As one of the most discussed and well-researched topics, global warming gives you the opportunity to write about an important environmental issue. You can address various angles on global warming, such as the effects on glaciers, agriculture, shorelines and the economy. Information can be added about the causes of global warming. This topic would fall under the category of informative essay and is a good choice if you want to learn more about what the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is calling a global crisis.
Writing about a piece of literature gives you many options for topics and subtopics in your essay. Fyodor Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" is a famous novel written in Russia in the 1800s. Whether you base the essay on the story and its implications on society and its treatment of criminals and the impoverished, or compare the author's portrayal of 19th century Russia to modern North American society, the novel lends a guide to creating a captivating paper. "Crime and Punishment" is a popular literary essay topic in school due to its fame and philosophical analysis of the human condition.
The best research topics are those that start with a hypothesis; you set out to prove something. For example, you could claim that the Internet is destroying newspapers and other media, as people look online for their news updates. While you don't need to have an opinion with a research essay, you could make a claim and deduce through research whether statistics and other research support or reject your claim. Forming a convincing argument will require you to cover both sides. For example, form an argument through research that supports a trend toward the Internet over newspapers or other forms of media and then form a counterargument.
Capital punishment is a long-argued, state-induced penalty of death for a criminal offense. Similar to a research essay, you will set out to prove a preconceived conclusion about the death penalty. In this case, though, you will be a bit more emotional about it. Like a research essay, your paper on capital punishment will argue for and against your opinion. You will anticipate the readers' questions and criticisms of your opinion and you will prove why they are wrong.