Developing a good research question can sometimes be the most difficult part of the research process.
Depending on your assignment, you may have several options for identifying what you want to write about. The trick is to find something interesting that you want to learn about (research) and write/speak about (paper/presentation).
Not sure where to start?
- Begin thinking about topics that have come up in class discussions, in assigned readings, or in the news.
- Think about topics that may affect you or someone you know.
- Identify a very broad category you'd like to explore:
- Psychological disorder (chronic illness, depression, learning disability, etc.)
- Stage of development (infancy, early childhood, elderly, etc.)
- Population group (gender, race, age, ethnicity, nationality, immigration status, sexuality, religion)
- Life events (marriage, suicide, school, stress, unemployment, etc.)
- Psychological theory (Piaget, Freud)
- Use online tools (these websites may or may not be approved sources for your research paper but they are a good place to search for topic inspiration)
Make sure your topic fits the requirements of the assignment and meets your instructor's approval.
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