Environmental hot topics for research papers can focus on disasters (both man-made and natural), legislation and current issues on the environment. A research paper on disasters can address specific disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes and oil spills; analyzing the government's response, clean-up and preventative steps for the future all provide good topics. Legislative topics can investigate environmental regulation, laws to protect endangered species and lands threatened by development, and laws to stop the sale of harmful products. Current issues on the environment can make great research papers focusing on global warming; offshore drilling; and using solar, wind and nuclear power.
Social issues provide hot topics mainly because of their popularity in the daily dialogue of America's newspapers and radio and television talk shows. Research topics can address unemployment, the war on drugs and poverty. Regarding unemployment, research papers can analyze the numbers from certain parts of the country; certain job sectors; and breakdowns by gender, race and even age. Research papers about the war on drugs can address issues such as the amount of money the government spends every year fighting the drug problem, the crime associated with drugs and the success of treatment programs. Papers about poverty can analyze trends over the years and the money nonprofits spend every year helping people.
Hot topics for educational research papers can address a wide variety of issues affecting K-12 education, college and graduate school. In topics about K-12, students can investigate learning abilities at charter schools, getting school vouchers and extending the school year. Topics can also include online education and the expanded use of computers in a school's curriculum. Research topics regarding college can study retention rates, drug use among college students and academic dishonesty. Graduate school research topics can analyze the dollar value of a specific degree and the price for getting an advanced degree.
The national health care debate makes health a hot topic when it comes to a research paper. Topics can include patient care, ethical issues and the proposed government-run health care system. In issues about patient care, hot topics are doctor and nurse shortages, insurance company cutbacks and access to adequate care, especially for those who live in low-income or rural areas. Research papers about ethical issues can look at physician-assisted suicide, birth selection, abortion and stem cell research. On both sides of the debate, research papers can address the money it will cost to fund a government-run system, the stress it will place on the current system and the long-term sustainability. Health care topics also make for great research papers because they combine religion and politics.