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100 Best Literature Research Paper Topics For Students

literary research paper topics

Literary research paper topics are among the most interesting to write about. Books are the best teachers for most learners. And, students love reading interesting literature books. But, when asked to write research papers, most students have difficulties choosing their topics. That’s because many issues can be investigated and written about.

For instance, literary topics can be about characters’ personalities in certain works. They can also be about particular characteristics of specific literary genres. Learners can also choose literary analysis topics that focus on the life story of famous writers or poets. But, regardless of what a learner opts to write about, they should choose interesting topics.

What are Interesting Literary Research Paper Topics?

Several factors make a topic interesting to write about. A topic for a research paper or a graduate thesis should generally be definite, specific, and innovative. Also, it should be interesting to research and write about. Here’s how to select interesting literature topics:

Think about something. Explore the idea to select a topic for which you can find sufficient research data from credible sources. Narrow down your subject if you find it too broad.

English literature topics can be classified into different categories. Here some of these categories and topics can be considered in each category.

Great World Literature Research Topics

Perhaps, you’ve been asked to write a literature research paper with a global perspective. Here are some of the literary analysis research paper topics that you can consider.

  • Explain how the supernatural and spirituality help in furthering the development of the plot in the Latin American literature of the early 20th century.
  • What themes are common in the Japanese poems of the early 20th century? How do they differ from those of the early 19th century?
  • Compare the early Chinese literary works and European literary works of the middle ages. How different or alike are they?
  • How were European literary works in the early 20th century shaped by the revolutionary works of Engels and Marx? What examples can demonstrate this influence?
  • Explain how the Muslim philosophers’ work of the 15th century led to new ideas and inventions across the globe.
  • Compare and contrast different anti-British works that originated in India in the 19th century with pro-colonialist works that came from England at the same time.
  • How did the nightmarish utopian future ideas of Aldous Huxley influence modern-day science fiction writers across the world?
  • Explain how the Antigone play by Sophocles deals with the conflict between the central characters while relating to the state laws and individual conscience.
  • How are the sentiments of the authors reflected in Animal Farm by George Orwell and concerns about the October Revolution?
  • Explain some of the examples of literary fiction pieces that have shaped cultures in the world. Have historic, societal, and cultural factors played some roles in shaping these literature pieces?
  • Being a prolific writer in the early and mid-19th century, Charles Dickens’s works were published in serialized forms. How and why has this approach become less fashionable?
  • Compare and contrast the early Japanese literature works and the early Chinese literature works. How do they differ in terms of values and culture?
  • Explain how comedy differs in literature across cultures. What comedy appeared in the early theatrical performances and it’s still present in modern literature?
  • Analyze chivalry and honor critically in the Green Knight and Sir Gawain. What are the qualities of these works from a similar period?
  • Compare and contrast the Odyssey and Iliad by Homer the Ancient Greek. Explain how cultures across the world have adapted the themes presented in the poem.

Top Literary topics for Research Paper

Some topics for literary analysis stand out among students. These are topics that educators recommend for students across the study levels.

  • How is literature an aspect of modern culture?
  • Explain how feminism has influenced modern literature
  • How is psychology utilized in literature?
  • Explain the major social issues that have been exposed by literary works
  • Explain the philosophical tradition of Daoism in the Chinese literature
  • Explain the roles played by death and honor in Japanese literature in the 20th century
  • Explain how the European culture influences the Mid-West literature
  • How has European culture affected modern literature?
  • Analyze the personality of Don Quixote
  • Explain how literature differs between countries.
  • Discuss poetry in the innovative ear of the 21st century
  • Examine racism in the novels of the 1960s and 1970s
  • Explain the exile’s perception in literature
  • Literature and culture? Which one affects the other?
  • How has literature addressed homosexuality?

These can also be great literary debate topics. That’s because learners can have varying opinions about them.

British Literature Research Paper Topics

Students have many topics to choose from when it comes to British literature essay topics. Here are some of the best literature topics from the works of British authors.

  • Discuss Victorian England’s picture with the works of Charles Dickens in mind
  • Discuss the theme of Orphans with the Oliver Twist character in mind
  • Explain how British Literature has influenced different cultures
  • Explain how British literature has addressed gender issues
  • Explain how King Lear highlights the differences between anti-heroes and villains
  • Explain William Shakespeare’s personality- Highlight facts and myths
  • Choose two famous British novels and then compare the characters in them
  • Explain the viewpoint of different writers about the Utopian civilization idea
  • With Harry Potter books in mind, explain why some literature books are considered classics
  • Explain how love and romantic love are presented in Charlotte Bronte’s works
  • Explain how modern literary works have been affected by the Victorian period works
  • Discuss the adultery theme in Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
  • Who are the main characters in Lake Poets’ works?
  • Explain how violent imagery was used in World War I poetry
  • Explain talent as a theme in Milton’s on His Blindness
  • Explain innocence loss in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies
  • Explain the theme of individualism versus collectivism in Oliver Twist
  • Explain why the popularity of detective novels increased in the XIX century
  • What role did the supernatural play in Macbeth: a case study of three witches
  • Class demarcation in XVII century- The vengeance theme

American Literature Topics

Some teachers ask students to choose American literature research topics for certain reasons. If asked to write on such topics, here are some of the American literature research paper topics to consider.

  • Analyze key aspects of American ideology, particularly in the literature written before the 20th century.
  • Determine thematic concerns and literary styles of the major historical period of American literature between the colonial period and post-modernism.
  • Show the American identity uniqueness of texts
  • Propose connections between the American literature concerns and themes in the larger historical development and social issues that face the present world
  • Examine major concerns and themes that reappear across the American literature
  • Highlight the major themes in Absalom, Absalom by William Faulkner
  • Explain the African American Experience with female authors like Alice Walker, Zora Neal Hurston, and Toni Morrison
  • Explain the predominant theme in The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
  • Explain how Jonathan Edwards epitomizes Puritan definitions in his sermons
  • Explain the use of historical personalities and events by Washington Irving as the background for his works
  • The Crucible demonstrates how a community can be torn apart by hysteria. Explain
  • Explain how Sylvia Plath demonstrates the social pressure faced by women in the 1960s in the Bell Jar.
  • Explain how John Knowles demonstrates the impact of war on everyone
  • Explain the strong belief in the education power by Maya Angelou as depicted in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
  • Explain how Thornton Wilder conveys life as a gift in Our Town
  • Discuss the themes of anger and pity in the Grapes of Wrath
  • Explain how Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck portrays the Great Depression struggles
  • Discuss the portrayal of the unconquerable spirit in Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway.
  • Plays by Eugene O’Neil are tragically realistic. Explain
  • God is humanized in The Creation poem by James Weldon Johnson. Explain

Some of the ideas here are great poetry topics. Nevertheless, they require careful research and analysis to write about.

High School Literary Essay Topics

Some topics in literature are ideal for high school essays. Here are examples of literary analysis paper topics for high school students.

  • Compare and contrast the major characters in your preferred book
  • Choose your favorite character in a book and explain your reasons for liking it
  • Please explain why the quality of a literature book is not determined by its length
  • Highlight the similarities of your favorite books
  • Discuss the top 4 authors in horror books
  • Explain why reading some books is more difficult than reading others
  • Explain what it takes to write a high-quality poem
  • Who is your favorite poet and why?
  • Explain what makes your favorite book interesting
  • Who is your favorite character in literary works and why?
  • What makes some literature books difficult to read?
  • Who are your favorite top 5 authors and why?
  • Should the age of readers be restricted to some books?
  • What is your favorite literary genre?
  • Explain why the author determines the quality of a book more than the story
  • Discuss the literary works of your favorite authors
  • Why is it important to captivate readers with the introductory chapter of a book?
  • Which book genre makes great movies?
  • Why is the work of Harry Potter so popular?
  • Explain why your favorite horror book is scary

Unique Research Topics in English Literature

Some literature research topics are unique and can be written about by learners at different study levels. Here are examples of such topics.

  • Analyze the use of literary devices in novels
  • Discuss the author’s autobiography
  • Analyze literary genres and the role played by an artist in them
  • Compare the works of a similar genre
  • Highlight the gender roles of characters in literary works
  • Social stratification and Harry Potter- Discuss
  • With Charles Dickens’ work in mind, explain the peculiarity of the bildungsroman genre.
  • Explain how The Lord of the Rings uses artificial language
  • Explain how the Sherlock Holmes image influences the world of detective fiction
  • Explain the war theme in the world literature

These are also great literary journalism topics. Nevertheless, they require extensive research to write about.

In a nutshell, students have many literary argument topics to consider. The most important thing is to choose an interesting topic that you can find sufficient data to write about. Also, don’t hesitate to check our history topics .

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Are you looking for an engaging literary research paper topic? Whether you're writing a college-level essay or a master's thesis, the right literature research paper topics can make all the difference. They range from exploring particular genres or authors to examining the use of language in literary works. By researching these topics, you will gain a greater understanding of the ideas, improve your critical thinking skills, and learn to appreciate the nuances. This article will explore such literature topics for research and open up endless possibilities for analysis and interpretation, ranging from classic to modern-day texts. Are you ready to choose a trending topic and write a paper that will win your professor’s heart? 

What Are Literary Research Paper Topics?

Literary research paper topics focus on a particular literary work, such as a book, poem, novel, play, or story. They provide a great starting point for researching the specific aspect you're planning to explore for a better perception of the idea and help to eliminate any artificial facet. Literary research topics may analyze a single text, compare different writings by the same author, or contrast different authors' styles.  Common literature topics for research papers comprise symbolism, characterization, themes, plot structure, historical context, point-of-view analysis, biographical contexts, and intertextual connections. These research paper topics may also focus on how an author has been interpreted or evaluated over time, analyzing the critical reception of their works and examining any changes within literary canonization. Additionally, these topics can explore how literary works intersect with other disciplines, such as philosophy, psychology, sociology, politics, or economics.

Characteristics of Good Literature Research Paper Topics

Literary research paper topics are usually considered good when they are:

  • Relevant They should be engaging, thought-provoking, and appropriate to the academic work.
  • Specific Similarly, good literature research topics must have a narrow focus and not be overly broad.
  • Interesting They should pique your interest and encourage you to explore and aspire to know more about the literary work.
  • Challenging Deep analysis, thoughtful reflection, and creative thinking are also vital.
  • Unique They should be memorable and offer new insights into academic work.

With these important characteristics of literary topics for research papers in mind, you're ready to start writing!

How to Choose a Literature Research Paper Topic?

Choosing a literature research paper topic can be daunting, but with careful thought and planning, you're sure to find the perfect one. In order to do this, you need to complete the following:

  • Brainstorm: First, start by brainstorming topics that interest you. Think about the works you've been studying, authors and genres you enjoy reading, and themes that have resonated with you.
  • Narrow it down: Once you've identified a few research topics that intrigue you, narrow them down to one that is most relevant and specific.
  • Research: Explore if it is relevant. This will guarantee that you have enough material to work with.
  • Refine: Once you have researched, refine your topic to ensure it is specific and engaging. Consider the most interesting aspects and how they can be explored further.
  • Choose: Finally, choose the title that best reflects your interests and passions for an enjoyable research experience!

With these tips, you can find the perfect literary research paper topic! Don’t have time for reading piles of books? Get professional help with research paper writing from StudyCrumb and have your study completed by a real pro.

List of Literature Research Paper Topics

A list of literature topics for research offers a wide range of literary-related issues that can be explored and studied for your project. It includes ideas that could spark your creativity and help you choose the best title. Whether you're interested in exploring the works of Shakespeare or examining modern literature, this list of literary research paper topics has something for everyone!

  • Use of symbolism in romantic poetry.
  • Importance of technology within cyberpunk genres.
  • Impact of fantasy on contemporary culture.
  • Representation of male or female authors as represented by classic literary works.
  • Postmodernist views of time and space in literature.
  • Representation of race and ethnicity within contemporary fiction.
  • Representation of LGBTQ characters in literary works.
  • The role of mythology during the era of ancient works.
  • Social media impact on modern texts.
  • Classic and contemporary literary criticism.

Interesting Literary Research Paper Topics

If you are interested in classic books or modern trends, these ideas can be a fascinating starting point for your project. They include theories, criticism, comparison, and specific authors or genres. Besides providing an analysis of the work, a literary research paper topic could also comprise examining different themes. Explore the following interesting literature topics for your project:

  • Literary influences of Jane Austen's works.
  • Symbolism as represented by gothic texts.
  • Relevance of classic mythology within contemporary fiction.
  • The role of magic or fantasy in children's literature.
  • The role of women in Victorian literature.
  • Representation of race and ethnicity in early 20th-century literature.
  • Themes of love and loss in romantic poetry.
  • The use of horror genres in contemporary fiction.
  • Postcolonialism's impact on literary works.
  • Nature in 19th-century literature .
  • Representation of LGBTQ characters as represented by contemporary fiction.
  • Technology's impact on modern literary works.
  • Classic and contemporary interpretations of gothic texts.
  • The role of magic and fantasy in modern literary works.
  • Representation of death and loss in 20th-century works.

Great Literature Research Paper Topics

A list of great literature research topics provides a variety of ideas related to literary works. These research topics in literature can offer an exciting starting point for your English paper:

  • Rebellion themes in Shakespeare's tragedies.
  • Class and economic status in Victorian texts.
  • Symbolism in romantic poetry.
  • Impact of British imperialism on literary fiction worldwide.
  • Gender and sexuality representation in early 20th-century writings.
  • Postcolonialism in 19th-century fiction.
  • The literary influence of WWII on modern writings.
  • Vampires' role in gothic literary texts.
  • Use of fantasy in childhood writings.
  • Technology's impact on contemporary literary works.
  • Race and ethnicity as represented by postmodern fiction.
  • Religion in romantic poetry.
  • Themes of love and loss in 20th-century texts.
  • Horror genres in literary fiction.
  • Postmodernism's impact on contemporary literary works.

Unique Literature Research Paper Topics

Unique literature topics for research papers can help students explore new concepts and gain a deeper understanding of their subject. Below are rare literature paper topics for you to review:

  • The role of jealousy in 17th-century literary works.
  • Gender identity as represented by reformist fiction.
  • Mythological figures as portrayed by Greek and Roman poetry.
  • The relationship between gender and power in Shakespeare's plays.
  • Themes of isolation in 20th-century British poetry.
  • Metaphors in the works of Gabriel García Márquez .
  • Themes of rebellion and revolution in African American literary texts.
  • The role of women in medieval romance literature.
  • Poverty representation in Victorian novels.
  • Themes of oppression and freedom in colonial Latin American texts.
  • Use of metaphor and allegory in Dante's divine comedy.
  • Influence of industrialization on 19th-century fiction.
  • Dystopian settings within modern literature.
  • Religion in contemporary fiction.

Spotted any ideas for your literature research paper? Now it’s time to compose your study. Leave us ‘ do my research paper ’ notice and get a professional writer to work on your project. 

Controversial Literary Research Paper Topics

Controversial literary research topics can provide students with an opportunity to explore complex and sometimes contentious issues related to literary texts. Find below a controversial literary research paper topic for your dream English project!

  • Racial stereotypes during 19th-century English literature.
  • Themes of sexuality and desire in ancient Greek poetry.
  • The relationship between political power and language in Shakespeare's plays.
  • Conflict representation during 20th-century English fiction.
  • English role in colonial Indian literature.
  • Gender and racial representations within African American autobiographies.
  • Themes of justice and control in Victorian English novels.
  • Themes of oppression and resistance in feminist texts.
  • The role of English in modern Japanese fiction.
  • Themes of identity and belonging in postcolonial Indian literature.
  • Censorship, free speech, and social responsibility in 19th-century English novels.
  • Politics and power representations in Latin American poetry.
  • Gender, race, and class representations in English renaissance drama.
  • English as a tool for political ideology within the works of George Orwell.
  • Language used to defy authority during modern fiction writing.

Fresh Literature Research Paper Ideas

Coming up with fresh ideas for literature research topics can be daunting. Students may want to look at the works they have studied or venture outside the traditional reading list and explore different authors and genres. Some literature research paper ideas comprise studying how certain authors influenced the literary movement, analyzing how language has been used throughout history, or examining gender, race, and class representations from a literary text. Here is a perfect list of fresh ideas!

  • Aesthetics as presented by postmodern fiction.
  • The theme of loss as portrayed by African authors .
  • Use of language throughout history.
  • Identity and belonging representation in contemporary young adult fiction.
  • The intersection between art and literature in modern poetry.
  • Themes of authority, rebellion, and revolution in medieval epic poetry.
  • Role of fantasy in horror fiction.
  • Gender, race, and class representations within British romanticism.
  • American literary realism and naturalism.
  • Influence of symbolism on French modernist poetry.
  • Construction of memory within African American autobiographies.
  • Representation of narrative time in Latin American fiction.
  • Social injustice theme during early 20th-century American drama.
  • The relationship between social identity and language during postcolonial fiction.
  • Values and beliefs representations as presented by ancient Greek mythology.

Literature Research Paper Topics for Students

For students looking for research topics in literature for study, there is a wide variety of options available. Depending on the level and course, they might focus on analyzing particular authors, literary movements, or genres, exploring the use of language throughout history, or examining representations of gender, race, and class in books. You also need to study literary devices and their effects on readers when exploring literary topics for a research paper . Below are examples of literature topics for different students:

Literature Research Paper Topics for High School

These are literature topics to research, specifically tailored to high school students. They involve exploring the influence of literary work on culture, analyzing a single author's literary movement or genre, or investigating language use throughout history. This list of research topics in literature for high school provides an original starting point for your literary project!

  • Racism as presented during early 20th-century works.
  • Social criticism within contemporary dystopian young adult fiction.
  • Folklore's impact on contemporary poetry.
  • Representation of nature in modern literature.
  • Spirituality as portrayed by reformist literature.
  • Social class representation within postmodern novels.
  • The theme of environment in romantic works.
  • Colonialism representation during postcolonial works.
  • Effects of pop culture on modern fiction.
  • Mental illness representation during 19th-century poetry.
  • The role of music and art in early 20th-century literary texts.
  • Literature's influence on identity building in minority cultures.
  • Family dynamics in postmodern poetry.
  • Family and community representations during gothic fiction.
  • Literature as a tool for social change.

Literature Research Paper Topics for College Students

These titles entail more serious and in-depth scrutiny than a high school literary paper. A college-level literary research paper topic provides students with a broader range of analysis. It encompasses looking at literature as a form of political commentary to get its relationship with other art forms. Below are literature research paper topics for college students:

  • Identity construction during postmodern poetry.
  • Alienation themes within modern fiction.
  • Gender role representations in Shakespearean tragedies.
  • The relationship between narrative and memory within Holocaust literature.
  • Nature's role in contemporary American fiction.
  • Authority and subversion themes during the early 20th-century drama.
  • Race, class, and gender representation within African American autobiographies.
  • Social media influence the literary language.
  • The relationship between social identity and language in postcolonial fiction.
  • Values as presented by ancient Greek mythology .
  • Psychological distress during 20th-century war narratives.
  • Attitudes towards mental illness as portrayed by gothic texts.
  • The relationship between science and literary imagination.
  • Social hierarchy within Victorian novels.
  • Religion's role in southern American literature.

Literary Research Paper Topics by Categories

Research paper topics for literature by category offer an exclusive and stimulating perspective on literary analysis worldwide. They can be grouped into literary movements, authors, and genres, as well as topics related to language and history. If you are interested in European, American, and English literature topics, these ideas will help you find the perfect literary research paper topic for your project.

World Literature Research Paper Topics

Research paper topics for world literature allow students to explore literary works from any part of the world, including texts written in English, Spanish, and other languages. Below is a list that provides original world literature research topics for any project:

  • Impact of colonialism on native literary traditions.
  • Gender representation within French literature.
  • Religion's role within literary works from Latin America.
  • Symbolism in English poetry from the 19th century.
  • Themes of nationalism within modern Russian fiction.
  • Power and politics in Spanish plays.
  • Conflict as portrayed by African literature.
  • The role of folklore within Chinese fiction.
  • Themes of cultural identity in Japanese drama.
  • Family ties in Italian poetry.
  • Symbolism in Arabic literature.
  • Social class representation in Indian novels.
  • Impact of globalization on middle eastern fiction.
  • Human rights themes by contemporary Australian poets.
  • Western representations of other cultures in modern literature.

American Literature Research Paper Topics

In research paper topics for American literature, you examine the works of early American writers and poets, as well as those from later periods. Here is a list of American literature topics for your paper!

  • Attitudes towards race in early American novels.
  • Colonialism during 19th-century poetry.
  • Freedom and rebellion themes within revolutionary literature.
  • The emergence of gothic horror in American fiction.
  • Impact of transcendentalism on American writing.
  • Gender representation during pre-civil war literature .
  • Themes of morality in post-World War II American fiction.
  • Role of religion during 19th-century American novels.
  • Slavery and its abolition by American poets.
  • Social class representation during early American drama.
  • Themes of identity in postmodern American fiction.
  • Industrialization of 20th-century literature.
  • War and conflict representation by contemporary American playwrights.
  • Racism in 20th-century American novels.
  • Assimilation and immigration themes in post-World War II American literature.

British Literature Research Paper Topics

In British literature research topics, you explore works from early British writers to contemporary authors. Ideally, research topics for British literature should encompass works written by authors from all eras, including Medieval, Renaissance, and modern. Here is a list of English literature research paper topics for your perfect essay!

  • Gender representation during medieval English literature.
  • Colonialism's effects on British literary works during the 18th century.
  • Influence of British writers on modern literature.
  • The role of nature in 18th-century British novels.
  • Interpretations of classic British literary works.
  • Social class representations during 19th-century British fiction.
  • Themes of love and romance within Victorian literature.
  • Industrialization's impact on 20th-century British novels.
  • Patriotism and nationalism during post-World War II literary work.
  • Multiculturalism representations in postmodern British fiction.
  • Effects of censorship on British authors during the 20th century.
  • Mental health representation in modern British poetry.
  • Representation of historical events in British works throughout time.
  • Technological representations in 21st-century British Novels.
  • Intersectionality by contemporary British playwrights.

Did you know that you can generate a bunch of title ideas using our Research Paper Topic Generator ?

European Literary Research Paper Topics

European literature research paper topics offer an excellent opportunity to explore the works of European authors. They allow you to study and analyze the academic traditions and cultures of some of Europe's most influential writers. You can find such literary research paper topic ideas in the list below:

  • Representations of the European monarchy in classic novels.
  • Censorship effects on European authors during the 20th century.
  • Impact of World War II on European authors.
  • Gender representations within Victorian poetry.
  • Literary works from different countries and cultures in Europe.
  • Use of language, symbolism, and imagery to explore themes in European texts.
  • Themes of nature and environment within German short stories.
  • Technology representations in late Victorian poetry.
  • Popular culture's influence on European literary movements from the 20th century to modern times.
  • Impact of European literary works on people's perceptions of other cultures.
  • Use of supernatural elements within European gothic writings from the 18th to 19th centuries.
  • Identity representations in French social realism texts.
  • Technology's impact on contemporary European literary works.
  • Family and community representations during post-war theater.
  • Themes of justice and injustice within European dystopian texts.

Literature Research Paper Ideas by Periods

You may aspire to find literature topics for research papers from different historical periods. This involves studying literature from various cultures or eras, such as ancient, medieval, or modern ones. These ideas also cover the examination of themes and symbols used in writings and scrutinizing characters and their development through various works. Other topics include the exploration of texts from a political perspective in relation to their historical contexts. These ideas contain some literary research topics from various periods:

Ancient Literary Research Paper Topics

There are many exciting options to consider if you're looking for ancient literature research paper topics. They can be studied with regard to history, culture, art, and philosophy. To gain more insight, you could explore the works of Homer, Henry James, Virgil, and the Mahabharata, or old Egyptian writings, such as The Iliad and Odyssey . Below is a list of ancient literature topics for research you can choose from.

  • Gender representations in epic poetry.
  • Role of mythology and religion in ancient texts.
  • Influence of philosophy on ancient literature.
  • Power representations in Greek tragedy.
  • Heroism by early epic authors.
  • Love and marriage in ancient texts.
  • Ancient narratives of war and conflict.
  • Slavery representations in Roman poetry.
  • The role of music and art in classical literature.
  • Nature representations in ancient texts.
  • Politics' influence on Greek comedy.
  • Family and community representations in roman narratives.
  • Characters' representation in epic poetry.
  • The role of technology in early literary works.
  • Representations of the divine in ancient texts.
Read more: History Research Topics for Students 

Medieval Literature Research Paper Topics

The medieval literary study provides a unique opportunity to explore literature research topics of the Middle Ages. From Beowulf to The Canterbury Tales , these works offer insights into this era's cultural beliefs and values. Here are such literary topics for research papers to focus on:

  • Representations of medieval chivalry in literary works.
  • Religion's influence on medieval works.
  • Gender representation in medieval texts.
  • The role of magic in medieval narratives.
  • The impact of feudalism on medieval texts.
  • Honor and loyalty representations by chivalric texts.
  • The role of courtly love in medieval works.
  • Knights and warriors' representations in literary works.
  • Warfare representations in medieval texts.
  • The role of education and learning in medieval literature.

Renaissance Literary Research Paper Topics

The Renaissance literature research paper ideas explore works of literature during the Renaissance era, which spanned from the 14th to the 17th century. They focus on the themes, authors, and literature of this period to provide a better understanding of how literary works have evolved within this timeframe and their impact on our current literature. Some of the most influential figures who contributed immensely to writings during this era were William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes. If you are interested in researching this period, you can consider a literature research paper topic from the list below:

  • Love and romance representations in Renaissance texts.
  • Science and technology in 16th-century literature.
  • Class and social status representations in Renaissance literary works.
  • Classical mythology in Renaissance poetry.
  • Representations of family and community in Renaissance narratives.
  • Effects of humanism on Renaissance literature in Europe.
  • Imagery role by William Shakespeare .
  • Representations of art, music, and theater in Renaissance texts.
  • Politics' role in 16th-century literary texts.
  • Nature representation by John Milton or Torquato Tasso.
  • Exploration influence on Renaissance narratives.
  • Influence of Renaissance literature on modern writing.
  • Women's representation in literary texts by Anne Bradstreet or Aphra Behn.
  • Magic and supernatural representations in literary works of Renaissance.
  • Humanism and individualism themes within Renaissance literature.

Romantic Literature Research Paper Ideas

Romantic literature emerged during the late 18th century and flourished throughout the early 19th century in Europe. It is characterized by its focus on emotion and depictions of nature. This movement had a lasting impact on literary works and has been highly influential. Research topics in literature can explore the writings of authors such as Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and William Wordsworth. Here are some ideas related to romanticism:

  • Nature representations in Romantic texts.
  • The role of emotion as depicted in 19th-century literature.
  • Influence of Romantic authors on modern literature and culture.
  • Women's representation in Romantic narratives.
  • Industrialization impact on 19th-century texts.
  • Influence of religion and superstition in early Romantic texts.
  • Use of technology to discuss themes in Romantic texts from the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
  • The role of education as portrayed by Romantic narratives.
  • Character analysis and plot structure in gothic fiction.
  • Nationalism and patriotism as represented by post-Napoleonic war poems.

Modernist Literary Research Paper Topics

Modern literature emerged during the early 20th century until the end of World War II. It is characterized by a rejection of traditional conventions and focused on experimentation with form. This movement had an unprecedented impact on literature research topics and is highly influential today. If you are looking for literary topics for research papers that focus on modernism, consider exploring the following:

  • Nature representations by modern texts.
  • Social inequality in 21st-century novels.
  • Modernism's influence on current literature and culture.
  • Climate change within contemporary fiction.
  • Impact of social injustice on 20th-century literary works.
  • Urbanization representations by modern literary texts.
  • Education's influence on modernist narratives.
  • Wealth and power in early modernist texts.
  • Themes of urban life by Ezra Pound or Wallace Stevens.
  • Modernism's impact on classical literature.
  • Globalization themes within postmodern poetry.
  • Multiculturalism themes in contemporary literary works.
  • Mental health representations in modern British novels.
  • Global conflict representation in modern fiction.
  • The influence of psychoanalysis on modernist literature.

Current Literature Research Paper Ideas

Current literature paper topics can look at the latest trends. They include exploring contemporary works such as Harry Potter by J.K Rowling and Stardust by Neil Gaiman. These topics may also involve analyzing social media's effects on literary writings. If you are looking for current literary topics for a research paper, consider the following:

  • Technological impact on literary works in the 21st century.
  • Art, music, and theater in modern texts.
  • Impact of conflict on recent literary works.
  • Social injustice in 21st-century narratives.
  • Racism, ethnicity, and slavery in contemporary texts.
  • Wealth and power in recent literary works.
  • Globalization themes in postmodern poetry.
  • Urbanization in modern writings.
  • Immigration within postmodern British novels.

In case you need more paper topics, feel free to browse our blog. We have a wide arsenal of ideas starting from philosophy research paper topics to education research paper topics .  

Bottom Line on Literature Research Paper Topics

Literature topics for research can explore a wide range of themes and works. Whether you are looking for visionary ideas about poetry, fiction, or books from different eras, there is no shortage of literature paper topics to choose from. To narrow down your focus and find the best idea for your project, consider researching literary movements, reading widely, and thinking about the areas that interest you most.  Literature topics for research papers should be chosen based on students' interests and areas of expertise. By conducting in-depth research, you will gain a greater appreciation for literary work and its impact on society. With this article as a guide, you can take the time to find a topic that speaks to you and create an engaging research paper.

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One of the hardest parts of writing a research paper can be just finding a good topic to write about. Fortunately we've done the hard work for you and have compiled a list of 113 interesting research paper topics. They've been organized into ten categories and cover a wide range of subjects so you can easily find the best topic for you.

In addition to the list of good research topics, we've included advice on what makes a good research paper topic and how you can use your topic to start writing a great paper.

What Makes a Good Research Paper Topic?

Not all research paper topics are created equal, and you want to make sure you choose a great topic before you start writing. Below are the three most important factors to consider to make sure you choose the best research paper topics.

#1: It's Something You're Interested In

A paper is always easier to write if you're interested in the topic, and you'll be more motivated to do in-depth research and write a paper that really covers the entire subject. Even if a certain research paper topic is getting a lot of buzz right now or other people seem interested in writing about it, don't feel tempted to make it your topic unless you genuinely have some sort of interest in it as well.

#2: There's Enough Information to Write a Paper

Even if you come up with the absolute best research paper topic and you're so excited to write about it, you won't be able to produce a good paper if there isn't enough research about the topic. This can happen for very specific or specialized topics, as well as topics that are too new to have enough research done on them at the moment. Easy research paper topics will always be topics with enough information to write a full-length paper.

Trying to write a research paper on a topic that doesn't have much research on it is incredibly hard, so before you decide on a topic, do a bit of preliminary searching and make sure you'll have all the information you need to write your paper.

#3: It Fits Your Teacher's Guidelines

Don't get so carried away looking at lists of research paper topics that you forget any requirements or restrictions your teacher may have put on research topic ideas. If you're writing a research paper on a health-related topic, deciding to write about the impact of rap on the music scene probably won't be allowed, but there may be some sort of leeway. For example, if you're really interested in current events but your teacher wants you to write a research paper on a history topic, you may be able to choose a topic that fits both categories, like exploring the relationship between the US and North Korea. No matter what, always get your research paper topic approved by your teacher first before you begin writing.

113 Good Research Paper Topics

Below are 113 good research topics to help you get you started on your paper. We've organized them into ten categories to make it easier to find the type of research paper topics you're looking for.

Arts/Culture

  • Discuss the main differences in art from the Italian Renaissance and the Northern Renaissance .
  • Analyze the impact a famous artist had on the world.
  • How is sexism portrayed in different types of media (music, film, video games, etc.)? Has the amount/type of sexism changed over the years?
  • How has the music of slaves brought over from Africa shaped modern American music?
  • How has rap music evolved in the past decade?
  • How has the portrayal of minorities in the media changed?

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Current Events

  • What have been the impacts of China's one child policy?
  • How have the goals of feminists changed over the decades?
  • How has the Trump presidency changed international relations?
  • Analyze the history of the relationship between the United States and North Korea.
  • What factors contributed to the current decline in the rate of unemployment?
  • What have been the impacts of states which have increased their minimum wage?
  • How do US immigration laws compare to immigration laws of other countries?
  • How have the US's immigration laws changed in the past few years/decades?
  • How has the Black Lives Matter movement affected discussions and view about racism in the US?
  • What impact has the Affordable Care Act had on healthcare in the US?
  • What factors contributed to the UK deciding to leave the EU (Brexit)?
  • What factors contributed to China becoming an economic power?
  • Discuss the history of Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies  (some of which tokenize the S&P 500 Index on the blockchain) .
  • Do students in schools that eliminate grades do better in college and their careers?
  • Do students from wealthier backgrounds score higher on standardized tests?
  • Do students who receive free meals at school get higher grades compared to when they weren't receiving a free meal?
  • Do students who attend charter schools score higher on standardized tests than students in public schools?
  • Do students learn better in same-sex classrooms?
  • How does giving each student access to an iPad or laptop affect their studies?
  • What are the benefits and drawbacks of the Montessori Method ?
  • Do children who attend preschool do better in school later on?
  • What was the impact of the No Child Left Behind act?
  • How does the US education system compare to education systems in other countries?
  • What impact does mandatory physical education classes have on students' health?
  • Which methods are most effective at reducing bullying in schools?
  • Do homeschoolers who attend college do as well as students who attended traditional schools?
  • Does offering tenure increase or decrease quality of teaching?
  • How does college debt affect future life choices of students?
  • Should graduate students be able to form unions?

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  • What are different ways to lower gun-related deaths in the US?
  • How and why have divorce rates changed over time?
  • Is affirmative action still necessary in education and/or the workplace?
  • Should physician-assisted suicide be legal?
  • How has stem cell research impacted the medical field?
  • How can human trafficking be reduced in the United States/world?
  • Should people be able to donate organs in exchange for money?
  • Which types of juvenile punishment have proven most effective at preventing future crimes?
  • Has the increase in US airport security made passengers safer?
  • Analyze the immigration policies of certain countries and how they are similar and different from one another.
  • Several states have legalized recreational marijuana. What positive and negative impacts have they experienced as a result?
  • Do tariffs increase the number of domestic jobs?
  • Which prison reforms have proven most effective?
  • Should governments be able to censor certain information on the internet?
  • Which methods/programs have been most effective at reducing teen pregnancy?
  • What are the benefits and drawbacks of the Keto diet?
  • How effective are different exercise regimes for losing weight and maintaining weight loss?
  • How do the healthcare plans of various countries differ from each other?
  • What are the most effective ways to treat depression ?
  • What are the pros and cons of genetically modified foods?
  • Which methods are most effective for improving memory?
  • What can be done to lower healthcare costs in the US?
  • What factors contributed to the current opioid crisis?
  • Analyze the history and impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic .
  • Are low-carbohydrate or low-fat diets more effective for weight loss?
  • How much exercise should the average adult be getting each week?
  • Which methods are most effective to get parents to vaccinate their children?
  • What are the pros and cons of clean needle programs?
  • How does stress affect the body?
  • Discuss the history of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
  • What were the causes and effects of the Salem Witch Trials?
  • Who was responsible for the Iran-Contra situation?
  • How has New Orleans and the government's response to natural disasters changed since Hurricane Katrina?
  • What events led to the fall of the Roman Empire?
  • What were the impacts of British rule in India ?
  • Was the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki necessary?
  • What were the successes and failures of the women's suffrage movement in the United States?
  • What were the causes of the Civil War?
  • How did Abraham Lincoln's assassination impact the country and reconstruction after the Civil War?
  • Which factors contributed to the colonies winning the American Revolution?
  • What caused Hitler's rise to power?
  • Discuss how a specific invention impacted history.
  • What led to Cleopatra's fall as ruler of Egypt?
  • How has Japan changed and evolved over the centuries?
  • What were the causes of the Rwandan genocide ?

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  • Why did Martin Luther decide to split with the Catholic Church?
  • Analyze the history and impact of a well-known cult (Jonestown, Manson family, etc.)
  • How did the sexual abuse scandal impact how people view the Catholic Church?
  • How has the Catholic church's power changed over the past decades/centuries?
  • What are the causes behind the rise in atheism/ agnosticism in the United States?
  • What were the influences in Siddhartha's life resulted in him becoming the Buddha?
  • How has media portrayal of Islam/Muslims changed since September 11th?

Science/Environment

  • How has the earth's climate changed in the past few decades?
  • How has the use and elimination of DDT affected bird populations in the US?
  • Analyze how the number and severity of natural disasters have increased in the past few decades.
  • Analyze deforestation rates in a certain area or globally over a period of time.
  • How have past oil spills changed regulations and cleanup methods?
  • How has the Flint water crisis changed water regulation safety?
  • What are the pros and cons of fracking?
  • What impact has the Paris Climate Agreement had so far?
  • What have NASA's biggest successes and failures been?
  • How can we improve access to clean water around the world?
  • Does ecotourism actually have a positive impact on the environment?
  • Should the US rely on nuclear energy more?
  • What can be done to save amphibian species currently at risk of extinction?
  • What impact has climate change had on coral reefs?
  • How are black holes created?
  • Are teens who spend more time on social media more likely to suffer anxiety and/or depression?
  • How will the loss of net neutrality affect internet users?
  • Analyze the history and progress of self-driving vehicles.
  • How has the use of drones changed surveillance and warfare methods?
  • Has social media made people more or less connected?
  • What progress has currently been made with artificial intelligence ?
  • Do smartphones increase or decrease workplace productivity?
  • What are the most effective ways to use technology in the classroom?
  • How is Google search affecting our intelligence?
  • When is the best age for a child to begin owning a smartphone?
  • Has frequent texting reduced teen literacy rates?

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How to Write a Great Research Paper

Even great research paper topics won't give you a great research paper if you don't hone your topic before and during the writing process. Follow these three tips to turn good research paper topics into great papers.

#1: Figure Out Your Thesis Early

Before you start writing a single word of your paper, you first need to know what your thesis will be. Your thesis is a statement that explains what you intend to prove/show in your paper. Every sentence in your research paper will relate back to your thesis, so you don't want to start writing without it!

As some examples, if you're writing a research paper on if students learn better in same-sex classrooms, your thesis might be "Research has shown that elementary-age students in same-sex classrooms score higher on standardized tests and report feeling more comfortable in the classroom."

If you're writing a paper on the causes of the Civil War, your thesis might be "While the dispute between the North and South over slavery is the most well-known cause of the Civil War, other key causes include differences in the economies of the North and South, states' rights, and territorial expansion."

#2: Back Every Statement Up With Research

Remember, this is a research paper you're writing, so you'll need to use lots of research to make your points. Every statement you give must be backed up with research, properly cited the way your teacher requested. You're allowed to include opinions of your own, but they must also be supported by the research you give.

#3: Do Your Research Before You Begin Writing

You don't want to start writing your research paper and then learn that there isn't enough research to back up the points you're making, or, even worse, that the research contradicts the points you're trying to make!

Get most of your research on your good research topics done before you begin writing. Then use the research you've collected to create a rough outline of what your paper will cover and the key points you're going to make. This will help keep your paper clear and organized, and it'll ensure you have enough research to produce a strong paper.

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Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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topics for research in literature

100 Best Literary Research Topics – Fresh Perspectives on Literature Pieces

Selecting the right literature topics for a research paper work can be challenging due to the wealth of literary works and themes available. To find the perfect topic, focus on your personal character interests, the scope of your assignment, and the availability of resources or requirements of American universities. Reflect on the literary periods, authors, or themes that captivate you, and investigate potential questions or ideas related to them. Seeking guidance from your instructor or peers can also be beneficial, as can browsing academic journals, literary critiques, or scholarly databases to discover trending literature research paper topics or ongoing debates in the literary and cultural field.

How to Understand If a Topic Is Good?

Choose literary topics for research paper works that genuinely interest you ensure there is a sufficient amount of primary and secondary sources, and contribute to the existing body of knowledge. You need to determine if literary research topics in history are suitable for your literary research paper, consider the factors: interest and engagement with the literary research topic, the scope and maintenance of the subject.

Test it with an Outline

You need to create a preliminary outline for your paper, organizing your ideas and potential arguments logically. Together with our research paper writing service , you gain the success results. In another way, you can concentrate on the text`s main points and reveal the literary research topics intricacy, pertinence, and scope.

Write a Thesis Statement

Craft a premise statement that encapsulates your central argument and offers a fresh perspective on your chosen literature research paper ideas to ensure it is neither overly broad. An effective premise statement should be clear, concise, and debatable, sparking further discussion and analysis, and if you feel troubled with managing this task our website writes for you any essay .

List of Literature Research Topics

When choosing literary research topics, consider exploring various spheres of interest that offer diverse subjects for examination. For instance, focus on the works of specific authors, the characteristics of a particular literary period, or the themes and poetry that recur across different eras. Delve into the representation of historical and social issues in literary research topics, such as gender roles, race, or mental health, and investigate how to make the list of the best research paper topics . By examining American literature research topics, you can find literature topics for research that resonates with your interests and contributes to the existing body of literary knowledge. Additionally, you may explore genres like science fiction or magical poetry, examining their impact on society and culture. Investigating the relationship between literature and other disciplines, such as philosophy, psychology, or history, can also yield fascinating American or British lit research paper topics.

British Literature Research Paper Topics

You can investigate captivating elements of literary research paper topics through an array of research work topics. By scrutinizing distinct themes, genres, and historical eras, you can profoundly comprehend the multifaceted and diverse landscape of English literary research subjects and their impact on American authors. This exploration allows you to broaden your knowledge, develop critical thinking skills, and foster a genuine appreciation for the creative and intellectual contributions within the field of English literature research topics.

  • Gender Roles in Shakespeare’s Plays.
  • Power Representation in Jane Austen’s Novels.
  • Love and Marriage in John Donne’s Poetry.
  • Gothic literature’s influence on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
  • Imperialism in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness.
  • Symbolism in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies.
  • Nature’s Role in William Wordsworth’s Poetry.
  • Social Class in George Eliot’s Middlemarch.
  • Supernatural Elements in Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
  • World War I’s Impact on Early 20th-Century Literature.

American Literature Topics

From iconic novels to influential authors, these literary research topics encompass the essence of American identity, history, and culture. Unravel the complexities of this vast literary landscape as you delve into themes of race, ethnicity, the American Dream, and more, uncovering the unique perspectives and voices that have shaped and defined American literature throughout the centuries.

  • The American Identity in Toni Morrison’s Beloved.
  • The American Dream in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.
  • The American Symbolism in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter.
  • Race and ethnicity in James Baldwin’s Go Tell It on the Mountain.
  • The American Slavery in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
  • Road Trip in Jack Kerouac’s On the Road.
  • Magical Realism in Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude.
  • The American Civil Rights Movement’s Impact on 1960s American Literature.
  • The American Religion in Flannery O’Connor’s works.
  • The American West in Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian.

Science Fiction Literary Research Essay Topics

With these topics, you can delve into a myriad of literary research topics that explore the depths of futuristic societies, alternate realities, and advanced technology. Unearth the themes, symbolism, and socio-political commentary embedded within these stories, fostering a deeper appreciation for the power and allure of sci-fi literary research topics.

  • Artificial Intelligence in Asimov’s “I, Robot” and Dick’s “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”
  • Dystopia in Orwell’s “1984” and Huxley’s “Brave New World.”
  • Alienation in Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451” and Vonnegut’s “Cat’s Cradle.”
  • Time Travel in Wells’ “The Time Machine” and L’Engle’s “A Wrinkle in Time.”
  • Genetic Engineering in Huxley’s “Brave New World” and Atwood’s “Oryx and Crake.”
  • Environmentalism in Herbert’s “Dune” and Butler’s “Parable of the Sower.”
  • Virtual Reality in Gibson’s “Neuromancer” and Stephenson’s “Snow Crash.”
  • Post-apocalyptic settings in McCarthy’s “The Road” and Mandel’s “Station Eleven.”
  • Identity in Le Guin’s “The Left Hand of Darkness” and Delany’s “Dhalgren.”
  • Extraterrestrial Life in Clarke’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” and Lem’s “Solaris.”

High School Literary Research Essay Topics

These subjects should be carefully selected for their relevance and appeal, they provide the perfect foundation for developing critical thinking, analytical skills, and a love for literature. Discover thought-provoking issues relevant to high school readers with these high school literary research topics. By delving into contemporary literary research topics that resonate with teenage audiences, you can foster a greater appreciation for literature and its impact on young minds.

  • Mental Illness in Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye” and Plath’s “The Bell Jar.”
  • Symbolism in Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter” and its relevance today.
  • Identity and Self-Discovery in Baldwin’s “Go Tell It on the Mountain” and Walker’s “The Color Purple.”
  • Racism and inequality in Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” and Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye.”
  • Nature and Symbolism in Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights” and Frost’s works.
  • Isolation and Loneliness in Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” and Williams’ “A Streetcar Named Desire.”
  • Gender Roles in Bronte’s “Jane Eyre” and Chopin’s “The Awakening.”
  • Magical Realism in Marquez’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude” and Allende’s “The House of the Spirits.”
  • War and its effects in Hemingway’s “A Farewell to Arms” and Vonnegut’s “Slaughterhouse-Five.”
  • The American Dream in Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” and Miller’s “Death of a Salesman.”

Modernist Literature Research Paper Topics

Discover interesting literature topics of self-discovery, rebellion, and experimental styles that resonate with teenagers, while gaining an understanding of the cultural and historical influences that fuelled this revolutionary movement. Fell the groundbreaking literary movements in these modernist research topics in literature and chose the best one for you.

  • Fragmentation in Modernist Literature: Joyce’s Ulysses and Eliot’s The Waste Land.
  • Modernist Literature and Trauma: Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway and Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises.
  • World War I’s Influence on Modernist Literature: Owen’s Works and Ford’s Parade’s End.
  • Time in Modernist Literature: Proust’s In Search of Lost Time and Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury.
  • Women’s Role in Modernist Literature: Barnes’ Nightwood and Rhys’ Wide Sargasso Sea.
  • Identity in Modernist Literature: Baldwin’s Go Tell It on the Mountain and Ellison’s Invisible Man.
  • Stream of Consciousness in Modernist Literature: Mansfield’s “Bliss” and Woolf’s To the Lighthouse.
  • Modernist Literature and the City: Pound’s “In a Station of the Metro” and Eliot’s “Preludes.”
  • Modernist Literature and the Movement: Pound’s The Cantos and H.D.’s Trilogy.
  • The “Lost Generation” in Modernist Literature: Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises and Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.

Renaissance Literature Research Paper Topics

The era, characterized by a remarkable resurgence in culture, art, and intellectual pursuits, has impacted the trajectory of human civilization. Uncover the rich tapestry of the revival literary research topics for your literary research paper.

  • Love in Shakespeare’s Sonnets
  • Women in Twelfth Night and the Duchess of Malfi
  • Humanism in Utopia and Petrarch’s Sonnets
  • Fate in Romeo and Juliet and Doctor Faustus
  • Courtly Love in the Faerie Queene and Astrophil and Stella
  • Classical Themes in Julius Caesar and Dido, Queen of Carthage
  • Reformation in Paradise Lost and the Temple
  • Power in Macbeth and The Revenger’s Tragedy
  • Revival Influence on Hamlet and the Spanish Tragedy
  • Kingship between Richard II and Edward II

Controversial Literature Research Paper Topics

Debate and analyze character issues in literature with these controversial literature literary research topics. These subjects allow you to explore literary research topics, ethical dilemmas, and social commentaries within literary works, providing an opportunity for intellectual growth and open dialogue.

  • Mental Illness Portrayal in Literature: Helpful or Harmful?
  • Cultural Appropriation in Literature Ethics.
  • Racial Slurs Use in Literature Controversy.
  • Trigger Warnings in Literature and Free Speech Impact.
  • Censorship Effects on Literature and Society.
  • Authorial Intent Ethics in Literary Interpretation.
  • Sexuality Representation in Literature Controversy.
  • Violence against Women’s Portrayal in Literature and Society’s Impact.
  • Cancel Culture’s Impact on Literature and Publishing.
  • Literary Classics Value Debate in Modern Society.

World Literature Research Topics

Embark on a literary journey around the globe with these World literary research topics.

  • War Depiction in Global Literature
  • Novel Evolution in Different Cultures
  • Immigration and Diaspora in Literature
  • Love and Relationships in Global Literature
  • Colonialism’s Impact on Global Literature
  • Mythology in Global Literature
  • Cultural Identity in International Literature
  •  Political Oppression and Resistance Themes
  • Eastern Philosophy’s Influence on Western Literature
  • Spirituality and Religion in Global Literature

Literature Research Paper Topics for Students

These literary research topics are designed to challenge students’ critical thinking and analytical skills while fostering a deeper appreciation for literature.

  • Technology’s Impact on Contemporary Literature.
  • LGBTQ+ Community Portrayal in Literature.
  • Mental Health Representation in Young Adult Literature.
  • Feminism’s Role in Shaping Contemporary Literature.
  • Globalization’s Impact on Literature and Culture.
  • Social Justice and Activism Themes in Modern Literature.
  • Race and Ethnicity in Contemporary Literature.
  • Postmodernism’s Influence on Contemporary Literature.
  • Environment and Climate Change Representation in Literature.
  • Science Fiction’s Role in Reflecting and Shaping Contemporary Society.

Modern Literature Research Paper Topics

Analyze the intricacies of modern literary research topics masterpieces for university students.

  • Magic Realism in Garcia Marquez’s Works
  • Morrison and Baldwin’s Literary Techniques
  • Feminism in Alice Munro’s Short Stories
  • Postmodernism in Don Delillo’s Novels
  • Mental Illness in the Bell Jar and the Yellow Wallpaper
  • Identity in Adichie and Lahiri’s Works
  • Colonialism’s Impact on Achebe and Ngugi WA Thiong’O
  • Stream of Consciousness in Mrs. Dalloway and Ulysses
  • Masculinity in Hemingway’s Novels
  • Memory Role in Kazuo Ishiguro’s Novels

Ancient Literature Research Topics

Delve into the origins of storytelling and literary research topics for your literary research paper. These literary research topics will allow you to investigate various themes, genres, and styles across different time periods, ultimately enhancing your appreciation for the transformative power of storytelling. 

  • Women in Greek Tragedies
  • Mythology in Homer & Virgil Epic
  • Poetry: Greece vs Rome
  • Prophecy in Greek Tragedies
  • Fate in Oedipus Rex & Macbeth
  • Dreams in Egyptian Literature
  • Gods in Mesopotamian Literature
  • Love Poetry: India & China
  • Oral Tradition in African Literature
  • Karma in Mahabharata 

In conclusion, selecting literary research topics is an essential step in the writing process, as it sets the foundation for your entire paper. Explore various subjects within English, American, or global literature, and consider literary research topics such as gender roles, power representation, or the impact of historical events on literature discuss. Remember to choose literary research topics that genuinely interest you, as this will make the literature discussion and writing process more enjoyable and engaging. Test your literary research topics with an outline and a premise statement to ensure it is focused, specific, and manageable.

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Top 300 Engaging Literature Research Paper Topics

Literature Research Paper Topics

Are you ready to dive into the fascinating world of literature? This guide is your passport to exploring fascinating literature research paper topics that will spark your curiosity and imagination. Whether you’re passionate about classic novels, modern poetry, or even graphic novels, there’s a topic here waiting to be discovered by you.

Uncover themes that echo across cultures, analyze the impact of influential authors, or even dive into the evolution of storytelling through the ages. From Shakespeare’s timeless works to contemporary masterpieces, this compilation offers a treasure of ideas that will make your research journey exciting and fulfilling.

Discover the power of words, uncover the mysteries behind beloved characters, and explore the socio-cultural contexts that shaped literary movements. Get ready to go on an intellectual adventure that will deepen your appreciation for the writings.

So, grab your notebook and pen, and let’s start this exciting literary exploration together. 

What Are The Key Elements Of A Good Research Paper?

Table of Contents

A good research paper should contain several key elements to ensure its effectiveness, credibility, and impact. When these elements come together effectively, they create a research paper that is rigid, insightful, and contributes meaningfully to its academic or professional domain. They are as:

  • Clear and Focused Topic: A well-defined and specific research question or topic that is relevant and interesting.
  • Thorough Literature Review: A complete review of existing literature to establish context, identify gaps, and support the research hypothesis or argument.
  • Solid Methodology: Clear explanation of the research methods employed, whether qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods, ensuring they are appropriate for the research question.
  • Credible Sources: Reliance on credible and scholarly sources to support arguments and findings. This includes peer-reviewed journals, academic books, and reputable websites.
  • Strong Thesis Statement: A concise and arguable thesis statement that articulates the main argument or point of the paper.
  • Logical Structure: A well-organized structure with clear divisions containing introduction, literature review, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusion.
  • Critical Analysis: A critical evaluation of data or literature, providing insightful analysis and interpretation, not just summary.
  • Proper Citations and References: Accurate and consistent citation of sources following a specific citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.).
  • Clarity and Precision: Clear, concise, and precise writing that is free from jargon or unnecessary complexity, ensuring accessibility to a wide audience.
  • Conclusion and Implications: A strong conclusion that summarizes key findings and discusses their implications, suggesting avenues for further research or application.
  • Editing and Proofreading: Thorough editing and proofreading to eliminate errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling, ensuring a polished final product.
  • Originality and Contribution: Demonstrating original thought, analysis, or contribution to the field, providing new insights or perspectives.

Now for your convenience, we have categorized the literature research topics under different categories, and they are as follows:

Top 20 Research Paper Topics On Shakespearean Studies

  • Portrayal of Women in Shakespearean Plays
  • Exploration of Tragic Flaws in Shakespearean Characters
  • The Influence of Greek Tragedy on Shakespearean Drama
  • Shakespeare’s Sonnets: Themes and Analysis
  • Political Themes in Shakespearean Plays
  • The Role of Comedy in Shakespeare’s Works
  • Adaptations of Shakespearean Plays in Modern Media
  • Analysis of Shakespeare’s Historical Accuracy
  • Madness and Sanity in Shakespearean Characters
  • The Concept of Love and Relationships in Shakespeare’s Works
  • Shakespearean Villains: Motivations and Representations
  • Religious Elements in Shakespearean Plays
  • Comparative Study of Tragedies and Comedies in Shakespearean Literature
  • Gender Roles and Identity in Shakespearean Society
  • Shakespeare’s Influence on English Language and Literature
  • Exploration of Revenge in Shakespearean Plays
  • Psychological Depth in Shakespearean Characters
  • Theatrical Performance Techniques in Shakespearean Era
  • The Theme of Power and Authority in Shakespeare’s Works
  • Interpretation of Fate and Destiny in Shakespearean Plays

Top 20 Research Paper Topics On Modernist Literature

  • Stream of Consciousness Narratives in Modernist Literature
  • The Role of Urban Settings in Modernist Novels
  • Fragmentation and Experimental Structures in Modernist Writing
  • Modernist Poetry: Innovation and Themes
  • Political and Social Critique in Modernist Literature
  • Modernist Women Writers and Their Impact
  • Influence of World War I on Modernist Literature
  • Change from Realism to Modernism in Literature
  • Modernist Literature and the Exploration of Identity
  • Modernist Short Stories: Techniques and Themes
  • Symbolism and Imagery in Modernist Novels
  • Streamlining Time and Narrative in Modernist Fiction
  • Transatlantic Modernism: Comparing American and European Movements
  • Modernist Plays and Theatrical Innovations
  • Modernist Literature and Psychoanalytic Theories
  • Interwar Period and Modernist Literature
  • Modernist Literature and the Cityscape
  • Religious and Spiritual Motifs in Modernist Works
  • Feminist Perspectives in Modernist Writing
  • Modernist Literature: Reactions to Industrialization and Modernity

Top 20 Research Paper Topics On Post-Colonial Literature

  • Decolonization and Identity in Post-Colonial Literature
  • Subaltern Voices in Post-Colonial Texts
  • Effect of Colonialism on Cultural Hybridity in Literature
  • Post-Colonial Literature and Resistance Narratives
  • Colonial Trauma and Memory in Post-Colonial Writing
  • Post-Colonial Feminism in Literature
  • Nationalism and Post-Colonial Identity
  • Post-Colonialism and Language Politics in Literature
  • Indigenous Perspectives in Post-Colonial Texts
  • Diasporic Literature in Post-Colonial Contexts
  • Globalization and Post-Colonial Literary Discourse
  • Postcolonial Ecocriticism in Literature
  • Power Dynamics and Post-Colonial Representation
  • Post-Colonialism and Magical Realism in Literature
  • Postcolonialism and Postmodernism in Literary Works
  • Subversion of Colonial Stereotypes in Literature
  • Hybrid Identities in Post-Colonial Texts
  • Post-Colonial Literature and the Politics of Place
  • Post-Colonial Literature and Reimagining History
  • Post-Colonial Literature and the Legacy of Empire

Top 20 Research Paper Topics On Feminist Perspectives in Literature

  • Representation of Women in Classic Literature: Challenges and Transformations
  • Feminist Critique of Patriarchal Norms in Literature
  • Intersectionality in Feminist Literature
  • Feminist Reinterpretation of Fairy Tales and Folklore
  • Female Bildungsroman in Literature
  • Ecofeminism and Environmental Concerns in Literature
  • Motherhood and Maternal Experience in Literature
  • Feminist Dystopian Literature: Power and Resistance
  • Body Politics and Feminist Discourse in Literary Works
  • Feminist Perspectives on Sexuality and Gender Identity in Literature
  • Feminist Satire and Irony in Literature
  • Women’s Writing and Feminist Literary Canon
  • Feminist Themes in Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature
  • Feminist Perspectives on Women of Color in Literature
  • Feminist Manifestos and Essays in Literary Contexts
  • Feminist Revisioning of Mythology and Legends in Literature
  • Feminist Utopian Visions in Literary Works
  • Feminist Perspectives on Marriage and Relationships in Literature
  • Feminist Critique of Male Authors and their Representation of Women
  • Feminist Discourse in Contemporary Literature

Top 20 Research Paper Topics On Literary Criticism and Theory

  • Structuralism and its Impact on Literary Criticism
  • Post-structuralist Perspectives in Literary Theory
  • New Criticism: Analysis of Textual Elements
  • Reader-response Theory and Interpretation in Literature
  • Formalism and its Influence on Literary Analysis
  • Marxist Literary Criticism: Class and Ideology in Texts
  • Psychoanalytic Literary Theory and Character Analysis
  • Feminist Literary Criticism: Gender and Power Dynamics
  • Deconstructionist Theory in Literary Analysis
  • Postcolonial Literary Criticism and its Applications
  • Queer Theory in Literary Interpretation
  • Ecocriticism and Environmental Literary Theory
  • Aestheticism and the Philosophy of Art in Literature
  • Cultural Studies and Literary Criticism
  • Critical Race Theory and Literature
  • Comparative Literature and Critical Theory
  • Reception Theory and its Impact on Literary Studies
  • Formalist Literary Theory and Russian Formalism
  • Semiotics and Significance in Literary Criticism
  • Narrative Theory and its Role in Analyzing Texts

Top 20 Research Paper Topics On Comparative Literature

  • Comparative Analysis of Mythological Narratives across Cultures
  • Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Shakespearean Plays
  • Comparative Study of Fairy Tales from Different Regions
  • Multilingualism in Comparative Literature
  • Comparative Exploration of Epic Poetry
  • Cultural Exchange in Translated Literary Works
  • Comparative Analysis of Post-War Literature from Various Countries
  • Comparative Approaches to Folklore and Oral Traditions
  • Interdisciplinary Studies in Comparative Literature
  • Comparative Study of Contemporary Graphic Novels Worldwide
  • Comparative Analysis of Existential Themes in World Literature
  • Comparative Analysis of Literary Movements in Different Regions
  • Comparative Perspectives on Colonial and Post-Colonial Literature
  • Comparative Study of Detective Fiction across Cultures
  • Comparative Analysis of Tragic Drama in Different Cultures
  • Comparative Study of Bildungsroman Novels from Various Cultures
  • Comparative Analysis of Magical Realism in World Literature
  • Comparative Exploration of Science Fiction in Different Languages
  • Comparative Study of Feminist Literature Globally
  • Comparative Perspectives on Utopian and Dystopian Fiction

Top 20 Research Paper Topics On LGBTQ+ Themes in Literature

  • LGBTQ+ Representation in Classic Literature
  • Queer Theory and its Application in Literary Analysis
  • LGBTQ+ Coming-of-Age Narratives in Literature
  • Transgender Identities in Literature
  • LGBTQ+ Themes in Contemporary Poetry
  • LGBTQ+ Relationships in Historical Fiction
  • Homosexuality and Gender Fluidity in Mythological Texts
  • LGBTQ+ Memoirs and Autobiographies in Literature
  • LGBTQ+ Themes in Young Adult Literature
  • LGBTQ+ Voices in Science Fiction and Fantasy
  • LGBTQ+ Perspectives in Graphic Novels and Comics
  • LGBTQ+ Characters in Children’s Literature
  • LGBTQ+ Themes in Theater and Performance Arts
  • Intersectionality and LGBTQ+ Literature
  • LGBTQ+ Themes in Diasporic Literature
  • LGBTQ+ Activism and Representation in Literature
  • LGBTQ+ Themes in Mystery and Crime Fiction
  • LGBTQ+ Themes in Non-Western Literary Traditions
  • LGBTQ+ Themes in Postcolonial Literature
  • LGBTQ+ Representation in Speculative Fiction

Top 20 Research Paper Topics On Science Fiction and Fantasy

  • Evolution of Science Fiction: From Pulp to Modern
  • Dystopian Futures in Science Fiction Literature
  • Hard Science Fiction: Exploring Scientific Accuracy in Sci-Fi
  • Cyberpunk Literature: Technology and Society
  • Feminist Themes in Science Fiction
  • Space Opera and Epic Science Fiction
  • Alternate Realities in Fantasy Literature
  • Magic Systems in Fantasy Worlds
  • Mythological Influences in Fantasy Literature
  • Time Travel in Science Fiction and Fantasy
  • Artificial Intelligence in Science Fiction
  • Alien Cultures and Intergalactic Politics in Sci-Fi
  • Folklore and Fairy Tales in Fantasy Writing
  • Steampunk: Victorian Era Reimagined in Literature
  • Post-Apocalyptic Narratives in Science Fiction
  • Superheroes and Supervillains in Comics and Novels
  • Evolution of Robots and Androids in Sci-Fi
  • Quests and Journeys in Fantasy Epics
  • Environmental Themes in Science Fiction
  • Multiverse Theory in Speculative Fiction

Top 20 Research Paper Topics On African American Literature

  • Harlem Renaissance and Its Literary Legacy
  • Slave Narratives in African American Literature
  • Civil Rights Movement in African American Writing
  • Oral Traditions in African American Literature
  • Folklore and Mythology in African American Stories
  • African American Women Writers: Their Contributions
  • Reconstruction Era Literature and its Significance
  • Jazz and Blues Influences in African American Writing
  • Contemporary Voices in African American Literature
  • Intersectionality and Identity in African American Writing
  • Symbolism of the African Diaspora in Literature
  • Afrofuturism in African American Literature
  • Urban Realism and African American Urban Experience
  • Religion and Spirituality in African American Writing
  • LGBTQ+ Themes in African American Literature
  • African American Children’s Literature
  • The Impact of Toni Morrison’s Literary Contributions
  • African American Poetry: Tradition and Innovation
  • Critique of Racism in African American Literature
  • African American Short Stories and Their Impact

Top 20 Research Paper Topics On Environmental Literature

  • Ecocriticism: Exploring Nature in Literature
  • Environmental Activism in Literary Works
  • Wilderness and the American Imagination in Literature
  • Climate Change Narratives in Environmental Literature
  • Nature Writing and the Natural World in Literature
  • Urban Ecology in Literary Works
  • Indigenous Perspectives on Nature in Literature
  • Environmental Ethics in Literary Discourse
  • Flora and Fauna in Environmental Literature
  • Environmental Justice and Literature
  • Posthumanism and Nature in Literary Contexts
  • Landscapes and Identities in Environmental Writing
  • Ecolinguistics and Language in Environmental Literature
  • Sustainable Living in Literary Narratives
  • Environmental Catastrophe in Fiction and Non-Fiction
  • Evolution of the Environmental Movement in Literature
  • Biodiversity and Conservation in Literary Texts
  • Waterscapes and Maritime Literature in an Environmental Context
  • Rewilding and Restoration in Environmental Narratives
  • Rural vs. Urban Perspectives in Environmental Literature

Top 20 Research Paper Topics On Mythology and Folklore in Literature

  • Comparative Analysis of Creation Myths Worldwide
  • Heroic Archetypes in Mythological Epics
  • Role of Trickster Figures in Folklore Narratives
  • Mythological Symbolism in Modern Literature
  • Goddesses and Feminine Archetypes in Mythology
  • Folklore and Oral Tradition Preservation in Literature
  • Supernatural Entities in Folklore Narratives
  • Mythological Influences on Fantasy Fiction
  • Mythical Creatures and Beasts in Literature
  • Cultural Significance of Mythological Heroes
  • Transformational Journeys in Mythological Tales
  • Sacred Texts and Mythological Interpretations
  • Shamanism and Mythology in Literature
  • Mythological Motifs in Children’s Literature
  • Folklore Rituals and Ceremonies in Literary Contexts
  • Mythological Retellings in Contemporary Fiction
  • Folklore Adaptations in Theater and Performance Arts
  • Archetypal Patterns in Mythological Stories
  • Mythological Elements in Poetry and Songs
  • Comparative Study of Mythical Lands in Literature

Top 20 Research Paper Topics On Gothic Literature

  • Psychological Themes in Gothic Literature
  • Gothic Elements in Victorian Novels
  • The Supernatural in Gothic Fiction
  • Gothic Architecture and Settings in Literature
  • Female Gothic and Gender Dynamics
  • Gothic Literature and the Sublime
  • Madness and Mental Illness in Gothic Texts
  • Gothic Romanticism and Love Themes
  • Gothic Literature: Villains and Antiheroes
  • Death and Decay in Gothic Novels
  • Gothic Influence on Contemporary Horror
  • Gothic Revival in Modern Literature
  • Religion and the Occult in Gothic Stories
  • The Role of Nature in Gothic Fiction
  • Gothic Tropes in Mystery and Suspense
  • Gothic Literature: Fear and Terror
  • Gothic Elements in Graphic Novels
  • Gothic Symbolism and Imagery
  • Female Empowerment in Gothic Novels
  • Gothic Subculture and Its Literary Impact

Top 20 Research Paper Topics On Children’s Literature

  • Evolution of Fairy Tales in Children’s Literature
  • Moral Lessons in Classic Children’s Stories
  • Representation of Gender Roles in Children’s Books
  • Picture Books and Visual Storytelling for Children
  • Diversity and Inclusion in Contemporary Children’s Literature
  • Coming-of-Age Themes in Young Adult Fiction
  • Education and Learning in Children’s Literature
  • Animal Characters in Children’s Stories
  • Adventure and Quests in Children’s Fantasy
  • Psychological Development in Children’s Books
  • Folklore and Folktales for Young Readers
  • Environmental Themes in Children’s Literature
  • Humor and Wit in Children’s Stories
  • Historical Fiction for Young Readers
  • Multicultural Perspectives in Children’s Literature
  • Friendship and Relationships in Kids’ Books
  • Empowerment and Resilience in Children’s Stories
  • Ethical Dilemmas and Decision-Making in Children’s Fiction
  • Fairy Tale Retellings in Contemporary Children’s Literature
  • Literary Adaptations for Children’s Theatre

Top 20 Research Paper Topics On Literature of the Harlem Renaissance

  • Effect of the Harlem Renaissance on African American Literature
  • The Role of Jazz and Music in Harlem Renaissance Literature
  • Harlem Renaissance Poetry: Themes and Innovations
  • Political and Social Commentary in Harlem Renaissance Writing
  • Harlem Renaissance Novelists and their Contributions
  • The Influence of Langston Hughes in the Harlem Renaissance
  • Artistic Expression and Visual Arts in the Harlem Renaissance
  • Women Writers and Feminist Perspectives in the Harlem Renaissance
  • Harlem Renaissance and the Great Migration
  • Literary Magazines and Publications of the Harlem Renaissance
  • The Impact of Harlem Renaissance on American Culture
  • Harlem Renaissance Playwrights and Theater Productions
  • Harlem Renaissance and the Evolution of African American Identity
  • Folklore and Oral Traditions in Harlem Renaissance Literature
  • Critiques of Racial Injustice in Harlem Renaissance Texts
  • Harlem Renaissance Short Stories: Themes and Techniques
  • LGBTQ+ Themes and Identities in Harlem Renaissance Literature
  • Harlem Renaissance and the Birth of the New Negro Movement
  • Harlem Renaissance and the Exploration of African Heritage
  • Harlem Renaissance Legacy in Contemporary Literature

Top 20 Research Paper Topics On Asian Literature and Cultural Influences

  • Themes of Tradition and Modernity in Asian Literature
  • The Influence of Buddhism on Asian Literary Works
  • Confucianism and Its Impact on Asian Literature
  • Women’s Voices in Asian Literature
  • The Role of Nature in Asian Literary Traditions
  • Comparative Analysis of East Asian Literary Movements
  • The Impact of War on Asian Literary Narratives
  • Folklore and Mythological Influences in Asian Literature
  • Postcolonial Perspectives in Asian Literary Works
  • Representations of Cultural Identity in South Asian Literature
  • The Role of Family and Community in Asian Literary Texts
  • Diasporic Narratives in Asian Literature
  • Indigenous Perspectives in Asian Literary Traditions
  • Religious Syncretism in Asian Literary Themes
  • Urbanization and Changing Landscapes in Asian Literature
  • LGBTQ+ Themes in Contemporary Asian Literature
  • Magical Realism in Asian Literary Contexts
  • Exploring Colonial Legacies in Asian Literature
  • Environmental Concerns in Asian Literary Narratives
  • Asian Literature in Global Contexts

Exploring these diverse literature research paper topics offers a gateway to endless possibilities. Your journey through these themes and ideas isn’t just about writing papers it’s about discovering new worlds and perspectives. Take what you’ve learned and let it fuel your curiosity even further. Share your insights with others, start discussions, and inspire curiosity in those around you. 

Remember, literature isn’t confined to books; it’s a reflection of our world, our history, and our dreams. So, as you conclude this exploration, consider how these topics have broadened your horizons and continue seeking the stories that resonate with you. Keep exploring, keep learning, and keep the magic of literature alive.

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Literature Topics and Research

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What kinds of topics are good ones?

The best topics are ones that originate out of your own reading of a work of literature, but here are some common approaches to consider:

  • A discussion of a work's characters: are they realistic, symbolic, historically-based?
  • A comparison/contrast of the choices different authors or characters make in a work
  • A reading of a work based on an outside philosophical perspective (Ex. how would a Freudian read Hamlet ?)
  • A study of the sources or historical events that occasioned a particular work (Ex. comparing G.B. Shaw's Pygmalion with the original Greek myth of Pygmalion)
  • An analysis of a specific image occurring in several works (Ex. the use of moon imagery in certain plays, poems, novels)
  • A "deconstruction" of a particular work (Ex. unfolding an underlying racist worldview in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness )
  • A reading from a political perspective (Ex. how would a Marxist read William Blake's "London"?)
  • A study of the social, political, or economic context in which a work was written — how does the context influence the work?

How do I start research?

Once you have decided on an interesting topic and work (or works), the best place to start is probably the Internet. Here you can usually find basic biographical data on authors, brief summaries of works, possibly some rudimentary analyses, and even bibliographies of sources related to your topic.

The Internet, however, rarely offers serious direct scholarship; you will have to use sources found in the library, sources like journal articles and scholarly books, to get information that you can use to build your own scholarship-your literary paper. Consult the library's on-line catalog and the MLA Periodical Index. Avoid citing dictionary or encyclopedic sources in your final paper.

How do I use the information I find?

The secondary sources you find are only to be used as an aid. Your thoughts should make up most of the essay. As you develop your thesis, you will bring in the ideas of the scholars to back up what you have already said.

For example, say you are arguing that Huck Finn is a Christ figure ; that's your basic thesis. You give evidence from the novel that allows this reading, and then, at the right place, you might say the following, a paraphrase:

According to Susan Thomas, Huck sacrifices himself because he wants to set Jim free (129).

If the scholar states an important idea in a memorable way, use a direct quote.

"Huck's altruism and feelings of compassion for Jim force him to surrender to the danger" (Thomas 129).

Either way, you will then link that idea to your thesis.

Grad Coach

1000+ FREE Research Topics & Title Ideas

If you’re at the start of your research journey and are trying to figure out which research topic you want to focus on, you’ve come to the right place. Select your area of interest below to view a comprehensive collection of potential research ideas.

Research topic idea mega list

Research Topic FAQs

What (exactly) is a research topic.

A research topic is the subject of a research project or study – for example, a dissertation or thesis. A research topic typically takes the form of a problem to be solved, or a question to be answered.

A good research topic should be specific enough to allow for focused research and analysis. For example, if you are interested in studying the effects of climate change on agriculture, your research topic could focus on how rising temperatures have impacted crop yields in certain regions over time.

To learn more about the basics of developing a research topic, consider our free research topic ideation webinar.

What constitutes a good research topic?

A strong research topic comprises three important qualities : originality, value and feasibility.

  • Originality – a good topic explores an original area or takes a novel angle on an existing area of study.
  • Value – a strong research topic provides value and makes a contribution, either academically or practically.
  • Feasibility – a good research topic needs to be practical and manageable, given the resource constraints you face.

To learn more about what makes for a high-quality research topic, check out this post .

What's the difference between a research topic and research problem?

A research topic and a research problem are two distinct concepts that are often confused. A research topic is a broader label that indicates the focus of the study , while a research problem is an issue or gap in knowledge within the broader field that needs to be addressed.

To illustrate this distinction, consider a student who has chosen “teenage pregnancy in the United Kingdom” as their research topic. This research topic could encompass any number of issues related to teenage pregnancy such as causes, prevention strategies, health outcomes for mothers and babies, etc.

Within this broad category (the research topic) lies potential areas of inquiry that can be explored further – these become the research problems . For example:

  • What factors contribute to higher rates of teenage pregnancy in certain communities?
  • How do different types of parenting styles affect teen pregnancy rates?
  • What interventions have been successful in reducing teenage pregnancies?

Simply put, a key difference between a research topic and a research problem is scope ; the research topic provides an umbrella under which multiple questions can be asked, while the research problem focuses on one specific question or set of questions within that larger context.

How can I find potential research topics for my project?

There are many steps involved in the process of finding and choosing a high-quality research topic for a dissertation or thesis. We cover these steps in detail in this video (also accessible below).

How can I find quality sources for my research topic?

Finding quality sources is an essential step in the topic ideation process. To do this, you should start by researching scholarly journals, books, and other academic publications related to your topic. These sources can provide reliable information on a wide range of topics. Additionally, they may contain data or statistics that can help support your argument or conclusions.

Identifying Relevant Sources

When searching for relevant sources, it’s important to look beyond just published material; try using online databases such as Google Scholar or JSTOR to find articles from reputable journals that have been peer-reviewed by experts in the field.

You can also use search engines like Google or Bing to locate websites with useful information about your topic. However, be sure to evaluate any website before citing it as a source—look for evidence of authorship (such as an “About Us” page) and make sure the content is up-to-date and accurate before relying on it.

Evaluating Sources

Once you’ve identified potential sources for your research project, take some time to evaluate them thoroughly before deciding which ones will best serve your purpose. Consider factors such as author credibility (are they an expert in their field?), publication date (is the source current?), objectivity (does the author present both sides of an issue?) and relevance (how closely does this source relate to my specific topic?).

By researching the current literature on your topic, you can identify potential sources that will help to provide quality information. Once you’ve identified these sources, it’s time to look for a gap in the research and determine what new knowledge could be gained from further study.

How can I find a good research gap?

Finding a strong gap in the literature is an essential step when looking for potential research topics. We explain what research gaps are and how to find them in this post.

How should I evaluate potential research topics/ideas?

When evaluating potential research topics, it is important to consider the factors that make for a strong topic (we discussed these earlier). Specifically:

  • Originality
  • Feasibility

So, when you have a list of potential topics or ideas, assess each of them in terms of these three criteria. A good topic should take a unique angle, provide value (either to academia or practitioners), and be practical enough for you to pull off, given your limited resources.

Finally, you should also assess whether this project could lead to potential career opportunities such as internships or job offers down the line. Make sure that you are researching something that is relevant enough so that it can benefit your professional development in some way. Additionally, consider how each research topic aligns with your career goals and interests; researching something that you are passionate about can help keep motivation high throughout the process.

How can I assess the feasibility of a research topic?

When evaluating the feasibility and practicality of a research topic, it is important to consider several factors.

First, you should assess whether or not the research topic is within your area of competence. Of course, when you start out, you are not expected to be the world’s leading expert, but do should at least have some foundational knowledge.

Time commitment

When considering a research topic, you should think about how much time will be required for completion. Depending on your field of study, some topics may require more time than others due to their complexity or scope.

Additionally, if you plan on collaborating with other researchers or institutions in order to complete your project, additional considerations must be taken into account such as coordinating schedules and ensuring that all parties involved have adequate resources available.

Resources needed

It’s also critically important to consider what type of resources are necessary in order to conduct the research successfully. This includes physical materials such as lab equipment and chemicals but can also include intangible items like access to certain databases or software programs which may be necessary depending on the nature of your work. Additionally, if there are costs associated with obtaining these materials then this must also be factored into your evaluation process.

Potential risks

It’s important to consider the inherent potential risks for each potential research topic. These can include ethical risks (challenges getting ethical approval), data risks (not being able to access the data you’ll need), technical risks relating to the equipment you’ll use and funding risks (not securing the necessary financial back to undertake the research).

If you’re looking for more information about how to find, evaluate and select research topics for your dissertation or thesis, check out our free webinar here . Alternatively, if you’d like 1:1 help with the topic ideation process, consider our private coaching services .

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  • How to Write a Literature Review | Guide, Examples, & Templates

How to Write a Literature Review | Guide, Examples, & Templates

Published on January 2, 2023 by Shona McCombes . Revised on September 11, 2023.

What is a literature review? A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources on a specific topic. It provides an overview of current knowledge, allowing you to identify relevant theories, methods, and gaps in the existing research that you can later apply to your paper, thesis, or dissertation topic .

There are five key steps to writing a literature review:

  • Search for relevant literature
  • Evaluate sources
  • Identify themes, debates, and gaps
  • Outline the structure
  • Write your literature review

A good literature review doesn’t just summarize sources—it analyzes, synthesizes , and critically evaluates to give a clear picture of the state of knowledge on the subject.

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Table of contents

What is the purpose of a literature review, examples of literature reviews, step 1 – search for relevant literature, step 2 – evaluate and select sources, step 3 – identify themes, debates, and gaps, step 4 – outline your literature review’s structure, step 5 – write your literature review, free lecture slides, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions, introduction.

  • Quick Run-through
  • Step 1 & 2

When you write a thesis , dissertation , or research paper , you will likely have to conduct a literature review to situate your research within existing knowledge. The literature review gives you a chance to:

  • Demonstrate your familiarity with the topic and its scholarly context
  • Develop a theoretical framework and methodology for your research
  • Position your work in relation to other researchers and theorists
  • Show how your research addresses a gap or contributes to a debate
  • Evaluate the current state of research and demonstrate your knowledge of the scholarly debates around your topic.

Writing literature reviews is a particularly important skill if you want to apply for graduate school or pursue a career in research. We’ve written a step-by-step guide that you can follow below.

Literature review guide

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See an example

topics for research in literature

Writing literature reviews can be quite challenging! A good starting point could be to look at some examples, depending on what kind of literature review you’d like to write.

  • Example literature review #1: “Why Do People Migrate? A Review of the Theoretical Literature” ( Theoretical literature review about the development of economic migration theory from the 1950s to today.)
  • Example literature review #2: “Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines” ( Methodological literature review about interdisciplinary knowledge acquisition and production.)
  • Example literature review #3: “The Use of Technology in English Language Learning: A Literature Review” ( Thematic literature review about the effects of technology on language acquisition.)
  • Example literature review #4: “Learners’ Listening Comprehension Difficulties in English Language Learning: A Literature Review” ( Chronological literature review about how the concept of listening skills has changed over time.)

You can also check out our templates with literature review examples and sample outlines at the links below.

Download Word doc Download Google doc

Before you begin searching for literature, you need a clearly defined topic .

If you are writing the literature review section of a dissertation or research paper, you will search for literature related to your research problem and questions .

Make a list of keywords

Start by creating a list of keywords related to your research question. Include each of the key concepts or variables you’re interested in, and list any synonyms and related terms. You can add to this list as you discover new keywords in the process of your literature search.

  • Social media, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok
  • Body image, self-perception, self-esteem, mental health
  • Generation Z, teenagers, adolescents, youth

Search for relevant sources

Use your keywords to begin searching for sources. Some useful databases to search for journals and articles include:

  • Your university’s library catalogue
  • Google Scholar
  • Project Muse (humanities and social sciences)
  • Medline (life sciences and biomedicine)
  • EconLit (economics)
  • Inspec (physics, engineering and computer science)

You can also use boolean operators to help narrow down your search.

Make sure to read the abstract to find out whether an article is relevant to your question. When you find a useful book or article, you can check the bibliography to find other relevant sources.

You likely won’t be able to read absolutely everything that has been written on your topic, so it will be necessary to evaluate which sources are most relevant to your research question.

For each publication, ask yourself:

  • What question or problem is the author addressing?
  • What are the key concepts and how are they defined?
  • What are the key theories, models, and methods?
  • Does the research use established frameworks or take an innovative approach?
  • What are the results and conclusions of the study?
  • How does the publication relate to other literature in the field? Does it confirm, add to, or challenge established knowledge?
  • What are the strengths and weaknesses of the research?

Make sure the sources you use are credible , and make sure you read any landmark studies and major theories in your field of research.

You can use our template to summarize and evaluate sources you’re thinking about using. Click on either button below to download.

Take notes and cite your sources

As you read, you should also begin the writing process. Take notes that you can later incorporate into the text of your literature review.

It is important to keep track of your sources with citations to avoid plagiarism . It can be helpful to make an annotated bibliography , where you compile full citation information and write a paragraph of summary and analysis for each source. This helps you remember what you read and saves time later in the process.

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To begin organizing your literature review’s argument and structure, be sure you understand the connections and relationships between the sources you’ve read. Based on your reading and notes, you can look for:

  • Trends and patterns (in theory, method or results): do certain approaches become more or less popular over time?
  • Themes: what questions or concepts recur across the literature?
  • Debates, conflicts and contradictions: where do sources disagree?
  • Pivotal publications: are there any influential theories or studies that changed the direction of the field?
  • Gaps: what is missing from the literature? Are there weaknesses that need to be addressed?

This step will help you work out the structure of your literature review and (if applicable) show how your own research will contribute to existing knowledge.

  • Most research has focused on young women.
  • There is an increasing interest in the visual aspects of social media.
  • But there is still a lack of robust research on highly visual platforms like Instagram and Snapchat—this is a gap that you could address in your own research.

There are various approaches to organizing the body of a literature review. Depending on the length of your literature review, you can combine several of these strategies (for example, your overall structure might be thematic, but each theme is discussed chronologically).

Chronological

The simplest approach is to trace the development of the topic over time. However, if you choose this strategy, be careful to avoid simply listing and summarizing sources in order.

Try to analyze patterns, turning points and key debates that have shaped the direction of the field. Give your interpretation of how and why certain developments occurred.

If you have found some recurring central themes, you can organize your literature review into subsections that address different aspects of the topic.

For example, if you are reviewing literature about inequalities in migrant health outcomes, key themes might include healthcare policy, language barriers, cultural attitudes, legal status, and economic access.

Methodological

If you draw your sources from different disciplines or fields that use a variety of research methods , you might want to compare the results and conclusions that emerge from different approaches. For example:

  • Look at what results have emerged in qualitative versus quantitative research
  • Discuss how the topic has been approached by empirical versus theoretical scholarship
  • Divide the literature into sociological, historical, and cultural sources

Theoretical

A literature review is often the foundation for a theoretical framework . You can use it to discuss various theories, models, and definitions of key concepts.

You might argue for the relevance of a specific theoretical approach, or combine various theoretical concepts to create a framework for your research.

Like any other academic text , your literature review should have an introduction , a main body, and a conclusion . What you include in each depends on the objective of your literature review.

The introduction should clearly establish the focus and purpose of the literature review.

Depending on the length of your literature review, you might want to divide the body into subsections. You can use a subheading for each theme, time period, or methodological approach.

As you write, you can follow these tips:

  • Summarize and synthesize: give an overview of the main points of each source and combine them into a coherent whole
  • Analyze and interpret: don’t just paraphrase other researchers — add your own interpretations where possible, discussing the significance of findings in relation to the literature as a whole
  • Critically evaluate: mention the strengths and weaknesses of your sources
  • Write in well-structured paragraphs: use transition words and topic sentences to draw connections, comparisons and contrasts

In the conclusion, you should summarize the key findings you have taken from the literature and emphasize their significance.

When you’ve finished writing and revising your literature review, don’t forget to proofread thoroughly before submitting. Not a language expert? Check out Scribbr’s professional proofreading services !

This article has been adapted into lecture slides that you can use to teach your students about writing a literature review.

Scribbr slides are free to use, customize, and distribute for educational purposes.

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If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

  • Sampling methods
  • Simple random sampling
  • Stratified sampling
  • Cluster sampling
  • Likert scales
  • Reproducibility

 Statistics

  • Null hypothesis
  • Statistical power
  • Probability distribution
  • Effect size
  • Poisson distribution

Research bias

  • Optimism bias
  • Cognitive bias
  • Implicit bias
  • Hawthorne effect
  • Anchoring bias
  • Explicit bias

A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources (such as books, journal articles, and theses) related to a specific topic or research question .

It is often written as part of a thesis, dissertation , or research paper , in order to situate your work in relation to existing knowledge.

There are several reasons to conduct a literature review at the beginning of a research project:

  • To familiarize yourself with the current state of knowledge on your topic
  • To ensure that you’re not just repeating what others have already done
  • To identify gaps in knowledge and unresolved problems that your research can address
  • To develop your theoretical framework and methodology
  • To provide an overview of the key findings and debates on the topic

Writing the literature review shows your reader how your work relates to existing research and what new insights it will contribute.

The literature review usually comes near the beginning of your thesis or dissertation . After the introduction , it grounds your research in a scholarly field and leads directly to your theoretical framework or methodology .

A literature review is a survey of credible sources on a topic, often used in dissertations , theses, and research papers . Literature reviews give an overview of knowledge on a subject, helping you identify relevant theories and methods, as well as gaps in existing research. Literature reviews are set up similarly to other  academic texts , with an introduction , a main body, and a conclusion .

An  annotated bibliography is a list of  source references that has a short description (called an annotation ) for each of the sources. It is often assigned as part of the research process for a  paper .  

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200 Compelling Literary Research Paper Topics to Explore

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Literary research holds the key to unlocking the power of knowledge and education. But what makes a research paper truly impactful? It all starts with selecting a fascinating topic. This blog post presents 300 handpicked Literary research paper topics that will ignite your scholarly pursuits. From cutting-edge trends to unexplored territories, these topics promise to fuel your intellectual curiosity and make you write like a professional  writing services  provider. So, let’s get started!

Table of Contents

Comprehensive Lists of Impressive Literary Research Paper Topics

Be it anything you want to research related to Literary, our comprehensive lists of topics have you covered. So, without further ado, let’s begin with our first list.

American Literature Topics for Research

Picking up a topic from this list will allow you to uncover hidden narratives, analyze iconic works, and more. Here you go with the list.

  • A Study of Domestic Gothic and postwar architectural culture in Shirley Jackson’s House Trilogy
  • Anti-racism Resistance in American Literature
  • Political and ideological agendas are reflected in American Literature
  • American Literature from a feminist point of View
  • Leonard Cohen’s Psalms or the demons of Tradition: the Book of Mercy and the Psalms of Leonard Cohen
  • An Overview of Spanish Literature Written in the United States
  • Correlations and contrasts between postmodernism and American Literature: A study of their relationship
  • Poetic Hybridity in American Poetry: existing and Resisting through Its Hybridity
  • Bram Stoker’s Dracula depicts vampires in what can be considered a realistic fashion
  • Comparison between Stephanie Meyer’s vampires vs. L.J. Smith’s vampires
  • How Bram Stoker’s Dracula differs from William Polidori’s The Vampire
  • Anne Rice vs. Stephanie Meyers: Different Approaches to writing supernatural Literature
  • Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: Evolution of the Character with Time in Literature and Movies
  • Illustrations of Nosferatu, the first vampire character to appear on a screen in Literature
  • The relation between intertextuality and social space
  • Depiction of La Lorna and other supernatural elements in American Literature
  • Contemporary literary figures of Orality: ruptures and Continuity
  • What is the fascination with supernatural imagery in American Literature and popular culture?
  • Writings in English about refugee camps in Contemporary Literature
  • Taking a comparative look at contemporary theater stages
  • Comparing The Crucible with the actual Salem witch trials

Literary Research Paper Topics Related to English Literature

Pick a topic from this list and brace yourself for an awe-inspiring journey, illuminating the profound impacts of English literature on our hearts. Here’s the list.

  • What is Shakespeare’s contribution to classic English Literature?
  • Comparison and contrast of Shakespeare and Marlowe
  • Shakespeare and Marlowe: busting myths
  • Historical and Political Analysis of English Literature during the Middle Ages
  • The Elizabethan Era and English Literature
  • An Understanding of Victorian Literature from a political perspective
  • Comparing Edwardian Literature with its predecessors, what makes it unique?
  • English Literature at its Zenith
  • Greek Influence on English Literature: the history of English Literature
  • Comparing women’s Literature to classical English literature in terms of literary and social issues
  • An Overview of British Fiction from the 19th Century
  • Women in Classic English Literature: their portrayal and Characterization
  • Arab civilizations influenced Literature in the early English period
  • A collective analysis of English Poetry from the 19th to the 20th Century
  • The Impact of Modernism on English Poetry
  • The Social and political history of Victorian England as Portrayed through English Literature
  • Literary explorations of British colonial slavery during the 18th and 19th centuries
  • Adaptation to postcolonial cultures, neo-Victorian Culture, and Postcolonial Literature
  • Literature of the postcolonial period versus Literature of the British period
  • The history of books and publishing in the 20th-21st Century in British fiction
  • Emotional expression and perception, semantics, lexical semantics
  • A History of Ideas and Literature from the 18th Century
  • An overview of the history of publishing and books
  • Aspects of Race and Ethnicity, popular culture, and Politics
  • Britain’s Revolutions and the Rise of Socialism: Literature that influenced them
  • Actors of Shakespeare’s time, the role of the Elizabethan theater
  • Literature’s contribution to understanding British politics and society today

Postcolonial Literary Research Paper Topics

Dig into stories that question the effects of colonialism and look into issues of identity, resistance, and decolonization. Get inspired by the captivating stories that are reshaping the history of colonialism with these topics.

  • A Study of Heart of The Darkness from an analytical perspective
  • Heart of the Darkness: Conrad’s Treatment of Africans in the Story
  • Achebe’s stance against the design of Heart of Darkness
  • Heart of Darkness vs. Things Fall Apart: Comparisons and Contrasts
  • A Look at the Treatment of Africans in Things Fall Apart
  • Concept of native society in Things Fall Apart
  • A Study of the indigenous culture of Africa in Light of Things Fall Apart
  • Postcolonial Literature Compared to British Literature
  • Literature is written in the French language dealing with postcolonialism
  • The Analysis of Postcolonial Literature Written in India after the End of Colonialism
  • Ahmed Ali’s Works as Part of the postcolonial movement: a critical analysis
  • An Analysis of Twilight in Delhi as a postcolonial novel through the Lens of critical theory
  • Depiction of the colonized races in British Literature
  • Conrad’s treatment of negros and the accusation of racism
  • A Critique of Orientalism from the Perspective of Edward Said
  • Elements of Postcolonialism Twilight in Delhi
  • The elements belonging to the narrative framework of the postcolonial theory
  • Understanding Postcolonialism with Edward Said’s Orientalism
  • An Introduction to Postcolonial Theory: Concepts and Definitions
  • The Evolution of the Woman within Postcolonial Literature
  • An Overview of Algerian Postcolonial Literature
  • British Literature, with its treatment of African nations
  • Postcolonial and Feminine Resistance in Algerian and Sahrawi States
  • Postcolonialism: An Effort to search its history
  • Identity, alterity, and Hybridity in postcolonial states
  • Introduction to postcolonial theory

Arabic Topics in Literature

Discover the fascinating world of Arabic Literature and explore its cultural heritage, poetic stories, and social dynamics. Here you go with the list.

  • Literature of the Arab World and its Influence on French Literature
  • The Influence of Arab Culture on Middle Ages Literature
  • Hayy Bin Yaqzan is the first novel by modern criteria
  • A collection of poetry by Shafi’i and historical, literary Analysis
  • A Study of Religious Literature in Arabian Civilization
  • Islamic Golden Ages were characterized by more significant progress in theological Literature
  • Poetry from the Arab world is the foundation of modern global poetry
  • Literature related to Mahdism in Islam
  • Arab-Islamic culture is significant in the Literature written in Arabic
  • The Evolution of Arabic Poetry and Literature
  • The Poetry of the Arab Diaspora and Nature’s Aesthetics
  • Ghazali’s literary works and acknowledgment of divine essence
  • A study of the relationship between Arabic poetry and music and song
  • Al-Gazzal’s two doors of knowledge through the heart
  • Iberian expansion as a cause of Islamic culture’s influence on Western Literature
  • Music and poetry from the pre-Islamic period in Arabic
  • Arab Literature and social criticism in the modern era
  • Aristotelian Philosophy and Greek Mythology in Modern Arab Literature
  • The culture and civilization of the Ottoman Empire were influenced by Arabic poetry and music
  • Arabic Literature’s Depiction of Morality and Politics
  • A Study of Arab Literature by Christian Authors
  • The philosophy of Islam is expressed and explained through Arabic culture
  • An Introduction to the History and Literature of Islam

Existentialist Literary Research Topics

Dig into the deep thinking, self-examination, and emotions of uncertainty that come with exploring the works of important writers trying to figure out life, independence, and more. Here’s the list.

  • The post-war emergence of existentialism
  • War-torn human characters reflect existentialist Literature.
  • What is the character of Godot in Waiting For Godot? How does Beckett explain what he is saying?
  • Existentialist Drama into 21st-Century of Western Literature
  • How does Beckett become an existential absurdist?
  • Samuel Becket’s Life from a contemporary perspective
  • The Reasons and inspirations behind Sartre’s Existentialism
  • Waiting For Godot is interpreted in real time and real life.
  • Considering Jean-Paul Sartre’s works from different perspectives.
  • The Existentialist Literature: a critical analysis
  • Horrors of War and Existentialist Literature After and About the Vietnam War
  • A Comparison of Absurdism and Existentialism in Western Literature
  • Theater of absurdity representation of existentialism
  • A 21st-century Take on absurdist theater as a significant part of British Literature
  • Existentialism: Is it Here to Stay? Getting rid of absurdity in a changing world
  • Does the search for meaning transcend modern man?
  • Existentialism in British Literature
  • “There is infinite hope in the universe, not for us.” How do you see Kafka as an existentialist? How does he differ from the philosophers of his field?

Literary Research Topics Related to Poetry

Check out our great research paper topics and how powerful poems can be!

  • Pioneers of European Literature in the realm of poetry
  • Inspiration for John Keats’ poetry by Fanny Brawne
  • The difference between Keats and his contemporaries
  • Analyzing John Keats’ Works from a historical perspective
  • The poetry of social protest in the early Renaissance
  • What makes the poetry of the Renaissance the most outstanding?
  • An early role played by Midland poets in the development of English poetry
  • Literature of the Highlands and its Contribution to English cultural development
  • The challenges of the development of English poetry
  • Geoffrey Chaucer, the father of English poetry
  • Poetry as a Pillar of Modern Literature
  • The Importance of legal vocabulary in a poetic context
  • Thinking about poetry as a critique from the Renaissance era
  • The genre and meaning of Auden’s poem
  • Poetry of Robert Frost: A study
  • Research on the poetry of William Shakespeare
  • Wordsworth as a pioneer of modern Literature
  • Poetry of Alfred Lord Tennyson: a historical analysis
  • A general study of the Poetry of Samuel Taylor Coleridge
  • A Look and Study of the Aubreys of Innocence by William Blake
  • Prose versus poetry in the early Renaissance
  • Story of Love and Death, by Edgar Allan Poe.
  • Emily Dickinson is one of America’s most famous poets
  • Maya Angelo’s struggle for civil rights and using poetry as a vector of fight

Literary Research Topics Related to Novel

Go deep into the story, getting to know the characters and thinking about the themes to unlock the timeless charm of this popular type of writing. Here’s the list.

  • A Study of the Gothic Novel in the British Isles
  • Publishing Literature the modern novel: conditions and Sources of Innovation
  • History and Fiction in African-American Women’s Literature
  • Toni Morrison is one of the pioneers of the American novel
  • Covenant: An American Novel of South African History
  • James Michener’s works in novels and different aspects of modern American society
  • Modern Literature in the Film and tv industry
  • Novels of Thomas Hardy, a critical analysis
  • What is the significance of Jane Austen as a pioneer of English literature? What are your thoughts on this?
  • A Comparison and Contrast of American dystopian novels
  • Supernatural novelists of English literature, between William Polidori and Bram Stoker
  • Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is the first supernatural novel in the history of English literature
  • Children’s Literature written in British territories
  • Postcolonial novels from a 21st-century perspective
  • The Vampire Diaries, the pioneering novel for gen-z supernatural fascinations
  • Anne Rice vs. Stephanie Meyers: what is different and what is similar
  • Knowledge, Power, and Authority in Contemporary Fantasy
  • Tensions and Expression in the Modern American Novel
  • Political Depiction of Christianity in American Novels and Movies

Literary Research Topics Related to Drama

Check out these cool topics to write an amazing research paper your teacher is expecting of you. 

  • Shakespearean Drama from historical practices
  • Plagiarism allegations about Shakespeare
  • William Shakespeare vs. Christopher Marlowe: Contrasts and Comparisons
  • An overview of Shakespeare’s plays and how they formed modern theater and cinema
  • Waiting For Godot by Beckett, from a directorial and cinematic perspective
  • Elizabethan vs. Jacobean Drama: What makes them different?
  • Oscar Wilde as a playwright, from a modern perspective
  • Shakespeare as a pioneer of the European literature boom
  • Role of Queen Elizabeth I in the Promotion of English Drama and Theater
  • Stages of Transformation: at the Crossroads of Theater and abolitionist movements
  • Role of Drama in European Literature
  • The Drama of the 21st Century and how it differs from the Classics
  • Greek tragedy compared to Shakespearean tragedy
  • Greek Tragedy vs. Classical English Drama
  • Modern vs. Classical tragedy, essential comparative elements
  • Was European Literature initially focused on Drama? Why or why not?
  • The Importance of Being Earnest is one of the most beloved plays. Why?
  • Oscar Wild as a dramatist
  • Literature formed Freudianism, a psychoanalytical analysis of the plays that inspired Sigmund Freud
  • Mourning Becomes Electra and Oedipus Rex, how two tragedies formed the Basis of modern psychology
  • Literary Analysis of the Supernatural in the Plays of Marlowe
  • Classic vs. Modern Literature in the Area of Tragedy and Drama
  • Edward Bond, a playwright of hope or despair?
  • When does British Literature portray elements of World war
  • Literary devices used in early British literary works and Renaissance literature
  • Language diversity in historical novels in the Victorian literature era
  • European culture depicted in early American Literature
  • American literature contribution to Studies on Classical Literature
  • Literary Argument on literary works of the Renaissance in Comparison with Indian Literature

Interesting Literature Topics

These literary research topics can spark your interest, challenge your views, and help you appreciate Literature even more.

  • Travel writing for college students living the American dream
  • Use of poetic language and literary devices in Japanese literary works
  • Social identity in dystopian Literature that World War II inspired
  • Male and female characters in African American Literature
  • Literary novels in the genre of young adult literature
  • Literature paper on Japanese Literature depicting Post World War II modern culture
  • Literary Analysis of artificial language in Utopian and Dystopian Literature
  • The modern culture depicted in American and Asian culture
  • Literary Analysis of Harry Potter and novel writing for university students
  • Harry Potter is a significant literature contribution opening new doors to literary research.
  • Comparative Literary Analysis of travel writing vs. literary journalism
  • Literary Analysis of travel writing in Indian Literature
  • African literary responses to American Literature on world war in the Twentieth Century
  • How American Literature Differs from Modern Chinese Literature: Form and evaluate literature response on Written Literature

Hopefully, these lists of good topics for research papers have helped you pick a suitable subject and make a real difference in literary research. Remember that a good topic always plays a pivotal role in the paper’s success. If you are still trying to figure out how to proceed with your assignment , count on the professional expertise of  our writers .

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Literature Research Paper Topics in 2023

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Table of contents

  • 1 What is Literature Research?
  • 2 Tips on How to Select the Best Literature Research Paper Topic?
  • 3 Literary Research Topics for High School
  • 4 Literature Research Paper Topics for College Students
  • 5 Literacy Research Topics for Debate
  • 6 British Literary Research Topics
  • 7 American Literature Research Topics
  • 8 World Literature Research Paper Topics
  • 9 Modernist Literature Research Paper Topics

What is Literature Research?

Before choosing topics in literature, clarify the concept of literature research to understand the main purpose, structure, and features of writing this type of task.

Firstly, the student must consider the vision of the author of the work, the interpretation of his images, and their personification as the protagonists of the issues on the agenda of that time.

Next, the stylistic and semantic features of the work should be analyzed. Rhythm, speech style, and symbolic and compositional features are often difficult for inexperienced students. We recommend to buy literature review online to be sure of its quality, to get a high score, and have a sample for the future.

After that, the student must give his assessment of the text. Express your opinion about the main events in the book, their significance, and their impact on the further development of the plot.

Tips on How to Select the Best Literature Research Paper Topic?

After reading a text, you often get overwhelmed with impressions and thoughts and need help choosing literature topics for research papers. That is why we offer the following plan for students to select the best literature research topics for their paper:

Abstract from the main idea of the work and try to find topics that are not obvious at first glance. This advice will be especially useful for older students who, in addition to technically correct paper writing, want to stand out from their peers. This question often arises when writing dissertations or theses. If you thought: “How to write a good literature review for a dissertation with an engaging topic?” keep reading.

Select 3-4 topics that seem most interesting literature topics to you. Writing top research papers often takes several weeks. So make sure that during the whole time, you will desire to return to this task.

Choose a topic in which you will feel confident. Each of us has stronger and weaker areas of knowledge. Use your advantage and choose a topic you will understand better than others.

Literary Research Topics for High School

If you are a high school or university student and need to complete an assignment but still don’t know how to do it or lack time, we recommend you to buy college research paper from professionals to stay on the safe side. And for those, who want to see literature topics for research paper examples, we’ve listed 10 of them below:

  • Self-Sacrifice as a Manifestation of Cowardice or Courage: Examples in Medieval Ballads
  • Social Identity in Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes: the Madness of the Main Character as a Prototype of Humanistic Views
  • The Plot of “Painful Love” in William Shakespeare Plays as an Example of an Ideal Experience of Feelings
  • Lady Macbeth and Its Historical Prototype: Similarities and Differences
  • The Image of the Catholic Church in Dante Alighieri’s “Divine Comedy”
  • Why are Hemingway’s Works Still Important for the Development of Modern Society?
  • How Aztec Mythology Influenced the Literary Customs of American Prose
  • Contribution of African Americans to the Image of the “White Invader” in Books of the 20th and 21st Centuries
  • Viking Beliefs and their Echoes in European Literature: Examples from Renaissance Literature
  • Is it Possible to Create a Universal Artificial Language? How will it Affect Literature?

Literature Research Paper Topics for College Students

Students need to stand out from their groups when studying in college with unique and engaging papers. If you want to impress your classmates and teacher with an outstanding paper, check the list of these exciting literature topics.

  • How do Authors Describe Madness in Literature?
  • Victorian Literature and Its Peculiarities: Structural, Compositional and Stylistic Features
  • The Contribution of the Arabic Verse System to World Poetics: Beyts, Rudakis, Rubai Poems
  • Protagonists Character Analysis of Moliere’s Play “The Nobleman”: the Main Features Inherent in the Heroes of Classical Works
  • The History of the Development of Speech and its Influence on the Works of Renaissance Authors
  • The Influence of the Catholic Church on Literature and Writing in the Middle Ages
  • Indian Literature Discuss – Structural and Compositional Design of Works, Stylistic Features and Metaphorical Images
  • West VS East: Comparative Description of the Main Characters’ System of Images & Behavior Patterns Using Examples of Modern Works (Optional)
  • The Policy of Imperialism and its Influence on Literary Variability in the Countries of North America
  • The Main Challenges in Studying Literary Discourse for Students. How to Deal with Them? Personal View

If you are struggling to come up with good literature research paper topics, PapersOwl can do a literature review for you and help you come up with ideas and new information. Our team of expert writers will research and find the most relevant topics and provide you with research material to get you going.

Literacy Research Topics for Debate

It is hard to find essay topics when everything is analyzed and researched many times. Moreover, students must remember that they should develop their literature to discuss subjects from the beginning of the introduction till the very last word of conclusion of research paper . We’ve prepared a list of engaging for the audience and interesting to explore for you literary topics for research papers.

  • Religion and Literature – Exploring the Similarity and Differences
  • Psychology and Literature. Do Authors of Psychology Books Aim to Help Society? Is it a Financial Plan?
  • War and Peace – Ideas of Hedonism even During Dark Times or Idealization of Violence by Giving Humanity to the Main Characters?
  • Screen Adaptations VS Printed Books: Eternal Confrontation of Preferences or Rejection of Modern Reality?
  • The Role of the Theory of Literary Studies in Applied Approaches to the Study and Processing of Medieval Novels
  • Can Ancient Writings on Tablets, Cave Walls or Papyrus be Considered Ancestors of Modern Literature? For and Against
  • The Culture of Mass Consumption and its Influence on Reducing the Circulation Interval of Books: is there a Direct Connection?
  • Postmodern Poetics: Main Rules and Canons. Do they Exist?
  • Can Prose Compete with Poetics in Lyricism: Examples of Francesco Petrarca Works
  • Do Mythological Knowledge and Ancient Legends Influence Modern Literature? Proving by Examples.

British Literary Research Topics

English literature has a great variety of themes to explore. That is why it is confusing for many students to come up with interesting British literary research topics. Thus, our team offers you unique and engaging English literature research paper ideas which you can use directly for writing or inspiration:

  • Ancient Literature in Britain: Connection and Influence of the Roman Literary Canon
  • Literature of the Knights Templar: Myth or Truth?
  • British Literature During the Reign of King Henry VIII: How was the Change of Religion Reflected in Literature?
  • Dirk Bogard – Biography and Contribution to the Literary Heritage of the United Kingdom
  • William Shakespeare’s Tragedies as a Consequence of the Era or the Playwright’s Misogynistic Views?
  • British Nobel Laureate in Literature: Rudyard Kipling. Author’s Creative Path and Outstanding Works
  • “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde as the Legalization of the “Low” Desires of Mankind
  • Byronism and its Influence on George Byron’s European Contemporaries-Colleagues
  • Why were Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Plays and Poems Overshadowed by his Detective Novels?
  • European Realistic Novel. The role of Daniel Dafoe in the Creation of this Genre.
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American Literature Research Topics

Often, teachers ask students to research a particular piece of American literature. This is a tricky task because a huge number of different directions, currents, and authors might seem confusing. Our team has prepared the top 10 American literature research paper topics that you can use to write an essay that will impress your teacher.

  • The Role of African American Literature Pieces in Modern Written Heritage
  • Early American Literature. Was there a Literature Culture among the Native Peoples of America?
  • The Uniqueness of the American Literary Style in the World Picture of Literary Heritage
  • Regional Features of the Use of Stylistic Means in the USA
  • Benjamin Franklin and his Address to the European Theme: Analysis of a Selected Piece
  • Rhetorical Heritage of the Puritans and its use in Works Based on the “Founding Myths of the United States”
  • The American Renaissance: What New Appeared in the Literature of American Authors in this Period?
  • Feminist Influence on the Number of Women Writers in Contemporary American Literature
  • Top 10 Masterpieces of American Literature that Never Became World Famous
  • The Influence of Printed Media on American Literature in the 80s of the Last Century.

World Literature Research Paper Topics

Choosing one subject of interest from world literature is the same as finding a perfectly-shaped grain of sand on the beach. We’ve selected the best ideas for your literary research paper to simplify your life.

  • The Spirit of Duende in Spanish-Language Literature
  • Postindependence Indian Literature – Comparative Characteristics with the Past
  • Influence of Japanese Literature on Modern Asian and European Literature
  • Western Literature in Comparison to Eastern Literature: Analysis of the Main Ideological Values and their Implementation in Plots
  • Social Stratification and Self-Identification of Indian people on the Example of the Novel “Shantaram” by Gregory David Roberts
  • Contemporary Literature of Mexico: Main Features Borrowed from American Literature
  • Highlighting the Problem of Violence in the Works of Modern Authors in American Literature
  • Why Mass Literature Displaces “Underground” Authors: Can We Stop this Process?
  • Literary Discourse of the Arab World: the Influence of Poetics on Prose
  • Agatha Christie and the Murder on the Orient Express: Was Hercule Poirot Contused rather than Genious?

Modernist Literature Research Paper Topics

The era of modernism affected every sphere of human life: the political organization of countries, changes in labor law, music, visual arts, and literature. This period is one of the most confusing and, at the same time, the most intriguing in the field of literature. That is why our team has prepared for students the 10 best research topics of the modernist era.

  • Tiffany Style: Detailed Overview of Features and Specific Details
  • Liberty Style in Italy: Theoretical Aspect of Emergence
  • P. Ranson and the Art Nouveau Style: Compositional Characteristics of Novels
  • “Stream of Consciousness” and the Depiction of New Forms of the Human Psyche by Modernists
  • Universalization of Artistic Techniques in the P.Bonner Works
  • “Jugend-Shtil”: Special Details of Trivial Everyday Life
  • “Philosophy of Order” in the Utopian Idea of the Way of Life in American Literature
  • Research the Subject’s Internal Individual Freedom at a Deeper Level of his Internal Isolation
  • Advantage of Creative Intuition over Classical Canons: Contemporary American Literature
  • Metalanguage and Myth-Making: Creation of a New Genre in Literature

Looking for interesting literature research paper topics? Look no further! If you’re having trouble finding inspiring ideas for your paper, PapersOwl writing service can provide you with the help you need. With its vast database of resources and experienced writers, PapersOwl can offer fresh and innovative topics to make your paper stand out.

All in all, literature discussion papers are challenging for many students. You need to dive into a text, analyze all its peculiarities, and give your own opinion. We hope our study research topics will simplify your task and will come in handy. Just remember to select the topic you are interested in and, of course, use our tips to write an outstanding paper. Good luck!

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Top 150 Literature Research Paper Topics For A Brilliant Essay

Choosing the best literature research paper topic is not an easy task for many learners. In case you are looking for some tips on how to choose a perfect topic for your essay, this post is right for you. Discover the hottest prompts on picking up the best topic for your academic paper, as well as explore the most popular ideas for creating an essay on literature.

How To Choose The Literary Topic For An Essay

There are several ways on how to pick up an idea for a successful academic paper. Feel free to choose the most fitting alternative from the list below.

  • Select a literature style as a topic for your paper. This is one of the most common ways to pick up an idea for your essay. You will need to determine the basic features of a chosen literature style, choose the masterpieces you are going to describe, and classify the literature works. However, it might be a bit difficult since there are many controversial literature examples that are not easy to analyze.
  • Choose an author as a topic for your academic paper. This way, you will describe the main ideas, concepts, and innovations created by a particular writer, as well as the impact of this personality on literature as a whole. Still, avoid turning your research paper into a biography.
  • Pick up a certain book as an essay topic. It is a good idea but it might appear to be difficult to add something new to the chosen field.

Top Literature Research Topics: Heroes And Characters

Many students believe that it is easier to write an essay about a certain person or character rather than a particular trend in literature. By the way, creating an academic paper about a hero requires being precise and sticking to the chosen topic.

  • Oedipus: An Essay Outline
  • The Tragic Hero In The World Literature
  • Reflection On Hamlet
  • Emma By Jane Austen: The Destiny Of The Main Heroine
  • The Bright Personality Of The Old Man And The Sea
  • The Classic Hero In Literature
  • The Features Of The Epic Hero
  • The Willing And Unwilling Heroes: The Main Differences
  • The Basic Concepts Of The Antihero
  • Stylistic Devices And Rhetorical Strategies In Literature
  • Beowulf: An Example Of The Scandinavian Hero
  • Pierre Beaumarchais: Figaro
  • For Whom the Bell Tolls: The Character of Robert Jordan
  • Abraham van Helsing from Dracula by Bram Stoker
  • Atticus Finch from To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
  • Wilhelm Tell by Friedrich Schiller: The Legend
  • The Character Of Heathcliff From Wuthering Heights
  • Alice From The Alice In Wonderland
  • The Three Musketeers
  • King Arthur
  • Sherlock Holmes
  • Romeo And Juliet
  • Harry Potter
  • Sinbad The Sailor
  • Don Quixote

Literature Topics For Research Papers: Women In Literature

The role of women in society has been changing over time. The topics below will help you understand the basic issues a common woman faced in different centuries, as well as discover the most impressive literature masterpieces created by female writers.

  • The Aged Mother: Criticism Essay
  • The Story Of An Hour By Kate Chopin: Response Paper
  • La Estrategia De Chochueca by Rita Indiana Hernández: The Summary
  • Women And Children In Modern Literature
  • The Pride and Prejudice By Jane Austen
  • Charlotte Bronte And Her Role In The World History
  • J.K.Rowling As A Bright Example Of A Successful Female Writer
  • Harper Lee: To Kill A Mockingbird Summary
  • The Stories Of Virginia Woolf
  • Inspiring Female Writers And The Lessons They Teach Us
  • Gender Roles In Literature

The World Literature Research Paper Topics

There is nothing new that world literature research topics remain popular among students for years. These topics allow you to improve the knowledge of the global trends in literature, discover the masterpieces of the world literature, and understand the cultural processes in various countries in different centuries.

  • Barn Burning By William Faulkner: Loyalty And Blood Themes
  • Cliches In The Modern Literature
  • Critical Issues In Literature
  • The Social Issues In The Literature Of 20th Century
  • Modern Trends In Literature
  • The Difference Of Literature In Various Countries
  • The Influence Of Literature On The Society
  • Masterpieces In The Literature Of 18th Century
  • Masterpieces In The Literature Of 19h Century
  • Masterpieces In The Literature Of 20th Century
  • Reading Literature As A Modern Way Of Self-education
  • Greek Mythology And Its Role In The World Literature
  • The Impact Of Literature On Modern Culture
  • Literature Periods
  • The Role Of Comedies In The World Literature
  • The Role Of Tragedies In The World Literature
  • Psychological Trends In World Literature
  • Politics In The World Literature
  • Romance In Literature

The Best Literary Analysis Essay Topics

Literary analysis is one of the most common solutions for choosing easy-to-write research paper topics. The fact is that analysis is one of the inevitable steps of understanding the basic concepts of literature. Therefore, the analysis topics might become a perfect option for beginners in the world of literature. Moreover, you don’t need to be exceptionally creative when composing essays on analysis.

  • Car Crash While Hitchhiking: The Analysis Of The Literary Fiction Story
  • The Ethics Of Belief by Clifford: An Advanced Summary And Analysis
  • The Lesson By Toni Cade Bambara: Analysis And Summary
  • An Advanced Analysis Of Tree And Culinary Lesson
  • Mcwp 6-11 Leading Marines: The Analysis
  • My Native Land, My Home by Claude Mckay: In-Depth Analysis
  • Analysis Of Salvation By Langston Hughes
  • Preventive Corrective And Detective Controls
  • A Black Man Talks Of Reaping Analysis
  • Servant Leadership And Diverse Context
  • The Impact Of Literature Nowadays

Satire Topics Ideas For A Successful Essay

Satire has been the main trend in literature for years. But how did it change over time? What is the difference between satire and irony? What are the satire’s basic features? Writing an essay on these topics might be an excellent idea.

  • Ancient And Modern Satire
  • Trends In The Modern Satire
  • Literature Techniques In Writing Satire
  • Satires Of Rome
  • Satires Of Ancient Greece
  • Satire In Political Poems
  • Satire And Comedy: Common Features And Differences
  • English Satire
  • Satire In The 18th Century
  • Satire In The 19th Century
  • Shakespeare's Satire
  • World Famous Satirists
  • The Difference Between Anecdotes And Satire
  • The Motivation Of Satirists
  • Satire And History
  • Satire And Irony: The Main Differences
  • Humor And Satire In The Modern Literature
  • The Origins Of Satire
  • Radicalism And Satire
  • Black Humor And Satire

Controversial Topics In Literature Of All Times

In case you are looking for something contradictory to write about, the controversial literary research paper topic might be a nice option for your needs. The conflict of generations, formalism, and Franz Kafka are no longer the only alternatives to write about.

  • Is Modern Youth More Self Centred Than The Other Generations
  • Common Theme Between Xla And Faat Kine
  • Franz Kafka And His Role In The Literature
  • Formalism In Literature
  • Structuralism In Literature
  • The Parents And Children In Literature
  • Documentary In Literature
  • War And Peace Topics
  • The Role Of Family In The Modern Literature
  • The Conflict Of Generations

Western Literature Topics For A Brilliant Research Paper

Western literature holds a special place in the history of world literature. Wars, conflicts, riots, totalitarianism, technical progress, and other topics are all common for western literature.

  • Witches Loaves By O'Henry: The Lessons The Story Teach Us
  • Ernest Hemingway And The “Lost Generation”
  • Mark Twain And His Most Brilliant Characters
  • Welsh Literature
  • Latin American Literature Masterpieces
  • Oscar Wilde And His Impact On Literature
  • Trends In Celtic Literature
  • Trends In Icelandic Literature
  • American Dream In Literature
  • Death In Western Literature
  • Identity In Literature
  • Imperialism In Literature
  • Race Issues In Literature
  • Travel In Western Literature
  • Utopian Literature

Most Popular European Literature Topics

The literature of the Renaissance and the Middle Ages has lots of masterpieces many students admire. The development of the culture can be also easily studied by creating an essay on the European literature research paper topic.

  • The Use Of Setting And Atmosphere In Dracula By B Stoker
  • Theme Of Power In Othello By William Shakespeare
  • French Literature
  • German Literature
  • Spanish Literature
  • Finnish Modern Literature
  • Danish Modern Literature
  • Polish Modern Literature
  • Latvian Modern Literature
  • Renaissance Literature
  • Medieval Literature
  • Realism And Symbolism Trends
  • Political Poems And The Role In The World History
  • Postmodernism Trends
  • Latin Literature Trends
  • The literature of the 17th century

Eastern Literature Research Paper Topics For Diligent College Students

Eastern literature covers lots of periods and countries. You can write about Japan, China, Egypt, Ancient East, or Mesopotamia, as well as explore the cultural trends in different countries.

  • Turkish Literature
  • Arabic Literature
  • Sanskrit Literature
  • Famous Arabic Poets
  • Persian Literature
  • The Main Trends In Modern Chinese Literature
  • The Main Trends In Modern Japanese Literature
  • Confucianism
  • Famous Chinese Fiction
  • The Topic Of Death In Eastern Literature
  • The Topic Of Honor In The Eastern Literature
  • The Issues In The Eastern Literature
  • Saint Pachomius
  • Khalil Gibran
  • Anthony Of Egypt
  • Philosophy In Ancient Chinese Literature
  • Metaphor In Japanese Literature
  • Masculinity In Arab Literature
  • War In Persian Literature
  • Wisdom In Eastern Literature

How To Create A Brilliant Paper On Literature Topic

Choosing a suitable and easy-to-write topic for your essay is only half of the job you need to do. The most challenging thing is to create a concise, precise, fresh, and understandable academic paper with no mistakes. So, here is what you need to do to get the highest score for your essay:

  • Create an attractive and catchy introduction
  • Pick up the most interesting ideas for your paper
  • Create an outline
  • Point out the most important facts in the body of your essay
  • Choose only reliable and up-to-date sources
  • Create a paper in a proper voice and tone
  • Complete the paper with a fitting conclusion
  • Make your paper look solid
  • Avoid any grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes, as well as typos
  • Use proper formatting

As far as you can see, creating a successful paper is not as easy as it might seem from first glance. In case you feel this task is unaffordable for you, you can get professional help with creating a winning academic paper according to your needs for a reasonable cost. Buying an essay is as simple as 1-2-3, while the entire job of creating an academic paper will be done by professional writers.

REFERENCES:

  • Research tips for students
  • Basic facts about literature
  • The literature of ancient China
  • The literature of ancient Rome
  • Shakespeare's Life and World
  • The benefits of reading literature
  • Classic literature study guides

275 Good Literature Research Paper Topics & Ideas

18 January 2024

last updated

Literature research paper topics span a vast range of themes, diving deep Into diverse cultural expressions of humanity encapsulated in texts. They may include examining the role of gender, race, or class in seminal works, deconstructing narrative strategies used by specific literature authors, or probing historical and social contexts that influenced particular literary movements. Comparative literature studies offer fascinating insights by contrasting different authors, periods, or cultures. Literary theories, like postmodernism, feminism, or post-colonialism, provide additional lenses to interpret texts critically. On a more granular level, an analysis of symbols, motifs, or character development in a single literature work can yield rich discussions. The impact of digital media on literature is another progressive angle. With the vast scope and depth, literature research paper topics invite the exploration of multi-faceted dimensions.

Top Literature Research Paper Topics

  • Modern Interpretations of Shakespeare’s Female Characters
  • Comparative Analysis of Magic Realism in Latin American and African Literature
  • Gender Stereotypes in Classic “Fairy Tales”: A Feminist Reading
  • Postcolonial Discourses in Salman Rushdie’s Novels
  • The Portrayal of Mental Health Issues in Young Adult Dystopian Novels
  • Tragic Elements and Morality in Ancient Greek Drama
  • Medieval Literature: A Deep Dive Into Chivalric Codes
  • Depictions of Nature in Romantic Poetry: Keats and Wordsworth
  • Satire as a Political Tool in Jonathan Swift’s Works
  • Insights Into Victorian Society through Charles Dickens’s Novels
  • Analysis of Irony in Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice”
  • Existential Themes in Albert Camus’s “The Stranger”
  • Reading Into Metaphysical Elements in John Donne’s Poetry
  • Gothic Tropes in Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights”
  • Exploration of Race Relations in Toni Morrison’s “Beloved”
  • Mapping Journey Motifs in Homer’s “Odyssey”
  • Postmodern Narrative Techniques in Kurt Vonnegut’s “Slaughterhouse-Five”
  • Elements of Surrealism in Gabriel García Márquez’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude”
  • Unraveling Childhood Innocence in J.D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye”
  • Deciphering Symbolism in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”

Good Literature Research Paper Topics & Ideas

Simple Literature Research Paper Topics

  • Love Themes in “Romeo and Juliet”
  • “Pride and Prejudice”: A Study of Class Differences
  • Symbolism in Classics: “The Old Man and the Sea”
  • Epistolary Style in “Dracula”: Advantages and Limitations
  • Human Nature in “Lord of the Flies”
  • Nature Imagery in Wordsworth’s Poetry
  • Dualism in “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”
  • Portrayal of Women in “The Handmaid’s Tale”
  • Morality in “To Kill a Mockingbird”
  • Shakespeare’s Use of Soliloquy in “Hamlet”
  • Dystopian Elements in “1984”
  • Heroism in “Beowulf”: An Analysis
  • Innocence and Experience in Blake’s “Songs of Innocence and of Experience”
  • Significance of Dreams in Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis”
  • Children’s Perspective in “The Secret Garden”
  • Comparing Bronte Sisters: Themes in “Jane Eyre” and “Wuthering Heights”
  • Post-War Reality in “The Catcher in the Rye”
  • Survival and Humanity in “The Road”
  • Animal Imagery in Orwell’s “Animal Farm”

Interesting Literature Research Paper Topics

  • Dystopian Projections in Margaret Atwood’s “Oryx and Crake”
  • Magical Elements in Salman Rushdie’s “Midnight’s Children”
  • Challenging Class Systems in Dickens’s “Great Expectations”
  • Existential Concerns in Kafka’s “The Trial”
  • Depicting Childhood Trauma in Khaled Hosseini’s “The Kite Runner”
  • Exploitation Themes in Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle”
  • Steinbeck’s Critique of Capitalism in “Grapes of Wrath”
  • Illusion and Reality in Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”
  • Cultural Collision in Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”
  • Decoding Ecofeminism in Barbara Kingsolver’s “Prodigal Summer”
  • The Symbolism of the Mississippi River in Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”
  • Questioning Morality in Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment”
  • Loss and Regret in Ian McEwan’s “Atonement”
  • Feminist Undertones in Virginia Woolf’s “To the Lighthouse”
  • Violence and Rebellion in Anthony Burgess’s “A Clockwork Orange”
  • Exploring Oppression in George Orwell’s “1984”
  • Unveiling Transcendentalism in Thoreau’s “Walden”
  • Interpreting Paradox in Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland”
  • Understanding Antiheroes in Bret Easton Ellis’s “American Psycho”
  • Power Dynamics in William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies”

Literature Research Topics for High School

  • Tracing Gothic Themes in Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein”
  • Unmasking Symbolism: Interpreting Imagery in “To Kill a Mockingbird”
  • Exploring the Concept of Heroism in J.R.R Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings”
  • Feminist Perspectives in Charlotte Bronte’s “Jane Eyre”
  • Satirical Elements in Mark Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”
  • Dystopian Societies: A Comparative Study of George Orwell’s “1984” and Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World”
  • Postmodernist Techniques in Kurt Vonnegut’s “Slaughterhouse-Five”
  • Southern Gothic and Memory in William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily”
  • Cultural Displacement and Identity in Amy Tan’s “The Joy Luck Club”
  • Manifestations of the American Dream in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”
  • Interpretation of Dreams and Reality in Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland”
  • Analysis of Autobiographical Elements in Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”
  • Divergent Perspectives of Time in Virginia Woolf’s “Mrs. Dalloway”
  • Intersection of Art and Life in Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
  • Native American Mythology in Louise Erdrich’s “Tracks”
  • Human Morality and Ethics in Albert Camus’ “The Stranger”
  • Parallels Between War and Chess in Stefan Zweig’s “The Royal Game”
  • Cross-Cultural Relationships in Jhumpa Lahiri’s “The Namesake”
  • Stream of Consciousness Technique in James Joyce’s “Ulysses”
  • Understanding Death Through Emily Dickinson’s Poetry

Literature Research Topics for College Students

  • Examination of Heroic Archetypes in Homer’s “Odyssey”
  • Exploring Cultural Identity in Jhumpa Lahiri’s “The Namesake”
  • Decoding Magical Realism in Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude”
  • Inquiries Into the Absurd in Albert Camus’s “The Stranger”
  • Dissection of Class Conflict in Charles Dickens’s “Hard Times”
  • Understanding Transcendentalism through Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Essays
  • Manifestations of Fate and Destiny in Thomas Hardy’s “Tess of the D’Urbervilles”
  • Delineation of Feminine Strength in Jane Austen’s “Persuasion”
  • Satire as a Societal Mirror in Jonathan Swift’s “Gulliver’s Travels”
  • Unveiling Symbolism in Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”
  • Assessment of Postmodern Elements in Thomas Pynchon’s “The Crying of Lot 49”
  • Dissecting Racism in Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird”
  • Extrapolating Environmental Themes from Ernest Callenbach’s “Ecotopia”
  • Demystifying Magic Realism in Salman Rushdie’s “Midnight’s Children”
  • Journey Motif in J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings”
  • Analyzing Dual Personalities in Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”
  • Tragic Love in Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”
  • Portraying Madness in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper”
  • Uncovering Utopian Ideas in George Orwell’s “Animal Farm”

Literature Research Topics for University

  • Decoding Stream of Consciousness Technique in Virginia Woolf’s “To The Lighthouse”
  • Assessment of Existentialism in Jean-Paul Sartre’s “Nausea”
  • Deconstruction of Racism in Toni Morrison’s “Beloved”
  • Investigating Trauma in Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried”
  • Dissection of Consumerism in Bret Easton Ellis’s “American Psycho”
  • Examining Gender Norms in Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women”
  • Inquiry Into Surrealism in Haruki Murakami’s “Kafka on the Shore”
  • Tracing Familial Ties in Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude”
  • Interrogating Nihilism in Fyodor Dostoevsky’s “Notes from Underground”
  • Exploration of Spirituality in Hermann Hesse’s “Siddhartha”
  • Deconstructing Masculinity in Ernest Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises”
  • Deciphering Nature Imagery in William Wordsworth’s Poetry
  • Delineation of Social Status in Edith Wharton’s “The Age of Innocence”
  • Analysis of Post-Colonial Themes in Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”
  • Investigation of War Commentary in Joseph Heller’s “Catch-22”
  • Exploration of Existential Crisis in Franz Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis”
  • Dissecting Rebellion in George Orwell’s “1984”
  • Examination of Love and Loss in John Green’s “The Fault in Our Stars”
  • Tragic Themes in Sophocles’s “Oedipus Rex”
  • Unveiling Modernism in James Joyce’s “Ulysses”

Literature Research Topics for Master’s and Ph.D.

  • Cultural Displacement Analysis in Salman Rushdie’s “Midnight’s Children”
  • Nietzschean Perspectives in Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment”
  • Autobiographical Influence in Sylvia Plath’s “The Bell Jar”
  • Subversion of Gender Norms in Virginia Woolf’s “Orlando”
  • Psychoanalytic Reading of Edgar Allan Poe’s Short Stories
  • Investigation Into Metafiction in Italo Calvino’s “If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler”
  • Identity Negotiations in James Baldwin’s “Go Tell It on the Mountain”
  • Sartrean Existentialism in Albert Camus’s “The Stranger”
  • Deconstruction of Colonial Narratives in J.M Coetzee’s “Waiting for the Barbarians”
  • Utopian Idealism in Thomas More’s “Utopia”
  • Questioning Morality in Kazuo Ishiguro’s “Never Let Me Go”
  • Feminist Readings of Simone de Beauvoir’s “The Second Sex”
  • Analysis of Symbolism in William Faulkner’s “The Sound and the Fury”
  • Investigation of Absurdism in Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot”
  • Dissecting Magical Realism in Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude”
  • Tracing Mythological Allusions in Dante Alighieri’s “Divine Comedy”
  • Comparative Study of Tragic Heroes in Shakespeare’s Tragedies
  • Exploration of Trauma in Art Spiegelman’s “Maus”
  • Conceptions of the Self in Marcel Proust’s “In Search of Lost Time”
  • Analyzing Paradox in Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland”

English Literature Research Paper Topics

  • Cultural Criticism in Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales”
  • Deconstructionist Readings of John Milton’s “Paradise Lost”
  • Analyzing Gender Dynamics in Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights”
  • Colonial Discourse in Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness”
  • Comparative Study: Shakespeare’s Comedies vs. Tragedies
  • Psychoanalytical Interpretation of Characters in D.H. Lawrence’s “Sons and Lovers”
  • Religious Allusions in George Herbert’s Poetry
  • Depiction of Victorian Society in Thomas Hardy’s “Tess of the D’Urbervilles”
  • Exploration of Feminist Themes in George Eliot’s “Middlemarch”
  • Romanticism and the Sublime in William Wordsworth’s Poetry
  • Subversion of Gothic Conventions in Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein”
  • Satirical Elements in Jonathan Swift’s “Gulliver’s Travels”
  • Examining Narrative Structure in Laurence Sterne’s “Tristram Shandy”
  • Critiquing Imperialism in Rudyard Kipling’s “Kim”
  • Identity Politics in Zadie Smith’s “White Teeth”
  • Analyzing Trauma in Pat Barker’s “Regeneration”
  • Metaphysical Elements in John Donne’s Poetry
  • Modernism and Stream of Consciousness in Virginia Woolf’s “Mrs. Dalloway”
  • Inquiry Into Postmodernism in Salman Rushdie’s “The Satanic Verses”

World Literature Research Paper Topics

  • Comparative Analysis of Magical Realism in Gabriel García Márquez’s Work “One Hundred Years of Solitude” and Salman Rushdie’s “Midnight’s Children”
  • The Interplay of Irony and Satire in Voltaire’s “Candide”: An In-Depth Study
  • Existentialism in Fyodor Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment”: A Philosophical Inquiry
  • Politics of Gender in Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”
  • Power of Storytelling in “Arabian Nights”: A Narrative Examination
  • Tragic Elements in Sophocles’ “Oedipus Rex”: A Dramatic Analysis
  • Influence of Historical Context in Dante’s “The Divine Comedy”
  • Modernist Themes in James Joyce’s “Ulysses”: An In-Depth Analysis
  • Postcolonial Perspectives in J. M. Coetzee’s “Disgrace”
  • Examination of Symbolism in Franz Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis”
  • Unraveling Surrealism in Federico García Lorca’s “Blood Wedding”
  • Quest for Identity in Wole Soyinka’s “Death and the King’s Horseman”
  • Peculiarities of Bildungsroman in Thomas Mann’s “The Magic Mountain”
  • Melodrama and Sentimentality in Leo Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina”
  • Postmodern Techniques in Italo Calvino’s “Invisible Cities”
  • Religious Motifs in Yukio Mishima’s “The Temple of the Golden Pavilion”
  • Deconstruction of the Hero Archetype in “Beowulf”: An Analytical Study
  • Decoding Mythology in Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s “Love in the Time of Cholera”
  • Gothic Elements in Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein”: A Comprehensive Analysis
  • Semiotics of War in “The Iliad” by Homer: A Deeper Look

American Literature Research Paper Topics

  • Symbolism in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter”: A Deeper Understanding
  • Modernist Elements in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”
  • Decoding the Racial Landscape in Mark Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”
  • Examination of the Feminine Voice in Kate Chopin’s “The Awakening”
  • Nature and Wilderness in Henry David Thoreau’s “Walden”: A Thorough Analysis
  • Existential Themes in Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea”
  • Gothic Tropes in Edgar Allan Poe’s Short Stories: An Analytical Approach
  • Subversion of Romantic Ideals in Herman Melville’s “Moby-Dick”
  • Postmodern Experimentation in Thomas Pynchon’s “The Crying of Lot 49”
  • Humanism and Individualism in Walt Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass”: A Comprehensive Study
  • Interrogating Social Issues in John Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath”
  • Absurdity and Alienation in Tennessee Williams’ “A Streetcar Named Desire”
  • Motifs of Feminism in Sylvia Plath’s “The Bell Jar”
  • Unraveling Magical Realism in Toni Morrison’s “Beloved”
  • Tracing Violence and American Dream in Cormac McCarthy’s “Blood Meridian”
  • Discourses of Power in Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible”
  • Investigating Racism and Injustice in Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird”
  • Exploration of Gender and Class in Edith Wharton’s “The House of Mirth”
  • Southern Gothic Elements in William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily”

Early American Literature Research Paper Topics

  • Revisiting Puritan Ideology in John Winthrop’s “A Model of Christian Charity”
  • Interrogating Witchcraft in Cotton Mather’s “Wonders of the Invisible World”
  • Colonial Discourse in John Smith’s “A Description of New England”
  • Unearthing Abolitionist Rhetoric in Phillis Wheatley’s “Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral”
  • Narrative Structures in Mary Rowlandson’s “The Sovereignty and Goodness of God”
  • The Dichotomy of Faith and Reason in Jonathan Edwards’ Work “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”
  • Tales of Captivity: An Analysis of Olaudah Equiano’s “The Interesting Narrative”
  • Puritan Ethics in Anne Bradstreet’s “To My Dear and Loving Husband”
  • Exploration of Moralism and Feminism in “Charlotte Temple” by Susanna Rowson
  • Sentimentality and Revolution in Hannah Webster Foster’s “The Coquette”
  • Mourning and Memorial in Edward Taylor’s “Preparatory Meditations”
  • Decoding the Political in Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense”
  • Unraveling Utopia in Francis Bacon’s “New Atlantis”
  • Intersections of Religion and Ecology in William Bartram’s “Travels”
  • Slavery and Autobiography in “The History of Mary Prince”
  • Examining Native Representation in James Fenimore Cooper’s “The Last of the Mohicans”
  • Investigation of Transcendentalism in Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Self-Reliance”
  • Deconstruction of Gothic in Charles Brockden Brown’s “Wieland”
  • Manifest Destiny and Conquest in Washington Irving’s “A Tour on the Prairies”
  • The Interplay of Autobiography and Identity in Benjamin Franklin’s “The Autobiography”

Modernist Literature Research Paper Topics

  • Stream of Consciousness Portrayal in Virginia Woolf’s “To the Lighthouse”
  • Decoding Symbolism in T. S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land”
  • Mythical Allusions in James Joyce’s “Ulysses”
  • Questioning Identity in Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot”
  • Exploration of Absurdism in Albert Camus’ “The Stranger”
  • Unraveling Dystopia in George Orwell’s “1984”
  • War Imagery in Ernest Hemingway’s “A Farewell to Arms”
  • Discourses of Power in Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World”
  • Interrogating Alienation in Franz Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis”
  • Confronting Colonialism in Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness”
  • Critique of Consumerism in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”
  • Religious Symbolism in William Faulkner’s “As I Lay Dying”
  • Time and Memory in Marcel Proust’s “In Search of Lost Time”
  • Revisiting Surrealism in André Breton’s “Manifestoes of Surrealism”
  • Constructing Feminine Voice in Djuna Barnes’ “Nightwood”
  • Melancholia and Desire in Thomas Mann’s “Death in Venice”
  • Tracing Revolution in John Dos Passos’ “The 42nd Parallel”
  • Racial Tensions in Richard Wright’s “Native Son”
  • Examination of Silence in Eugene O’Neill’s “Long Day’s Journey Into Night”

Renaissance Literature Research Paper Topics

  • Interrogating Love in Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”
  • Humanism in Thomas More’s “Utopia”
  • Religious Symbolism in John Donne’s “Holy Sonnets”
  • Examining Power in Christopher Marlowe’s “Doctor Faustus”
  • Quest for Knowledge in Francis Bacon’s “The Advancement of Learning”
  • Nature and Desire in Andrew Marvell’s “To His Coy Mistress”
  • Comparative Analysis of Metaphysical Poetry: John Donne and George Herbert
  • Petrarchan Influence in Edmund Spenser’s “The Faerie Queene”
  • Tragedy and Revenge in Thomas Kyd’s “The Spanish Tragedy”
  • Decoding Allegory in John Bunyan’s “The Pilgrim’s Progress”
  • Courtly Love in Sir Thomas Malory’s “Le Morte d’Arthur”
  • Exploration of Colonial Discourse in Richard Hakluyt’s “The Principal Navigations”
  • Interrogating Femininity in Aphra Behn’s “Oroonoko”
  • Carnival and Power in Rabelais’ “Gargantua and Pantagruel”
  • Satirical Elements in Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”
  • Renaissance Humanism in Pico della Mirandola’s “Oration on the Dignity of Man”
  • Political Machinations in Niccolò Machiavelli’s “The Prince”
  • Deciphering Madness in Robert Burton’s “The Anatomy of Melancholy”
  • Rhetoric and Persuasion in Thomas Hobbes’ “Leviathan”
  • Imagery and Metaphor in Sir Philip Sidney’s “Astrophil and Stella”

Literature Review Research Paper Topics

  • Synthesis of Feminism in Contemporary Women’s Literature
  • Historical Contexts of Postcolonial Literature: A Critical Examination
  • Deconstruction in Postmodern Literature: A Comprehensive Analysis
  • Comparative Review of Magical Realism in Latin American Literature
  • Understanding Trauma Narratives in Holocaust Literature
  • Unveiling Dystopia in Contemporary Young Adult Fiction
  • Identity Politics in Post-Apartheid South African Literature
  • Power Dynamics in Dystopian Science Fiction Literature
  • Dialogues of Ecocriticism in Environmental Literature
  • Subversion of Narrative Structures in Experimental Literature
  • Poe’s Gothic Tradition: An Analysis Across Multiple Works
  • Discourse of Mental Illness in Modernist Literature
  • Comparative Analysis of Existentialism in European Literature
  • Review of Cyberpunk Tropes in Contemporary Literature
  • Revisiting Chivalry in Medieval Arthurian Literature
  • Metamodernism in 21 st -Century Literature: A Critical Review
  • Investigation of Spiritualism in Transcendentalist Literature
  • Tracking Satire in 18 th -Century British Literature
  • Review of Queer Themes in LGBT+ Literature
  • Understanding Cultural Hybridity in Diasporic Literature

To Learn More, Read Relevant Articles

314 education research paper topics & special ideas, 256 lgbtq+ research topics & paper ideas.

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221 Awesome Literary Research Paper Topics To Choose From

literary research paper topics

Are you looking for the best literary research paper topic or wondering how to choose a topic for a literary research paper? You are at the right place. The hardest part of doing research is getting an ideal topic. Once, you get a great topic you are good to go.

We have a great number of best-rated expert writers that can provide well-done professional papers. As students in college, we understand that high payment rates can be frustrating, that’s why we offer cheap prices for high-quality work. We offer the best help with research papers to get top grades. Browse through this variety of topics to find the best fit for you.

Literature Research Topics

Getting an ideal literature research paper topic can consume a lot of time. In this category, you will get some of the best literature research topics.

  • Discuss the American dream in literature.
  • How do religion and literature correlate?
  • Discuss the “stream of consciousness” style of literature.
  • Examine artificial languages in literature.
  • How is mythology termed in literature?
  • Discuss why Harry Potter became that popular.
  • Is it advisable for literature to be gendered?
  • Evaluate between utopian and dystopian literature.
  • Discuss the work of Shakespeare.
  • How can you rate the feminist literature – does it have a ground?
  • Evaluate the impact of the work of Shakespeare.
  • Can fan fiction be considered an independent part of literature?
  • How do clichés work in literature
  • How are the Byronic characters in literature?
  • Discuss the good and evil of studying literature.
  • The literary work during WWI
  • Evaluate the portrayal of war and peace by George Orwell.

Interesting Literature Topics

Did you know that there are interesting literature topics? They deal with the evolution of literature and how it has grown till the present time. Thinking of literature topics for research paper is challenging, so here are some more options.

  • How can you term irony and sarcasm in literature?
  • How can literature be termed as an instrument of propaganda?
  • Discuss madness in literature.
  • The influence of trickster characters in literature.
  • Discuss travel writing in the 20 th century.
  • Evaluate narrative nature and verse since 1900.
  • How has city living changed since 1900?
  • Evaluate literature as part of modern culture.
  • How are social issues exposed in literature?
  • The relation between literature and psychology.
  • The influence of European culture in the Midwest literature.
  • The differences between the literature of different countries.
  • The effect of European culture on modern literature.
  • The impact of feminism on modern culture.
  • Evaluate Japanese literature in the 20 th century.

Literature Topics for a Research Paper

In this category, you will get a wide variety of literature topics that you can use for your research. A well-written research paper will help you get top grades.

  • What can you term as the cultural production of Latina writers?
  • Discuss the representation of Ethics in literature.
  • Evaluate the famous work of Ernest Hemingway.
  • Expound on the invented languages in literature.
  • Why do you think “Harry Potter” has become so popular?
  • How is the Image of death represented as a character in literature?
  • The impact of literature on kids.
  • Is there an appropriate gender in literature?
  • Evaluate the Victorian literature.
  • Elaborate on the complete work of William Shakespeare.
  • Discuss whether fanfiction is independent literature.
  • Which are the Byronic characters in literature.
  • Elaborate irony versus sarcasm in literature.
  • How can literature be used as an instrument of propaganda?

Literature Research Paper Topics

In this category of research paper topics, you get to relate one phenomenon with the other. They are also based on some well-known novels. When thinking of literary topics for research paper, consider your scope of knowledge and interest in the topic.

  • The correlation between psychology and literature.
  • How is the construction of social identity?
  • How can you describe the settler nationhood and the wilderness in North American poetry?
  • Why does place matters to a poet?
  • Evaluate travel writing in the 20 th century and 21 st century.
  • The influence of animals in children’s literature.
  • Evaluate the importance of humor in children’s literature.
  • Discuss the best children’s novels from 1900.
  • How does young adult literature represent disability?
  • How to read to under five years old children to develop relationships and imaginations?
  • Evaluate the modern novel and psychology.
  • Define the cross-disciplinary boundaries between archaeology and English literature.
  • Evaluate the 19 th -century novel and science.
  • Evaluate how history is important in deciphering modern literature.
  • How is philosophy important to literature.

English Literature Research Paper Topics

In English literature, it focuses on how various novels, classics, or books are written to explain a certain phenomenon. Here are some literature topics that you can start with:

  • Evaluate the methods of teaching English literature.
  • Investigate modern Indian literature in English translation.
  • Evaluate women writers and the survey of English literature.
  • Investigate the impact of the Bible on English literature.
  • Evaluate the impact of the Classics on Literature.
  • Define the scope of English literature in Educating people.
  • Explain the influence of Darwin on Literature.
  • Explain medieval English literature.
  • Examine Women studies and Feminism in India.
  • Evaluate the short history of the Norton Anthology of the English language.
  • Evaluate the English Renaissance study.
  • Investigate medieval feminism in middle English Studies.
  • Evaluate women in Indian English Literature.
  • Discuss feminism and modern Indian literature.
  • Discuss the evolution of English in North America.

Topics in Literature

Literature requires full concentration to get to the bottom of a certain phenomenon. We have simplified the topics to make it easier for you to do your assignment in college.

  • Discuss Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet based on Male melodrama.
  • How as black lives matter movement influenced black literature?
  • Evaluate the contemporary refuge literature.
  • Investigate post-colonialism and climate change in literature.
  • Discuss tradition and modernity through the lens of Tagore Gora.
  • Investigate the relation between pre-independence and post-independence in Indian literature.
  • The role of African literary responses to Racism.
  • The literature on homosexuality.
  • The significance of Literature in the modern world.
  • Feminism growth in the twentieth century.
  • The effects of fairy tales perceptions in the modern era.
  • Correlation between pre-independence and post-independence Indian literature.
  • Discuss the novel, “To kill a Mockingbird from 1960”.
  • The significance of Shakespeare in the world of Literature.
  • How did the artistry of writing novels start?
  • The character analysis of Emy and Rebecca in Vanity Fair.
  • The Depiction of vampires in the 19 th and 21 st -century literature.

Research Topics in English Literature

In this category, there are comparison topics that you can analyze for your research. These are based on well-known books and novels in English.

  • Evaluate the diversity of Chaucer’s genres in tales of Canterbury.
  • The accuracy of historical novels in the document happenings.
  • How has the role of a woman changed in twentieth-century literature?
  • What effect does Milton’s paradise lost have on 17 th -century literature?
  • How have James Joyce and William Burroughs done their novels?
  • What is our modern perspective about 19 th -century novels and the general public and similar perspectives when they were first published?
  • Evaluate the less-known work of well-known writers.
  • Examine why adults find Lord of the Rings appealing.
  • How does the work of Maya Angelou play a role in African literary responses to racism?
  • Recognizing the unconscious in modernist literature.
  • Evaluate the representation of Hindu and Buddhist thought in Modern Literature.
  • The representation of abortion in British Literature.
  • Profess poetry in terms of style and faith in Hopkins.
  • Evaluate the evolution of literature in the twentieth century.
  • Describe the writing nature in the age of chemical countryside.

Literature Topics for Research Papers

These are some of the best literature topics for research papers. They require minimal effort to submit a well-written research paper.

  • The roles of gender in modern literature.
  • The importance of having animals in children’s literature.
  • Analysis of the first world war.
  • How accurate is History as described in historical novels?
  • The difference between literature in the US and Great Britain.
  • Analyze the 19 th -century poetic imagination.
  • Examine the 19 th -century poetic imagination based on astronomy.
  • How is quantum physics applied in literature?
  • What is the most important work written by William Shakespeare?
  • The Female masculinities in old English Literature.
  • The difference between modernism and realism.
  • Critical analysis of First World War poetry.
  • The analysis of the meaning of fairy tales in literature.
  • The influence on literature during the renaissance era.
  • The historical analysis of children’s literature.
  • The idea of death in Renaissance literature.
  • The historical background of Duma’s novels.

Literary Topics for a Research Paper

Literary topics are diverse. This can make it hectic to choose an appropriate one for your research paper.

  • Discuss the most important work of Shakespeare.
  • Describe the gothic novel’s gender representation.
  • The effect of social media language on learners.
  • The travails of the African woman.
  • The utilization of language activities in teaching and learning of English Language.
  • Discuss women in nation-building and influence on literature.
  • The relevance of folktale in the learning of literature.
  • The significance of drama and poetry in literature.
  • Factors affecting the choice of language in a multilingual society.
  • Comparative study of morphological processes in English.
  • Comparative study of Achebe’s “Things fall apart”.
  • The significance of proverbs in literature.
  • The influence of politics in the building of literary texts.
  • The analysis of speech in literature.
  • The analysis of threat in literature.

Research Topics in Literature

These research topics are based on various societal aspects and impacts on the world. They also deal with people’s emotions and behaviors in different contexts.

  • The nativization of English in African literary texts.
  • An analysis of the Asian theatre and influence on modern literature.
  • The examination of leadership in literature.
  • The relevance of literature in the world.
  • What is the need to study literature?
  • Evaluate the evolution of literature from the start till now.
  • Analyze the methods used in creating styles in the literature.
  • What are some of the feminist criticism of some selected Feminist works?
  • The importance of fiction in literature.
  • The relevance of emotion and narration in novel writing in literature.
  • Discuss how conflicts are brought out in literary novels.
  • What is the effect of language diversity on the development of a country?
  • Discuss the relevance of music and revolution.
  • The challenges of language on national development.
  • What is the communication medium used in literature?

Literature Paper Topics

Here are some of the best literature paper topics that you can use for your research. As long as you narrow down the research topic, getting relevant information will be easy.

  • The difference between linguistic and grammatical theories.
  • The problems related to tenses in literature.
  • The evaluation of word formation in literature.
  • The significance of poems in literature.
  • The evolution and levels of modern literature.
  • The personal happiness versus societal norms in Victorian literature.
  • The sentence structure of English literature.
  • Does the native language of a person influence adoption of a second language?
  • An analysis of problems associated with learning a second language.
  • The manifestation of non-standard usage of English among University Students.
  • The influence of rituals, music, songs, and dances in literature.
  • The poetic language and influence on the expression.
  • How can literature be termed as the vehicle for social change?
  • The syntactic problems associated with English usage.
  • The influence of society on students’ performance in literature.
  • Teaching and learning strengths in literature.

American Literature Research Paper Topics

Finding an ideal research paper topic in America’s context can consume a lot of time. Here you will find simplified topics for your research paper.

  • Discuss contemporary American Literature.
  • The African Realism and influence in Literature.
  • How did colonization influence modern literature?
  • Define 20 th -century Latin American literature.
  • Evaluate African Americans and their fight for equality in American Literature.
  • Define realism, naturalism, and modernism in African American literature.
  • Evaluate Allen Ginsberg and American Protest literature.
  • Examine American literature and society.
  • Analyze American literature in Post-World War II.
  • American Literature in the 20 th and 21 st century.
  • American literature and religious ideologies.
  • Anne Bradstreet’s contribution to American Literature.
  • The influence of Asian American literature.
  • Evaluate the color interpretations in the great Gatsby.
  • The common themes in American Literature.

Literature Research Paper Topics for College Students

Are you a college student looking for an ideal literature research paper? Here are some topics for you!

  • Provide your understanding of censorship in American Literature.
  • Evaluate black American women writers and their influence on the world.
  • Architectural imagery in 20 th century African American literature.
  • How do characters lose their innocence in literature?
  • The different modes of communication in literature.
  • The conversation of American Sign Language in literature.
  • How are dialects and death shown in literature?
  • How does Literature portray American culture?
  • How does self-verification occur in African American Literature?
  • The generational divide and impact on modern literature.
  • The establishment of traditional excellence.
  • Explore the modern literature.
  • How can you define masculinity in literature?
  • The impact of World War I on American literature.
  • The significance of African American literature addressing the black experience.
  • The male and female characters in Beowulf.
  • The relationship between mother and daughter in Beloved.

Literature Review Topics Examples

Do you know how to do a literature review on various topics? Try any of this and see your proficiency in the sector.

  • A literature review on rational and rationality.
  • A literature review on dependence and development.
  • A literature review on resource scarcity in the modern world.
  • A literature review on pop culture.
  • A literature review on Feminist international relations.
  • A literature review on complex organizations and regimes.
  • A literature review on censorship in TV shows.
  • A literature review on global warming and its influence on mankind.
  • Literature review on why children’s books are popular.
  • A literature review on how authors choose writing styles.
  • The use of artificial language in literature.
  • How education affects literature per era.
  • The most effective villains in literature.
  • How does Shakespeare inspire modern authors?
  • Propaganda and literature in the modern world.
  • Toni Morrison’s views on the civil way
  • The concept of war in the book; a fable by Faulkner.

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Literature Dissertation Topics

Published by Carmen Troy at January 9th, 2023 , Revised On April 16, 2024

Introduction

A literature dissertation aims to contextualise themes, ideas, and interests that have grabbed a reader’s interest and attention, giving them a more profound meaning through the movement of time within and outside cultures.

Literature is a comprehensive knowledge of other writers’ views, and to understand them, a student must perform extensive reading and research. A writer coveys their thoughts and ideas through their literary works, including the views and opinions of writers ranging from topics on philosophy , religious preferences, sociology , academics, and psychology .

To help you get started with brainstorming for literature topic ideas, we have developed a list of the latest topics that can be used for writing your literature dissertation.

These topics have been developed by PhD qualified writers of our team , so you can trust to use these topics for drafting your dissertation.

You may also want to start your dissertation by requesting  a brief research proposal  from our writers on any of these topics, which includes an  introduction  to the topic,  research question ,  aim and objectives ,  literature review  along with the proposed  methodology  of research to be conducted.  Let us know  if you need any help in getting started.

Check our  dissertation examples  to get an idea of  how to structure your dissertation .

Review the full list of  dissertation topics for here.

2024 Literature Dissertation Topics

Topic 1: impact of the second language barrier on the social integration of immigrants- a case of chinese nationals migrating to the uk.

Research Aim: This research purposes an analysis to show the impact of the second language barrier on the social integration of Chinese immigrants in the UK. It will analyze how this barrier affects various segments of their lives by limiting their social interactions. Moreover, it will identify ways (language courses, communal support, financial support, etc.) through which government and civil society help these immigrants to overcome this barrier to make them feel inclusive in the UK and play a part in the economy.

Topic 2: The Power of the Writer’s Imagination- A Study Finding the Role of Writer Imagination in the Social Revolution in 19th-Century Europe

Research Aim: This study intends to identify the role of the writer’s imagination in the social revolution in 19 th century Europe. It will show how writers’ imagination is reflected in their writings and how it affects ordinary individuals’ mindsets. It will assess the writings of various authors during the 19 th -century social revolution when Europe replaced the monarchy with democracy. It will show the language used by the authors and its effect on the individuals’ will to achieve democracy.

Topic 3: How does an Accent Develop? An Exploratory Analysis Finding Factors Shaped Various English Accents in the World- A Case of America, Australia, and India

Research Aim: This research will analyze how an accent develops when a language is imported from one region to the other. It will identify how various factors such as culture, norms, politics, religion, etc., affect accent development. And to show this effect, this research will show how the English accent changed when it came to America, Australia, and India. Moreover, it will indicate whether social resistance in these areas affected the accent or was readily accepted.

Topic 4: “Gender Pronouns and their Usage” a New Debate in the Social Linguistics Literature- A Systematic Review of the Past and Present Debates

Research Aim: This study sheds light on a relatively new debate in politics, sociology, and linguistics, which is how to correctly use gender pronouns in all of these contexts. Therefore, this study will explore these areas, but the main focus will be on linguistics. It will review various theories and frameworks in linguistics to show multiple old and new debates on the subject matter. Moreover, a systematic review will determine the correct usage of gender pronouns.

Topic 5: Are Men Portrayed Better in the English Literature? A Feminist Critique of the Old English Literature

Research Aim: This research will analyze whether men are portrayed better in English literature through a feminist lens. It will assess a different kind of English literature, such as poems, essays, novels, etc., to show whether men are portrayed better than women in various contexts. Moreover, it will analyze multiple classical and modern-day writers to see how they use different male and female characters in their literature. Lastly, it will add a feminist perspective on the subject matter by introducing the feminist theory and its portrayal of men and women.

Covid-19 Literature Research Topics

Topic 1: the scientific literature of coronavirus pandemic.

Research Aim: This study will review the scientific literature of Coronavirus pandemic

Topic 2: Literature and the future world after Coronavirus.

Research Aim: This study will reveal the world’s literature predictions after the pandemic.

Topic 3: Coronavirus is a trending topic among the media, writers, and publishers

Research Aim: Covid-19 has disrupted every sector’s health care system and economy. Apart from this, the topic of the Coronavirus has become trending everywhere. This study will highlight whether the information provided about COVID-19 by all the sources is authentic? What kind of misleading information is presented?

Literature Dissertation Topics for 2023

Topic 1: dependence of humans on computers.

Research Aim: This research aims to study the dependence of humans on the computer, its advantages and disadvantages.

Topic 2: Whether or not the death penalty is effective in the current era?

Research Aim: This research aims to identify whether the death penalty is effective in the current era.

Topic 3: Fashion Industry and its impact on people's upward and downward social perception

Research Aim: This research aims to identify the impact on people’s upward and downward social perception

Topic 4: Communication gaps in families due to the emergence of social media

Research Aim: This research aims to address the communication gaps in families due to the emergence of social media and suggest possible ways to overcome them.

Topic 5: Employment and overtime working hours- a comparative study

Research Aim: This research aims to measure the disadvantages of overtime working hours of employees.

Topic 6: Machine translators Vs. human translators

Research Aim: This research aims to conduct a comparative study of machine translators and human translators

Topic 7: Freelancing Vs 9 to 5 jobs- a comparative study

Research Aim: This research aims to compare freelancing jobs with 9 to 5 jobs.

More Literature Dissertation Topics for 2024

Topic 1: the effects of everyday use of digital media on youth in the uk..

Research Aim: Digital media is a normal part of a person’s life. In this research, the aim is to examine and analyse; how young people between the ages of 15-25 in the UK engage with digital media. The study includes the amount of time interaction occurs and the role of time-space, time elasticities, and online/offline intersections.

Topic 2: Critical analysis of the teenager protagonist in “The Room on the Roof” written by Ruskin Bond.

Research Aim: Many Indian writers and children’s book authors regard Ruskin Bond as an icon. This research will systematically study the alienated teenage protagonist in Ruskin’s “The Room on the Roof” and how Ruskin evolved the character gradually throughout the novel. The way Ruskin used this protagonist to reflect his feelings and convey them to the reader.

Topic 3: Promotion of women empowerment through mass media in Nepal.

Research Aim: The primary purpose of this study is to analyse the role of mass media, including audio, print, and audio-visual, in the empowerment of women in the Nepal region. It also discusses the development of mass media in Nepal and spreading awareness of women’s empowerment.

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Seventeenth and Eighteenth-Century Literature Dissertation Topics

Topic 1: eighteenth-century british literature..

Research Aim: This study aims to study the evolution of modern British literature compared to eighteenth-century literature. This research will focus on the genre of comedy only. The research will discuss the causes of laughter in the eighteenth century compared to things that cause laughter in modern times.

Topic 5: A systematic study of Chaucer’s Miller’s tale.

Research Aim: This research aims to take a closer look at Chaucer’s heavily censored story, “The Miller’s Tale.” It seeks to look at why “The Miller’s Tale” is criticised and categorised as obscene and unfit for a general read. The study will analyse the writer’s writing style, language, and method for the research paper.

Topic 3: Understanding 17th-century English culture using a model of Francis Bacon’s idea.

Research Aim: This research aims to take a more in-depth look into Francis Bacon’s idea of modern economic development. To conduct the study, machine learning processes will be implemented to examine Francis’s ideas and their implementations in contemporary times.

Topic 4: The relation between early 18th-century English plays and The emerging financial market.

Research Aim: This research aims to analyse the relationship between eighteenth-century plays and a flourishing financial market. Most theatrical plays were written and performed in the middle of the 1720s, but writing carried out contributed to the financial market.

Topic 5: Issues of climate change used in early English literature: Shakespeare’s View of the sky.

Research Aim: This research aims to analyse climate change’s impact on early English writings. Climatic issues were faced even in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, providing writers with another topic to add to their published work. This research will focus on the work of Shakespeare, in which he included the specifics of climate change.

Also Read: Medicine and Nursing Dissertation Topics Free

Nineteenth-Century Dissertation Topics

Topic 1: impact of nineteenth-century gothic vampire literature on female members of the gothic subculture..

Research Aim: This research will look at the introduction of gothic vampire literature and its impact on female members of the gothic subculture. It includes a complete analysis of writing style and the impression it left of the female readers’.

Topic 2: Women theatre managers and the theatre in the late nineteenth century.

Research Aim: This research aims to view the impact on theatres under the management of women theatre managers. The improvement to theatre shows, along with the hardships faced by some managers, is discussed. The proposed study analyses the categories of theatre plays.

Topic 3: The history of American literature.

Research Aim: This research aims to give a brief history of American literature’s development and evolution throughout the centuries. The timeline begins from the early 15th century to the late 19th century. Word variations, sentence structures, grammar, and written impressions will be analysed.

Topic 4: “New women” concept in the novels of Victorian age English writers.

Research Aim: This research aims to analyse women’s position in the early nineteenth and how later Victorian writers used their work to give women a new identity. The method employed by these writers who wrote from a feminist point of view will also be discussed.

Topic 5: Discussing the role of the writer in their own story.

Research Aim: This research aims to analyse the form in which the writer reveals their presence to the reader. The methods can be achieved directly or use the characters to replace themselves in the narrative. The study observes the phrases, vocabulary, and situations the writer uses to narrate.

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Twentieth Century Dissertation Topics

Topic 1: effect of gender association in modern literature..

Research Aim: This research aims to analyse the issue of gender association in twentieth-century literature. Currently, male characters are described in a more masculine term than before in comparison to female counterparts. This research will also explore the possible approach of the possible characterisation of the two genders.

Topic 2: Feminism and literature.

Research Aim: This research aims to analyse the impacts of feminism on modern English literature quality. The study will look into the ideology of feminism and how feminist thoughts impact the readers’ view.

Topic 3: Modern literature based on climate change and eco-themes.

Research Aim: This research will study the various works of writers who tackled climate change and other eco-themes in their work. The study discusses the way they portrayed the item along with their views on preventing climate change. Modern work is compared to the work of previous writers who wrote about climate change.

Topic 4: How are fathers portrayed in modern literature?

Research Aim: This research will study the role of fathers in modern literature. The way the father character is portrayed in recent times has changed compared to writing in the early centuries. This research will look into the evolution of the father figure over time.

Topic 5: Literature for Asian American children.

Research Aim: This research will examine the fusion of classic American literature and Asian literature for children. The different genera’s that are produced and the style of writing will be analysed.

Also Read: Free Law Dissertation Topics

Children’s Literature Dissertation Topics

Topic 1: the influence of the intersection of race and bullying in children’s books..

Research Aim: This research will analyse the literature made for children from 2015 to 2019 in which the intersection between race and bullying is made. The study will evaluate the impact of literature read by a child in which there is bullying. Various picture books are analysed to observe the influence of racism on bullying.

Topic 2: Diversity of culture in children’s literature.

Research Aim: This research will observe the influence of the various cultural aspects of children’s books. The study will analyse the impact of mixed cultures on literature in a community and how it affects children’s mindsets from a young age.

Topic 3: The use of literature to shape a child's mind.

Research Aim: This research will analyse the effects of literature on a child’s mind. Behaviour, intelligence, and interactions between children and their age fellows are to be observed. A child’s behaviour with adults will also be analysed.

Topic 4: Evolution of children's literature.

Research Aim: This research will explore the change in children’s literature trends. This research will compare the literary work from the mid-nineteen century with modern-day children’s books. Differences in vocabulary, sentence structure, and mode of storytelling will be examined.

Topic 5: Racial discrimination in “the cat in the hat” impacts children’s racial views.

Research Aim: This research will take an in-depth analysis of the children’s story, “The Cat in the Hat,” to observe if it has any racial remarks which cause an increase in racism among children. The words used and the pictures found on the page will be thoroughly analysed, and their impact on the children reading it.

Topic 6: Measuring the nature of a child’s early composing.

Research Aim: This research will analyse the development of a child’s writing skills based on the type of books they read. The book’s genera, vocabulary, and the writing style of the child’s preferred book will be considered.

Topic 7: Use of a classroom to incorporate multicultural children’s literature.

Research Aim: This research will reflect on the potential use of a school classroom to promote multicultural literature for children. Since a classroom is filled with children of different cultural backgrounds, it becomes easier to introduce multicultural literature. The difficulties and the advantages to society in the incorporation of multicultural literature in classrooms are discussed.

Important Notes:

As literature looking to get good grades, it is essential to develop new ideas and experiment with existing literature theories – i.e., to add value and interest to your research topic.

The literature field is vast and interrelated to many other academic disciplines like linguistics , English literature and more. That is why creating a literature dissertation topic that is particular, sound, and actually solves a practical problem that may be rampant in the field is imperative.

We can’t stress how important it is to develop a logical research topic based on your entire research. There are several significant downfalls to getting your topic wrong; your supervisor may not be interested in working on it, the topic has no academic creditability, the research may not make logical sense, and there is a possibility that the study is not viable.

This impacts your time and efforts in writing your dissertation , as you may end up in the cycle of rejection at the initial stage of the dissertation. That is why we recommend reviewing existing research to develop a topic, taking advice from your supervisor, and even asking for help in this particular stage of your dissertation.

While developing a research topic, keeping our advice in mind will allow you to pick one of the best literature dissertation topics that fulfil your requirement of writing a research paper and add to the body of knowledge.

Therefore, it is recommended that when finalizing your dissertation topic, you read recently published literature to identify gaps in the research that you may help fill.

Remember- dissertation topics need to be unique, solve an identified problem, be logical, and be practically implemented. Please look at some of our sample literature dissertation topics to get an idea for your own dissertation.

How to Structure your Literature Dissertation

A well-structured dissertation can help students to achieve a high overall academic grade.

  • A Title Page
  • Acknowledgements
  • Declaration
  • Abstract: A summary of the research completed
  • Table of Contents
  • Introduction : This chapter includes the project rationale, research background, key research aims and objectives, and the research problems. An outline of the structure of a dissertation can also be added to this chapter.
  • Literature Review : This chapter presents relevant theories and frameworks by analysing published and unpublished literature on the chosen research topic to address research questions . The purpose is to highlight and discuss the selected research area’s relative weaknesses and strengths whilst identifying any research gaps. Break down the topic and key terms that can positively impact your dissertation and your tutor.
  • Methodology : The data collection and analysis methods and techniques employed by the researcher are presented in the Methodology chapter, which usually includes research design , research philosophy, research limitations, code of conduct, ethical consideration, data collection methods, and data analysis strategy .
  • Findings and Analysis : Findings of the research are analysed in detail under the Findings and Analysis chapter. All key findings/results are outlined in this chapter without interpreting the data or drawing any conclusions. It can be useful to include graphs, charts, and tables in this chapter to identify meaningful trends and relationships.
  • Discussion and Conclusion : The researcher presents his interpretation of results in this chapter and states whether the research hypothesis has been verified or not. An essential aspect of this section of the paper is to link the results and evidence from the literature. Recommendations with regards to implications of the findings and directions for the future may also be provided. Finally, a summary of the overall research, along with final judgments, opinions, and comments, must be included in the form of suggestions for improvement.
  • References : Your University’s requirements should complete this
  • Bibliography
  • Appendices : Any additional information, diagrams, and graphs used to complete the dissertation but not part of the dissertation should be included in the Appendices chapter. Essentially, the purpose is to expand the information/data.

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120 Fresh and Thought-Provoking Topics for Literature Reviews in Different Disciplines

A literature review is an account of the scholarly works published on a topic. It is different from an annotated bibliography – and far more interesting at that. Instead of being just a list of summaries, a literature review synthesizes the information from all available sources in an overall relationship to your guiding concept. This may be the problem you are discussing, a statement you are arguing, a theory you are verifying, etc.

The goals of a literature review may vary:

  • giving a historical overview of the research in the field
  • summarizing the existing state of the topic
  • finding a problem or a gap in the research field
  • developing a new theory, etc.

That is why good literature review topics are often formulated as research questions. This type of paper is not an easy writing. You will need to parse immense volumes of information, synthesize and summarize coherently. You also need to devote plenty of time to reading.

This post contains a list of literature review topics suggested for various subjects. However, when choosing the most fitting one to dig into, ask yourself, what are the passions that you can apply to this research? This assignment will take a while, so you will need more than just a good study discipline to soldier on. A bit of enthusiasm and intrinsic motivation will get you much farther.

Literature Review Topics Examples on English and World Literature

Some of the suggestions in this post are linked to literature review examples in our free database. By clicking on a title, you get to a corresponding sample page, where you can read the entire text. If the topic you like isn't linked, but you would like to read an example, you can order it. We will arrange the most qualified paper writer to prepare it for you exclusively.

Ready? Let's start with topics for literature review papers on English and World Literature.

  • Phoenix as a symbol for endurance in a worn path
  • The novel Intuition by Allegra Goodman
  • Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Birthmark through Girard's Lens
  • Ender's Game by an Orson Scott Card
  • Depiction of freedom and happiness in Brave New World
  • Feminism and Post-Colonialism in Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake and Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games
  • Rationality, logic, and mathematics in the novel The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time
  • Victims of their time as a character type in the World literature
  • The last days of Judas Iscariot : a play by Stephen Adly Guirgis
  • The use of symbolism in Kafka's prose
  • Naturalism in American literature
  • Grotesque and Sublime in the prose of Edgar Allan Poe

Lit Review Topic Ideas on Science and Technology

Next are some literature review topic ideas on science and technology.

  • Electronic library and effects of its implementation
  • Benjamin Franklin: scientist and inventor
  • Virtual Reality, science fiction, and society today
  • Science, Technology, and Society as a field of knowledge
  • Frederick Winslow Taylor and the principles of scientific management
  • What is the future of work
  • Concepts of science and technology
  • The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis and influence of technological advancement on man and nature
  • Types of machine learning
  • Internet of Things and biometrics: implications, benefits, threats
  • Emotional intelligence and natural language processing
  • SmartCity projects that have already been implemented and their lessons

As the field is vast, we can barely scratch the surface with these suggestions. To help you with brainstorming, here are a few tips on how to choose good topics for a literature review yourself:

  • Make sure the topic ties nicely with class requirements as well as your interests
  • Do some preliminary research to see if there is enough literature on your topic
  • Scale up if the information is scarce or down if there are too many sources to handle
  • Use sources recommended for reading in the class materials
  • Supplement the list with only trustworthy scholarly sources

Follow these guidelines, and you are on a path to some great ideas!

Psychology Literature Review Topics

When brainstorming topics on psychology, don't forget about the subdisciplines: biopsychology, social, educational, organizational, etc. If the suggestions below won't be enough, try looking for inspiration in Biology, Sociology, Education, or Business. The most exciting topics are often at the intersection of different areas of knowledge!

  • Tricyclic antidepressants vs. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) in treatment of depression
  • Stress, its causes, effects, and coping strategies
  • The family system and psychology
  • Tibetan compassion practices: working with terror, trauma, and transcendence
  • Behaviorism psychology
  • Culture and psychopathology
  • Correlation between diet and cognitive functions in primary school students
  • The evolutionary role of phobias and intrusive thoughts
  • Popular psychology and its implications
  • PTSD in mass disasters survivors: immediate relief and long-term assistance
  • Cults and vulnerable populations
  • False memories and gaslighting

Nursing Literature Review Topics

Nursing lit review topics are probably the most diverse in scale, as you can see from the examples below. They can describe a larger issue or a concrete solution applied to a narrowly defined problem. Following this principle, you can modify our lit review topics suggestions zooming out or in on the subject material.

  • Legalization of medical marijuana and its effects on the youth
  • Health effects of fiber: research findings
  • Achieving higher levels of education and training for nurses
  • Organic foods and cardiovascular disease
  • The importance of Central Venous Line (CVL) and Central Venous Access Devices (CVAD)
  • What effects do different types of music have on humans and their mental health?
  • The use of laboratory-grown organs for transplantation
  • The role of xylitol in alleviating dry mouth
  • The detection of tar and nicotine content of cigarette smoke extract using HPLC
  • Rheumatoid arthritis: etiology, diagnosis, vulnerable populations
  • Mobility aids for the elderly and quality of life
  • The role of play in the recuperation of hospitalized children

Education Literature Review Topics

To get more ideas from these literature review topic examples, try isolating an issue and put it in another educational context. For instance, student motivation in primary school vs. middle school or sleep deprivation in high school vs. college. This should give you plenty of material for brainstorming.

  • Simulation education for crisis prevention program
  • A critical consideration of the new pedagogy in its relation to modern science
  • Lack of students interest in studying science
  • Discovery-based learning and student-centered learning with a focus on mathematics at a high school level
  • The adverse effects of sleep deprivation on academic performance: a college student's struggle
  • Gender bias in special education programs
  • Higher education for senior citizens: challenges and best practices
  • Significant challenges of the teaching profession in the US
  • Factors contributing to international student mobility
  • Student motivation in private vs. state colleges
  • Benefits and challenges of homeschooling for students and families
  • Correlation between workload, stress levels, and self-esteem in middle-school students

Sociology Literature Review Topics

The best advice on finding current sociology topics is to look at the challenges your community faces. Become the first one to notice and address these issues!

  • Are video games affecting our current and future students ?
  • Ways to prevent social media bullying
  • Spanking of children in the USA
  • The relation of poverty and exposure to crime in adolescent men
  • Transgender discrimination
  • The link between science and Utopia in Utopia and the New Atlantis
  • Effectiveness of group therapy in social work
  • Peer pressure, depression, and causes of suicide in the adolescents
  • Religious separatism social issues connected with it
  • Causes and effects of domestic abuse
  • Physical appearance and social status
  • Race, nationality, ethnicity, and identity

Political Science Literature Review Topics

Political science is one of the more formal disciplines on this list. Being heavy with abstract concepts, it doesn't lend itself easily to casual brainstorming. Well, at least start with these:

  • Electoral College, its functions, and role in public life
  • Why American and the British IPE are so different
  • Contingency planning
  • Effects of political gerrymandering
  • American political parties
  • The present urban regimes in Canada
  • International policies and domestic regulations: precedence and clashes
  • Tolerance as a political virtue
  • Grassroots activism and its impact on state and federal law
  • National security and constitutional freedoms
  • Historical analysis of anarchism
  • The effect of social media on civic engagement

Criminal Justice Literature Review Topics

Criminal justice is a complex field. It's ripe with variance and challenges – which is good for topic ideas at least. And you have state, federal, and international levels to add more variables.

  • Juvenile justice and the Missouri model
  • Car-related crime in the USA
  • An analysis of the impact of sexual harassment/sexual assault in the military
  • The process of the arbitration without the involvement of national courts
  • Serial killers and profiling
  • Policing and criminal justice systems
  • Psychological effects of cyberbullying on adolescents
  • Sexual human trafficking from the Central America region
  • Human sex-trafficking: the Canadian perspective
  • Gender and racial bias in criminal investigations
  • Possible ethical and legal dilemmas of using sniffer dogs
  • Sting operations vs. entrapment: ethics and regulations

Chemistry and Biology Literature Review Topics

Biology is fascinating. It has something for everyone: from biochemistry and genetics to ecosystems and nature preservation. Here are some suggestions to guide your choice:

  • Brain size correlation
  • Haruko Obokata, ethics of stem cells research, and scientific misconduct
  • Genomic and molecular genetics major and its perspectives for students
  • DNA use in mass disasters
  • DNA detection from dried blood spots
  • Captive breeding of marine mammals: pros and cons
  • The Dynamics of ER and mitochondria
  • Biomarkers in gastric cancer treatment
  • The chemistry behind gene splicing
  • Carcinogens and hyper-processed foods
  • Primates and monkeys as potential sources of novel zoonotic infections
  • Natural gases, ecosystems, and the global warming

Business and Marketing Literature Review Topics

Finally, here are some business and marketing topics as well. These disciplines might be relatively new, but they are among the most dynamic and information-rich – which means great fun to explore.

  • Effectiveness of neuromarketing in comparison to traditional marketing methods
  • Green supply chain management
  • Effectiveness of e-marketing to non-profit making organizations
  • The value of information
  • Shareholder engagement/activism and corporate performance
  • The relationship between ethics, stress, and productivity in the workplace
  • The role of integrity in business
  • Client confidentiality and its role in a prosperous business
  • Businesses, their impact on the community, and social responsibility
  • Startup fundraising stages
  • Innovative marketing in the age of instant feedback: risks and possibilities
  • Strategies for staff motivation

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  • USC Libraries
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Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper

  • 5. The Literature Review
  • Purpose of Guide
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A literature review surveys prior research published in books, scholarly articles, and any other sources relevant to a particular issue, area of research, or theory, and by so doing, provides a description, summary, and critical evaluation of these works in relation to the research problem being investigated. Literature reviews are designed to provide an overview of sources you have used in researching a particular topic and to demonstrate to your readers how your research fits within existing scholarship about the topic.

Fink, Arlene. Conducting Research Literature Reviews: From the Internet to Paper . Fourth edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE, 2014.

Importance of a Good Literature Review

A literature review may consist of simply a summary of key sources, but in the social sciences, a literature review usually has an organizational pattern and combines both summary and synthesis, often within specific conceptual categories . A summary is a recap of the important information of the source, but a synthesis is a re-organization, or a reshuffling, of that information in a way that informs how you are planning to investigate a research problem. The analytical features of a literature review might:

  • Give a new interpretation of old material or combine new with old interpretations,
  • Trace the intellectual progression of the field, including major debates,
  • Depending on the situation, evaluate the sources and advise the reader on the most pertinent or relevant research, or
  • Usually in the conclusion of a literature review, identify where gaps exist in how a problem has been researched to date.

Given this, the purpose of a literature review is to:

  • Place each work in the context of its contribution to understanding the research problem being studied.
  • Describe the relationship of each work to the others under consideration.
  • Identify new ways to interpret prior research.
  • Reveal any gaps that exist in the literature.
  • Resolve conflicts amongst seemingly contradictory previous studies.
  • Identify areas of prior scholarship to prevent duplication of effort.
  • Point the way in fulfilling a need for additional research.
  • Locate your own research within the context of existing literature [very important].

Fink, Arlene. Conducting Research Literature Reviews: From the Internet to Paper. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2005; Hart, Chris. Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1998; Jesson, Jill. Doing Your Literature Review: Traditional and Systematic Techniques . Los Angeles, CA: SAGE, 2011; Knopf, Jeffrey W. "Doing a Literature Review." PS: Political Science and Politics 39 (January 2006): 127-132; Ridley, Diana. The Literature Review: A Step-by-Step Guide for Students . 2nd ed. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE, 2012.

Types of Literature Reviews

It is important to think of knowledge in a given field as consisting of three layers. First, there are the primary studies that researchers conduct and publish. Second are the reviews of those studies that summarize and offer new interpretations built from and often extending beyond the primary studies. Third, there are the perceptions, conclusions, opinion, and interpretations that are shared informally among scholars that become part of the body of epistemological traditions within the field.

In composing a literature review, it is important to note that it is often this third layer of knowledge that is cited as "true" even though it often has only a loose relationship to the primary studies and secondary literature reviews. Given this, while literature reviews are designed to provide an overview and synthesis of pertinent sources you have explored, there are a number of approaches you could adopt depending upon the type of analysis underpinning your study.

Argumentative Review This form examines literature selectively in order to support or refute an argument, deeply embedded assumption, or philosophical problem already established in the literature. The purpose is to develop a body of literature that establishes a contrarian viewpoint. Given the value-laden nature of some social science research [e.g., educational reform; immigration control], argumentative approaches to analyzing the literature can be a legitimate and important form of discourse. However, note that they can also introduce problems of bias when they are used to make summary claims of the sort found in systematic reviews [see below].

Integrative Review Considered a form of research that reviews, critiques, and synthesizes representative literature on a topic in an integrated way such that new frameworks and perspectives on the topic are generated. The body of literature includes all studies that address related or identical hypotheses or research problems. A well-done integrative review meets the same standards as primary research in regard to clarity, rigor, and replication. This is the most common form of review in the social sciences.

Historical Review Few things rest in isolation from historical precedent. Historical literature reviews focus on examining research throughout a period of time, often starting with the first time an issue, concept, theory, phenomena emerged in the literature, then tracing its evolution within the scholarship of a discipline. The purpose is to place research in a historical context to show familiarity with state-of-the-art developments and to identify the likely directions for future research.

Methodological Review A review does not always focus on what someone said [findings], but how they came about saying what they say [method of analysis]. Reviewing methods of analysis provides a framework of understanding at different levels [i.e. those of theory, substantive fields, research approaches, and data collection and analysis techniques], how researchers draw upon a wide variety of knowledge ranging from the conceptual level to practical documents for use in fieldwork in the areas of ontological and epistemological consideration, quantitative and qualitative integration, sampling, interviewing, data collection, and data analysis. This approach helps highlight ethical issues which you should be aware of and consider as you go through your own study.

Systematic Review This form consists of an overview of existing evidence pertinent to a clearly formulated research question, which uses pre-specified and standardized methods to identify and critically appraise relevant research, and to collect, report, and analyze data from the studies that are included in the review. The goal is to deliberately document, critically evaluate, and summarize scientifically all of the research about a clearly defined research problem . Typically it focuses on a very specific empirical question, often posed in a cause-and-effect form, such as "To what extent does A contribute to B?" This type of literature review is primarily applied to examining prior research studies in clinical medicine and allied health fields, but it is increasingly being used in the social sciences.

Theoretical Review The purpose of this form is to examine the corpus of theory that has accumulated in regard to an issue, concept, theory, phenomena. The theoretical literature review helps to establish what theories already exist, the relationships between them, to what degree the existing theories have been investigated, and to develop new hypotheses to be tested. Often this form is used to help establish a lack of appropriate theories or reveal that current theories are inadequate for explaining new or emerging research problems. The unit of analysis can focus on a theoretical concept or a whole theory or framework.

NOTE : Most often the literature review will incorporate some combination of types. For example, a review that examines literature supporting or refuting an argument, assumption, or philosophical problem related to the research problem will also need to include writing supported by sources that establish the history of these arguments in the literature.

Baumeister, Roy F. and Mark R. Leary. "Writing Narrative Literature Reviews."  Review of General Psychology 1 (September 1997): 311-320; Mark R. Fink, Arlene. Conducting Research Literature Reviews: From the Internet to Paper . 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2005; Hart, Chris. Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1998; Kennedy, Mary M. "Defining a Literature." Educational Researcher 36 (April 2007): 139-147; Petticrew, Mark and Helen Roberts. Systematic Reviews in the Social Sciences: A Practical Guide . Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 2006; Torracro, Richard. "Writing Integrative Literature Reviews: Guidelines and Examples." Human Resource Development Review 4 (September 2005): 356-367; Rocco, Tonette S. and Maria S. Plakhotnik. "Literature Reviews, Conceptual Frameworks, and Theoretical Frameworks: Terms, Functions, and Distinctions." Human Ressource Development Review 8 (March 2008): 120-130; Sutton, Anthea. Systematic Approaches to a Successful Literature Review . Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications, 2016.

Structure and Writing Style

I.  Thinking About Your Literature Review

The structure of a literature review should include the following in support of understanding the research problem :

  • An overview of the subject, issue, or theory under consideration, along with the objectives of the literature review,
  • Division of works under review into themes or categories [e.g. works that support a particular position, those against, and those offering alternative approaches entirely],
  • An explanation of how each work is similar to and how it varies from the others,
  • Conclusions as to which pieces are best considered in their argument, are most convincing of their opinions, and make the greatest contribution to the understanding and development of their area of research.

The critical evaluation of each work should consider :

  • Provenance -- what are the author's credentials? Are the author's arguments supported by evidence [e.g. primary historical material, case studies, narratives, statistics, recent scientific findings]?
  • Methodology -- were the techniques used to identify, gather, and analyze the data appropriate to addressing the research problem? Was the sample size appropriate? Were the results effectively interpreted and reported?
  • Objectivity -- is the author's perspective even-handed or prejudicial? Is contrary data considered or is certain pertinent information ignored to prove the author's point?
  • Persuasiveness -- which of the author's theses are most convincing or least convincing?
  • Validity -- are the author's arguments and conclusions convincing? Does the work ultimately contribute in any significant way to an understanding of the subject?

II.  Development of the Literature Review

Four Basic Stages of Writing 1.  Problem formulation -- which topic or field is being examined and what are its component issues? 2.  Literature search -- finding materials relevant to the subject being explored. 3.  Data evaluation -- determining which literature makes a significant contribution to the understanding of the topic. 4.  Analysis and interpretation -- discussing the findings and conclusions of pertinent literature.

Consider the following issues before writing the literature review: Clarify If your assignment is not specific about what form your literature review should take, seek clarification from your professor by asking these questions: 1.  Roughly how many sources would be appropriate to include? 2.  What types of sources should I review (books, journal articles, websites; scholarly versus popular sources)? 3.  Should I summarize, synthesize, or critique sources by discussing a common theme or issue? 4.  Should I evaluate the sources in any way beyond evaluating how they relate to understanding the research problem? 5.  Should I provide subheadings and other background information, such as definitions and/or a history? Find Models Use the exercise of reviewing the literature to examine how authors in your discipline or area of interest have composed their literature review sections. Read them to get a sense of the types of themes you might want to look for in your own research or to identify ways to organize your final review. The bibliography or reference section of sources you've already read, such as required readings in the course syllabus, are also excellent entry points into your own research. Narrow the Topic The narrower your topic, the easier it will be to limit the number of sources you need to read in order to obtain a good survey of relevant resources. Your professor will probably not expect you to read everything that's available about the topic, but you'll make the act of reviewing easier if you first limit scope of the research problem. A good strategy is to begin by searching the USC Libraries Catalog for recent books about the topic and review the table of contents for chapters that focuses on specific issues. You can also review the indexes of books to find references to specific issues that can serve as the focus of your research. For example, a book surveying the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict may include a chapter on the role Egypt has played in mediating the conflict, or look in the index for the pages where Egypt is mentioned in the text. Consider Whether Your Sources are Current Some disciplines require that you use information that is as current as possible. This is particularly true in disciplines in medicine and the sciences where research conducted becomes obsolete very quickly as new discoveries are made. However, when writing a review in the social sciences, a survey of the history of the literature may be required. In other words, a complete understanding the research problem requires you to deliberately examine how knowledge and perspectives have changed over time. Sort through other current bibliographies or literature reviews in the field to get a sense of what your discipline expects. You can also use this method to explore what is considered by scholars to be a "hot topic" and what is not.

III.  Ways to Organize Your Literature Review

Chronology of Events If your review follows the chronological method, you could write about the materials according to when they were published. This approach should only be followed if a clear path of research building on previous research can be identified and that these trends follow a clear chronological order of development. For example, a literature review that focuses on continuing research about the emergence of German economic power after the fall of the Soviet Union. By Publication Order your sources by publication chronology, then, only if the order demonstrates a more important trend. For instance, you could order a review of literature on environmental studies of brown fields if the progression revealed, for example, a change in the soil collection practices of the researchers who wrote and/or conducted the studies. Thematic [“conceptual categories”] A thematic literature review is the most common approach to summarizing prior research in the social and behavioral sciences. Thematic reviews are organized around a topic or issue, rather than the progression of time, although the progression of time may still be incorporated into a thematic review. For example, a review of the Internet’s impact on American presidential politics could focus on the development of online political satire. While the study focuses on one topic, the Internet’s impact on American presidential politics, it would still be organized chronologically reflecting technological developments in media. The difference in this example between a "chronological" and a "thematic" approach is what is emphasized the most: themes related to the role of the Internet in presidential politics. Note that more authentic thematic reviews tend to break away from chronological order. A review organized in this manner would shift between time periods within each section according to the point being made. Methodological A methodological approach focuses on the methods utilized by the researcher. For the Internet in American presidential politics project, one methodological approach would be to look at cultural differences between the portrayal of American presidents on American, British, and French websites. Or the review might focus on the fundraising impact of the Internet on a particular political party. A methodological scope will influence either the types of documents in the review or the way in which these documents are discussed.

Other Sections of Your Literature Review Once you've decided on the organizational method for your literature review, the sections you need to include in the paper should be easy to figure out because they arise from your organizational strategy. In other words, a chronological review would have subsections for each vital time period; a thematic review would have subtopics based upon factors that relate to the theme or issue. However, sometimes you may need to add additional sections that are necessary for your study, but do not fit in the organizational strategy of the body. What other sections you include in the body is up to you. However, only include what is necessary for the reader to locate your study within the larger scholarship about the research problem.

Here are examples of other sections, usually in the form of a single paragraph, you may need to include depending on the type of review you write:

  • Current Situation : Information necessary to understand the current topic or focus of the literature review.
  • Sources Used : Describes the methods and resources [e.g., databases] you used to identify the literature you reviewed.
  • History : The chronological progression of the field, the research literature, or an idea that is necessary to understand the literature review, if the body of the literature review is not already a chronology.
  • Selection Methods : Criteria you used to select (and perhaps exclude) sources in your literature review. For instance, you might explain that your review includes only peer-reviewed [i.e., scholarly] sources.
  • Standards : Description of the way in which you present your information.
  • Questions for Further Research : What questions about the field has the review sparked? How will you further your research as a result of the review?

IV.  Writing Your Literature Review

Once you've settled on how to organize your literature review, you're ready to write each section. When writing your review, keep in mind these issues.

Use Evidence A literature review section is, in this sense, just like any other academic research paper. Your interpretation of the available sources must be backed up with evidence [citations] that demonstrates that what you are saying is valid. Be Selective Select only the most important points in each source to highlight in the review. The type of information you choose to mention should relate directly to the research problem, whether it is thematic, methodological, or chronological. Related items that provide additional information, but that are not key to understanding the research problem, can be included in a list of further readings . Use Quotes Sparingly Some short quotes are appropriate if you want to emphasize a point, or if what an author stated cannot be easily paraphrased. Sometimes you may need to quote certain terminology that was coined by the author, is not common knowledge, or taken directly from the study. Do not use extensive quotes as a substitute for using your own words in reviewing the literature. Summarize and Synthesize Remember to summarize and synthesize your sources within each thematic paragraph as well as throughout the review. Recapitulate important features of a research study, but then synthesize it by rephrasing the study's significance and relating it to your own work and the work of others. Keep Your Own Voice While the literature review presents others' ideas, your voice [the writer's] should remain front and center. For example, weave references to other sources into what you are writing but maintain your own voice by starting and ending the paragraph with your own ideas and wording. Use Caution When Paraphrasing When paraphrasing a source that is not your own, be sure to represent the author's information or opinions accurately and in your own words. Even when paraphrasing an author’s work, you still must provide a citation to that work.

V.  Common Mistakes to Avoid

These are the most common mistakes made in reviewing social science research literature.

  • Sources in your literature review do not clearly relate to the research problem;
  • You do not take sufficient time to define and identify the most relevant sources to use in the literature review related to the research problem;
  • Relies exclusively on secondary analytical sources rather than including relevant primary research studies or data;
  • Uncritically accepts another researcher's findings and interpretations as valid, rather than examining critically all aspects of the research design and analysis;
  • Does not describe the search procedures that were used in identifying the literature to review;
  • Reports isolated statistical results rather than synthesizing them in chi-squared or meta-analytic methods; and,
  • Only includes research that validates assumptions and does not consider contrary findings and alternative interpretations found in the literature.

Cook, Kathleen E. and Elise Murowchick. “Do Literature Review Skills Transfer from One Course to Another?” Psychology Learning and Teaching 13 (March 2014): 3-11; Fink, Arlene. Conducting Research Literature Reviews: From the Internet to Paper . 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2005; Hart, Chris. Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1998; Jesson, Jill. Doing Your Literature Review: Traditional and Systematic Techniques . London: SAGE, 2011; Literature Review Handout. Online Writing Center. Liberty University; Literature Reviews. The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J. and Rebecca Frels. Seven Steps to a Comprehensive Literature Review: A Multimodal and Cultural Approach . Los Angeles, CA: SAGE, 2016; Ridley, Diana. The Literature Review: A Step-by-Step Guide for Students . 2nd ed. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE, 2012; Randolph, Justus J. “A Guide to Writing the Dissertation Literature Review." Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation. vol. 14, June 2009; Sutton, Anthea. Systematic Approaches to a Successful Literature Review . Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications, 2016; Taylor, Dena. The Literature Review: A Few Tips On Conducting It. University College Writing Centre. University of Toronto; Writing a Literature Review. Academic Skills Centre. University of Canberra.

Writing Tip

Break Out of Your Disciplinary Box!

Thinking interdisciplinarily about a research problem can be a rewarding exercise in applying new ideas, theories, or concepts to an old problem. For example, what might cultural anthropologists say about the continuing conflict in the Middle East? In what ways might geographers view the need for better distribution of social service agencies in large cities than how social workers might study the issue? You don’t want to substitute a thorough review of core research literature in your discipline for studies conducted in other fields of study. However, particularly in the social sciences, thinking about research problems from multiple vectors is a key strategy for finding new solutions to a problem or gaining a new perspective. Consult with a librarian about identifying research databases in other disciplines; almost every field of study has at least one comprehensive database devoted to indexing its research literature.

Frodeman, Robert. The Oxford Handbook of Interdisciplinarity . New York: Oxford University Press, 2010.

Another Writing Tip

Don't Just Review for Content!

While conducting a review of the literature, maximize the time you devote to writing this part of your paper by thinking broadly about what you should be looking for and evaluating. Review not just what scholars are saying, but how are they saying it. Some questions to ask:

  • How are they organizing their ideas?
  • What methods have they used to study the problem?
  • What theories have been used to explain, predict, or understand their research problem?
  • What sources have they cited to support their conclusions?
  • How have they used non-textual elements [e.g., charts, graphs, figures, etc.] to illustrate key points?

When you begin to write your literature review section, you'll be glad you dug deeper into how the research was designed and constructed because it establishes a means for developing more substantial analysis and interpretation of the research problem.

Hart, Chris. Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1 998.

Yet Another Writing Tip

When Do I Know I Can Stop Looking and Move On?

Here are several strategies you can utilize to assess whether you've thoroughly reviewed the literature:

  • Look for repeating patterns in the research findings . If the same thing is being said, just by different people, then this likely demonstrates that the research problem has hit a conceptual dead end. At this point consider: Does your study extend current research?  Does it forge a new path? Or, does is merely add more of the same thing being said?
  • Look at sources the authors cite to in their work . If you begin to see the same researchers cited again and again, then this is often an indication that no new ideas have been generated to address the research problem.
  • Search Google Scholar to identify who has subsequently cited leading scholars already identified in your literature review [see next sub-tab]. This is called citation tracking and there are a number of sources that can help you identify who has cited whom, particularly scholars from outside of your discipline. Here again, if the same authors are being cited again and again, this may indicate no new literature has been written on the topic.

Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J. and Rebecca Frels. Seven Steps to a Comprehensive Literature Review: A Multimodal and Cultural Approach . Los Angeles, CA: Sage, 2016; Sutton, Anthea. Systematic Approaches to a Successful Literature Review . Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications, 2016.

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Toward a framework for selecting indicators of measuring sustainability and circular economy in the agri-food sector: a systematic literature review

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  • Cecilia Silvestri   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-2528-601X 1 ,
  • Luca Silvestri   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-6754-899X 2 ,
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The implementation of sustainability and circular economy (CE) models in agri-food production can promote resource efficiency, reduce environmental burdens, and ensure improved and socially responsible systems. In this context, indicators for the measurement of sustainability play a crucial role. Indicators can measure CE strategies aimed to preserve functions, products, components, materials, or embodied energy. Although there is broad literature describing sustainability and CE indicators, no study offers such a comprehensive framework of indicators for measuring sustainability and CE in the agri-food sector.

Starting from this central research gap, a systematic literature review has been developed to measure the sustainability in the agri-food sector and, based on these findings, to understand how indicators are used and for which specific purposes.

The analysis of the results allowed us to classify the sample of articles in three main clusters (“Assessment-LCA,” “Best practice,” and “Decision-making”) and has shown increasing attention to the three pillars of sustainability (triple bottom line). In this context, an integrated approach of indicators (environmental, social, and economic) offers the best solution to ensure an easier transition to sustainability.

Conclusions

The sample analysis facilitated the identification of new categories of impact that deserve attention, such as the cooperation among stakeholders in the supply chain and eco-innovation.

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In February 2016, Facebook launched five "Reactions" (i.e., Love, Haha, Wow, Sad, and anger) for users to emote their experiences with the posts, which were an extension of the "Like" button and were edited versions of Unicode emojis. Scholars used them to investigate user behavior and situation-based current topics to measure various aspects of socioeconomic and psychological topics. This literature review focuses on "Facebook reactions," examines the literature, and serves as a comprehensive and cumulative approach, summarizing the existing literature and research articles, scattered under different names. However, to get comparable results within broader classification and themes, we seek how "Facebook reactions" play a role in different or comparable topics and their results.Articles were collected using Google Scholar and other search engines. We used the keywords "Facebook" and "Reaction," with a combination of different key phrases and Boolean operators. Seventy-three articles are taken into consideration from 2016-2023. Matrix and Reference lists were scanned with different topics classified date-wise. The articles cover a wide range of topics/information such as Political News, Far-right and Extremist Parties, Racism, and Hate speech with COVID-19. Our Findings reveal nuanced patterns of the reaction distribution based on the topics. The positive reaction dominates articles related to lifestyle and entertainment, while the articles addressing sociopolitical issues elicit a wider range of reactions, including negative sentiments. Moreover, we observe that emotional content tends to get higher reaction volumes regardless of sentiment.

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African Literature Research Paper Topics

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This article provides a comprehensive guide to African literature research paper topics , showcasing the intricate blend of stories, cultures, and historical epochs from the African continent. From the lyrical oral traditions predating colonization to the vibrant modern narratives addressing current global issues, African literature offers a treasure trove of research avenues. Engaging with these topics allows students to deepen their literary analysis skills while broadening their global perspective.

100 African Literature Research Paper Topics

African literature, with its diverse languages, cultures, and historical contexts, offers a wide spectrum of potential research topics. This literature reflects not just the socio-political and economic realities of the African continent but also the hopes, dreams, and rich oral traditions of its people. The following list divides the extensive range of African literature research paper topics into ten categories, providing students with a structured starting point for their research endeavors.

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1. Pre-Colonial Oral Traditions

  • The role of the griot in West African societies.
  • Exploration of African myths and legends.
  • Folktales as moral and social guides in African societies.
  • The significance of storytelling under the African moonlight.
  • The art of African epic poetry and its heroes.
  • Proverbs and their functions in traditional African societies.
  • Song and dance: Transmitting history and cultural values.
  • African riddles and their role in developing wisdom.
  • The importance of animal tales in African oral traditions.
  • The evolution of oral narratives: From mouth to manuscript.

2. Colonial and Post-Colonial Narratives

  • Representation of colonialism in Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”.
  • Language and identity in Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o’s works.
  • Post-colonial African cities in literature.
  • The aftermath of colonialism: Cultural identity and conflict.
  • Literature as resistance: Anti-colonial sentiments in African writings.
  • Assimilation and alienation: African writers during the colonial period.
  • The effects of missionary education on African literature.
  • Portrayal of traditional leaders in post-colonial African literature.
  • Feminist voices in post-colonial African narratives.
  • Independence and disillusionment in post-independence African novels.

3. Contemporary African Literature

  • Migration and diaspora in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s novels.
  • Urbanism and modernity in Teju Cole’s “Every Day is for the Thief”.
  • The emergence of Afrofuturism in contemporary African literature.
  • Depicting urbanization and its challenges in contemporary African literature.
  • Literature and the post-apartheid era in South Africa.
  • The role of magical realism in African literary settings.
  • Language and post-colonial identity in the works of Alain Mabanckou.
  • The challenges of globalization in contemporary African novels.
  • Crime fiction in contemporary African literature.
  • The rise of speculative fiction in modern African literature.

4. African Women Writers

  • Femininity and tradition in Buchi Emecheta’s works.
  • Dambudzo Marechera and the exploration of women’s independence.
  • Motherhood and womanhood in the novels of Tsitsi Dangarembga.
  • Female empowerment and resilience in Ama Ata Aidoo’s short stories.
  • Womanist perspectives in African literature.
  • Women, war, and survival in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s “Half of a Yellow Sun”.
  • The portrayal of domestic violence in African women’s literature.
  • Feminine perspectives on colonial and post-colonial Africa.
  • Sexuality and agency in the works of Lola Shoneyin.
  • The role of women in preserving African oral traditions.

5. African Literature in Francophone Countries

  • Léopold Sédar Senghor and the concept of ‘Negritude’.
  • Exploration of identity in Camara Laye’s “The Dark Child”.
  • Post-colonial cities in the works of Alain Mabanckou.
  • Alienation and assimilation in Ahmadou Kourouma’s novels.
  • The influence of French literary structures on Francophone African writers.
  • Memory and trauma in Patrick Chamoiseau’s “Texaco”.
  • The quest for identity in Assia Djebar’s writings.
  • Language politics in Francophone African literature.
  • Cultural fusion and duality in the works of Maryse Condé.
  • Gender and politics in the works of Calixthe Beyala.

6. Poetry in African Literature

  • Exploring Wole Soyinka’s poetic landscapes.
  • The role of poetry during the anti-apartheid movement.
  • The fusion of traditional and modern themes in Kofi Awoonor’s poems.
  • Love, loss, and identity: A deep dive into Warsan Shire’s verses.
  • The influence of nature in the poetry of Okot p’Bitek.
  • Political activism and poetry: The case of Chenjerai Hove.
  • Poetic expressions of Diaspora and longing in the works of Kwame Dawes.
  • The interplay of music and poetry in African oral traditions.
  • Gabriel Okara’s exploration of cultural duality through poetry.
  • The evolving form and content of modern African poetry.

7. Theatre and Drama in African Context

  • Wole Soyinka’s plays and the critique of post-colonial African governments.
  • Ritual and drama: The fusion in traditional African theater.
  • Athol Fugard and the theater of the apartheid era.
  • Exploring gender roles in the plays of Efua Sutherland.
  • Political satire in African theater: A study of Tawfiq al-Hakim’s plays.
  • The influence of traditional dance and music in African theater.
  • Post-colonial identity and cultural dialogues in the plays of Bode Sowande.
  • The themes of corruption and power in Femi Osofisan’s dramas.
  • Interpreting African history through the plays of Ama Ata Aidoo.
  • Modern adaptations of traditional African myths in contemporary theater.

8. Literary Magazines and their Role in Shaping African Literature

  • The impact of Transition Magazine on post-colonial African literature.
  • Chimurenga : Chronicling contemporary African thought and its global resonance.
  • The role of Drum Magazine in highlighting apartheid-era narratives.
  • The emergence and influence of Kwani? in East African literary circles.
  • Literary magazines as platforms for feminist voices in Africa.
  • The pan-African vision of Bakwa Magazine .
  • Promoting African fantasy and science fiction: A look at Omenana Magazine .
  • Jalada Africa : Pushing linguistic and geographical boundaries.
  • Saraba Magazine and its commitment to simplicity and provocation.
  • The journey and contributions of The Kalahari Review to African literary discourse.

9. African Children’s and Young Adult Literature

  • Themes of identity and growing up in African children’s literature.
  • Representation of African folktales in modern children’s books.
  • Addressing conflict and trauma: Children’s literature in post-war African countries.
  • Exploration of family and community in Nnedi Okorafor’s young adult novels.
  • The role of children’s literature in preserving indigenous African languages.
  • Coming-of-age narratives in African young adult literature.
  • The portrayal of African history and heroes for young readers.
  • Fantasy and realism: The diverse worlds of African young adult fiction.
  • The educational significance of African children’s literature in the global context.
  • Contemporary challenges and future prospects of African children’s and young adult literature.

10. African Literature and the Global Context

  • Translations and their role in globalizing African narratives.
  • The portrayal of Africa in global literature: Stereotypes and realities.
  • The reception and critique of African literature in Western academia.
  • African literature in global literary festivals and awards.
  • Exploring the African diaspora: Literature from African writers outside the continent.
  • Post-colonial literature: Drawing parallels between African and South Asian narratives.
  • Global publishing and its impact on African authors and readership.
  • African literature in global curriculums: Representation and interpretation.
  • Collaboration and exchange: African writers in global writer residencies and workshops.
  • The future of African literature in the age of globalization and digital revolution.

In conclusion, African literature, both ancient and contemporary, offers a vast landscape for literary exploration. African literature research paper topics listed above merely scratch the surface but provide a foundational starting point for students seeking to delve into the diverse narratives that the continent has to offer.

The Range of African Literature Research Paper Topics

African literature is an expansive and rich domain that encompasses the voices of many nations, cultures, and histories. From the oral traditions that echo the continent’s ancient roots to the vibrant modern narratives confronting contemporary issues, African literature offers an astounding range of topics for research and exploration. This article dives deep into the heart of African literature, illuminating its vast expanse and highlighting the numerous research paper topics it presents.

Historical Roots and Oral Traditions

The African continent, often referred to as the cradle of humankind, has a literary tradition that predates written records. Long before colonization and the introduction of the Latin alphabet, stories, values, beliefs, and histories were passed down orally from one generation to the next. These oral traditions, which include proverbs, myths, legends, and songs, form an integral part of the continent’s cultural fabric. African literature research paper topics could delve into how these oral narratives have influenced modern African literature, or how they have been adapted and translated into written form.

Colonial and Post-colonial Narratives

Colonization, a significant chapter in African history, has left an indelible mark on its literature. Writers from various African nations have used their works to comment on, critique, and confront the horrors of colonial rule. Post-colonial literature, in particular, offers insights into the struggles of nations grappling with the legacies of colonization, including issues of identity, cultural erosion, and the search for post-independence national narratives. Exploring the differences and commonalities in post-colonial narratives across different African countries can provide a deeper understanding of the continent’s shared and diverse histories.

The Power of Language

One of the striking aspects of African literature is its linguistic diversity. With over 2000 languages spoken across the continent, African writers often grapple with the choice of language for their narratives. While many choose to write in colonial languages like English, French, or Portuguese, others opt for indigenous languages, ensuring the preservation and elevation of local dialects. This linguistic diversity can be a focal point for research, exploring African literature research paper topics like the politics of language, the influence of bilingualism on narrative techniques, and the challenges and opportunities of translating African works for global audiences.

Thematic Evolution in Contemporary Narratives

Modern African literature reflects the rapidly changing socio-political landscape of the continent. Themes that were once taboo, such as urbanization, environmental concerns, and technological advancements, are now finding their way into the narratives. These themes present fresh avenues for research, allowing scholars to investigate how African literature is evolving to encompass a broader range of human experiences and concerns.

Women in African Literature

The voices of African women, once marginalized, have come to the forefront in recent decades. Authors like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Tsitsi Dangarembga, and Mariama Bâ, among others, have illuminated the specific struggles, triumphs, and daily lives of African women. Their narratives challenge patriarchal norms, explore intersectional identities, and redefine feminism in an African context. Given the pivotal role that these authors play in reshaping African literature, numerous African literature research paper topics can center on the portrayal of women, the themes they address, and the stylistic innovations they bring to the table.

Afrofuturism and Speculative Fiction

The rise of Afrofuturism has been one of the most exciting developments in African literature. By imagining future landscapes and blending African mythologies with speculative elements, writers like Nnedi Okorafor and Tade Thompson offer fresh perspectives on the continent’s past, present, and future. This genre, with its unique blend of traditional and futuristic narratives, offers fertile ground for research, inviting explorations into how African authors envision the continent’s future and how they integrate indigenous myths into futuristic settings.

African literature, with its rich tapestry of voices, themes, and narratives, is a treasure trove for literary researchers. Whether one is interested in historical narratives, linguistic explorations, thematic studies, or genre analyses, the continent’s literature offers an array of topics waiting to be uncovered. As this article highlights, the scope of research in African literature is vast and ever-expanding, reflecting the dynamism and diversity of the continent itself.

How to Choose African Literature Research Paper Topics

African literature is vast, diverse, and deeply rooted in the historical and cultural fabric of the continent. Given the plethora of narratives, themes, and voices it offers, choosing a research paper topic can be both exciting and daunting. However, with a structured approach and an understanding of one’s own interests, it’s possible to narrow down and select a topic that’s both engaging and academically enriching. Here’s a guide to help you navigate this process.

  • Understand Your Passion: Begin by introspecting and understanding what truly intrigues you about African literature. Are you drawn to historical narratives, contemporary themes, specific regions, or particular authors? Identifying your passion can act as a compass, guiding your research in a direction that keeps you engaged.
  • Delve into Preliminary Reading: Before zeroing in on a topic, immerse yourself in a broad range of African literary works. This will not only expose you to various themes and styles but also help identify gaps in existing research or areas that particularly pique your interest.
  • Consider Cultural and Regional Specificities: African literature is not monolithic. The experiences of North Africans can vastly differ from those in Sub-Saharan Africa. Similarly, East African narratives might diverge from West African tales. Consider narrowing your focus to a specific region or culture to add depth to your research.
  • Engage with Critical Analysis: Reading critical analyses and literary critiques can offer insights into prevailing interpretations and highlight contentious issues within specific texts or themes. This can be a goldmine for identifying areas of debate or fresh perspectives.
  • Explore Interdisciplinary Angles: African literature intersects with history, sociology, anthropology, and many other disciplines. Consider exploring interdisciplinary angles – for instance, the portrayal of post-colonial identity, the impact of urbanization on narrative structures, or the influence of traditional oral narratives on modern fiction.
  • Reflect on Contemporary Relevance: Some of the most impactful research draws parallels between literary themes and contemporary societal issues. Consider how themes from African literature resonate with current global or local events or challenges.
  • Consult Professors and Peers: Engage in discussions with your professors, advisors, or classmates. They can offer valuable feedback, suggest resources, or provide a fresh perspective that might help refine your topic.
  • Ensure Availability of Resources: While an obscure topic might seem enticing, it’s essential to ensure that adequate resources, primary texts, and secondary references are available to support your research.
  • Set Clear Boundaries: Given the vastness of African literature, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Once you’ve chosen a broad topic, set clear boundaries. For instance, if you’re exploring feminism in African literature, you might narrow it down to a specific region, time period, or set of authors.
  • Stay Open to Evolution: As you delve deeper into your research, be open to the evolution of your topic. Sometimes, the research journey might lead you to more specific, nuanced, or slightly altered research questions that are more compelling or feasible.

Choosing a research paper topic, especially in a field as expansive as African literature, requires a blend of introspection, exploration, and consultation. By aligning your interests, understanding the breadth and depth of the literature, and being open to guidance and evolution, you can select a topic that not only adds value to the academic community but also offers a fulfilling research experience.

How to Write an African Literature Research Paper

Writing a research paper on African literature is a journey that can be immensely rewarding. It provides an opportunity to engage deeply with diverse narratives, cultural perspectives, and historical contexts. However, to truly encapsulate the essence of such a multifaceted topic, it’s imperative to approach the writing process with diligence, structure, and a deep sense of curiosity. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you navigate this process and produce a compelling research paper.

  • Start with a Robust Introduction: Your introduction should provide a brief overview of your chosen topic, its significance within African literature, and the broader global or cultural context. End your introduction with a clear thesis statement, which succinctly presents the main argument or focus of your paper.
  • Comprehensive Literature Review: Dedicate a section to reviewing existing literature on your chosen topic. This serves two main purposes: it showcases your thorough research and understanding of the topic, and it helps identify gaps or areas that your research aims to address or shed light on.
  • Maintain a Clear Structure: A well-organized paper follows a logical flow of ideas. Outline your paper into clear sections, starting from the introduction, literature review, methodology (if primary research is involved), discussion, and conclusion.
  • Dive into Primary Text Analysis: Engage deeply with the primary texts from African literature that you’re analyzing. Use quotations judiciously and ensure you provide your own interpretation and analysis. Discuss literary techniques, thematic elements, character development, and any other relevant aspects.
  • Incorporate Diverse Perspectives: Given the richness of African literature, it’s essential to consider various cultural, historical, and regional perspectives. Engage with critical essays, analyses, and scholarly discussions that provide different viewpoints on your chosen texts or themes.
  • Engage with Context: African literature is deeply intertwined with the continent’s historical, political, and social narratives. Be sure to discuss relevant historical events, socio-political contexts, or cultural nuances that influence or are reflected in the literary works you’re studying.
  • Ensure a Balanced Argument: While it’s natural to have a personal viewpoint or interpretation, ensure your paper presents a balanced discussion. This means acknowledging counterarguments, discussing varying interpretations, and grounding your conclusions in evidence and sound reasoning.
  • Use Citations Appropriately: Given the academic nature of the research paper, ensure that every claim, statement, or piece of information taken from external sources is appropriately cited. Familiarize yourself with the specific citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian, Harvard) required for your paper.
  • Draft Multiple Versions: Writing is a process of iteration. Start with a rough draft, then revise multiple times, refining your arguments, improving the flow, and ensuring clarity. Each revision should bring your paper closer to its final, polished version.
  • Seek Feedback: Before finalizing your paper, seek feedback from peers, professors, or academic advisors. They might provide insights, point out overlooked errors, or suggest areas for further improvement.

Writing a research paper on African literature is both a challenge and an opportunity. It requires meticulous research, a deep understanding of the literary and cultural landscape, and a commitment to academic rigor. By approaching the task with enthusiasm, organization, and a genuine desire to contribute to the discourse on African literature, you’ll not only produce a noteworthy paper but also enrich your own understanding of this magnificent literary tradition.

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  • In-depth Research: Our writers dive deep into the vast ocean of African literature, utilizing both primary texts and a wide array of secondary sources to ensure comprehensive research that captures the depth and nuances of the subject.
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  • Top Quality: Quality is non-negotiable. We adhere to stringent quality checks, ensuring that each research paper is coherent, academically sound, and free from any errors.
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Africa: a continent echoing with the rhythmic drumbeats of ancient storytellers, where tales are painted with a palette of vibrant cultures, histories, and languages. As you stand on the precipice of this vast literary landscape, the horizon filled with endless research possibilities may seem daunting. But fear not, for iResearchNet is here to be your compass, guiding you through the intricacies of African literature with expertise and precision.

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    29 Jul 2021. A literature review is an account of the scholarly works published on a topic. It is different from an annotated bibliography - and far more interesting at that. Instead of being just a list of summaries, a literature review synthesizes the information from all available sources in an overall relationship to your guiding concept.

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    A literature review may consist of simply a summary of key sources, but in the social sciences, a literature review usually has an organizational pattern and combines both summary and synthesis, often within specific conceptual categories.A summary is a recap of the important information of the source, but a synthesis is a re-organization, or a reshuffling, of that information in a way that ...

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    Farmland loss in drastically urbanizing landscapes has long been a research concern for resource management, landscape planning, and spatial governance, especially in the context of China. In recent years, the issue of urbanization-associated farmland loss (UAFL) seems to be increasingly recognized as relevant to sustainability. To date, however, existing studies have not yet comprehensively ...

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    This review aims to present the key research topics, the evolution and geographic distribution of literature on buffalo welfare, and to underscore potentiality and existing knowledge gaps. A comprehensive search on the Scopus bibliometric database was carried out using various welfare-related keywords such as: 'buffalo welfare', 'buffalo ...

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