Questions are the most basic and straightforward of research topics and are ideal for younger students or complex subject matter. The question does not have to be easy to answer but should encourage the writer of the paper to dig deeper into the subject and rely on outside sources. For example, for a history paper a topic might read: "How did Julius Caesar consolidate power in Rome?"
Statement topics are usually longer in form than question topics, and require the writer of the paper to examine the statement, then make their argument for the paper based on the text of the statement. These topics are ideal for open-ended or philosophy research papers to get students engaged in thinking from a different point of view. For example, a statement topic might include a passage from a philosophical writing and ask the writer to apply the basic point of the passage to an assigned text.
Argument topics are similar to statement topics but require the writer to take a side based on a passage or an assigned text. Argument topics work best for political papers based on an ideological text or for advanced literature papers where an intimate knowledge of the text is desired. A politics class might assign a text and ask the writer to support or criticize the argument of the book. The argument style forces the writer to research outside papers to support the argument of the paper.
Hypothetical research topics describe a made-up scenario and ask the writer to formulate a thesis to resolve the pretend problem. They force the writer to use the knowledge he has learned and apply it to a completely different situation. Hypothetical topics can be useful for business and political classes, to teach students about problem solving and other management experiences. For example, "If you were running a business that encounters a major recall, how would you handle the situation?"