Methods for Selecting History Research Paper Topics

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By: Marie Fincher

March 21, 2015

Because history covers such a wide range of time and topics, it can be challenging to pick history research paper topics. After all, you must consider the specific subject area on which you are focusing; you must consider the amount of time that you have available for researching and writing; you must consider what is most interesting to you. This is perhaps most important of all, because history topics for research paper that you enjoy are most likely to result in a better grade for you. For example, if Civil War research paper topics represent something that is of high interest to you, it might be a good idea to select Civil War topics for research paper writing that allow you to explore an aspect of that war in depth. This could include performing an analysis of a Commander's battle strategy. On the other hand, if you are studying a subject that you don't find interesting, or that you struggle with, you might go for a lighter topic. Imagine that you are in a world history class, and are not enjoying the subject matter all that much. You would not want to pick complicated European history research paper topics, would you? Continue reading for a few more guidelines on selecting history research paper topics for college students.

Select a Topic that is not too Broad or too Narrow

If you select a topic that is too broad, one of two things is going to happen. You will either produce a paper that is too vague, or you will produce a paper that is way too long. Let's think about potential Ghandi research paper topics. You would never want to write a research paper on the entirety of Ghandi’s life. That is too much information to cover for a novel, let alone a single research paper. On the other hand, you could write a paper on Ghandi's impact on diplomatic relationships between the United States and India with great success. If your topic is too narrow, you will have the opposite problem. You will struggle to meet the length requirements, or you will be forced to delve into unnecessary or meaningless detail.

Select a Topic that is Unique but also Approachable

It is always a great idea to approach history research papers with an eye toward exploring topics that are unique. Your instructor will appreciate that you care enough about the subject matter to think about things from a unique point of view. S/he will also enjoy reading a paper that highlights a person, place, or event that does not receive the attention that it deserves. The only caution in doing this is to avoid selecting a topic that is so esoteric that you have difficulty engaging your readers, and to avoid attempting to give a subject more weight than it really deserves. If your topic is Black history research paper topics, it might be really interesting to write a 'where are they now?' paper on a few citizens depicted in pictures taken on Bloody Sunday. If your subject is 9/11 research paper topics, selecting a lesser known person who did something heroic that day would be a great way to introduce readers to somebody important that they may not have otherwise learned about.

In closing, if you are unable to select a topic, or are having problems completing your paper, please consider contacting TrustMyPaper.com. We will happily help keep you on the right track with your writing assignment.

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Marie Fincher

While being committed to a number of charitable causes, like volunteering at special events or giving free art lessons to children, Marie doesn’t forget her vocation – writing. She can write about almost anything but has focused on time management, motivation, academic and business writing.