impact on cryptocurrency
Why Pontiac went out of business
Discovery of DNA
History of Chemical Practice
Black Lives Matter Protest
Logging Industry in Upper Peninsula of Michigan
Evolution of the Human Knee
The Physics of Rowing
The Sorrow of an Accidental Killer
Breath Work A Self-Soothing Technique
Benefits of Water Birth
Benefits of Music In Utero
Aviation Accidents
Career Path for Pilots
Automotive Crisis
Estate Jewelry
Organ Donation
Pharmaceutical Clinical Trials
Meme stocks
Experience of the Only Child
Studying Abroad
Online Shopping
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