First, review the difference between a subject and a topic. Recall that a subject of a research paper is the general content. As you know, subjects are broad and general.

Examples of possible subjects for a research paper:

• Health    
• Music
• Television    
• Education
• Revolutionary War    
• Charles Dickens
• Genetic engineering of foods    
• Outsourcing
• Foreign policy
• Big box stores

The topic of a research paper is the specific issue being discussed.

The topic of a research paper, in contrast, is the specific issue being discussed. The following chart shows some subjects narrowed into topics for a research paper:

Subjects    
Animal rights    
Topics
If zoos are cruel rather than educational
If testing medical procedures/drugs on animals should be increased or decreased

 Education
If K-12 school should be year-round
If advanced placement high school
classes should be eliminated

English
If English should be America's official
language
If bilingual education is valid

Gambling
If casino gambling should be made
illegal in the United States
Whether compulsive gambling is a
disease, not a moral weakness

Health
Whether the government should increase
funding for rare, so-called "orphan"
diseases
If hepatitis testing should be mandated
for all healthcare workers

Voting
If the Electoral College should be
abolished
If voting should be mandatory