Your instructor hands out a syllabus that states that you need to write an apa formatted research paper for the course. You know the paper's theme relates to the course, but the instructor leaves the specific topic up to you. What do you write? theory, historical developments, trends and issues are a few general categories of paper topics that can help you narrow your focus. First, what is an apa research paper? apa stands for the american psychological association. The apa publishes a manual, also called a style guide, which specifies the style in which you must write your paper. According to the purdue university online writing lab, social science classes, such as psychology and education courses, often require the use of the apa style guide for formatting papers.

Depending on the level of your course, a research paper may ask you to report about topics in the field or to conduct your own original research. The first type of paper you may consider is one that outlines a specific theory. You can choose one theory on which to do your research or choose two theories to compare or contrast.

Textbooks are a good source to jump start your brainstorming for a topic, as they frequently outline the basic theories and contain links or references to further reading on the topic. A library search for journals in the field is another good source for topic ideas. Another approach to take in an apa formatted research paper is to follow the historical development of a particular practice or theories in the field. For example, research the beginnings of your field and trace the changes that have led to the current thinking. Trace the history of leadership in the field or the career and research of one particular leader. A library search will help you find historical documents or books that give you an overview or history of the field. Trends and issues are areas that a student may overlook as an interesting research paper topic.

Trends refer to the latest practices or developments in the field for which you are writing your paper. Trade journals and magazines related to the subject are good places to spot ideas for your paper. You can then back up your research on a particular trend with evidence from peer reviewed journals and quotes from interviews with subject matter experts in the field. Kendra cherry is an author and educator with over a decade experience helping students make sense of psychology. She is the author of the everything psychology book 2nd edition and she has published thousands of articles on diverse topics in psychology including personality, social behavior, child therapy, research methods, and much more. Are you searching for a great topic for your psychology paper? sometimes it seems like coming up with a good idea for a paper is more challenging than the actual research and writing. Fortunately, there are plenty of great places to find inspiration and the following list contains just a few ideas to help get you started.

As you begin your search for a topic for your psychology paper, it is first important to consider the guidelines established by your instructor. In some cases, such as in a general psychology class, you might have been given the option to select any topic from within psychology 39 s broad reaches. Other instances, such as in an abnormal psychology course, might require you to write your paper on a specific subject such as a psychological disorder. This handout provides detailed information about how to write research papers including discussing research papers as a genre, choosing topics, and finding sources. contributors: jack raymond baker, allen brizee, ashley velбzquez last edited: 2013 10 07 0:41 the first step of any research paper is for the student to understand the assignment.

Reliable Sources for Research Papers

If this is not done, the student will often travel down many dead end roads, wasting a great deal of time along the way. Do not hesitate to approach the instructor with questions if there is any confusion. A clear understanding of the assignment will allow you to focus on other aspects of the process, such as choosing a topic and identifying your audience. A student will often encounter one of two situations when it comes to choosing a topic for a research paper. The first situation occurs when the instructor provides a list of topics from which the student may choose. These topics have been deemed worthy by the instructor therefore, the student should be confident in the topic he chooses from the list. Many first time researchers appreciate such an arrangement by the instructor because it eliminates the stress of having to decide upon a topic on their own.