How To Choose A Topic For A Thesis: 5 Helpful Suggestions

Good Thesis Paper Topics: 5 Criteria for Choosing a Topic

If you are trying to pick a good thesis paper topic there are 5 criteria that you should adhere to when choosing:

  1. Pick something that you love. Finding something that you are passionate about will make it extraordinarily easier for you to write a thorough analyze on the topic at hand.
  2. Pick something that relates to your field. This should go without saying, but it is being said anyway. You need to find a topic that relates to what you are studying so that you can prove to academics in your field that you can contribute to their research.
  3. Pick something that has enough literature. While you might love an idea, without adequate published research on the topic or closely related topics, you won’t be able to conduct a thorough analysis. You need to have background literature sufficient enough to educate your reader.
  4. Pick something that can be written about within your page limits. The thesis is quite a bit larger than other papers you have written. As such, your thesis is slightly different. You will need to ensure you pick something that is not too broad, or you won’t have enough room to cover the topic thoroughly. On the other hand, you should also steer clear of a topic that is too narrow, otherwise you will run out of things to talk about midway through your paper and still have room to fill.
  5. Pick something that has been approved. Don’t start on your topic just because you love it. Make sure it is approved by your advisor and review committee before you dive in. You don’t want to get started and find out weeks into your research that the topic was not approved.

For those who are searching for a great topic, you can look over the list of these potential topics. Use them as a foundation from which to find a topic that suits your project.

  • Prostitution
  • Menstruation
  • Parenting
  • Sex and sexuality
  • Health
  • Work
  • Are intelligence tests effective and necessary?
  • What can be done to address learning disabilities?
  • Is literacy a problem in America?
  • Is plagiarism a big issue at your school?
  • Should sex education be a requirement?
  • Should prayer be allowed in school?
  • Are standardized tests an effective way to gauge progress for a school or a student? Do they cause too much anxiety?