Persuasive Research Paper Topic Ideas
College students write persuasive research papers to strengthen their writing skills and as assignments from professors. Persuasive or argumentative papers are also used throughout the professional world in opinion-editorial pieces and other writing. These types of research papers are structured with a thesis-the claim you are making-at the beginning followed by paragraphs of fact-based arguments to back up your claim. A solid persuasive research paper leaves the reader with very little doubt that you are correct in the claim you made at the start of the paper.
Medical Marijuana
Many people debate over whether marijuana should be legalized on a national basis or whether more states should legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes. This topic area requires in-depth research about whether marijuana can be used to improve illnesses and which exact conditions it improves. More than ten states in American currently have legalized medical marijuana so finding case studies concerning the efficacy of the drug should be relatively easy. Both arguments for pro-marijuana-legalization and those against should be examined; improved quality-of-life is an argument for while the risk of addiction remains an argument against the legalization.
Abortion
The abortion argument is a classic persuasive research paper topic that begins with the court case Roe versus Wade in 1978. Effective arguments can be made both for and against abortions. Writing a paper on either side involves weighing the facts and evidence concerning the topic being careful to avoid emotional appeals, something which often proves difficult when writing an argumentative paper on this particular topic.
Assisted Suicide
Physician-assisted suicide is often considered for elderly individuals who are suffering with some condition or in extreme pain. The argument for or against physician-assisted suicide can include persuasive research on which situations in which the procedure should be used, the methods available, and cases in which it should not be used at all. A paper looking at physician-assisted suicide should also debate whether a policy of this type should be included in the U.S. healthcare system.
Death Penalty and Prisons
The penal system and the death penalty is often a hotly-contested topic. Some religious beliefs exist about the death penalty and there are simply many who have strong feelings about the issue one way or the other. In a persuasive research paper concerning the death penalty, a good idea would be to look at the penal systems of other countries and consider whether they employ the death penalty. Arguments for or against using other types of punishment (e.g. forcing a murderer to a life of community service or public works) should also be examined.
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