Great Research Paper Guides

35 Good Topics for History Research Paper + Writing Guide

Are you struggling with your history paper? If so, you are at the right place. Besides unfamiliarity with the history paper format, many students struggle with selecting the right topic among the plethora of history paper topics.

This article will thus look at the history paper outline and guide you on some considerations for selecting your topic.

History research paper outline

The history research paper is divided into chapters, each carrying unique information. Some of the key areas of the history research paper include:

  1. The abstract – this section carries up to three hundred words and offers a comprehensive summary of your arguments, methodology, and thesis statement. The abstract should sum up your paper to give readers ample materials to determine how well your paper fits their research. The abstract is often used by web crawlers to rank your papers and should therefore carry your keywords, allowing readers to easily locate your paper. 
  2. The literature review – this is the summary of all sources you have gauged relating to your topic. the literature review allows you to highlight the knowledge gaps in various sources, thus serving as a justification for your research questions. 
  3. Introduction – like the abstract, the introduction should highlight your thesis statement and justification of your research. However, this section should not highlight your key results. The introduction should show the approach taken to investigate your topic and hook your reader into reading your paper. 
  4. Methodology – this part outlines the approach taken in investigating your topic, helping lend credence to various claims within your research paper. Unlike scientific papers, history research papers may not involve experiments and thus may do without a results section. 
  5. Discussion – this chapter makes up the bulk of your topic and covers all your claims with relevant support. The discussion should be organized in a manner that the paragraphs build on each other to bring out a smooth flow of ideas in your paper. 
  6. Conclusion – this chapter ties your arguments together allowing you to highlight the key findings of your paper. This section can also be used to make suggestions for future studies or to recommend how your findings may alter the results of an event. 
  7. References 

How to choose a history research paper topic

Selecting a topic at random among the many history research paper topics is an approach that’s bound to result in struggles in the latter writing stages. We recommend that you invest thought into your topic selection to have a smooth writing experience. 

Some of the steps to choosing a history research paper topic include:

  1. Analyse your essay prompt

Before selecting your topic, analyse the essay prompt provided by your tutor. This will help you to establish the general idea of your topic, helping you narrow your research without veering off the key issues under examination. 

  1. Brainstorm for ideas

Next, brainstorm the ideas you have regarding the topic. This will allow you to establish the interesting areas within a topic and also to analyse the concepts you have encountered during your study. 

The ideas from your brainstorming session allow you to identify the fields you are well versed in, reducing the struggle that comes with selecting a complex research paper topic. 

  1. Conduct research

Research is vital to identify the extent to which a topic has been investigated. Ideally, avoid topics that have been tackled in multiple papers as this may limit your arguments or result in unintentional plagiarism from expressing unoriginal ideas. 

Also, check various emerging issues within the broad topic to establish the topics that allow for unique claims. 

  1. Develop an outline

After choosing a topic, develop an outline to gauge the extent of arguments within the paper. This will help you determine the adequacy of resources for the topic and check how the arguments within your paper compare to the prescribed word count. 

It is best to avoid shallow topics as these may result in short papers, forcing you to shift to another topic after investing much time and resources in the initial topic. 

Topics for history paper

American history research paper topics

  1. The worldwide background of the American Revolution 
  2. How did the movies alter the way we thought about cowboys? 
  3. The impact of the Civil War on society’s fabric, both directly and indirectly. 
  4. How the cultural perception of a Native American was altered by horses and iron. 
  5. The circumstances and consequences of the Civil War. 

Art history research paper topics

  1. Modern European Art’s Influence on American Artists 
  2. Europe’s Western Expressionism 
  3. Ancient Civilizations’ Influence on Art History 
  4. The Use of Mythology in Ancient Civilizations’ Art 
  5. Salvador Dali’s Surreal World
  6. Romanticism in Art, Literature, and Music 

Easy history research paper topics

  1. Lessons from World Wars 
  2. The Reasons Empires Fail 
  3. most notable figures in American history 
  4. The assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 
  5. Mormons’ influence on the evolution of American society
  6. Female Renaissance figures 

Good history topics for research paper

  1. Strategies for Alexander’s Conquest of Egypt 
  2. When, How, and Where Did Rome Get Its Start?
  3. What three factors led to the Boer War? 
  4. What effect did the slave trade have on the economy of Europe? 
  5. What impact did the American highway system have on culture? 
  6. How was the Chinese Empire changed by Buddhism? 

Interesting history research paper topics

  1. How did photography affect how crime was portrayed visually in popular culture? 
  2. Egypt’s ancient history 
  3. 10 reasons why people become slaves. 
  4. What were the many theatres of World War II combat? 
  5. 10 significant aftereffects of the Cold War 
  6. How did the American Civil War begin?

World history research paper topics

  1. Examine marriages in medieval Europe. 
  2. Slavery was abolished in the US. 
  3. Holocaust during World War II 
  4. the development of a financial system 
  5. Important Gothic architectural features 
  6. What led to World War One?

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