How to Choose a Scientific Problem for Your Research Papers

Americans have been a leader in the sciences for more than a half century now. It’s a matter of national pride to be at the forefront of innovation and empirical inquiry, and it’s a process that begins in the world of education. We in American place a premium on scientific knowledge, which has, in turn, resulted in ever-toughening standards for science classes. One area that’s really experienced a spike in difficulty is the area of scientific research papers.

Choosing a scientific problem for your research paper can be difficult but it’s by no means impossible. Here’s a quick method for helping you to choose a scientific problem for those pesky late-night research papers.

  1. Step #1: Search Engines

    2. More and more, the world is becoming interconnected, and the Internet has played a big part in that process of globalization and continues to shape and reshape the world we live in on a daily basis. As such, you’re going to want to take to the Internet and use your favorite search engine to see what’s new in the world of science.

    Have there been any recent breakthroughs in the field you’re studying that spark your interest?

    Is there perhaps one burning question in particular that keeps reappearing throughout the different articles that you could formulate into a scientific problem or question for your paper?

  2. Step #2: Databases

    3. Take the samples that you’ve gleaned from your research paper examples and get thee to a database. Most colleges offer at least one database service for free (and a good thing too, since databases are generally expensive) and you can take advantage of that to cross-reference the data or information that you found regarding potential topics with different studies in journals from around the world. Why is this important?

  3. Step #3: Credibility

    4. Above all, when looking to choose a scientific problem for your research paper, you want something that’s going to establish you as a good student. You’re looking to show off what you’ve learned and put your applied knowledge to the test. In order to do that, you’re going to need to choose pieces of data and studies that have an air of credibility about them.

Use the critical thinking skills that you’ve developed from class.

Which of the studies or journals that you’ve looked at seem the most credible and, in turn, could help to make your paper the most credible?

The answer to that will help you choose your scientific topic for your next research paper.