20 Examples of Research Proposal Topics for Great Research

If you have already brainstormed about the ideas for your research proposal, but still cannot decide on the topic – this article is for you! We know that it’s not easy to come up with an interesting and relevant topic for a research paper, so we have designed this list of research proposal topics for you, as well as a research proposal example! Here you can find undergraduate topics in business, education, social science, and medical disciplines. So, let’s decide on the topic!

Business Research Proposal Topics

Evaluate the impact of leadership and culture on the sustainable development of 21st century organizations.

The beginning of the 21st century may be characterized by a new approach to leadership and culture. The new technologies and constantly changing world need managers that can reshape the best global companies. Review literature on sustainable leadership within the 21st century. Consider the dynamics of socio-demographics, barriers and implications, and the role of culture and leadership practices within modern organizations. Also, you can consider the link between leadership styles to cultural types and indirect effects on organizational development. What organizations have developed through the beginning of the 21st century? What factors have influenced their development and success? What type of leadership and culture do they use?

Define negative impacts of Airbnb on the hospitality industry and local economy.

Airbnb started as a website that proposes cheap rooms and apartments. Today, it captures the segment most favored by hotel owners: the rich, and business travelers. Did you know that rental companies such as Airbnb directly affect the local housing market and economy? For example, one of the problems is that a landlord can earn more by renting a property on a popular website than renting a property to a local resident. Discover the effects of Airbnb. What are the benefits of Airbnb for the economy? What steps were already taken to minimize the influence of Airbnb on prices? What can be done to regulate Airbnb and make it benefit the economy?

Analyze the implementation of a new strategy of communication in an existing company.

A particular importance for companies that are seeking to refocus and extend their businesses is finding the right communication strategy with stakeholders. Make an overview of existing practicalities of working communication strategies and make a brief literature review. Find out how the strategy in the chosen company is communicated, how it might be communicated, and the difference it can make to a range of stakeholders. You can research how strategy communications happen, as well as their effect on performance and financial outcomes, and the reputations and the variety and richness of the existing strategic communications.

Compare cultural and organizational behavior between China and the US.

For the last ten years, the Chinese market has become more and more attractive for US companies. But building an effective company in China may have more barriers than language. In this research proposal you can analyze a particular business branch and define the main factors that can influence the consumer compliance in the context of selling such products or services in China. In other words, this research proposal aims to analyze what will improve consumer compliance with a recommended regimen for the use of a product or service. Look through the existing information about cultural and organizational behavior in China and how it differs from those in the US. What peculiarities should the company consider to successfully launch a business in China?

Evaluate the possibilities of implementation of new technology while maintaining efficient operations in a hospital or clinic.

Healthcare managers must be able to make well-considered decisions in a constantly changing world of technologies in order to build a successful medical center. What new technologies should be implemented in order to improve particular processes of the medical center? What healthcare administration issues or barriers exist in the chosen hospital? What researches were already done about this issue? Is there any evidence of successful implementation of the chosen technology? Discuss the relevance of the healthcare administration problem. Conduct an analysis of implementation of this technology considering all possible problems, barriers, costs, and personnel needed for its implementation.

All topics that you can see above are also useful for such disciplines as economics and project management.

Examples of Research Proposal Topics in Education

What is the purpose of college: finding a job or knowledge?

Many students that have graduated from college or university see that their knowledge gained in sweat and blood from studying cannot be applied in their job positions. College education has faced a failure to make students job-ready after graduation, and they need to make changes in preparing their students for future careers. What subjects do colleges need to provide to make their graduates ready for future careers? You can analyze one of the existing programs in your university. What disciplines are the least important in the program? Why? What improvements should be made to the program?

Evaluate the effectiveness of the ALEKS Tutoring System to improve middle school math assessments.

The problem of improving assessments in many subjects is urgent, as it takes too much time for the teacher. Also, teachers strive to make their lessons more productive and interactive. The ALEKS software provides math courses of various school levels. This system can be used as a virtual tutor or used only for evaluating students’ knowledge. Describe the functions of the ALEKS tutoring system and how it works. What possibilities does this system give both to the teacher and student? How are tests evaluated? Evaluate its effectiveness.

Discuss the pros and cons of uniforms in public high schools in the US.

This topic is one of the most discussed topics in education. One of the tasks of the school uniform is to unite children of different social statuses. Also, it puts emphasis on learning and communication between students, and doesn’t concentrate on clothes. On the other hand, it has a list of negative sides. Evaluate the cost of implementation of uniforms in a particular public school. You can consider the following criteria or find your own: quality, cost, type of uniform, influence on the discipline, individuality, etc. On the other side, you can analyze the impact of wearing uniforms in a particular public school on students’ grades and other performances.

Analyze the relationship between SAT scores and college graduation rates.

For this topic you will need to use your analytical skills and gather enough data for this research. For this topic you will need to explore the correlation between student graduation SAT rates from a particular school and student level data from first year classes. The received data should show the existence of the bridge between SAT and college retention. In your research you can consider students’ academic achievements, gender, race, and socioeconomic status. Also, you will need to analyze previously conducted research in a similar topic.

Explore how to inspire students to choose teaching as a future career.

This research should be aimed to find the core points that can help students to find out that teaching is their future career. You can build questionnaires and conduct interviews to find the necessary data. Find questions that will help you discover what makes students think of teaching as their career choice. Have teachers influenced their choice? How? What classroom experiences have lead to this decision? Think about the motivation of these students, and don’t forget to set the limitations of your study in order to get correct results.

Social Science Research Proposal Topic Ideas

Analyze different approaches to parenting styles among men and women.

The aim of this research will be the investigation of the difference between parenting styles of men and women. You can view this topic from the feminist perspective and define what role feminism has played in the psychology of women. Also, consider how feminist movements have changed the frame of understanding about women. The overarching goal of this assignment is to allow you to familiarize yourself, in some depth, with relevant literature that will allow you to generate your own questions and analysis of the issue, area, or problem you have elected to focus on.

Study the effects of PTSD on families after military leave.

PTSD develops if a person has experienced a real or potential threat to life. Also, there is a risk to witnesses of shocking events and people who have dealt with its consequences (e.g. emergency specialists, law enforcement officers, health workers, and volunteers). It happens that PTSD is felt by close friends and relatives of people who have suffered an injury. What is the difference between PTSD and a normal reaction to a traumatic event? What are the diagnostic criteria for PTSD? What factors can provoke PTSD? What should relatives do? How can they help a person with PTSD?

The impact of emotional abuse on the psychological development of adolescents.

Modern researchers give different definitions that can conclude that abuse is a different kind of behavior – from verbal and emotional insults to the use of physical force to murder and rape. In this particular research we suggest you to make research about how emotional abuse influences psychological development of adolescents. It includes conflicts, insults, humiliations, intimidation, excessive control, indifference towards the child, and many other aspects. What are the most common reactions of children on such a negative attitude? How does it influence their adulthood? What physiological reactions can emotional abuse create?

Define the effects of homophobia on men with a homosexual orientation.

According to some studies, support for the LGBT movement in modern society has significantly strengthened in recent years. However, it is still too early to talk about full acceptance of the rights and freedoms of sexual minorities. The situation of homosexual and bisexual people in the world vary from one country to another. In the countries where homosexuality is not accepted or is not supported on a high level, people with homosexual orientation experience high levels of pressure. In many countries homosexuals are subjected to verbal abuse, threats, and subjected to homophobic violence. Conduct the research and define how a negative attitude to gays and lesbians influences their psychological well being.

Find the effects of technologies on the parent-child relationship.

Technologies in the modern world shape our lives. We need to keep them under control so that their benefits help us grow in virtue. Children quickly learn how to use the internet, social networks, and games. Parents should learn how to use technologies to build positive relationships with children and help them explore the world. Review the existing literature about how technology impacts parent-child relationships. What points should parents consider to build strong relationships with their children through technologies? How have technologies changed the approach to upbringing? Also, you may need to conduct field research on the experience of real families.

Biology and Medical Research Proposal Topics

Research the dangers and effects of alcohol abuse on the fetus and newborn.

We think that everyone knows that alcohol is harmful to all human beings. Here we pr
opose you to research the consequences of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. A woman who consumes alcohol harms her unborn child. Alcohol affects the development of the embryo throughout the entire period of formation. Alcohol enters the blood of the fetus from the mother, disrupting cell division. The most vulnerable parts are brain cells and the spinal cord. How does alcohol affect the fetus? What is a safe dose of alcohol? What are the signs of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders? How can it be diagnosed? How can fetal alcohol spectrum disorders be prevented?

Explore the factors that influence active family involvement with patients in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Nowadays, it is important to involve the family in the care of the patient in the intensive care unit. Active involvement may speed up the recovery process, keep the interested family members up to date with the patient’s state, and improve the psychological climate in the unit. For this topic you can explore local instructions, recommendations from the US and foreign hospitals and clinics, publications in PubMed, Medline, and other resources. What are the main benefits of involving the family in medical care? How can a critical care nurse involve family members to participate in patient care? What are the most common approaches? What are the barriers for caregivers in intensive care? What instructions should be given to the caregiver?

Propose and provide a health promotion program for students from a particular college (or course).

Colleges and universities should pay great attention to providing health promotion to students in order to create a healthy learning environment. Explain why it is important to have a health promotion program designed according to students’ needs. Explore the standard practice for health promotion in higher educational institutions. Come up with the program for the particular college/university/course. When describing the proposed program you can consider the following points: health problems and health habits of particular students, what the program should include (information, health checks, services, supplemental training, etc.) and people required for program implementation (teachers, medical staff, trainers). Describe the implementation and evaluation of the proposed program.

Compare and analyze anxiety levels among women who practice yoga and those who do not.

Anxiety and stress are like salt in the dish – it helps people be energetic and focused. But when there is too much in our lives, it may lead to mental dysfunction that needs treatment. Yoga is considered to be one of the effective non-traditional ways to reduce anxiety. We propose you to conduct a study that will be aimed at determining the anxiety levels in apparently healthy women of a certain age and to study the effects of Yoga on anxiety levels among them. Choose the criteria you are going to evaluate: age, social status, regularity of exercises, health condition, etc. To conduct a study you can join one of the monthly yoga camps and gather the needed information about women who do yoga.

The relationship between the high rate of stress and physical image in teenage girls.

The functioning of the nervous system of a teenager has its own peculiarities. Increased excitability, hyperactivity, and emotional instability is caused by changing balance of cortical-subcortical relationships in the direction of subcortical activity at pubertal age. What are the signs of teen stress? What are the main causes of stress? How does stress relate to the physical image of teenage girls? What are the ways to reduce stress? To write a research proposal you will need to make an argument about why there is a need for research in this area. Support your claim with evidence from the literature. Come up with methods that you will use for collecting data to test your hypothesis. Consider the limitations of your study.

A research proposal is a paper that explains the details of your future research and is submitted to your instructor. To pick a topic, you should clarify your intentions about the research and find the information about it. The following list of example topics may help you with this difficult task.

1. Groups that support full, partial, or no privatization of social security
2. Finding sponsorship, financial, and logistic support for a climb of the left peak of Kilimanjaro
3. The program of gum recycling for a university campus
4. How to build an effective social network marketing campaign
5. Becoming technologically advanced or losing creativity?
6. Gender related images in American TV shows
7. How the fashion industry portrays women’s beauty
8. Debt crises around the world and how it affects markets
9. E-commerce and Internet marketing in family businesses
10. Parenting tips for challenging child aggressive behaviors
11. “An eye for an eye”: Hammurabi’s code of laws
12. The effectiveness of cubicles in companies
13. Micro and small companies (MPEs) in Brazil
14. Future perspectives and potential of service innovations
15. Significance of child abuse regulations in the EU
16. The impact of diets on the American’s quality of life
17. The effect of gender on a family buying decisions
18. The effect of a brand image on consumer taste preferences
19. The ways to determine the target audience for an online shop
20. Consequences of neuromuscular and neurological diseases
21. Working mothers and the impact on children under the age of three
22. Ethical challenges in the selection and recruitment process
23. Ethical issues with international electronic voting
24. A comparative study between Microsoft, Amazon and their strategies towards cloud computing
25. The change of expectations and rights of women in the 20’s within the context of The Great Gatsby
26. The over-emission of gases in the state of Chicago: causes and perspectives
27. Contrasts between Buddhism and Hinduism in terms of their thoughts on karma
28. Governance frameworks for public project estimation and development
29. Improvement of school leadership through support, incentives and evaluation
30. Affect of parental sexual orientation on children’s mental development

It is important to choose an appropriate topic for a research proposal, as receiving good marks during postgraduate studies directly depends on your research project. In case you need some help, choose the topic you like from the category-list below.

Business

• How the emerging economies have evolved and are now challenging the TRIAD dominance?
• The United States international finance system.
• Characteristics of entrepreneurs and their effect on entrepreneurial profitability.
• The market risk related to increasing gas prices.
• Entry-level job qualifications for business management positions.
• The effect of executive compensation on corporate performance.
• How the TRIAD economies have evolved and dominated patterns of international business.
• Determining the price of the television ads.
• The variables that could have an effect on sales businesses.
• Environment vs. businesses.

Drugs and Drug Abuse

• Approaches to correcting substance abuse.
• Substance abuse among the elderly.
• The relationship between substance abuse and domestic violence.
• Substance abuse on college campuses.
• Mental illness and substance abuse.
• Substance abuse and family therapy.
• HIV and substance abuse.
• The treatment of tobacco dependency.
• Developmental disabilities and substance abuse.
• Applying evidence-based approaches to substance abuse.

Economy

• Economics in an university cooperative.
• The impact of energy price liberalization on economic activity within the
• Commonwealth of Independent States.
• The relationship between the size of brokerage commission on government bonds and demand for AT&T stock.
• Employee benefits and their impacts on unemployment rates in Germany.
• Economic development and brownfield.
• China: effect of communist party membership on wage rates.
• The demand for electric vehicles: a second chance for the 21st century.
• The effects of gender, income, race and religion on the amounts of donations to the charities.
• The impact of credit card incentive packages on consumer borrowing.
• Using macroeconomic indicators to estimate the number of undocumented Mexicans entering the United States.

Education

• Effect of a family income on a student’s S.A.T. score.
• Alternative factors to college success.
• The effect of family income on grade point averages for UCLA students.
• Factors that affect the grade a student receives in a class.
• Factors affecting freshman admissions to UCLA.
• The effects of commuting to school on a student’s academic performance.
• Relatedness of work on the graduation rate.
• The amount of time students spend on commuting.
• Financial aid and its affect on grade point averages.
• Understanding coach education.

Environmental

• The pollution trend of industrialization.
• Analysis of a bell pepper crop: farmer vs. nature.
• The working environment vs. output.
• Development of efficient survey designs for environmental monitoring.
• Incorporating information on spatial patterns into ecological models.
• Monitoring of spatial and temporal variation in possum populations.
• The impact of European earthworm introduction on plant community dynamics.
• The impact of European earthworm introduction on soil productivity and plant growth in a northern hardwoods ecosystem.
• Green products vs. conventional products.
• The impact of the green house effect on the environment.

Health Care

• The risk factors of a heart attack.
• Health care in America.
• The driving forces of HMO health care premiums.
• Job lock and employment-linked health insurance.
• A comparative look at levels of care between traditional insurance plans and health maintenance organizations.
• Smoking cessation policy evaluation.
• Fraud and abuse in a health care law.
• Homelessness among the chronically mentally ill in United States.
• The positive and negative influence of Obama’s health care reform on the average citizen.
• The factors that affect legal implications of private health care in Canada.

Law and Crime

• Underlying problems of crime rates in the US.
• Are formerly abused children more likely to commit violent crimes?
• Violent crimes committed by the elderly: what should the punishment be?
• The benefits on inmates in regard to guide dog training programs in the prisons.
• The pros and cons of prison nurseries.
• Can socioeconomic status affect the sentence / punishment that a criminal receives?
• Is there a gender bias in our court system?
• What are the benefits of teen courts for young offenders?
• How can work release programs benefit inmates?
• What is post-incarceration syndrome?

Religion

• What do Christians think is most important in human life?
• Christianity vs. Buddhism.
• Is proof for the existence of God necessary?
• Which argument for the existence of God is the strongest?
• What are the foundations of the Universe and from where did the Universe emerge?
• Can God and real evil be reconciled?
• Are science and religion in conflict?
• Can God’s omniscience and human free will be reconciled?
• Is there a rational argument for the atheism?
• Can one be moral and not believe in God?

Social Issues

• The impact of a rising population on the global economy.
• Factors that affect increased demand for television.
• An estimate on the chances affected by aids from the race.
• Salary discrimination in the National Basketball Association.
• An analysis of the increase in the number of single parent families.
• Determinants of the dollars spent on car insurance.
• Analysis of college undergraduate studying time.
• The effects of rap music on violent behavior among African American teenagers.
• Is it more effective for women to coach women than for men to coach women?
• How does coaching help managers in organizations to understand themselves and others?

Get to the Writing Right Now

We hope that this list will help you find a good topic for your research proposal and leave you and your tutor satisfied with the choice. As soon as you make the final choice, make sure that the topic is interesting for you, so you will be motivated to write it. Also, you need to have enough information from the internet and article databases for your research paper. Think what methods you will use for conducting the study and how you are going to collect the data. Decide who you will need to interview, what you might create or observe, etc. And don’t forget to make a works cited list at the end! If you want to shoot two birds with one stone, don’t forget to look through our guide on how to write a research proposal on our website. Good luck!