Law Research Paper Topics: Exploring Legal Frontiers

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Table of contents

  • 1 How to Pick a Legal Research Topic?
  • 2.1 Civil Rights Topics of Law
  • 2.2 Business Law Topics for Research Papers
  • 2.3 Banking and Finance Law Topics
  • 2.4 Constitutional Law Research Paper Topics
  • 2.5 Criminal Law Topics for Essays
  • 2.6 International Law Research Topics
  • 2.7 Employment Law Research Paper Topics
  • 2.8 Family Law Legal Topics to Write About
  • 2.9 Environmental Law Research Paper Topics
  • 2.10 Animal Law Topics to Research
  • 2.11 Artificial Intelligence Law
  • 2.12 Data Privacy and Cybersecurity
  • 2.13 Medical Ethics and Health Law

Delving into law topics for research paper can be as challenging as rewarding. Crafting a paper that informs and engages requires a nuanced approach to selecting an intriguing and substantive subject. Many themes await scholarly exploration in legal studies, from the ever-evolving landscape of civil rights to the intricate nuances of international law. This guide aims to illuminate the path for students and researchers, providing a scaffold to build a compelling narrative around legal inquiries that resonate with contemporary issues and academic rigors.

How to Pick a Legal Research Topic?

Selecting topics for law research paper is an exercise of intellectual curiosity and scholarly contribution. Start with what piques your interest – issues you find yourself drawn to or questioning. Assess their impact on society and their place within academic discourse. Dive into the latest legal journals and case studies to uncover fresh perspectives and uncharted areas of law. Engage with your academic circle to sharpen your topic, ensuring it’s manageable and substantive. Choose a subject that promises a rich exploration and genuinely enthuses you. Your enthusiasm will drive the comprehensive analysis and persuasive arguments that will distinguish your work.

List of Law Topics for Research Paper

Well-chosen legal research topics can set your law research paper apart. Consider these avenues: the legal ramifications of artificial intelligence, privacy laws in the digital age, the intersection of mental health and criminal defense, or the evolving landscape of international trade law.

Civil Rights Topics of Law

Civil rights law continues to evolve as society changes. These topics delve into how worldwide legal systems address new civil rights challenges.

  • Analyzing the Efficacy of Affirmative Action in the 21st Century
  • Voter ID Laws: Ensuring Integrity or Suppressing Rights?
  • The Legal Battle Over LGBTQ+ Adoption Rights
  • Disability Rights in Employment: A Legal Review
  • The Impact of Racial Profiling on Civil Liberties
  • Free Speech in the Digital Age: A Legal Perspective
  • Religious Apparel in the Workplace: A Civil Rights Analysis
  • The Evolution of Gender Equality Laws in Sports
  • Policing the Police: Legal Responses to Excessive Force
  • Housing Discrimination and the Law: Current Challenges

Business Law Topics for Research Papers

Business law topics examine the complex and dynamic relationship between the law and business practices in the modern economy.

  • Navigating Intellectual Property Rights in Global Trade
  • Legal Strategies for Preventing Corporate Espionage
  • Antitrust Laws and Big Tech: A Modern Analysis
  • Corporate Social Responsibility: Legal Implications and Benefits
  • The Legality of Non-Compete Clauses in Employee Contracts
  • Cross-Border Mergers: Legal Challenges and Strategies
  • Legal Pitfalls in Online Business Ventures
  • Environmental Regulations Impacting Business Operations
  • Whistleblower Protections in the Corporate Sector
  • Arbitration vs. Litigation in Business Disputes

Banking and Finance Law Topics

These controversial topics in law explore the intricate legal frameworks that govern the ever-evolving financial and banking sectors worldwide.

  • Cryptocurrency Regulation: Legal Challenges and Opportunities
  • The Legality of High-Frequency Trading Practices
  • International Banking Laws Against Money Laundering
  • Consumer Protection in Online Banking Services
  • Legal Aspects of Crowdfunding Investments
  • Insider Trading Laws: An International Perspective
  • The Role of Law in Preventing Financial Crises
  • Sovereign Debt Disputes and International Law
  • Regulation of Derivatives: Legal Perspectives
  • Implementing Basel III Standards: A Legal Approach

Constitutional Law Research Paper Topics

Constitutional law remains a cornerstone in legal discussions, with these topics focusing on its application in current societal debates.

  • Same-Sex Marriage and Constitutional Law Developments
  • The Second Amendment: A Modern Legal Analysis
  • Freedom of the Press vs. National Security Concerns
  • Constitutional Changes in the Era of Digital Privacy
  • Legal Interpretations of Executive Powers in the 21st Century
  • The Constitutionality of Drone Surveillance
  • Separation of Church and State in Contemporary Legal Cases
  • Affirmative Action and Equal Protection Under Law
  • The Role of Judicial Review in Modern Governance
  • Eminent Domain: Balancing Public Interest and Private Rights

Criminal Law Topics for Essays

Criminal law topics for research paper reflect the complexities of maintaining justice and order in society while protecting the rights of the accused.

  • Decriminalization of Drug Use: A Legal Perspective
  • Cyberstalking Laws and Victim Protection
  • The Legal Response to White-Collar Crime in the Digital Age
  • Criminal Justice Reform and Rehabilitation Programs
  • The Death Penalty: A Comparative Legal Study
  • Forensic Science in Criminal Trials: Legal Considerations
  • Juvenile Delinquency: Legal Interventions and Outcomes
  • Legal Defenses in High-Profile Criminal Cases
  • Human Trafficking and International Criminal Law
  • Sentencing Guidelines: A Critical Legal Review

International Law Research Topics

International law governs the conduct of states and international organizations, presenting a range of topics for exploration in this globalized world.

  • The Law of the Sea: Navigating Maritime Disputes
  • International Humanitarian Law in Modern Warfare
  • The Legal Framework of Global Climate Agreements
  • Extraterritorial Jurisdiction: A Legal Quandary
  • The Role of the International Criminal Court
  • Trade Sanctions and International Law
  • Sovereignty vs. Human Rights: Legal Conflicts on the Global Stage
  • Legal Mechanisms for Protecting Endangered Species Internationally
  • The Legality of Unilateral Military Interventions
  • Diplomatic Immunity: Principles and Controversies

Employment Law Research Paper Topics

Employment law covers the rights and duties between employers and workers, and the topics showcase how these adapt to modern trends.

  • Legal Implications of Remote Work Policies
  • Discrimination Law in the Gig Economy
  • Sexual Harassment Laws in the Workplace
  • Workers’ Rights in the Age of Automation
  • The Legalities of Employee Surveillance
  • Unionization in the Tech Industry: A Legal Review
  • Minimum Wage Laws and Economic Impact
  • Occupational Safety Laws and Their Enforcement
  • Employee Privacy Rights Against Corporate Interests
  • Age Discrimination in Hiring Practices

Family Law Legal Topics to Write About

Family law is central to society’s fabric, and these topics address the legal complexities of family relationships and their protection under the law.

  • The Legal Status of Surrogacy Across Different Jurisdictions
  • Child Custody Laws and the Best Interests of the Child
  • Legal Challenges in Cross-Border Adoption
  • Divorce Law and the Division of Assets
  • Domestic Violence and Protective Order Efficacy
  • The Rights of Unmarried Couples Under Law
  • Paternity Laws and Disputes
  • Legal Implications of Parental Alienation
  • Same-Sex Couple Rights in Family Law
  • Child Support Enforcement Across Borders

Environmental Law Research Paper Topics

Environmental law aims to reconcile economic growth with the need to protect the environment, offering a range of pertinent research topics.

  • Legal Strategies for Combating Deforestation
  • Clean Air Act: A Legal Evaluation
  • The Role of Law in Protecting Endangered Species
  • Water Rights and Legal Disputes
  • Environmental Impact Assessments: Legal Requirements and Outcomes
  • Fracking Laws and Community Health Concerns
  • Climate Change Litigation and Corporate Accountability
  • Waste Management Laws and Policies
  • Legal Remedies for Oil Spill Disasters
  • Renewable Energy Laws and Sustainable Development

Animal Law Topics to Research

Animal research topics in law are an emerging field examining how the legal system addresses the complex issues related to animal rights and welfare.

  • Legal Protections for Wildlife in Urban Areas
  • The Legality of Animal Testing in Cosmetic Industries
  • Endangered Species Act: Legal Successes and Challenges
  • Animal Welfare Laws in Agricultural Practices
  • Legal Rights of Animals in Entertainment
  • Pet Ownership Disputes and the Law
  • The Trade of Exotic Animals: Legal and Ethical Dimensions
  • Animal Cruelty Laws and Enforcement Issues
  • Service Animals and Disability Rights
  • Wildlife Trafficking and International Law

Artificial Intelligence Law

Artificial intelligence law ideas for students examine the intersection of rapidly advancing technology and existing legal frameworks, a field ripe for academic inquiry.

  • Autonomous Vehicles and Liability Laws
  • AI in Healthcare: Legal and Ethical Considerations
  • Intellectual Property Rights for AI Creations
  • Legal Personhood for AI: A Futuristic Debate
  • AI and Privacy Laws: Adapting to New Realities
  • AI in the Courtroom: Legal Implications
  • Bias in AI Decision-Making and the Law
  • Regulation of AI in Financial Services
  • AI and Employment Law: Shifting Paradigms
  • AI in National Security: Legal Frameworks

Data Privacy and Cybersecurity

Data privacy and cybersecurity trending legal topics deal with the challenges of protecting personal information in the digital realm, a vital concern for governments, corporations, and individuals.

  • The Right to be Forgotten in the Digital Age
  • Cross-Border Data Transfer Laws
  • Cybersecurity Laws and the Protection of Critical Infrastructure
  • Legal Responses to Data Breaches
  • Data Privacy Laws for Children and Adolescents
  • Encryption Laws and National Security
  • Legal Implications of Biometric Data Use
  • Cyberbullying and Legal Recourse
  • Consumer Data Rights and Corporate Responsibilities
  • The GDPR: A Model for Global Data Privacy Laws

Medical Ethics and Health Law

Medical ethics and health law address the sensitive and often controversial legal issues that arise in the provision and management of healthcare.

  • End-of-Life Decision-Making and Legal Rights
  • Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act: A Legal Analysis
  • Legalities of Alternative Medicine Practices
  • Vaccine Mandates and Public Health Law
  • Mental Health Law and Patient Autonomy
  • Reproductive Rights and the Law
  • Legal Aspects of Organ Donation and Transplantation
  • Medical Malpractice: Prevention and Litigation
  • Health Insurance Laws and Access to Care
  • The Legalities of Medical Confidentiality

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  • A Research Guide
  • Research Paper Topics

120 Law Research Paper Topics

How to choose a topic for your law research paper:.

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Business Law Research Paper Topics:

  • The impact of intellectual property laws on innovation in the technology industry
  • The legal implications of data breaches and cybersecurity in the business sector
  • The role of corporate social responsibility in shaping business law and regulations
  • The legal challenges of international business transactions and cross-border disputes
  • The impact of antitrust laws on competition and market dynamics
  • The legal framework for protecting consumer rights in e-commerce
  • The legal implications of employee privacy rights in the digital age
  • The role of business law in regulating corporate governance and preventing corporate misconduct
  • The legal challenges of regulating emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and blockchain
  • The legal implications of environmental regulations on business operations and sustainability
  • The role of business law in promoting fair trade and preventing unfair business practices
  • The legal challenges of regulating online platforms and the sharing economy
  • The impact of labor laws on employee rights and workplace regulations
  • The legal implications of international trade agreements and their impact on domestic businesses
  • The role of business law in protecting intellectual property rights in the creative industries

Criminal Law Research Paper Topics:

  • The impact of mandatory minimum sentencing laws on the criminal justice system
  • The role of forensic evidence in criminal investigations and trials
  • The effectiveness of rehabilitation programs in reducing recidivism rates
  • The ethical implications of using plea bargaining in criminal cases
  • The relationship between mental illness and criminal behavior
  • The use of technology in preventing and investigating cybercrimes
  • The impact of racial profiling on the criminal justice system
  • The legal and ethical considerations of the death penalty
  • The role of eyewitness testimony in criminal trials
  • The impact of drug policies on crime rates and public health
  • The legal and social implications of juvenile justice reform
  • The use of DNA evidence in exonerating wrongfully convicted individuals
  • The role of criminal law in addressing domestic violence
  • The impact of hate crime legislation on preventing and prosecuting hate crimes
  • The legal and ethical considerations of surveillance and privacy rights in criminal investigations

International Law Research Paper Topics:

  • The impact of international human rights law on state sovereignty
  • The role of international criminal law in addressing war crimes and crimes against humanity
  • The effectiveness of international environmental law in combating climate change
  • The legal implications of cyber warfare in the context of international law
  • The challenges and opportunities of international trade law in the era of globalization
  • The role of international humanitarian law in protecting civilians during armed conflicts
  • The legal framework for the protection of cultural heritage in times of armed conflict
  • The legal implications of state-sponsored terrorism under international law
  • The role of international law in addressing the refugee crisis and protecting the rights of refugees
  • The legal aspects of territorial disputes and the role of international law in resolving them
  • The impact of international investment law on foreign direct investment and economic development
  • The legal framework for the protection of indigenous peoples’ rights under international law
  • The role of international law in addressing transnational organized crime
  • The legal implications of the use of force in self-defense under international law
  • The challenges and opportunities of international law in regulating emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and autonomous weapons

Law Enforcement Research Paper Topics:

  • The impact of community policing on crime rates
  • Racial profiling and its effects on law enforcement practices
  • The use of body-worn cameras in improving police accountability
  • The role of technology in modern law enforcement
  • The effectiveness of intelligence-led policing in preventing terrorism
  • Police use of force: examining policies and training methods
  • The relationship between mental health and law enforcement interactions
  • The impact of social media on law enforcement investigations
  • Police corruption and strategies for prevention
  • The role of law enforcement in addressing domestic violence
  • The use of predictive policing algorithms in crime prevention
  • The challenges and benefits of implementing restorative justice in law enforcement
  • The role of law enforcement in combating human trafficking
  • The impact of drug decriminalization on law enforcement efforts
  • The effectiveness of community-based alternatives to incarceration in reducing recidivism rates

Constitutional Law Research Paper Topics:

  • The impact of the First Amendment on freedom of speech in the digital age
  • Analyzing the constitutionality of affirmative action policies in higher education
  • The role of the Supreme Court in shaping the interpretation of the Second Amendment
  • Exploring the constitutionality of warrantless surveillance programs in the United States
  • The constitutional implications of the death penalty in the context of cruel and unusual punishment
  • Analyzing the constitutionality of presidential executive orders and their limits
  • The constitutional rights of non-citizens and the balance between national security and civil liberties
  • The impact of the Fourth Amendment on privacy rights in the era of technological advancements
  • The constitutionality of restrictions on religious freedom in the United States
  • Analyzing the constitutional implications of the war on drugs and its impact on individual rights
  • The role of the judiciary in protecting reproductive rights and the constitutionality of abortion laws
  • The constitutional implications of the use of military force and executive power in times of war
  • Analyzing the constitutionality of campaign finance regulations and their impact on free speech
  • The constitutional rights of LGBTQ+ individuals and the evolution of marriage equality
  • The balance between national security and civil liberties in the context of surveillance and intelligence gathering

Environmental Law Research Paper Topics:

  • The role of international environmental law in addressing climate change
  • The effectiveness of environmental impact assessments in ensuring sustainable development
  • Legal implications of biodiversity conservation and protection
  • The legal framework for regulating pollution from industrial activities
  • The role of environmental justice in addressing environmental inequalities
  • Legal challenges and opportunities in transitioning to renewable energy sources
  • The legal implications of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in agriculture
  • The role of environmental law in protecting and managing water resources
  • Legal frameworks for addressing marine pollution and protecting marine ecosystems
  • The legal aspects of waste management and recycling
  • The role of environmental law in promoting sustainable urban development
  • Legal challenges in regulating and mitigating air pollution
  • The legal framework for protecting indigenous rights and traditional knowledge in environmental conservation
  • The role of environmental law in addressing deforestation and promoting sustainable forestry practices
  • Legal implications of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and blockchain, in environmental governance

Family Law Research Paper Topics:

  • The impact of divorce on children’s mental health
  • The role of domestic violence in child custody disputes
  • Same-sex marriage and adoption rights: A comparative analysis
  • The legal implications of surrogacy and assisted reproductive technologies
  • Parental alienation syndrome: Legal and psychological perspectives
  • The effectiveness of prenuptial agreements in protecting individual assets
  • The legal rights of grandparents in child custody battles
  • The impact of substance abuse on child custody determinations
  • The legal and ethical considerations of international child abduction cases
  • The role of family courts in protecting victims of domestic violence
  • The legal implications of cohabitation and common-law relationships
  • The impact of social media on divorce proceedings and child custody disputes
  • The legal rights of unmarried fathers in child custody cases
  • The role of child support in ensuring the financial well-being of children
  • The legal and ethical considerations of assisted suicide in cases of terminal illness within families

Employment Law Research Paper Topics:

  • Discrimination in the workplace: Analyzing the impact of anti-discrimination laws on employment practices
  • The gig economy and its implications for employment law: Examining the legal challenges faced by gig workers
  • Workplace harassment and its legal consequences: Investigating the effectiveness of anti-harassment policies
  • The role of social media in employment law: Exploring the legal boundaries of monitoring employees’ online activities
  • Employee privacy rights in the digital age: Analyzing the balance between employers’ interests and employees’ privacy expectations
  • The impact of minimum wage laws on employment rates: Evaluating the economic effects of minimum wage legislation
  • Non-compete agreements and their enforceability: Assessing the legal limitations and implications of non-compete clauses
  • Workplace safety regulations and their enforcement: Examining the effectiveness of occupational health and safety laws
  • The legal implications of workplace drug testing: Analyzing the balance between employers’ interests and employees’ privacy rights
  • The rights of employees with disabilities: Investigating the legal obligations of employers to accommodate disabled workers
  • Whistleblower protection laws and their effectiveness: Assessing the legal safeguards for employees who report wrongdoing
  • The legal implications of employee surveillance: Analyzing the boundaries of workplace monitoring and its impact on employee rights
  • Employment contracts and their enforceability: Examining the legal requirements and limitations of employment agreements
  • The legal obligations of employers in cases of workplace violence: Investigating the duty of employers to provide a safe working environment
  • The impact of technology on employment law: Exploring the legal challenges posed by automation, artificial intelligence, and robotics in the workplace

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230 Law Research Paper Topics to Write About

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230 Law Research Paper Topics to Write About

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When it comes to legal topics for research papers, students have plenty of options. Whether you're interested in exploring issues related to criminal, corporate, or constitutional law, there are many topics from which you can choose. The first step is the selection of a subject that you find exciting and engaging. This part will provide the foundation for excellent law research paper topics. Students need to understand law topics they can work on by exploring what a perfect legal research topic covers. In this article by our law essay writing service , we provide engaging, easy, unique, and trending legal topics to help you choose one which fits your interests. We have also classified different legal topics into their respective branches: business, banking, finance, civil rights, constitutional, corporate, criminal, international, education, immigration, entertainment, employment, family, environmental and animal laws. This post will act as a stepping stone to writing a successful paper in any of these legal fields. Let us begin by understanding legal research paper topics.

What Are Legal Research Paper Topics

Legal research paper topics focus on analyzing and interpreting laws and their historical development. The papers will look into legal issues, including constitutional, criminal, civil rights, labor, international, and environmental laws. These topics can provide an exciting and essential lens through which you can analyze and discuss various policies. Such knowledge is crucial in helping students identify changes that a country has gone through over time, develop an understanding of the legal system, and build solid arguments on legal issues. You will need to identify how to select a topic for your paper, which is why our professional paper writers suggest searching for legal topics for research paper thoroughly before you begin writing.

What Makes a Good Legal Research Topic?

Good law research paper topics can be framed around a legal issue, case study, or legislative development. You want to select an excellent legal research topic that meets the following criteria:

  • Relevance: The topic should be relevant to current events, policies, or practices.
  • Uniqueness: Choose a unique and interesting topic so your research will stand out from the rest.
  • Manageable scope: Ensure you select an area with adequate learning resources for the intended project.
  • Accessibility: Ensure that you can easily access resources related to the topic.
  • Practicality: Select a topic that can be applied to real-world scenarios.
  • Clarity of purpose: Identify the goal of your research and make sure your chosen topic aligns with it.
  • Accountability: Choose a topic where research results can be verified and replicated.
  • Sustainability: Consider the long-term implications of the chosen topic to ensure it will be relevant in the future.

How to Choose Topics in Law?

In the process of selecting law topics , it is essential to consider a personal purpose for which you are writing. For example, are you looking to inform, explore, or argue a position? Once you have identified the goal, you can choose an appropriate topic more easily.

Step 1:  Start familiarizing yourself with relevant acts and legislations as well as legal concepts through internet and library research. This will help you narrow your focus while identifying a potential topic.

Step 2:  Do extensive research to determine current legal issues related to your topic. Use various sources such as books, newspapers, magazines, websites, databases, etc.

Step 3:  Make sure you select an area or concept that is manageable in scope and has enough resources for your intended project.

Step 4:  Think of how you can make your topic more exciting or unique. Questions that should be considered include "What point of view could I take?" or "How can I approach the topic differently?"

Step 5:  Brainstorm and develop a list of possible law research topics to choose from. Once you have identified several potential issues, evaluate them based on your research to determine which topic you should select.

Properly following these steps, you can find a good law research paper topic that is interesting and relevant to the specific field. In case you require expert assistance with the writing process upon topic selection, feel free to approach our academic writing service. Our writers are well-versed in different fields, including law, and can produce outstanding studies upon ‘ write my research paper for me ’ request.

Law Research Paper Topics

Law project topics allow students to choose from matters related to legal issues. These topics are often comprehensive in scope and require extensive research for the student to make a convincing argument in their papers. Look at this list of potential law research paper topics that students can use to write their essays:

  • Right of self-defense in the United States.
  • Immigration regulations and their impact on society.
  • Use of DNA evidence in criminal justice systems.
  • Anti-discrimination regulations in different countries.
  • Intellectual property rights protection in the digital age.
  • Cybercrime and its impact on businesses.
  • Impact of tax laws on companies.
  • Freedom of expression in the media.
  • Juvenile justice: a comparison across different countries.
  • Corporate social responsibility and its effect on business reputation.
  • Human rights versus national security.
  • Use of technology in law enforcement.
  • International trade and its impact on globalization.
  • Social media censorship regulations.
  • Human trafficking as a modern form of slavery.

Interesting Legal Topics

Different students have different interests, and legal topics are no exception. Your own ideas can be an excellent starting point for you to decide which path to take for the research. Below are some interesting law topics we have written for you to choose from:

  • Worldwide legal systems: structures, history, principles, and processes.
  • Legal theory and its implications in genetics.
  • Legal developments in technology, including implications and trends.
  • Legal concepts between countries, including similarities and differences in systems and principles.
  • Legal effects in cyber security and liabilities associated with data protection.
  • Legal issues related to gender equality.
  • Legal developments in international human rights and legal obligations.
  • Legal frameworks and regulations governing environmental protection.
  • Legal issues related to corporate governance and protections for shareholders.
  • Developments in labor laws , including theories of worker protection.
  • Legal frameworks driving international trade and underlying economic regulation principles.
  • Legal concepts related to intellectual property and rewards for innovators.
  • Legal issues pertaining to constitutional regulations and implications of executive power.
  • Legal developments in taxation and obligations concerning taxes imposed by the government.
  • Theories developed through legal precedents and decisions from various jurisdictions.

Trending Legal Topics

Today, with changes in laws, technology, and other factors altering the legal aspect of everyday life, we find a significant number of trends that affect legal decisions. Students are looking for great topic ideas for law research paper that will help them connect their essays to everyday changes and attain a good grade. Whether it's a recent legal issue or an emerging topic law, there is plenty of material available to explore when looking for a topic to write about. Please see some current law topics that may inspire your next research paper:

  • Impact of social media on legal decision-making.
  • Proposals to overhaul immigration regulations.
  • Drone regulations and their implications on companies' investment in technology.
  • Growing influence of artificial intelligence on the legal profession.
  • Digital copyright laws and their impact on innovation.
  • The role of genetics in criminal justice proceedings.
  • Impact of climate change on international regulations.
  • Pros and cons of legalizing recreational marijuana.
  • Differences between state and federal regulations regarding gun control.
  • How technology is changing the legal practice.
  • Privacy issues in the workplace.
  • Recent changes in tax laws and their impact.
  • Role of technology in criminal trials.
  • Impact of social media on employment regulations.
  • Growing use of alternative dispute resolution methods in the legal system.

Unique Law Research Topic

Uniqueness is everything for students in research papers since an outstanding topic can be a stepping stone to scoring high grades. If you are looking for law paper topics that will grab your reader's attention while still attracting the professor's interest, look no further. We have compiled a list of 15 unique topics for law research paper as an easy way to get you started:

  • The impact of corporate social responsibility in legal settings.
  • Online privacy and cybersecurity: challenges and regulations.
  • Legal implications of artificial intelligence development.
  • The role of cybercrime in a digital age.
  • An analysis of international human rights policies.
  • Environmental regulations and their implications for global sustainability.
  • The importance of the fourth amendment in the United States constitution.
  • An analysis of the impact of tax laws on businesses.
  • The role of technology in criminal law enforcement.
  • Exploring the implications of intellectual property laws.
  • The use of social media and its effects on privacy rules and regulations.
  • Regulations governing cryptocurrency markets.
  • Data protection regulations: a global analysis.
  • Drug regulations and their impact on society.
  • Exploring the role of international humanitarian code in conflict resolution.

These topics will surely get you started on an intriguing research paper! With their help, you will write a captivating essay to engage and inform your readers.

Easy Legal Topics for Research Papers

Choosing easy legal paper topics can help you develop a practical as well as an efficient research paper for your studies. However, students studying law-related courses can find it challenging to pick suitable legal topics for research paper. To make this task easier, here are some issues you can choose from to write an excellent law paper:

  • Should the death penalty be banned?
  • Acts regulating cyber crime.
  • The right to privacy and digital security.
  • Legal principles of animal protection.
  • The role of the U.S. justice system in protecting the mentally ill.
  • The impact of international conventions on national laws.
  • Freedom of expression and censorship issues.
  • Defining hate speech.
  • Access to authorized services for underprivileged groups.
  • Is domestic violence a private matter or a public issue?
  • Drug abuse among juveniles and the role of the justice system.
  • Ethical issues in medical law.
  • Laws affecting refugees and asylum seekers.
  • Human rights violations in war-torn countries.
  • Efforts by the legal system to counter cybercrime.

Best Legal Research Topics in Different Law Branches

Law has a range of branches from which students can select ideas for their papers. Legal research topics for law students can be pretty challenging, especially when your professor requires you to tackle a topic in a specific branch. Branches for law topics to use in legal research paper highlighted in this blog include laws in business, banking and finance, civil rights, constitutional, corporate, criminal, international, immigration, education, entertainment, employment, family, environmental, and animal law topics. See below for the specialized categories of law topics for essays.

Business Law Topics for Research Papers

Business law forms the foundation for modern legal studies, providing frameworks that govern businesses and corporate operations. The business law research paper topics you select should be highly relevant to business and legal frameworks. Here are some legal topics to write about:

  • Different business contracts and their legal implications.
  • Business strategies for protecting intangible property rights.
  • The role of corporate boards in business decision-making processes.
  • Code of conduct for federal employees: rights and responsibilities.
  • Businesses' responsibilities in recognizing as well as enforcing collective bargaining agreements.
  • Business regulations limiting companies' ability to engage in anti-competitive practices.
  • Legal considerations for corporate consolidation business deals.
  • Business regulations when conducting business across borders.
  • The moral implications of business decisions and policies.
  • The importance of business regulations for organizations and institutions.

Find more  business law topics for research paper  by browsing one more blog.

Banking and Finance Law Topics

The banking sector is crucial for our economic system, and banking laws are vital to its proper functioning. Banks and financial organizations help us store, exchange, and manage money, and students in the banking and finance law field learn the regulations governing these activities. Let us look at these ten banking and finance law research topics that you can choose from:

  • The impact of new technologies on financial regulations.
  • Regulatory responses to banking crises around the world.
  • How usury laws affect interest rates and redit accessibility.
  • An analysis of recent bank mergers and aquisitions.
  • Investigating a link between financial stability and monetary policy.
  • An analysis of banking secrecy laws in different countries.
  • The impact of money laundering regulations on financial systems.
  • How terrorism financing regulations affect bank security.
  • A comparative study of consumer protection laws in banking systems.
  • Examining the effects of tax havens on the global banking system.

>> View more: Financial Research Topics

Civil Rights Topics of Law

The civil rights movement and the laws that followed have had a lasting impact on our lives today. Many of these issues remain relevant, so it is essential to research civil rights topics better to understand the complexities as well as implications of civil rights. Here are ten civil rights research paper topics to help you get started:

  • The civil rights movement and its legacy.
  • The role of civil disobedience in civil rights reform.
  • Voting rights and racial discrimination.
  • Education equality through civil rights regulations.
  • Limitations to civil liberties within the bill of rights.
  • Civil rights protection for LGBTQ+ individuals.
  • Immigration laws and civil rights violations.
  • Racial disparities in the criminal justice system.
  • Women's civil rights issues.
  • The role of civil engagement in civil rights reform.

Constitutional Law Research Paper Topics

Constitutional law is a complex and fascinating field of study that examines how constitutional rights are enforced, interpreted, as well as applied in different jurisdictions. Provided legal essay topics are an excellent starting point. If you're looking for constitutional law topics for research papers to write about, here are some ideas to get you started:

  • The role of the Supreme Court in protecting constitutional rights.
  • How states can limit constitutional rights and the applicability of constitutional principles to state regulations.
  • The implications of constitutional amendments on protection for vulnerable populations.
  • Examine the constitutional right to privacy in relation to technology and data collection practices.
  • The constitutional framework for constitutional protections of religious freedom.
  • The protection of constitutional rights in the context of police searches and seizures.
  • An analysis of constitutional laws regarding the right to bear arms and gun control regulations across different states.
  • Examine constitutional protections for freedom of speech and the implications of hate speech laws.
  • The constitutional framework for reproductive rights, including access to abortion services.
  • An exploration of constitutional regulations on voting rights and electoral integrity in different jurisdictions.

Combine this area with some historical facts for example. History research paper topics  that we created for students may help. 

Corporate Law Paper Topics

Research in corporate law can provide insight into the structure that shapes corporate entities, their operations, as well as corporate accountability. Here are ten corporate law research paper topics to consider for your next research project:

  • How does corporate social responsibility (CSR) affect corporate performance?
  • What systems are in place to ensure corporate accountability?
  • Impact of financial regulation on corporate compliance and risk management.
  • The legal implications of corporate mergers & acquisitions activities.
  • Role of contract laws in governing corporate agreements.
  • How does corporate tax law influence corporate decisions?
  • Legal protections for corporate I.P. rights.
  • Types of corporate fraud and misconduct and available remedies.
  • Corporate law considerations for multinational corporate entities.
  • Corporate securities regulation and its implications for corporate activity.

Criminal Law Topics for Essays

Criminal law focuses on studying the implications of criminal behavior and activities. These law research paper topics list can help you find a clear direction for criminal essays. Criminologists in practice and students can choose from the list of legal topics for essay we have outlined below:

  • Criminal justice reform impact on indigenous people.
  • How does the justice system treat people of different backgrounds and identity?
  • Impact of immigration on criminal activity.
  • Cybercrime: an analysis of law enforcement practices.
  • Exploring sentencing policies for juvenile offenders.
  • Assessing the effectiveness of restorative justice processes.
  • Defense strategies in criminal trials.
  • Role of media representations in shaping perceptions of crime.
  • Future of capital punishment as a deterrent for serious crimes.
  • The impact of dna technologies on criminal investigations and prosecutions.

>> Read more: Criminal Justice Research Paper Topics

International Law Research Topics

You can brainstorm different legal research questions from the branch of international law to help you choose one to focus on. This field covers international agreements, organizations, dispute resolution, as well as criminal justice issues. This makes it a wide-ranging body of research with many potential areas of study. Here are ten international topics for research papers to consider:

  • The impact of globalization on international trade.
  • How do international organizations contribute to peacekeeping and conflict resolution?
  • How the law of the sea affects maritime disputes.
  • How do international regulations protect global environmental resources?
  • Organizations' role in establishing international legal norms.
  • Legal obligations ensuring fair international trade.
  • Laws and their role in addressing international criminal activity.
  • Challenges arising from attempts to enforce international law in the developing countries.
  • What is the importance of international law?
  • Laws providing international protection to refugees.

Immigration Law Topics for Research Paper

Globalization has helped create a diverse population in many countries but intensified immigration. Exploring the following law research paper ideas will help you pick a good topic for your paper. Here are ten immigration law research paper topics to get you started:

  • Immigration law and human rights.
  • Challenges of establishing immigration regulations in the U.S.
  • Immigration policy role in fighting terrorism.
  • Unauthorized immigrants' impact on local economies.
  • Refugee protection under international law .
  • Family-based immigration policies.
  • Challenges faced by immigrant students in K-12 education.
  • The legality of immigration detention.
  • Rights and responsibilities of undocumented workers.
  • Impact of immigration regulations impact on national security.

Education Law Topics for Legal Research Papers

The legal field of education examines issues related to educational institutions as well as students themselves. It covers student rights, teacher/staff responsibilities, disciplinary procedures, school safety, harassment, and funding. You will definitely find education law fascinating after reading through these topics, which also gives you a chance to choose one topic that interests you most. Here are ten legal writing topics to explore in this field:

  • The legal rights of school administrators and teachers.
  • Student legal rights in disciplinary actions.
  • Legal requirements for special education students.
  • Parental legal rights and responsibilities in school matters.
  • Legal aspects of student privacy issues in classrooms and online.
  • Legal issues related to the use of technology in schools.
  • Legal issues related to school safety and security.
  • Legal implications of religious expression in public schools.
  • Legal aspects of the No Child Left Behind act.
  • Legal requirements for student access to educational resources.

There is one more blog in our library that will provide you with more ideas in this field. Browse different research questions on education and come up with something interesting. 

Entertainment Law Research Topics

Entertainment law covers the connection between entertainment, intellectual property rights, and business. Students need to have several law research paper topic ideas to explore legal issues surrounding entertainment. Here are ten entertainment law essay topics to explore:

  • Impact of digital music streaming on copyright rules and regulations.
  • Importance of privacy rights in social media.
  • Legal implications of celebrity endorsements.
  • Overview of film production agreements.
  • Music publishers' role in the entertainment industry.
  • A study of intellectual property rights and the impact on organizational creativity.
  • Regulation of online gaming platforms from a legal perspective.
  • Role of trademark regulation in sports broadcasting.
  • How to protect a brand in entertainment industry from unauthorized use.
  • Consumer protection laws and their impact on the music industry.

Employment Law Research Paper Topics

Writing a research paper on employment law provides an opportunity to explore current areas related to employment rights and responsibilities. The following are some potential employment law paper topics:

  • The history and development of employment regulation in the U.S.
  • Employment discrimination laws and their efficacy in reducing workplace discrimination.
  • How employment laws affect contract negotiations.
  • A comparison between employment regulations in the united states and other countries.
  • State employment rules and their impact on employment practices.
  • Legal implications of employment-at-will.
  • Employment law and the impact of recent employment legislation.
  • How employment code have changed over time to address employment disputes.
  • The relationship between employment law and employment unions.
  • How employment regulations have evolved to address remote employment arrangements.

Family Law Legal Topics to Write About

In everyday life, family law deals with relationships between family members, including marriage, adoption, and child custody. It covers various issues, from divorce to prenuptial agreements. If you are looking for legal topics for research paper in family law to write about, here are some suggestions:

  • Legal process of adoption and its implications.
  • Parent's rights in a divorce.
  • Legal aspects of prenuptial agreements.
  • Post-divorce legal issues: alimony, child custody, and visitation rights.
  • Regulations governing surrogacy and assisted reproductive technology.
  • Financial responsibilities during a divorce or separation.
  • Legal rights of same-sex couples in adoption and divorce.
  • Legal implications of domestic abuse.
  • Grandparent visitation rights after divorce.
  • Legal process of estate planning and inheritance in family law cases.

Environmental Law Research Paper Topics

Environmental law focuses on studying as well as implementing important environmental regulations, such as pollution control or wildlife conservation. These environmental research paper topics can guide writing an essay that will definitely help you get a good grade. Here are ten potential legal research paper topics to explore in this field:

  • Global warming: legal implications in developed countries.
  • Environmental regulations impact on private property.
  • An analysis of the EPA's regulation of air quality.
  • International regulations role in combating marine pollution.
  • An examination of endangered species legislation.
  • A comparison between the U.S. and E.U. environmental regulations.
  • Economic implications of carbon taxes.
  • An evaluation of international efforts to combat climate change.
  • A study of U.S. environmental regulations and their impact on businesses.
  • The use of international courts for resolving disputes related to the environment.

Animal Law Topics to Research

Animal law is increasingly gaining attention as animal rights lawyers and activists fight for recognition in the justice system. We consider animals an essential part of nature, and their protection has become vital. With this growing interest, research papers are becoming more popular among students as well as animal advocates. To help you get started on your animal law research paper topics, here is a list to explore:

  • Animal sentience and its implications for animal law.
  • Legal recognition of animal rights.
  • Current status of animal welfare practices in the U.S.
  • International animal protection laws and regulations.
  • Judicial decisions on an animal cruelty case.
  • Effectiveness of animal rights advocacy groups.
  • Animal experimentation: ethical considerations and legal implications.
  • What is the impact of the animal rights movement on society?
  • The role of animal law in environmental protection.
  • Animal hoarding and the legal consequences of owning multiple animals.

Final Thoughts on Law & Legal Topics for Research Papers

When it comes to legal research paper topics, there is no shortage of ideas. From criminal and civil laws to international issues, the legal field presents a wide range of potential topics for your research paper. Be sure to narrow down your topic to ensure that you can adequately cover the issue you are writing about in your essay. Additionally, consulting resources, including scholarly articles, is important as you conduct your research. Doing so will help ensure that your paper provides adequate as well as accurate information. With the right law research topic, you can write an effective as well as engaging essay to help you stand out in the profession.

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Law Dissertation Topics

Published by Owen Ingram at January 9th, 2023 , Revised On April 16, 2024

Introduction

Law dissertations can be demanding because of the need to find relevant regulations, cases, and data to address the research problem successfully. It is of utmost importance to critically examine facts before framing the  research questions .

Selection of the most appropriate legal terms and legal authorities, whether online or in print, can be challenging especially if you have not tackled a law dissertation project before.

To help you select an intriguing law  dissertation  topic,  our expert writers have suggested some issues in various areas of law, including trust law, EU law, family law, employment and equality law, public law, tort law, intellectual property rights, commercial law, evidence, and criminal law, and human rights and immigration law.

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

Review step by step guide on how to write your own dissertation  here.

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 2024 here.

2024 Law Dissertation Topics

Topic 1: the role of international criminal laws in reducing global genocide.

Research Aim: This study aims to find the role of international criminal laws in reducing global genocide. It will be an exploratory study identifying the explicit and implicit effects of international criminal laws on the worldwide genocide. It will analyse different incidents of international genocide and find out how international criminal laws played a positive role to reduce these incidents. Lastly, it will recommend possible changes in the international criminal laws to effectively mitigate global genocide. And it will be done by comparing criminal laws of world-leading powers to reduce genocide.

Topic 2: Impact of Anti-Racism Employment Laws on Organisational Culture- A Comparative Study on the Anti-Racism Employment Laws in the US and Canada

Research Aim: This research aims to find the impact of anti-racism employment laws on the organisational culture in the US and Canada in a comparative analysis. It will identify the change in employees’ behaviour after implementing anti-racism laws. Moreover, it will find whether employees gleefully welcomed these laws or showed resistance. And how do these laws affect the organisations’ performance that strictly implemented them?

Topic 3: Globalization, international business transactions, and commercial law- A perspective from literature.

Research Aim: Students and practitioners can find the law of international business transactions as a subfield within a broader field of international commercial law to be somewhat amorphous.

This study will explain the impact of globalization on international business transactions and commercial law by establishing some necessary links between the study of transnational business law and related fields of international studies. This study also aims to address theories about foreign business regulation, such as the idea that it is free of power politics. For the collection of data existing literature will be studied. And the methodology of this research will rely on existing previous literature.

Topic 4: Investigating the impact of competition law on the businesses in the UK- Post Brexit

Research Aim: This study aims to investigate the impact of competition laws on businesses in the Post-Brexit UK. The proposed study will not only analyze the performance of the businesses with the current competition laws. But also analyze the impact of possible changes in competition laws on the businesses in the post-Brexit UK. And it will also incorporate the possible difference of changes in competition laws in deal, no-deal, hard deal, and soft deal scenarios. This way of individually analyzing the difference of competition laws due to the status of the UK’s deal with the EU will give better insights into how businesses will be affected by these laws in the post-Brexit UK.

Topic 5: A comparison between Islamic and contemporary laws against rape. Which law is the most effective in preventing this horrific crime?

Research Aim: Since several years, marital and non-marital relations in Muslim majority countries have been a source of controversy. Under Islamic law, it is strictly forbidden for a Muslim, or even non-Muslim to engage in illicit sexual relations with the opposite gender under any situation. The current study will help us understand the concepts presented in Islamic laws about rape cases. In this context, a comparative analysis of Islamic and contemporary law will be explained. It will also identify efficient and effective strategies to prevent this horrific crime.

Law Dissertation Topics For Covid Crisis

Topic 1: the legal implications of the covid-19 pandemic on canadian immigration and the way forward..

Research Aim: This study will focus on how the Canadian government benefits from resources accrued from immigration, the impact of COVID-19 on Canadian Immigration, the current legislation on immigration, the effects of COVID-19 on the immigration law, the possible amendments that could help cushion the impact and the way forward.

Topic 2: Effect of COVID-19 on the United States Immigration policies; an assessment of International Legal agreements governing pandemic disease control and the way forward.

Research Aim: This research will focus on the pandemic’s effect on immigration policies in the United States. It also suggests the required steps based on the laws that regulate government acts during an outbreak of a pandemic.

Topic 3: Creating legal policies in preparedness for the global pandemic; lessons from COVID-19 on Canadian immigration policies.

Research Aim: This research will focus on how the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world and how most countries seemed unprepared. Historical background of the flu pandemic can also be made to assess how the world overcame the pandemic. And the need for the Canadian government or any other country you wish to choose can prepare for a global pandemic by creating legal policies that could help prepare ahead for such a period, such as policies on scientific research and funding.

Topic 4: The need for uniformity of competition law and policy in Gulf Cooperation Council Countries; An approach to the European Union standard.

Research Aim: This research will focus on the Gulf Cooperation Countries and their current legislation on competition law and its implications. Countries under the European Union’s competition law, the legal implications, and the need to consider such a part.

Topic 5: The need for competition law and policy enforcement; An analysis of the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries.

Research Aim: This research focuses on the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries’ competition laws and their enforceability. It analyses the benefits of enforcing the competition law and looks at the European Union uniformed laws and its benefits. It looks into the various countries, how the competition law currently works, and how it can affect each country’s economy in a better way or adequately enforced.

Topic 6: Provisions of the law on rape, the need to expand its coverage on the misuse of its provisions, and false accusations.

Research Aim: This research will focus on the law’s present provisions on rape and rape victims and the recent false accusations.

Topic 7: Summary dismissal of workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, the legal implications under the labour law, and the way forward. The case study of Nigeria

Research Aim: This research will focus on the statistics of people who were summarily dismissed during the COVID-19 pandemic based on natural occurrences, provisions of the law against summary dismissal, and its enforcement, and how this can be cushioned against future events. The need to expand the labour law to cover similar situations for the protection of workers.

Topic 8: A legal assessment of the settlement of international disputes through the peaceful process and its effectiveness

Research Aim: This research focuses on the mode of dispute settlement in the international community, assessment of international laws and treaties on peaceful settlement of conflicts among countries of member states, the methods of dispute settlements, its strengths and weaknesses, and the need to improve the current mechanisms of peaceful settlement in the international community.

Topic 9: The protection of minority shareholders and the majority shareholders' power in Companies, a critical analysis of the Nigerian Companies and Allied Matters Act provisions.

Research Aim: This research will focus on the law’s provisions on protecting minority shareholders in companies and the majority shareholders’ power. How effective are these provisions in protecting the minorities against the management of the majority shareholders and the way forward

More Law Dissertation Topics 2024

Topic 1: world bank developmental projects and greater accountability.

Research Aim: Examine communities impacted by development operations under the World Bank Development project schemes using the project law model to understand the lack of participation and successful influence of these communities to improve accountability and good governance.

Topic 2: The right to bear arms: Rethinking the second amendment

Research Aim: Gun control and the right to bear arms has been an ever-evolving web discourse in the United States. The research aims at analysing how gun control laws have changed in the USA since specifically focusing on the 2nd Amendment and its original framework.

Topic 3: Rethinking the international legal framework protecting journalists in war and conflict zones.

Research Question: Is the current legal framework still appropriate for protecting journalists in today’s conflict zones? Research Aim: The primary body of law that is set out to protect journalists includes the Geneva Conventions and their additional Protocols. However, since the time they have been drafted and decades after, there have been conspicuous changes to the way warfare is conducted. It is imperative to examine this body of law in order to improve it as journalists have now become prime targets in war zones and conflict areas because of their profession.

Topic 4: A critical analysis of employment law of disabled individuals in the UK and what new policies can be integrated to increase its efficiency.

Research Aim: Employment or labour law has always been under the limelight. Many critiques and researchers have proposed different amendments to the existing law pertaining to labour and employee. The main aim of the research is to critically analyse the employment law of disabled individuals in the UK along with effective recommendations that need to be made in order to make the existing law more efficient and effective.

Topic 5: A critical evaluation of racial discrimination laws in developed countries and how it impacts the workplace environment

Research Aim: Racial discrimination has always been a controversial issue in almost every part of the World. However, many developed countries (companies) face severe racial discrimination issues that directly impact their name and brand value. Therefore, this research provides a critical evaluation of the racial discrimination laws, particularly in developed countries. Moreover, the research will be focusing on how racial discrimination laws are impacting the workplace environment.

Topic 6: A comparative analysis of legislation, policy, and guidelines of domestic abuse between UK and USA.

Research Aim: Domestic laws basically deal with and provide criminal rules for punishing individuals who have physically or emotionally harmed their own family members. It has been found out that many domestic cases of abuse are not reported to the concerned authority. Due to this reason, the main focus of the research is to conduct a comparative analysis of legislation, policy, and guidelines of domestic abuse between the UK and the USA and how effective both the countries have been to minimise domestic abuse.

Topic 7: Analyzing the negative impact of technology in protecting the intellectual property rights of corporations.

Research Aim: Intellectual property has gained significant importance after the emergence of counterfeit products coming from different parts of the world. It has been found out that many factors have motivated the sale of counterfeit products. Therefore, this research aims at analysing the negative impact of technology in protecting the intellectual property rights of products and corporations.

Topic 8: A critical assessment of the terrorism act of 2010 and its impact on Muslims living around the globe.

Research Aim: Since the incident of 9/11, the entire world has been under the pressure of terrorism activities, especially Muslims living around the world. Therefore, this research intends to critically assess the terrorism act of 2010 and its impact on Muslims living around the globe.

Trust Law Dissertation Topics

The trust law requires the settler to meet the three certainties, including the object, intention, and subject matter. As posted to a moral obligation or mere gift, confidence of choice can be best described as clarity of purpose. Some interesting dissertation topics in the field of trust law  are listed below:

  • To investigate the attitude of the courts to trusts supporting political agendas.
  • To identify and discuss principles on which half-secret and full secret trusts are enforced? Does a literature review highlight circumstances where it is essential to consider whether such beliefs are constructive and express?
  • The role and impact of trust law as asset portioning and fiduciary governance
  • From law to faith: Letting go of secret trusts
  • Critical analysis of the statement “Traditionally, equity and the law of trusts have been concerned with providing justice to balance out the rigour of the common law” regarding modern equity development/operation.
  • Should the assumption of resulting trusts and progression be abolished in this modern age? A critical review of the literature
  • A critical examination of the courts’ concern of financial reward in the context of “trustee powers of investment”
  • Does the doctrine of cypress do justice to the intentions of the testator?
  • The impact of the decision of Harrison v Gibson on the law of the clarity of intention?
  • The approval of trustees in the Zimbabwean law of trusts

Want more?   Read this.

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European Law Dissertation Topics

European law has recently attracted wide attention from the academic world, thanks to the growing influence of European Law on administrative law in EU members. It should be noted that every aspect of life in European states is significantly affected by European law, and therefore this area of research has gained tremendous popularity. Some exciting and specific research areas are given below:

  • A critical review of the European anti-discrimination Law
  • To investigate the economics and history of European Law.
  • An investigation of the European human rights law
  • Investigating the impact of “Freedom of Speech” on the German economy
  • Investigating the impact of immigration laws on the German economy
  • How the French parliamentary sovereignty has been affected by the European Union
  • Uniform interpretation of European patent law with a unique view on the creation of a standard patent court
  • The impact of European consensus in the jurisprudence of the European court of human rights
  • The impact of the European convention on human rights on the international human rights law
  • A critical analysis of the tensions between European trade and social policy
  • To investigate the European Union’s enforcement actions and policies against member countries.
  • European Laws amidst the Brexit process

Read this Article.

Family Law Dissertation Topics

A wide range of topics are covered under the field of family law and the law of children. Essentially, this area of law takes into consideration the registration of marriages, statutory rights concerning marriage, the effects of a decree, void and voidable marriages, the impact of the Human Rights Act, the legal stature of unmarried and married individuals, and the case for reform of UK family law . Other research areas include enforcing financial responsibilities in the Magistrates court, enforcing the arrears of maintenance payments, the award of maintenance, enforcing financial obligations to children or a child, financial orders for children, and the Child Support Act. An extremely intriguing area of law that has gained tremendous popularity in the modern era, some specific  dissertation topics  in this area of law studies are listed below:

  • Investigating therapeutic and theoretical approaches to deal with spouse abuse in light of the UK government’s latest research on domestic violence
  • Unmarried fathers’ access to parental responsibility – Does the current law enforce rights and responsibilities towards children?
  • To study the criminal justice process involving a child witness.
  • The children’s right to participation – Rhetoric or Reality? – A critical review of literature from the past two decades
  • To study the position of unmarried fathers in the UK.
  • Does the UK Family law need a major reform?
  • A critical review of the rights of married women in real estate
  • Child welfare and the role of local authorities
  • To study the legal and social foundations of parenting, civil partnership, and marriage.
  • To examine whether the Child Support Act has positively influenced child maintenance?

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Employment Law Dissertation Topics

Employment and equality law governs the relationship between the government, trade unions, employers, and employees.  Employment and equality law in the UK is a body of law that prevents bias and negative attitudes towards someone based on their ethnicity or race rather than work skills and experience. Some interesting dissertation topics  in this area of law are below:

  • A critical investigation of the right to fair labor practices in the United Kingdom
  • To determine the job’s inherent requirements as a defence to unfair discrimination or a claim – A comparison between the United Kingdom and Canada.
  • The role of the South African Labour Relations Act in providing unhappy staff sufficient protection against unfair dismissals and discrimination at the workplace
  • To investigate the impact of HIV/AIDS on employees’ lives with a focus on unfair dismissal and discrimination.
  • To assess ethnic discrimination in the European Union: Derogations from the ban on discrimination – Sexual harassment – Equal pay for equal value work.
  • To study the international employment contract – Regulation, perception, and reality.
  • To identify and discuss challenges associated with equality at work.
  • A study of the legal aspects of the relationship between employer and employee
  • How influential is the role of trade unions in English employment law?
  • A critical review of discrimination policies in the UK

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Commercial Law Dissertation Topics

Commercial law, also known as business law, is the whole body of substantive jurisprudence applicable to the conduct, relations, and rights of sales, trade, merchandising, and businesses and persons associated with commerce. Important issues of law covered by commercial law include real estate, secured transactions, credit transactions, bankruptcy, banking, and contracts. An intriguing area of law within the UK, specific topics for your law dissertation are listed below:

  • The impact of legislation for the regulation of investments services with EU economic area on the EU financial services market
  • Handling regulatory involvement incorporates organisational structure and strategy.
  • A study of convergence and complementarities concerning international corporate governance
  • How drafting and diffusion of uniform norms can help to harmonise the law of international commercial arbitration?
  • Convergence and adaption in corporate governance to transnational standards in India
  • A critical review of the international commercial arbitration system
  • Analysing the international commercial law on risk transfer
  • The role of the tripartite financial system in the UK on economic development
  • A comparative analysis of European contract law, international commercial contracts law, and English commercial contracts law
  • Is the European contracts law meeting the needs of the commercial community?
  • A critical review of anti-corruption legislation in the UK
  • The problems of director accountability in the UK and the impact of soft and hard law on corporate governance

Criminal and Evidence Law Dissertation Topics

Criminal law  can be defined as a system of law dealing with the punishment of criminals. Criminal evidence, on the other hand, concerns evidence/testimony presented in relation to criminal charges. Evidence can be presented in various forms in order to prove and establish crimes. A wide array of topics can be covered in this subject area. To help you narrow down your research focus, some  interesting topics  are suggested below:

  • The politics of criminal law reform with a focus on lower-court decision making
  • To understand and establish the historical relationship between human rights and Islamic criminal law
  • Investigating the rights of victims in internal criminal courts
  • The efficacy of the law of rape in order to prevent misuse by bogus victims and to protect rightful victims
  • To assess the criminal law’s approach to Omissions
  • To investigate the issues associated with the identification of the distribution, extent, and nature of the crime
  • A critical review of the Bad Samaritan laws and the law of omissions liability
  • How international criminal law has been significant influenced by the “war on terrors”?
  • The efficacy of modern approaches to the definition of intention in International criminal law
  • The efficacy of the law of corporate manslaughter

Company Law Dissertation Topics

Company law, also known as the  law of business associations , is the body of law that deals with business organisations and their formation, registration, incorporation, governance, dissolution, and administration. Some suggestions for company law dissertation topics are listed below:

  • Developing equity markets in growing economies and the importance of corporate law
  • A critical review of English company law and its effects on member workers and creditors
  • To investigate the essential aspects of corporate law.
  • To study business responsibilities for human rights.
  • Identifying disparities in corporate governance – Theories and Realities
  • The external relations of company groups in Zambian Corporate law
  • To study corporate governance practices concerning the minority stakeholders.
  • Establishing and evaluating arguments for and against “stakeholder theory.”
  • The importance of non-executive directors in the British corporate legal system
  • Investigating the regulation of the UK public company

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Intellectual Property and Tort Law Dissertation topics

All forms of legal injury are dealt with under the subject area of tort law. Essentially, tort law helps to establish the circumstances whereby a person may be held responsible for another person’s injury caused by either accident on intentional acts. On the other hand, intellectual property covers areas of law such as copyright, patents, and trademark. Trademark dissertation topics trademarks directive, trademarks act, infringement of trademarks such as revocation, invalidity, and the use of similar marks. Some interesting dissertation ideas and topics  of tort law and intellectual property are suggested below to help your law studies.

  • The efficacy of intellectual property rights in the UK under influence of European Law
  • The efficacy of UK copyright law concerning the needs of rights users and holders
  • The impact of intellectual property right on economic development
  • To investigate the right of confidence in the UK
  • Does the trademark law ensure sufficient protection in England?
  • The impact of European Law on intellectual property rights in the UK
  • The end of the road for loss of a chance?
  • To assess the success ratio of psychiatric injury claims in the UK
  • Should a no-fault system be implemented into UK law or should the law of negligence apply to personal injury claims?
  • A critical review of economic loss in 21 st century tort law

Human Rights and Immigration Law

The primary objective of human rights and immigration law is to ensure and protect human rights at domestic, regional, and international levels. With the world becoming a global village, human rights and immigration laws have attracted significant attention from academicians and policymakers. Some interesting law dissertation topics in this subject area are suggested below:

  • To assess the efficacy of the common European Asylum system in terms of immigration detention.
  • A historical analysis of Britain’s immigration and asylum policies
  • A critical analysis of immigration policy in Britain since 1990
  • A critical analysis of the right of the police and the public right to protest under PACE 1984
  • The right of prisoners to vote under the European law of human rights
  • Arguments for and against the death penalty in English Law with a focus on human rights treatise
  • A critical analysis of the right to private life and family for failed asylum seekers
  • The impact of UK immigration policies on the current education industry
  • How beneficial the points system has really been in regards to create a cap in the British immigration system
  • To study the impact of privatisation on immigration detention and related functions in the UK.

More Human Rights Law Dissertation Topics

Pandemic Law Dissertation Topics

Coronavirus, also known as the Covid-19, has become the most trending topic in the world since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic that started in China. Here are some interesting Corona Virus or Covid 19 Pandemic Law topics that you can consider for your law dissertation.

  • Co-parenting in the coronavirus pandemic: A family law scholar’s advice
  • How San Diego law enforcement operated amid Coronavirus pandemic
  • Pandemic preparedness in the workplace and the British with disabilities act
  • Why In a pandemic, rumors of martial Law fly despite reassurances
  • Investigating About the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and COVID-19
  • Resources to support workers in the UK during the Coronavirus pandemic
  • Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic:
  • A legal perspective
  • Navigating the Coronavirus Pandemic
  • Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) and employment laws in the UK going forward
  • Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) and employment laws in the US going forward
  • Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) and employment laws in Australia going forward

More Law Dissertation Topics

  • A critical analysis of the employment law of disabled individuals in the UK and what new policies can be integrated to increase its efficiency
  • A critical evaluation of racial discrimination laws in developed countries and how it impacts the workplace environment
  • A comparative analysis of domestic abuse with the legislation, policy, and domestic abuse guidelines between the UK and USA.
  • Analysing the negative impact of technology in protecting the intellectual property rights of corporations.
  • A critical assessment of the terrorism act of 2010 and its impact on Muslims living around the Globe.

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Uk’s best academic support services. how would you know until you try, important notes:.

As a law dissertation student looking to get good grades, it is essential to develop new ideas and experiment with existing law dissertation theories – i.e., to add value and interest in the topic of your research.

The field of law dissertation is vast and interrelated to many other academic disciplines like civil engineering ,  construction ,  project management , engineering management , healthcare , mental health , artificial intelligence , tourism , physiotherapy , sociology , management , project management , and nursing . That is why it is imperative to create a project management dissertation topic that is articular, sound, and actually solves a practical problem that may be rampant in the field.

We can’t stress how important it is to develop a logical research topic based on your fundamental research. There are several significant downfalls to getting your case 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 law dissertation topics that fulfill your requirement of writing a research paper and add to the body of knowledge.

Therefore, it is recommended that when finalising 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 law dissertation topics to get an idea for your dissertation.

How to Structure your Law 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 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 available 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 while identifying any research gaps. Break down the topic, and binding terms 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 the results in this chapter, and states whether the research hypothesis has been verified or not. An essential aspect of this section is establishing the link between the products and evidence from the literature. Recommendations with regards to implications of the findings and directions for 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 : Make sure to complete this by your University’s requirements
  • 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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legal research proposal topics

How to do legal research in 3 steps

Knowing where to start a difficult legal research project can be a challenge. But if you already understand the basics of legal research, the process can be significantly easier — not to mention quicker.

Solid research skills are crucial to crafting a winning argument. So, whether you are a law school student or a seasoned attorney with years of experience, knowing how to perform legal research is important — including where to start and the steps to follow.

What is legal research, and where do I start? 

Black's Law Dictionary defines legal research as “[t]he finding and assembling of authorities that bear on a question of law." But what does that actually mean? It means that legal research is the process you use to identify and find the laws — including statutes, regulations, and court opinions — that apply to the facts of your case.

In most instances, the purpose of legal research is to find support for a specific legal issue or decision. For example, attorneys must conduct legal research if they need court opinions — that is, case law — to back up a legal argument they are making in a motion or brief filed with the court.

Alternatively, lawyers may need legal research to provide clients with accurate legal guidance . In the case of law students, they often use legal research to complete memos and briefs for class. But these are just a few situations in which legal research is necessary.

Why is legal research hard?

Each step — from defining research questions to synthesizing findings — demands critical thinking and rigorous analysis.

1. Identifying the legal issue is not so straightforward. Legal research involves interpreting many legal precedents and theories to justify your questions. Finding the right issue takes time and patience.

2. There's too much to research. Attorneys now face a great deal of case law and statutory material. The sheer volume forces the researcher to be efficient by following a methodology based on a solid foundation of legal knowledge and principles.

3. The law is a fluid doctrine. It changes with time, and staying updated with the latest legal codes, precedents, and statutes means the most resourceful lawyer needs to assess the relevance and importance of new decisions.

Legal research can pose quite a challenge, but professionals can improve it at every stage of the process . 

Step 1: Key questions to ask yourself when starting legal research

Before you begin looking for laws and court opinions, you first need to define the scope of your legal research project. There are several key questions you can use to help do this.

What are the facts?

Always gather the essential facts so you know the “who, what, why, when, where, and how” of your case. Take the time to write everything down, especially since you will likely need to include a statement of facts in an eventual filing or brief anyway. Even if you don't think a fact may be relevant now, write it down because it may be relevant later. These facts will also be helpful when identifying your legal issue.

What is the actual legal issue?

You will never know what to research if you don't know what your legal issue is. Does your client need help collecting money from an insurance company following a car accident involving a negligent driver? How about a criminal case involving excluding evidence found during an alleged illegal stop?

No matter the legal research project, you must identify the relevant legal problem and the outcome or relief sought. This information will guide your research so you can stay focused and on topic.

What is the relevant jurisdiction?

Don't cast your net too wide regarding legal research; you should focus on the relevant jurisdiction. For example, does your case deal with federal or state law? If it is state law, which state? You may find a case in California state court that is precisely on point, but it won't be beneficial if your legal project involves New York law.

Where to start legal research: The library, online, or even AI?

In years past, future attorneys were trained in law school to perform research in the library. But now, you can find almost everything from the library — and more — online. While you can certainly still use the library if you want, you will probably be costing yourself valuable time if you do.

When it comes to online research, some people start with free legal research options , including search engines like Google or Bing. But to ensure your legal research is comprehensive, you will want to use an online research service designed specifically for the law, such as Westlaw . Not only do online solutions like Westlaw have all the legal sources you need, but they also include artificial intelligence research features that help make quick work of your research

Step 2: How to find relevant case law and other primary sources of law

Now that you have gathered the facts and know your legal issue, the next step is knowing what to look for. After all, you will need the law to support your legal argument, whether providing guidance to a client or writing an internal memo, brief, or some other legal document.

But what type of law do you need? The answer: primary sources of law. Some of the more important types of primary law include:

  • Case law, which are court opinions or decisions issued by federal or state courts
  • Statutes, including legislation passed by both the U.S. Congress and state lawmakers
  • Regulations, including those issued by either federal or state agencies
  • Constitutions, both federal and state

Searching for primary sources of law

So, if it's primary law you want, it makes sense to begin searching there first, right? Not so fast. While you will need primary sources of law to support your case, in many instances, it is much easier — and a more efficient use of your time — to begin your search with secondary sources such as practice guides, treatises, and legal articles.

Why? Because secondary sources provide a thorough overview of legal topics, meaning you don't have to start your research from scratch. After secondary sources, you can move on to primary sources of law.

For example, while no two legal research projects are the same, the order in which you will want to search different types of sources may look something like this:

  • Secondary sources . If you are researching a new legal principle or an unfamiliar area of the law, the best place to start is secondary sources, including law journals, practice guides , legal encyclopedias, and treatises. They are a good jumping-off point for legal research since they've already done the work for you. As an added bonus, they can save you additional time since they often identify and cite important statutes and seminal cases.
  • Case law . If you have already found some case law in secondary sources, great, you have something to work with. But if not, don't fret. You can still search for relevant case law in a variety of ways, including running a search in a case law research tool.

Once you find a helpful case, you can use it to find others. For example, in Westlaw, most cases contain headnotes that summarize each of the case's important legal issues. These headnotes are also assigned a Key Number based on the topic associated with that legal issue. So, once you find a good case, you can use the headnotes and Key Numbers within it to quickly find more relevant case law.

  • Statutes and regulations . In many instances, secondary sources and case law list the statutes and regulations relevant to your legal issue. But if you haven't found anything yet, you can still search for statutes and regs online like you do with cases.

Once you know which statute or reg is pertinent to your case, pull up the annotated version on Westlaw. Why the annotated version? Because the annotations will include vital information, such as a list of important cases that cite your statute or reg. Sometimes, these cases are even organized by topic — just one more way to find the case law you need to support your legal argument.

Keep in mind, though, that legal research isn't always a linear process. You may start out going from source to source as outlined above and then find yourself needing to go back to secondary sources once you have a better grasp of the legal issue. In other instances, you may even find the answer you are looking for in a source not listed above, like a sample brief filed with the court by another attorney. Ultimately, you need to go where the information takes you.

Step 3: Make sure you are using ‘good’ law

One of the most important steps with every legal research project is to verify that you are using “good" law — meaning a court hasn't invalidated it or struck it down in some way. After all, it probably won't look good to a judge if you cite a case that has been overruled or use a statute deemed unconstitutional. It doesn't necessarily mean you can never cite these sources; you just need to take a closer look before you do.

The simplest way to find out if something is still good law is to use a legal tool known as a citator, which will show you subsequent cases that have cited your source as well as any negative history, including if it has been overruled, reversed, questioned, or merely differentiated.

For instance, if a case, statute, or regulation has any negative history — and therefore may no longer be good law — KeyCite, the citator on Westlaw, will warn you. Specifically, KeyCite will show a flag or icon at the top of the document, along with a little blurb about the negative history. This alert system allows you to quickly know if there may be anything you need to worry about.

Some examples of these flags and icons include:

  • A red flag on a case warns you it is no longer good for at least one point of law, meaning it may have been overruled or reversed on appeal.
  • A yellow flag on a case warns that it has some negative history but is not expressly overruled or reversed, meaning another court may have criticized it or pointed out the holding was limited to a specific fact pattern.
  • A blue-striped flag on a case warns you that it has been appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court or the U.S. Court of Appeals.
  • The KeyCite Overruling Risk icon on a case warns you that the case may be implicitly undermined because it relies on another case that has been overruled.

Another bonus of using a citator like KeyCite is that it also provides a list of other cases that merely cite your source — it can lead to additional sources you previously didn't know about.

Perseverance is vital when it comes to legal research

Given that legal research is a complex process, it will likely come as no surprise that this guide cannot provide everything you need to know.

There is a reason why there are entire law school courses and countless books focused solely on legal research methodology. In fact, many attorneys will spend their entire careers honing their research skills — and even then, they may not have perfected the process.

So, if you are just beginning, don't get discouraged if you find legal research difficult — almost everyone does at first. With enough time, patience, and dedication, you can master the art of legal research.

Thomson Reuters originally published this article on November 10, 2020.

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50 Research Topics For Law Students In August 2022: Read Now!

50 Research Topics For Law Students In August 2022: Read Now!

YLCC Admin

If you are a law student and love research, here’s our flagship article. Our team has meticulously prepared a list of 50 top contemporary topics  for research in August 2022 across a number of legal subjects . Happy Researching!

Military law 1. Military Law v. Martial Law: A Comparative Study. 2. Authorities under Military Law in India. 3. Punishments under Military Law v. Civil Law: A Comparative Study. 4. Evolution of Military Law in India. Admiralty (Maritime) Law 1. Local laws v. Maritime Law: Which shall prevail? 2. Suez Canal crisis: What it cost the world? 3. 10 Things to Know Before Becoming A Maritime Lawyer 4. Enforcement of Maritime Law: A Critical Analysis 5. Relevance of South China Sea Globally. Bankruptcy Law 1. Efficiency of Fast track Resolution Process in India. 2. Authorities governing Insolvency and Bankruptcy in India: An Analysis 3. Cross-Border Insolvency in India. 4. Evolution of insolvency and bankruptcy laws in India: Landmark Judgments Business (Corporate) Law 1. Corporate Law Journals to Publish Your Research Paper. 2. Effective corporate governance laws: A Review 3. Top Research Journals for Corporate Law in India.

Civil Rights Law 1. Beef in India: A Study into Religious aspect 2. Drug abuse in India: A Critical analysis of Sushant Singh Rajput case. 3. Females of Islam: A Study 4. A critical analysis of Niqah Halala in Islam. 5. Maintenance to wives, children and parents in India: A Study through Landmark cases. Criminal law 1. Constitutional perspective of Criminal Procedure Code. 2. A critical Analysis of Plea bargaining Procedure. 3. Sex work in India: Morality v. Legality 4. Appeal, Review, Revision of Cases in India. 5. Rationale behind Death Penalty in India: A Critical Analysis. Entertainment law 1. Entertainment Law in India: A Jurisprudential Study. 2. An Introduction to Entertainment Law: A Basic Study. 3. Regulation of Pornography in OTT Platforms. 4. Royalties of Artistic Works in India: A Study 5. Regulations on Piracy and Pirated Works. Environment law 1. Indian environmental law for the sustainability of the resources and management: A critical assessment. 2. Politics v. Environment Law: A Study. 3. Important International Treaties on Climate Change. 4. Kyoto Protocol: Landmark Treaty on Climate Change.

Health law 1. Analysis of Insanity in Law. 2. Regulation of Donation of Organs in India and Globally. 3. Jurisprudence of Health law. 4. Right to Die: Law and Legislation. 5. Law and Biotechnology. Sports law 1. Sports Industry Law and Regulation: A Need of the Hour. 2. Relevance of sports law in India. 3. India’s Draft National Air Sports Policy 2022: A brief analysis. 4. Sports law and its aspect of Intellectual Property Rights. 5. Analysing the future of Sports Law in India. Moneylaundering law 1. Analysing India’s money laundering and anti-money laundering (AML) laws and regulations. 2. Hasan Ali Khan v Union of India: Case Analysis. 3. Analysing the legal issues in JKCA money laundering case. 4. Vijay Madanlal Choudhary & Ors. v. Union of India: Case Analysis. 5. The powers of the Directorate of Enforcement in Anti-Money Laundering cases.

YLCC would like to thank Akhila Sawan for her valuable contribution in this publication.

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legal research proposal topics

Legal Research Strategy

Preliminary analysis, organization, secondary sources, primary sources, updating research, identifying an end point, getting help, about this guide.

This guide will walk a beginning researcher though the legal research process step-by-step. These materials are created with the 1L Legal Research & Writing course in mind. However, these resources will also assist upper-level students engaged in any legal research project.

How to Strategize

Legal research must be comprehensive and precise.  One contrary source that you miss may invalidate other sources you plan to rely on.  Sticking to a strategy will save you time, ensure completeness, and improve your work product. 

Follow These Steps

Running Time: 3 minutes, 13 seconds.

Make sure that you don't miss any steps by using our:

  • Legal Research Strategy Checklist

If you get stuck at any time during the process, check this out:

  • Ten Tips for Moving Beyond the Brick Wall in the Legal Research Process, by Marsha L. Baum

Understanding the Legal Questions

A legal question often originates as a problem or story about a series of events. In law school, these stories are called fact patterns. In practice, facts may arise from a manager or an interview with a potential client. Start by doing the following:

Read > Analyze > Assess > Note > Generate

  • Read anything you have been given
  • Analyze the facts and frame the legal issues
  • Assess what you know and need to learn
  • Note the jurisdiction and any primary law you have been given
  • Generate potential search terms

Jurisdiction

Legal rules will vary depending on where geographically your legal question will be answered. You must determine the jurisdiction in which your claim will be heard. These resources can help you learn more about jurisdiction and how it is determined:

  • Legal Treatises on Jurisdiction
  • LII Wex Entry on Jurisdiction

This map indicates which states are in each federal appellate circuit:

A Map of the United States with Each Appellate Court Jurisdiction

Getting Started

Once you have begun your research, you will need to keep track of your work. Logging your research will help you to avoid missing sources and explain your research strategy. You will likely be asked to explain your research process when in practice. Researchers can keep paper logs, folders on Westlaw or Lexis, or online citation management platforms.

Organizational Methods

Tracking with paper or excel.

Many researchers create their own tracking charts.  Be sure to include:

  • Search Date
  • Topics/Keywords/Search Strategy
  • Citation to Relevant Source Found
  • Save Locations
  • Follow Up Needed

Consider using the following research log as a starting place: 

  • Sample Research Log

Tracking with Folders

Westlaw and Lexis offer options to create folders, then save and organize your materials there.

  • Lexis Advance Folders
  • Westlaw Edge Folders

Tracking with Citation Management Software

For long term projects, platforms such as Zotero, EndNote, Mendeley, or Refworks might be useful. These are good tools to keep your research well organized. Note, however, that none of these platforms substitute for doing your own proper Bluebook citations. Learn more about citation management software on our other research guides:

  • Guide to Zotero for Harvard Law Students by Harvard Law School Library Research Services Last Updated Sep 12, 2023 241 views this year

Types of Sources

There are three different types of sources: Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary.  When doing legal research you will be using mostly primary and secondary sources.  We will explore these different types of sources in the sections below.

Graph Showing Types of Legal Research Resources.  Tertiary Sources: Hollis, Law Library Website.  Secondary Sources:  Headnotes & Annotations, American Law Reports, Treatises, Law Reviews & Journals, Dictionaries and Encyclopedias, Restatements.  Primary Sources: Constitutions, Treatises, Statutes, Regulations, Case Decisions, Ordinances, Jury Instructions.

Secondary sources often explain legal principles more thoroughly than a single case or statute. Starting with them can help you save time.

Secondary sources are particularly useful for:

  • Learning the basics of a particular area of law
  • Understanding key terms of art in an area
  • Identifying essential cases and statutes

Consider the following when deciding which type of secondary source is right for you:

  • Scope/Breadth
  • Depth of Treatment
  • Currentness/Reliability

Chart Illustrating Depth and Breadth of Secondary Sources by Type.  Legal Dictionaries (Shallow and Broad), Legal Encyclopedias (Shallow and Broad), Restatements (Moderately Deep and Broad), Treatises (Moderately Deep and Moderately Narrow), American Law Reports (Extremely Deep and Extremely Narrow), Law Journal Articles (Extremely Deep and Extremely Narrow)

For a deep dive into secondary sources visit:

  • Secondary Sources: ALRs, Encyclopedias, Law Reviews, Restatements, & Treatises by Catherine Biondo Last Updated Apr 12, 2024 4100 views this year

Legal Dictionaries & Encyclopedias

Legal dictionaries.

Legal dictionaries are similar to other dictionaries that you have likely used before.

  • Black's Law Dictionary
  • Ballentine's Law Dictionary

Legal Encyclopedias

Legal encyclopedias contain brief, broad summaries of legal topics, providing introductions and explaining terms of art. They also provide citations to primary law and relevant major law review articles.  

Graph illustrating that Legal Encyclopedias have broad coverage of subject matter and content with shallow treatment of the topics.

Here are the two major national encyclopedias:

  • American Jurisprudence (AmJur) This resource is also available in Westlaw & Lexis .
  • Corpus Juris Secundum (CJS)

Treatises are books on legal topics.  These books are a good place to begin your research.  They provide explanation, analysis, and citations to the most relevant primary sources. Treatises range from single subject overviews to deep treatments of broad subject areas.

Graph illustrating that Treatises are moderate in scope and relatively deep.

It is important to check the date when the treatise was published. Many are either not updated, or are updated through the release of newer editions.

To find a relevant treatise explore:

  • Legal Treatises by Subject by Catherine Biondo Last Updated Apr 12, 2024 3041 views this year

American Law Reports (ALR)

American Law Reports (ALR) contains in-depth articles on narrow topics of the law. ALR articles, are often called annotations. They provide background, analysis, and citations to relevant cases, statutes, articles, and other annotations. ALR annotations are invaluable tools to quickly find primary law on narrow legal questions.

Graph illustrating that American Law Reports are narrow in scope but treat concepts deeply.

This resource is available in both Westlaw and Lexis:

  • American Law Reports on Westlaw (includes index)
  • American Law Reports on Lexis

Law Reviews & Journals

Law reviews are scholarly publications, usually edited by law students in conjunction with faculty members. They contain both lengthy articles and shorter essays by professors and lawyers. They also contain comments, notes, or developments in the law written by law students. Articles often focus on new or emerging areas of law and may offer critical commentary. Some law reviews are dedicated to a particular topic while others are general. Occasionally, law reviews will include issues devoted to proceedings of panels and symposia.

Graph illustrating that Law Review and Journal articles are extremely narrow in scope but exceptionally deep.

Law review and journal articles are extremely narrow and deep with extensive references. 

To find law review articles visit:

  • Law Journal Library on HeinOnline
  • Law Reviews & Journals on LexisNexis
  • Law Reviews & Journals on Westlaw

Restatements

Restatements are highly regarded distillations of common law, prepared by the American Law Institute (ALI). ALI is a prestigious organization comprised of judges, professors, and lawyers. They distill the "black letter law" from cases to indicate trends in common law. Resulting in a “restatement” of existing common law into a series of principles or rules. Occasionally, they make recommendations on what a rule of law should be.

Restatements are not primary law. However, they are considered persuasive authority by many courts.

Graph illustrating that Restatements are broad in scope and treat topics with moderate depth.

Restatements are organized into chapters, titles, and sections.  Sections contain the following:

  • a concisely stated rule of law,
  • comments to clarify the rule,
  • hypothetical examples,
  • explanation of purpose, and
  • exceptions to the rule  

To access restatements visit:

  • American Law Institute Library on HeinOnline
  • Restatements & Principles of the Law on LexisNexis
  • Restatements & Principles of Law on Westlaw

Primary Authority

Primary authority is "authority that issues directly from a law-making body."   Authority , Black's Law Dictionary (11th ed. 2019).   Sources of primary authority include:

  • Constitutions
  • Statutes 

Regulations

Access to primary legal sources is available through:

  • Bloomberg Law
  • Free & Low Cost Alternatives

Statutes (also called legislation) are "laws enacted by legislative bodies", such as Congress and state legislatures.  Statute , Black's Law Dictionary (11th ed. 2019).

We typically start primary law research here. If there is a controlling statute, cases you look for later will interpret that law. There are two types of statutes, annotated and unannotated.

Annotated codes are a great place to start your research. They combine statutory language with citations to cases, regulations, secondary sources, and other relevant statutes. This can quickly connect you to the most relevant cases related to a particular law. Unannotated Codes provide only the text of the statute without editorial additions. Unannotated codes, however, are more often considered official and used for citation purposes.

For a deep dive on federal and state statutes, visit:

  • Statutes: US and State Codes by Mindy Kent Last Updated Apr 12, 2024 2444 views this year
  • 50 State Surveys

Want to learn more about the history or legislative intent of a law?  Learn how to get started here:

  • Legislative History Get an introduction to legislative histories in less than 5 minutes.
  • Federal Legislative History Research Guide

Regulations are rules made by executive departments and agencies. Not every legal question will require you to search regulations. However, many areas of law are affected by regulations. So make sure not to skip this step if they are relevant to your question.

To learn more about working with regulations, visit:

  • Administrative Law Research by AJ Blechner Last Updated Apr 12, 2024 507 views this year

Case Basics

In many areas, finding relevant caselaw will comprise a significant part of your research. This Is particularly true in legal areas that rely heavily on common law principles.

Running Time: 3 minutes, 10 seconds.

Unpublished Cases

Up to  86% of federal case opinions are unpublished. You must determine whether your jurisdiction will consider these unpublished cases as persuasive authority. The Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure have an overarching rule, Rule 32.1  Each circuit also has local rules regarding citations to unpublished opinions. You must understand both the Federal Rule and the rule in your jurisdiction.

  • Federal and Local Rules of Appellate Procedure 32.1 (Dec. 2021).
  • Type of Opinion or Order Filed in Cases Terminated on the Merits, by Circuit (Sept. 2021).

Each state also has its own local rules which can often be accessed through:

  • State Bar Associations
  • State Courts Websites

First Circuit

  • First Circuit Court Rule 32.1.0

Second Circuit

  • Second Circuit Court Rule 32.1.1

Third Circuit

  • Third Circuit Court Rule 5.7

Fourth Circuit

  • Fourth Circuit Court Rule 32.1

Fifth Circuit

  • Fifth Circuit Court Rule 47.5

Sixth Circuit

  • Sixth Circuit Court Rule 32.1

Seventh Circuit

  • Seventh Circuit Court Rule 32.1

Eighth Circuit

  • Eighth Circuit Court Rule 32.1A

Ninth Circuit

  • Ninth Circuit Court Rule 36-3

Tenth Circuit

  • Tenth Circuit Court Rule 32.1

Eleventh Circuit

  • Eleventh Circuit Court Rule 32.1

D.C. Circuit

  • D.C. Circuit Court Rule 32.1

Federal Circuit

  • Federal Circuit Court Rule 32.1

Finding Cases

Image of a Headnote in a Print Reporter

Headnotes show the key legal points in a case. Legal databases use these headnotes to guide researchers to other cases on the same topic. They also use them to organize concepts explored in cases by subject. Publishers, like Westlaw and Lexis, create headnotes, so they are not consistent across databases.

Headnotes are organized by subject into an outline that allows you to search by subject. This outline is known as a "digest of cases." By browsing or searching the digest you can retrieve all headnotes covering a particular topic. This can help you identify particularly important cases on the relevant subject.

Running Time: 4 minutes, 43 seconds.

Each major legal database has its own digest:

  • Topic Navigator (Lexis)
  • Key Digest System (Westlaw)

Start by identifying a relevant topic in a digest.  Then you can limit those results to your jurisdiction for more relevant results.  Sometimes, you can keyword search within only the results on your topic in your jurisdiction.  This is a particularly powerful research method.

One Good Case Method

After following the steps above, you will have identified some relevant cases on your topic. You can use good cases you find to locate other cases addressing the same topic. These other cases often apply similar rules to a range of diverse fact patterns.

  • in Lexis click "More Like This Headnote"
  • in Westlaw click "Cases that Cite This Headnote"

to focus on the terms of art or key words in a particular headnote. You can use this feature to find more cases with similar language and concepts.  ​

Ways to Use Citators

A citator is "a catalogued list of cases, statutes, and other legal sources showing the subsequent history and current precedential value of those sources.  Citators allow researchers to verify the authority of a precedent and to find additional sources relating to a given subject." Citator , Black's Law Dictionary (11th ed. 2019).

Each major legal database has its own citator.  The two most popular are Keycite on Westlaw and Shepard's on Lexis.

  • Keycite Information Page
  • Shepard's Information Page

Making Sure Your Case is Still Good Law

This video answers common questions about citators:

For step-by-step instructions on how to use Keycite and Shepard's see the following:

  • Shepard's Video Tutorial
  • Shepard's Handout
  • Shepard's Editorial Phrase Dictionary
  • KeyCite Video Tutorial
  • KeyCite Handout
  • KeyCite Editorial Phrase Dictionary

Using Citators For

Citators serve three purposes: (1) case validation, (2) better understanding, and (3) additional research.

Case Validation

Is my case or statute good law?

  • Parallel citations
  • Prior and subsequent history
  • Negative treatment suggesting you should no longer cite to holding.

Better Understanding

Has the law in this area changed?

  • Later cases on the same point of law
  • Positive treatment, explaining or expanding the law.
  • Negative Treatment, narrowing or distinguishing the law.

Track Research

Who is citing and writing about my case or statute?

  • Secondary sources that discuss your case or statute.
  • Cases in other jurisdictions that discuss your case or statute.

Knowing When to Start Writing

For more guidance on when to stop your research see:

  • Terminating Research, by Christina L. Kunz

Automated Services

Automated services can check your work and ensure that you are not missing important resources. You can learn more about several automated brief check services.  However, these services are not a replacement for conducting your own diligent research .

  • Automated Brief Check Instructional Video

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This guide is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License .

You may reproduce any part of it for noncommercial purposes as long as credit is included and it is shared in the same manner. 

  • Last Updated: Sep 21, 2023 2:56 PM
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Selecting and Developing a Law Research Topic

  • Introduction
  • Selecting a Topic
  • Developing a Thesis
  • Checking the Novelty of the Thesis
  • Referencing and citing

Finding a Topic

One of the most important yet challenging aspects of writing a research paper is selecting an appropriate topic.  When selecting a topic, make sure that it is interesting to you and your audience, well-defined, manageable, novel and worthy of publication. If you need help finding a research topic, you can start by:

  • Examining legal developments
  • Searching for a novel case or a legal issue where courts have split on their interpretation of the law
  • Browsing recent scholarly publications
  • Mining topic ideas, including calls for papers and writing competitions
  • Talking to people
  • Keeping up to date with current affairs, e.g. news items can generate topic ideas

The Law Library has numerous resources listed on this page to assist you in selecting your topic. If you get stuck or need customised advice, please email us at:  [email protected]

Novel Cases

A common approach to finding a topic is to focus on a case that raises a novel issue of law. To find these cases, search for legal developments (see Legal Developments) or browse recent cases before the Australian High Court or highest appellate court in other countries.

  • High Court of Australia
  • Supreme Court of Canada
  • Supreme Court of New Zealand
  • Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
  • Supreme Court of the United States

The following blogs also contain valuable information about High Court/Supreme Court decisions:

  • Opinions on High University of Melbourne Law School's blog on decisions from the High Court of Australia
  • The Court Osgoode Hall Law School's blog on decisions from the Supreme Court of Canada
  • UKSC Blog United Kingdom Supreme Court blog written by influential solicitors and barristers
  • SCOTUS Blog United States Supreme Court blog written by lawyers, law professors, and law students

Unresolved Legal Issues

Another common approach to finding a research topic is to examine an unresolved legal issue. Unresolved legal issues can occur when courts have split in their interpretation of the law, leaving the ultimate meaning of the law unresolved. In the United States, this is known as a 'circuit split' because it is based on federal circuit courts interpreting the same legal issue differently. These sorts of issues are ripe for appeal to the US Supreme Court, the highest court in the land. 

A research topic may describe the split, identify any issues that may be influencing the courts, and propose a way to distinguish the situations or resolve the discrepancy. These topics can be very timely and relevant. However, if the discrepancy is resolved before your paper is completed, the topic can be rendered entirely obsolete. Because these topics are so popular in the United States, there are resources dedicated solely to tracking circuit splits, including the following:

  • Seton Hall Circuit Review A law review dedicated to covering the United States federal circuits. The section entitled 'Current Circuit Splits' provides brief summaries of the circuit splits identified in federal court of appeals opinions.
  • The University of Cincinnati Law Review's Circuit Splits Blog
  • Circuit Splits Reported in U.S. Law Week (BNA) To access Bloomberg Law: staff and students must use their University of Melbourne email addresses when completing the registration form to establish a Bloomberg Law School account.

Journal Articles

  • Meeker, Heather, 'Stalking the Golden Topic: A Guide to Locating and Selecting Topics for Legal Research Papers' (1996) 3 Utah Law Review 917
  • Volokh, Eugene, 'Writing a Student Article' (1998) 48 Journal of Legal Education 247

Law Library Catalogue: ebooks and print materials

Use introductory texts to begin your research. These will help you structure your research and point to key issues that may be appropriate for a research topic.

1. To find print and ebooks, search the Library catalogue for your topic in the keyword field e.g. international humanitarian law.

Keyword Title Author Subject Journal title Call number ISBN or ISSN  or

2. Browse the shelves according to call numbers. Books will be shelved by call numbers according to their subject matter.

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Research Projects

Filter results by.

265 Powerful Research Proposal Topics to Consider [+ Writing Tips]

265 Powerful Research Proposal Topics to Consider [+ Writing Tips]

A research proposal is a common task for students of different levels and areas of study. Although it is relatively straightforward, it still can be hard to start and choose an engaging topic. In this article, you will find 255 strong suggestions on crime & law, business, finance, politics, sociology, and other subjects. Feel free to use this list for your inspiration when writing your paper. Alternatively, you can look at sample essays for free from our database and try to come up with the topic on your own.

Let’s start!

What is a Research Proposal?

  • Crime & Law Research Topics
  • Business Proposal Topics
  • English Proposal Topics
  • Interesting Proposal Topics

Undergraduate Research Proposal

  • How To Write A Proposal

First thing first, let’s define what a research proposal is. This type of assignment is similar to research; however, it’s shorter and more general. It aims at introducing a topic that needs a more in-depth discussion. The student should prove that this issue requires further research. Usually, professors assign this type of task for you to practice before working on a bigger format.

Key Sections of Research Proposal.

A typical research proposal consists of three key sections: introduction, literature review, and methodology of your future study. Keep reading to get to know more about each part and how you can succeed in writing them.

The length of a research proposal depends on the future paper you’re writing it for and on your task requirements. It can be from four to twenty pages. Finally, all proposals should meet the standards of the referencing style that your professor asks for.

You should also understand the difference between a qualitive and a quantitative research proposal. The first one collects non-numerical data while the second one presents numerical information. The results of a qualitive research proposal can be displayed as photographs or recordings, while the quantative research results are usually shown as graphs and tables.

Now, let’s see what topics you can choose for your assignment. Click on the links we shared to find more research proposal examples.

Crime & Law Research Proposal Topics

Law students frequently get tasks like research proposals to develop their academic writing skills and understand complicated cases better. You can be more creative with law & criminology research proposal topics than you expect. Find inspiration for your work in the list below!

International Law Topics

International relations are complicated due to numerous external and internal factors. So, setting laws that would be applicable within different societies is a tough task. In the selection of international law topics below, we collected some challenging ideas. Check it out!

  • International law and CIA rendition.
  • Individual legal personality in international law.
  • The importance of international treaties in warfare.
  • Russian and european international competition law.
  • International marine pollution law.
  • Human rights in international law .
  • The relations between domestic and international laws .
  • International law, organizations, and power.
  • International trade law evolution.
  • Legal personality development in international law.

Business Law Topics

Business is another field full of unresolved issues and puzzles from the law perspective. From ownership to taxes – each aspect hides dozens of nuances and business law cases. Let’s see what topics you can discuss in your paper.

  • International business law.
  • Business law concept and employee arbitration.
  • Personnel recruitment and equal opportunities law.
  • Piracy effects on the profitability of a business.
  • Salesperson’s negligence and consumer law.
  • The practical use of trademark and copyright by entities.
  • Model business corporation act: the australian law.
  • The effects of religion on the implementation of contract law .
  • Terrorism as global issue and preventive laws.
  • US traditional business law and Its elements.

Criminology Research Proposal Topics

Today, more and more fields of study discuss equality-related issues. Criminology is not an exception. The most popular topics concern crimes against women, children, minorities, mass violence, race-based felony, etc. Discover more engaging law research proposal topics related to criminology in our list below!

  • The law of criminal procedure.
  • Understanding sexual harassment law in action.
  • Three-strikes law for preventing violent crimes.
  • The investigation of domestic violence cases.
  • Criminal behavior investigation and search warrants.
  • Marijuana legalization and criminalization.
  • The relations between mental health and criminal behavior .

Criminal Behavior Fact.

  • Criminal behavior theories and contributing factors.
  • Criminal profiling and police corruption.
  • Is criminal behavior dependable on one’s genes?
  • Grounds of victimization .
  • The criminal analysis of the O.J. Simpson case.
  • The development of serial killers .
  • Eyewitness testimony and its role in criminal cases.
  • Legal issue and criminal evidence.

Criminal Justice Research Proposal Topics

Delivering justice to those who committed crimes can be a complex process. There are many unexpected and controversial issues that institutions should take into account when solving particular cases. We prepared some criminal justice research proposal topics to dwell on. See the following list.

  • Criminal law: case of susie and perry.
  • Pulling the trigger: evaluating criminal gun laws.
  • The ethics of capital punishment .
  • The difference between war and civil crimes.
  • Pretrial procedures in the criminal justice system.
  • Juvenile detention criminal procedure.
  • Plea-bargaining law impact on criminal justice.
  • False confession in the criminal justice system.
  • The dissimilarity of criminal justice laws in different states.
  • Professional ethics in criminal justice: Singleton vs Norris.
  • Racial bias in criminal justice systems and workplaces.
  • Gender bias in criminal justice laws.
  • Confessions in saudi vs US criminal justice systems.
  • Severe financial crimes and their investigation.
  • Jury’s professionalism in criminal trials.

Business Research Proposal Topics

Business is a complex area that consists of various disciplines like marketing, finance, recruitment, business administration, and so on. In this section, we selected 60 business research proposal topics related to each of them. First, let’s see what ideas there are for general business issues.

  • Quality & environmental management for business excellence.
  • Entrepreneurship and small business management.
  • How can small businesses survive financial instability?
  • Quantitative techniques in business to manage quality.
  • Best strategies for an effective sales pitch.
  • SAS institute’s generic & business strategies.
  • Capitalism and free market issues.
  • The impact of leadership skills on business management .
  • International business: Sino-American trade war.
  • The impact of globalization on small businesses .
  • Needs-based business plan and project management.
  • Importance of negotiation contracts in the business.
  • Personal success factors in the business world.
  • Consequences of working overtime.
  • Time management as an effective business tool.

Marketing Research Proposal Topics

Today, a well-built marketing department can contribute a lot to the company’s success. On the other hand, having a weak promotion strategy can make even the best product unnoticeable on the market. Let’s see which marketing research proposal topics you can bring to light!

  • Telecommuting as a trend of contemporary business.
  • Differences between traditional and digital marketing.
  • The importance of creating a consistent brand image .
  • Market globalization and global marketing pitfalls.
  • International marketing: global corporation vs. company.
  • Use of alternative media in marketing communications .
  • Gamification as a marketing tool.
  • Paid search marketing and search engine optimization.
  • How do brands exploit impulsive buying ?
  • Influencer marketing in the fashion industry.
  • How to get readers engaged with your content?
  • The evolution of consumer behavior in the past twenty years.
  • Advertising analytics and marketing innovations.
  • The distinction in marketing strategies across different cultures.
  • Which Marketing Channel Has the Biggest Potential Today?

Research Proposal Topics in Human Resource Management

Any business is more about people than about a particular product. Hiring the right fits and supporting them in their working journey is challenging – many issues can appear out of nowhere. Discuss one of the research proposal topics in human resource management from our list below and shed light on the questions you find crucial.

  • Corporate social responsibility & business ethics.
  • Ethics in business: child labor in chocolate industry.

Child Labor in Chocolate Industry.

  • Human resources: social media policy in companies.
  • Hiring the right fits: best strategies.
  • Human resources and organization management.
  • How to deal with overqualified employees?
  • Aligning human resources and business strategy.
  • The responsibilities of a human resource manager regarding talent hunting and management.
  • Healthcare human resources management and changes.
  • What fringe benefits are the most desirable for employees today?
  • Google company: international human resources management.
  • Ways of encouraging employee’s personal and professional growth .
  • Human resources in global business management.
  • What factors promote employee’s loyalty ?
  • Federal and state human resources in Florida’ health care.

Finance Research Proposal Topics

Excellent finance management is the key to success for any company. This area has multiple internal and external aspects that should be considered when building business plans and strategies. In the list below, you will find finance research proposal topics related to such issues as corporate responsibility, investment, crisis management, shares, etc.

  • Project cost and finance management challenges.
  • Foreign direct investment and collaborative ventures.
  • The impact of global financial crisis on large-scale companies.
  • Fiscal policy: federal investment and taxes.
  • Corporate social responsibility and corporate finance.
  • Finance and corporate responsibility .
  • Financial constraints and investment cash flow sensitivity.
  • Roles of finance in business modernization.
  • The issues of traditional finance.
  • Investor’s role in creating culture of excellence.
  • Large profit margins and utilitarian business ethics.
  • Finance and crisis management .
  • Are a firm’s cash flow and profit different?
  • The role of shares in the company’s financial system .
  • Debt management process and its impact on the company.

English Research Proposal Topics

English is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. It’s associated with outstanding achievements and changes in society. Also, it brought to light a handful of written masterpieces and their famous authors. Discuss one of the works or issues from the list below – dive into the depth of language!

Research Proposal: English Literature Topics

It’s hard to deny the talent of such writers as Jane Austen or Mark Twain. However, there are also less well-known masters, like Sylvia Plath, whose writings also deserve your undivided attention. Their works will teach you a lot about life in the previous centuries. Discover more research proposal English literature topics below!

  • Meanings in “Lady Lazarus” poem by Sylvia Plath.
  • Themes in poems by Robert Frost and Dylan Thomas.
  • Gender roles in Jane Austen’s novels.
  • Portraying feminism in the 20th century American poems.
  • War attitudes in American and British poems.
  • The story behind “ The Lord of the Rings .”

Tolkien’s stories fact.

  • The definition of a Noble Outlaw and examples in English literature.
  • Death in Emily Dickinson’s poems .
  • Jane Austen’s novels: pastiches’ analysis.
  • Why do authors create fictional languages?
  • How is piracy depicted in “Treasure Island”?
  • Slavery in “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” the novel by Mark Twain.
  • The hidden concepts and parallels in “The War of Worlds.”
  • Satire in “Gulliver’s Travels.”
  • Conflicts in Harper Lee’s novel “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

Research Proposal on the English Language

Language is a diverse world that lives by its rules and gets constantly enriched by its speakers. English is a unique one in terms of being a second language to representatives of multiple nations and cultures. That’s why it is influenced by many languages and develops faster than any other one. We prepared fifteen topics for a research proposal on the English language to dwell on its current issues.

  • Gender differences in using the english language.
  • Speech disorders in english language learners.
  • How does english influence other languages?
  • Challenges in teaching english as a foreign language.
  • The status of english as an international language.
  • The origins of the english language.
  • The reasons behind the differences between American and British english .
  • Black english and non-standard language.
  • Language as a political tool.
  • Phenomena that enrich the english language.
  • Transgender community and heterosexism in language.
  • The future of the english language.
  • The influence of author’s neologisms on the english language.
  • Diversity psychology: foreign canguage and cognition.
  • How are ethnic minorities in the US shaping the english language?

Interesting Research Proposal Topics

Writing a research proposal can be more entertaining if you’re presenting a topic you’re deeply interested in. Whether it is politics or psychology, there is a lot to talk about. In this section, you can choose an exciting topic for a research proposal on different subjects and issues. Let’s see what we selected for you!

Political Science Research Proposal Topics

Today’s politics is developing in a tight bond with the issues of inequality, climate change, and others. Society requires the government’s immediate decisions regarding the subsequent problems. The relations between certain countries also become tense, making politicians react to urgent issues as soon as possible. All the above make politics a complex and controversial subject. Expose your thoughts on one of the political science research proposal topics we have chosen for you.

  • African-American political science: 14th amendment.
  • Political environment: democrats and republicans.
  • The relation between climate and politics.
  • Political activism: “Forces of Labor” by Beverly Silver.
  • The challenges of 2020 United States presidential election .
  • The relation between poverty and corrupted government.
  • Hegemony vs. counter hegemony: power & speech.
  • The American tradition of federalism and multiculturalism.
  • Who is more responsible for building democracy – government or society?
  • Authoritarian & totalitarian autocracy in examples.
  • The reasons why socialism has failed.
  • Is global democracy achievable in the future?
  • The origins of Sino-American conquest.
  • Nuclear Politics in the Modern World.
  • World government: utopian dream or dystopian nightmare?

Research Proposal Topics in Education

Education is a vital part of one’s life and growth. Moreover, we spend most of our youth studying and preparing for our future life. So, why not make the most of this time? In recent years, the views on the perfect study process have changed a lot. Speak out your ideas on these research proposal topics in education:

  • Teenagers’ contemporary issues: bullying at school.
  • Math and science opportunities in a preschool program.
  • Authoritative teachers: classic behavior or remnants of the past?
  • Psychological development of a school-aged child.
  • Should schoolgoers take sex education classes?
  • The reasons why education is not free.
  • High school challenges in personal experience.
  • Will there be no schools in the future?
  • Factors affecting technology uses in schools.

5 Common Uses Of Technology In The Classroom.

  • Methods of making the study process more practical.
  • Do young people need to get a master’s degree ?
  • Homeschooling disadvantages for students and parents .
  • How many foreign languages should a person know?
  • Is education the key to building a successful career ?
  • School experience for students with disabilities.

Sociology Research Proposal Topics

Society is constantly evolving so that more and more new issues arise. Today, we speak more about gender, race, sexual orientation, and ethnic minorities than at any time in the history of humankind. What will be the results of this discussion? We suggest you express your opinion on one of the sociology research proposal topics!

  • Ideal society and its constituents.
  • Substance abuse and impact on the family.
  • Gender bias : will the world ever eliminate them?
  • Parasocial relationships and purchasing habits.
  • The origins of vandalism.
  • Community capacity building against suicide.
  • The role of religion in contemporary society.
  • The effects of ethnic minorities on prevailing nation.
  • Sexual orientation as a social construction and reality.
  • How does climate change shape society?
  • Cultural and social literacy for millennials.
  • The society of future: possible scenarios.
  • The relations between art and society .
  • Can intolerance be fully eliminated?
  • White supremacy and historical blindness.

Psychology Research Proposal Topics

Today’s youth cares about their mental health more than the previous generation. Is that for good? Knowing what’s going inside your head can have an immense impact on your quality of life. This is a truly life-changing journey. The topical issues now are anxiety, depression, OCD, ADHD, and PTSD. We prepared fifteen psychology research proposal topics for you to discuss.

  • Generalized anxiety disorder: treatment.
  • Mindfulness-based stress reduction.
  • The difference between clinical and situational depression.
  • The concept of brain plasticity.
  • Why has anxiety become so common today?
  • Food and mental health: relations and impact.
  • Childhood relationships & adolescent mental health.
  • Defense mechanisms in psychological practice.
  • How do political regimes influence mental health ?
  • Postpartum depression: diagnosis and treatment.
  • Personality types : myth or science-based classification?
  • The impact of Freud’s ideas on today’s psychology.
  • Were Freud’s statements innovative at his time?
  • Psychology behind overworking and professional burnout .
  • Positive psychology for military leadership.

Research Proposal Topics in Information Technology

Today’s life depends a lot on technology and its development. From work to health issues – many things can be solved or complicated by machines or algorithms. New technologies require new laws and ways of coping with everyday situations. However, there’s no correct answer whether they are good or bad. We prepared some absorbing information technology research proposal topics for you!

  • Cyber surveillance and privacy of internet users.
  • Military drones: innovation project.
  • Cybersecurity and intellectual property issues.
  • National incident management and command systems.
  • The role of artificial intelligence in everyday life.
  • The potential risks of online voting.
  • Cybercrime and its impact on society.
  • Artificial intelligence and language processing : contemporary challenges.
  • Information technology-based data management in retail.
  • The use of technologies in farming .
  • Email Fraud and user protection strategies.
  • Technological advancement of the study process.
  • The approaches to maximizing the use of big data .
  • Wireless technology and applications.
  • The relations between technologies and globalization .

Biology Research Proposal Topics

Are you curious about what’s going on inside your body or any other living being? If you’re studying this, the biology research proposal topics below will be handy for you! We selected ideas for papers about bacteria, cells, innovations in biotechnologies, and more.

  • Bacteria differentiation: endospore and acid-fast staining.
  • The reasons behind common plant diseases.
  • Water treatments and maximum plant height.
  • Specific features of the underwater living beings.
  • Camouflage techniques in the animal world.
  • Agricultural biotechnology and its pros and cons.
  • The impact of hormones on our wellbeing.
  • Bacteria lab: enriched, selective, differential media.
  • Homosexuality among mammals.
  • Is domestication harmful to racoons?
  • Biomimicry: innovations inspired by nature.
  • Who has the world’s most incredible digestion systems among mammals?
  • Stem cell debate.
  • Molecular biology and genetics.
  • Can aging be reverted?

Public Health Research Proposal Topics

With the advancements in governmental systems and technologies, public healthcare becomes more accessible and effective, yet many issues are to be resolved in the future. We found some research proposal topics in nursing and other medical disciplines that will be interesting to study.

  • The epidemiology of obesity.
  • Are addictions inevitable?
  • Social media in nursing: pitfalls and opportunities.
  • Can music be used as remedy?
  • Artificial intelligence in healthcare: pros & cons.
  • Chinese traditional medicine : what can it teach the west?
  • National patient safety goals: critical care access.
  • The effects of body positive movement on obesity rate .

Obesity Rate in the U.S.

  • Health issues caused by climate change.
  • Seasonal allergies and their impact on our health.
  • The relations between psychology and physical health .
  • Quit smoking: therapies and medications.
  • AIDS treatment and common myths.
  • Stress reduction programs for pregnant women.
  • The importance of vaccines today.

You can find many engaging topics to discuss during your college or university life. We selected ideas for your paper that relate to different subjects and areas of study. Feel free to pick up any topics for an undergraduate research proposal you’re curious about and study it.

  • “The Great Gatsby” a novel by Francis Scott Fitzgerald.
  • “Pride and Prejudice” a novel by Jane Austen.
  • Shakespeare’s Masterpieces: Why They Deserve attention.
  • Political ideologies and their differences.
  • The evolution of gender .
  • Race and gender in public relations.
  • Why is It hard to achieve complete democracy ?
  • Should people under 18 get a tattoo?
  • Should living with parents after 30 be normalized?
  • Fat acceptance and body positivity.
  • How can society make the life of disabled people better?
  • Divorce effects on children’s behavior.
  • The benefits of Wi-Fi.
  • How can investing be useful for young people?
  • Artificial intelligence: pros and cons.
  • Artificial intelligence and free will .
  • Key aging factors among women.
  • Can zodiac signs theories be scientifically proven?
  • The evolution of cinematography .
  • Space tourism: evolution and prospects.

How To Write A Research Proposal

If you made it down here, you probably want to know more about the research proposal structure. In this section, we’ll discuss the specific features of this type of assignment and how to title a research proposal.

A research proposal is a compelling abstract that introduces your proposed paper. In this writing, you present the key questions of the research. The research proposal format can be described as general, summarizing, and brief. Your main goal here is to demonstrate that the topic you’ve chosen deserves more attention.

How To Title A Research Proposal

Your research proposal should grab attention from the very first second when the reader looks at its title. Let’ see which points you should consider to make it impressive and engaging.

  • The title should clearly state the subject under study.
  • Stimulate reader’s interest by using powerful adjectives and adverbs – speak to their emotions.
  • Hint at what type of work is that. For example, if you contrast two methods or situations, be sure to mention both within your title.

If you’re assigned a particular topic, it can be a little easier for you to title your research proposal. Simply rephrase the sentence or sentences in your task and cut off too specific information. Remember that your title should be as short as 10-15 substantive words.

Research Proposal Outline.

Research Proposal Outline

It’s not enough to write valuable content. You should also know how to organize it properly. That’s why a good outline brings you halfway to a successfully completed task. A research proposal outline is similar to other academic papers. However, its structure has some crucial points to consider. Here are seven critical elements of a superb research proposal:

  • Title We already discussed how to create an outstanding title for your paper. However, it’s essential that this is just a proposed name for your work, and you can revise it when it comes to working on the actual research paper.
  • Research Proposal Abstract A research proposal introduction typically comes in the format of an abstract. It’s similar to a thesis statement but can be presented in up to 100 words. In this part, you should concisely point out the key issues to be discussed in your paper.
  • Research Context In this section, you should explain the background behind the issue you’re studying. Introduce the reader to details and facts that will make understanding the subject and your conclusions easier. Start with talking about the area of study in general and then move to the smaller notions you operate in your paper.
  • Research Questions Before starting your paper, dwell on the questions you’re trying to answer. Write them down separately first, and then present the essential ones in this section of a research proposal. One of the questions you will mention should relate to the usability of your research results: will this data be empirical or theoretical?
  • Research Methods In this part, you should explain how you’re going to conduct your research. There are various methods of working with data: visiting libraries, taking interviews, field working, etc. Most of the research works are fully or partly library-based, so don’t forget to mention the exact institutions you will visit to find specific information. For empirical data collecting, it’s important to present a detailed description and potential problems you may encounter in the process.
  • Significance of Research Your proposal should show how your research can be helpful and applicable for further exploration. It should also be original and seek answers to formerly unresolved issues.
  • Works Cited A crucial part of any academic paper is the bibliography. Be sure to check the referencing style you should use and what requirements this part has.

In today’s article, we presented 255 topic proposals for a research paper for you to find inspiration and ideas for your work. You can also discover dozens of examples from one of the largest essay sample databases – StudyCorgi.

Stay tuned and follow our latest updates to know how to excel in your studies!

  • A Guide to Research Proposals – Sacred Heart University Library
  • Research Guides – USC Libraries
  • How to Write a Research Proposal – University of Birmingham
  • International Law Topics – University of Queensland
  • Writing a Research Paper – OWL Purdue
  • Outline for a Research Proposal Project – Portland State University
  • A Sample Research Proposal with Comments
  • Where do I Begin? – OWL Purdue
  • Annotade Sample Research Proposal
  • How to Choose a Dissertation Topic For Your Doctoral Degree – Walden University
  • Choosing a Topic – Fontbonne University
  • Thesis Topics – LSA Psychology University of Michigan
  • Choosing a Topic for Your Research Paper – OWL Purdue
  • Undergraduate Sample Research Topics: Political Science – Western Michigan University
  • Business Research Topic Ideas – Frances Willson Thompson Library
  • How to write a research proposal – The University of Sydney
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151+ Research Proposal Topics [Updated 2024]

Research Proposal Topics

Crafting a compelling research proposal begins with selecting the right topic—a task that demands careful consideration and a thoughtful approach. In this blog post, we’ll delve into the intricacies of choosing research proposal topics, exploring the importance of a well-defined focus and guiding you through the steps to create a robust proposal.

How to Select Research Proposal Topics?

Table of Contents

Selecting research proposal topics is a crucial step in the research process. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you choose a compelling and impactful research topic:

  • Self-reflection:
  • Identify your personal interests, passions, and curiosities.
  • Consider topics that resonate with you on a deep level.
  • Academic and Professional Interests:
  • Reflect on subjects that captivated you during coursework or work experience.
  • Assess the relevance of these interests to your academic or career goals.
  • Current Issues and Trends:
  • Stay informed about contemporary challenges and emerging trends in your field.
  • Choose a topic that addresses current issues for greater relevance and impact.
  • Literature Review:
  • Conduct a thorough review of existing research in your chosen field.
  • Identify gaps and limitations in the current body of knowledge.
  • Formulate Clear Research Questions:
  • Develop clear and concise research questions based on the gaps identified.
  • Ensure your questions are feasible and align with the chosen topic.
  • Choose a Methodology:
  • Select an appropriate research methodology (experimental, qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods).
  • Justify your choice and discuss data collection techniques.
  • Significance and Contribution:
  • Articulate the relevance of your proposed research.
  • Highlight the potential contributions your work can make to the field.
  • Research Design and Plan:
  • Outline the specifics of your research design.
  • Create a realistic timeline, allocating resources and budget effectively.
  • Address Challenges and Limitations:
  • Acknowledge potential challenges and limitations.
  • Discuss strategies to mitigate challenges and be transparent about constraints.
  • Conclusion:
  • Summarize key points of your research proposal.
  • Emphasize the importance of the chosen topic and encourage feedback.

By following these steps, you can ensure that your research proposal topic is not only engaging but also has the potential to make a meaningful contribution to your field of study.

151+ Research Proposal Topics: Category Wise

Science and technology.

  • The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Job Market Trends
  • Advancements in Renewable Energy Technologies
  • Exploring the Potential of CRISPR Technology in Genetic Engineering
  • Cybersecurity Measures for Critical Infrastructure Protection
  • The Role of Blockchain in Supply Chain Management
  • Augmented Reality in Education: Enhancing Learning Experiences
  • Quantum Computing: Current Status and Future Implications
  • Sustainable Technologies for Environmental Conservation
  • Smart Cities: Integrating Technology for Urban Development
  • Robotics in Healthcare: Applications and Ethical Considerations

Health and Medicine

  • Precision Medicine: Customizing Healthcare Based on Genetic Factors
  • The Impact of Telemedicine on Patient Care
  • Mental Health Stigma: Strategies for Reduction and Education
  • Vaccination Hesitancy: Understanding Causes and Developing Interventions
  • Aging Population and Healthcare Challenges
  • Bioinformatics and Personalized Cancer Therapies
  • The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Diagnosing Medical Conditions
  • Emerging Infectious Diseases: Preparedness and Response Strategies
  • Nutrition Education in Schools: Promoting Healthy Lifestyles
  • Healthcare Disparities: Addressing and Eliminating Gaps in Access

Social Sciences

  • Social Media and its Influence on Political Discourse
  • Impact of Social Isolation on Mental Health in Elderly Populations
  • Cultural Competence in Education: Training and Implementation
  • The Role of Gender Stereotypes in Career Choices
  • Cyberbullying: Prevention and Intervention Strategies
  • The Effects of Immigration Policies on Migrant Communities
  • Restorative Justice in Criminal Justice Systems
  • Examining the Relationship Between Social Media Use and Self-Esteem
  • Intersectionality in Feminist Movements: Challenges and Opportunities
  • Community Policing: Building Trust between Law Enforcement and Communities
  • E-Learning Platforms: Effectiveness and Challenges
  • Inquiry-Based Learning: Enhancing Critical Thinking Skills
  • Inclusive Education Practices: Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners
  • The Impact of Standardized Testing on Educational Equity
  • School Safety Measures: Strategies for Prevention and Response
  • Teacher Professional Development: Models and Effectiveness
  • Online Education Accessibility for Students with Disabilities
  • Gamification in Education: Engaging Students in Learning
  • Bilingual Education: Benefits and Challenges
  • STEM Education Initiatives: Encouraging Interest in Science and Technology

Business and Economics

  • Sustainable Business Practices: Balancing Profit and Environmental Impact
  • Corporate Social Responsibility in Multinational Corporations
  • Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Business Operations
  • Economic Consequences of Global Health Crises
  • Digital Marketing Trends and Consumer Behavior
  • Financial Literacy Education: Bridging the Gap
  • Small Business Sustainability: Challenges and Strategies
  • The Gig Economy: Implications for Workers and Employers
  • Supply Chain Resilience in the Face of Global Disruptions
  • Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Emerging Markets

Environment and Sustainability

  • Climate Change Adaptation Strategies for Coastal Communities
  • Biodiversity Conservation in Urban Environments
  • Circular Economy Models: Reducing Waste and Promoting Sustainability
  • Water Scarcity: Technological Solutions and Policy Measures
  • Impact of Plastic Pollution on Marine Ecosystems
  • Sustainable Agriculture Practices: Balancing Production and Conservation
  • Environmental Education in Schools: Fostering Eco-Consciousness
  • Green Building Technologies: Enhancing Energy Efficiency
  • Ecotourism: Balancing Conservation and Economic Development
  • The Role of International Agreements in Addressing Environmental Issues

Psychology and Behavior

  • The Influence of Social Media on Body Image and Self-Esteem
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety and Depression
  • Impact of Childhood Trauma on Adult Mental Health
  • Positive Psychology Interventions: Enhancing Well-Being
  • Sleep Hygiene and its Impact on Mental Health
  • The Psychology of Procrastination: Causes and Interventions
  • Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace: Benefits and Training
  • The Impact of Parenting Styles on Child Development
  • Cross-Cultural Psychology: Understanding Cultural Influences on Behavior
  • The Role of Music in Emotional Regulation and Stress Reduction

Political Science and International Relations

  • The Rise of Populism: Causes and Consequences
  • Cyber Warfare and International Security
  • Human Rights Violations in Conflict Zones: Challenges and Solutions
  • The Role of International Organizations in Global Governance
  • Political Polarization: Understanding Divisive Trends
  • Nuclear Proliferation and Arms Control Agreements
  • Comparative Analysis of Electoral Systems
  • Immigration Policies and Social Cohesion
  • Global Health Diplomacy: Collaborative Approaches to Health Challenges
  • The Impact of Disinformation on Democratic Processes

History and Cultural Studies

  • Reevaluating Historical Narratives: Perspectives and Interpretations
  • Cultural Impact of Globalization: Trends and Reactions
  • Indigenous Rights and Representation in Historical Context
  • History of Scientific Discoveries and their Societal Impact
  • Archaeological Excavations: Uncovering Lost Civilizations
  • Cultural Appropriation: Examining Controversies and Contexts
  • The Role of Women in Historical Movements
  • Preservation of Cultural Heritage: Challenges and Innovations
  • Historical Trauma and its Contemporary Repercussions
  • Impact of Colonialism on Contemporary Societies

Communication and Media Studies

  • Influence of Social Media on Political Participation
  • Media Representation of Marginalized Groups
  • Fake News and Misinformation: Identifying and Combating Trends
  • The Evolution of Print Media in the Digital Age
  • Media Literacy Education: Navigating Information in the Digital Era
  • Celebrity Culture and its Impact on Society
  • The Role of Public Relations in Shaping Organizational Image
  • Cross-Cultural Communication in Global Business
  • Podcasting as an Emerging Medium of Communication
  • Advertising and Consumer Behavior: Analyzing Persuasion Techniques

Philosophy and Ethics

  • Ethical Considerations in Artificial Intelligence Research
  • Bioethics in Medical Decision-Making
  • Existentialism and its Relevance in Contemporary Society
  • Animal Rights and Ethical Treatment in Scientific Research
  • Environmental Ethics: Balancing Human Needs and Ecological Sustainability
  • The Ethics of Genetic Engineering and Cloning
  • Virtue Ethics in Professional Decision-Making
  • Technology and Privacy: Ethical Dilemmas in the Digital Age
  • Ethical Implications of Artificial Intelligence in Warfare
  • Utilitarianism and its Application in Ethical Decision-Making

Education Policy and Administration

  • School Voucher Programs: Impact on Educational Equity
  • Teacher Evaluation Systems: Effectiveness and Fairness
  • Inclusive Leadership in Educational Institutions
  • Early Childhood Education: Policy and Implementation
  • Standardized Testing: Implications for Educational Policy
  • Education Funding Models: Challenges and Solutions
  • School Choice and its Impact on Student Achievement
  • Educational Technology Integration in Classroom Settings
  • Community Engagement in School Decision-Making
  • The Role of Educational Leaders in Fostering Inclusive Schools

Economics and Development Studies

  • Microfinance and Poverty Alleviation Strategies
  • Impact of Global Trade Policies on Developing Economies
  • Economic Empowerment of Women in Developing Countries
  • Sustainable Development Goals: Progress and Challenges
  • Rural-Urban Migration: Economic and Social Impacts
  • Financial Inclusion: Strategies for Bridging the Gap
  • Foreign Aid Effectiveness: Assessing Outcomes
  • Technology Transfer and Innovation in Developing Nations
  • Income Inequality: Causes and Policy Solutions
  • The Role of Microenterprise in Local Economic Development

Criminal Justice and Law

  • Restorative Justice: Implementation and Impact on Recidivism
  • Police Body Cameras: Efficacy and Ethical Considerations
  • Cybercrime Laws and Challenges in the Digital Age
  • Juvenile Justice Reform: Strategies for Rehabilitation
  • Bail Reform: Addressing Inequities in Pretrial Detention
  • Criminal Profiling: Validity and Ethical Concerns
  • Drug Policy Reform: Exploring Alternatives to Criminalization
  • The Impact of Hate Crime Legislation on Social Cohesion
  • Eyewitness Testimony Reliability: Challenges and Improvements
  • International Criminal Court: Effectiveness and Challenges

Public Health and Epidemiology

  • Disease Surveillance Systems: Enhancing Early Detection
  • Health Inequalities: Social Determinants and Interventions
  • Maternal and Child Health Interventions in Developing Countries
  • Impact of Health Education on Preventive Behaviors
  • Access to Healthcare Services in Rural Areas
  • Lifestyle Interventions for Chronic Disease Prevention
  • Community-Based Participatory Research in Public Health
  • Mental Health Interventions in School Settings
  • The Role of Public Health in Pandemic Preparedness and Response

Computer Science

  • Explainable Artificial Intelligence: Bridging the Gap Between Performance and Interpretability
  • The Role of Quantum Computing in Revolutionizing Cryptography
  • Ethical Considerations in the Development of Autonomous Vehicles
  • Cybersecurity Challenges in the Internet of Things (IoT) Ecosystem
  • Human-Computer Interaction: Enhancing User Experience in Virtual Reality Environments

How to Compose a Research Proposal?

Composing a research proposal is a systematic process that involves careful planning, organization, and clear articulation of your research idea. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to compose a research proposal:

  • Title: 
  • Create a clear and concise title that reflects the essence of your research.
  • Introduction:
  • Provide background information on the research topic.
  • Clearly state the research problem or question.
  • Justify the importance and relevance of your research.
  • Summarize relevant existing literature.
  • Identify gaps, limitations, and areas for further exploration.
  • Establish a theoretical framework for your study.
  • Research Questions or Hypotheses:
  • Formulate clear and specific research questions or hypotheses.
  • Ensure they align with the research problem and are feasible.
  • Objectives or Aims:
  • Outline the specific goals of your research.
  • Clearly state what you aim to achieve with your study.
  • Methodology:
  • Describe the research design and justify your choice.
  • Detail the data collection methods and tools you plan to use.
  • Address ethical considerations related to your research.
  • Explain the importance of your research.
  • Clearly state the potential contributions your study can make.
  • Provide a detailed plan for executing your research.
  • Include a timeline, milestones, and the allocation of resources.
  • Potential Challenges and Limitations:
  • Acknowledge possible obstacles and limitations.
  • Discuss strategies to address challenges proactively.
  • Summarize the key points of your research proposal.
  • Reiterate the significance of your research.
  • Invite feedback and suggestions.
  • References:
  • Cite all the sources and literature used in your proposal.
  • Follow the appropriate citation style ( APA, MLA, Chicago , etc.).
  • Appendices (if necessary):
  • Include any supplementary materials such as surveys, questionnaires, or additional data.

Tips for Composing a Research Proposal

  • Clarity and Conciseness: Use clear and straightforward language. Avoid unnecessary jargon that may confuse readers.
  • Alignment: Ensure that each section of your proposal aligns with the overall research objective.
  • Feasibility: Confirm that your proposed research is feasible within the given time and resource constraints.
  • Review and Revise: Review your proposal for coherence, consistency, and clarity. Seek feedback from peers, mentors, or advisors and make revisions accordingly.
  • Adherence to Guidelines: Follow any specific guidelines or instructions provided by your institution or funding agency.
  • Engage the Reader: Capture the reader’s attention in the introduction and maintain engagement throughout.
  • Ethical Considerations: Clearly address any ethical concerns related to your research, ensuring compliance with ethical standards.

Selecting research proposal topics is a nuanced process that requires a blend of personal passion, academic rigor, and an understanding of the broader context.

By following this comprehensive guide, you can navigate the seas of research proposal development with confidence, ensuring that your chosen topic is not only compelling but also lays the foundation for meaningful and impactful research.

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 113 great research paper topics.

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General Education

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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?

music-277279_640

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?

body_highschoolsc

  • 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.

What's Next?

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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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Your Path to Excellence in Commercial Law Research Topics Starts from Here!

Commercial law research topics encompass a wide range of legal issues related to business transactions, trade, commerce, and the regulation of commercial activities. These topics along with the other business law dissertation topics explore various aspects of business law which becomes difficult for students to handle. Whether you’re a student aiming to conquer your thesis or a professional delving into complex legal analysis, we’re here to empower you with the tools and guidance you need.

Roadblocks That Stop the Way of Students from Creating Outstanding Commercial Law Thesis Topics

Here is a list of challenges that students might face when working on Commercial Law topics during their academic years:

  • Maintaining originality in commercial law research topics and avoiding unintentional plagiarism can be a concern. Students need to learn proper citation techniques and ensure their work is ethically sound.
  • Analysing case law, statutes especially on international commercial law research topics, and regulations require critical thinking and the ability to apply legal principles to real-world scenarios accurately.
  • Bringing together different sources of information and integrating them into a coherent argument can be tricky, especially when dealing with complex legal theories.
  • Crafting clear and focused research questions that address gaps or issues in the field can be difficult. Ambiguous or overly broad questions can hinder the research process.
  • Expressing legal concepts clearly and concisely in writing can be difficult, especially for students who are not native speakers of the language in which they’re writing.

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List of Free Commercial Law Research Topics for 2023

After deep research, our professional research writers have created a list of interesting topics in commercial law with aims and objectives that will surely impress your professor.

The impact of blockchain technology on commercial transactions: Opportunities and challenges

The aim of this study is to explore how blockchain technology affects commercial transactions and determine its benefits and drawbacks.

Objectives:

  • Assess blockchain technology’s potential to streamline commercial transactions.
  • Assessing blockchain technology’s limitations in various businesses.
  • To examine how smart contracts automate and secure blockchain commercial transactions.
  • To determine blockchain’s legal and regulatory effects on commercial transactions.

How “The Research Guardian” Can Help You A lot!

Our top thesis writing experts are available 24/7 to assist you the right university projects. Whether its critical literature reviews to complete your PhD. or Master Levels thesis.

Regulating artificial intelligence in commercial contracts: Legal considerations and implications

To explore how block chain technology affects commercial transactions and determine its benefits and drawbacks.

  • To assess blockchain technology’s potential to streamline commercial transactions.
  • To examine blockchain technology’s limitations in various businesses.
  • To determine block chain’s legal and regulatory effects on commercial transactions.

Cross-border e-commerce and the need for harmonized international regulations.

The aim of this study is to examine need for harmonized international regulations in the context of cross-border e-commerce.

  • Evaluate cross-border e-commerce regulations and identify issues.
  • Examine how different national legislation affect cross-border e-commerce and consumer protection.
  • Examine the pros and cons of harmonising international e-commerce legislation.
  • To identify critical components and best practises for harmonising cross-border e-commerce regulation.

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TheresearchGuardian.com providing expert thesis assistance for university students at any sort of level. Our thesis writing service has been serving students since 2011.

Intellectual property protection in the digital era: Balancing innovation and competition.

This aim of this research is to examine digital IP protection and the need to balance innovation and competition.

  • To evaluate how digital technologies affect IP infringement and enforcement.
  • To assess digital IP protection issues and potential in the future
  • To examine how IP laws and policies promote innovation and fair competition.

The legal implications of data privacy and security in commercial transactions

The aim of this research is to study the legal implications of data privacy and security in commercial transactions.

  • To evaluate business data privacy and security laws.
  • To assess the dangers and problems of collecting, using, and storing personal data in business transactions.
  • To examine how data breaches and unauthorised access affect business and customer trust.
  • To determine business data privacy and security laws and best practises.

Looking For Customize Thesis Topics?

Take a review of different varieties of thesis topics and samples from our website TheResearchGuardian.com on multiple subjects for every educational level.

Exploring the legal framework for cryptocurrency and digital assets in commercial transactions

The aim of this research is to examine the commercial cryptocurrency and digital asset laws.

  • To assess cryptocurrencies and digital asset regulation in different jurisdictions.
  • To assess the legal implications of commercial cryptocurrency and digital asset use.
  • To examine how blockchain and smart contracts affect cryptocurrency transaction law.
  • To identify legal implications for transparency, security, and consumer protection in cryptocurrency-based business transactions.

Regulatory challenges of online platforms and their impact on traditional business models.

Aim: The aim of this research is to explore how online platforms’ regulatory issues affect traditional business strategies.

  • To evaluate online platform regulations and their effects on traditional company models.
  • To examine online platforms’ commercial transaction dominance’s competition and antitrust issues.
  • To examine platform-to-business regulation and consumer protection concerns and potential.
  • To propose online platform methods for balancing innovation, competition, and regulatory compliance.

Corporate governance and shareholder rights in the age of corporate social responsibility.

The aim of this research is to explore the implications of corporate social responsibility on corporate governance and shareholder rights.

  • Determine how corporate social responsibility affects corporate governance.
  • To assess shareholder rights and interests in corporate social responsibility programmes.
  • To examine the pros and cons of incorporating ESG issues into corporate decision-making.
  • To establish legal frameworks and best practises for responsible corporate governance and shareholder rights in corporate social responsibility.

Contractual implications of emerging technologies, such as 3D printing and autonomous vehicles

The aim of this research is to study the implications of emerging technologies

  • To examine how evolving technologies affect commercial contract formulation and performance.
  • To examine the problems and hazards of incorporating developing technologies into commercial agreements.
  • To examine how standardisation and adaption affect new technology contractual considerations.
  • To design commercial transaction liability and risk allocation frameworks for emerging technologies.

The legal frameworks for consumer protection in the digital marketplace

To examine the legal framework for consumer protection in the digital marketplace

  • To evaluate digital consumer protection laws.
  • To assess consumer hazards in online transactions and digital platforms.
  • To examine how consumer rights and remedies address digital marketplace fraud, deception, and unfair practises.
  • To identify tactics and policy suggestions for digital consumer protection, innovation, and market efficiency.

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LEGAL RESEARCH: AN OVERVIEW OF A RESEARCH PROPOSAL

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The writer looked at the problems involved in writing a legal research proposal by identifying some of the basic challenges such as the choice of topic, resource materials, methodology and the theoretical framework to be adopted for the research. The aim is to take a holistic overview of a legal research methodology. The primary and secondary sources of material selection were used through the use of the law libraries and the internet as well as journals and periodicals to gather information for this study. The study shows that legal research works are still much being conducted under the doctrinal method which is not empirical in view of the fact that analysis of statistical data or qualitative methodology is often viewed as the concern of the pure scientist rather than in the humanities. In conclusion, it was observed and recommended that the need to embark on empirical legal research methodology cannot be over emphasized as it is the only panacea by which the sociological effect of the law could be attained in the 21 st century. Introduction The development of the law will to a great extent be subjected to obsolete and archaic postulation and outdated rules that may be out of tune with those the laws supposed to govern if there is no consistent research that is being conducted from time to time to evaluate its operation within a particular geographical legal system. Therefore, this underscore the essence of a legal research not only in law but virtually in all other subjects in order to better the lot of the people the world over. For example, a research could have the aims of probing into the causes of plane crashes and the like globally with a view to steming the tide. The concomitant effect of this may at the end of the day be geared towards the total eradication of plane crashes globally or at least to bring it under a bearable condition. Aside, it may be conducted on the causes of the recent religion ‗sect' called ‗Boko Haram' in Nigeria that had been taking it tolls on the lives of the citizenry in the country with a view to finding a lasting solution to it by way of offering some necessary recommendations to the government of the day. These hiccups are problems which pose great challenges to human existence and therefore, they are meant to be solved in order to ensure safety of every individual and to guarantee the Fundamental Human Rights of all Nigerians as enshrined under chapter IV of the 1999 Constitution 76 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Before going into the ‗nitty gritty' of this topic, it is imperative that one need to define what a research is in order to fully comprehend the scope of this paper.

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European Scientific Journal

Dr. ARASH IZADI

legal research proposal topics

European Scientific Journal ESJ

Nine-Year Schooling is the new educational concept developed in Mauritius by the Ministry of Education and Human Resources with the perspective of favouring holistic learning aimed at the future of the Mauritian workforce. With its main intention of being a strategy that aligns Mauritius with international learning standards, this concept should be an effective one although its outcomes have not yet been developed. It is expected that higher learning might be affected by the inputs of the Nine-Year Schooling namely in terms of competences and skills that are likely to be developed by learners in the new system. This research work analyses how Nine-Year Schooling will impact higher education in terms of prerequisites developed by existing learners, the new paradigm of secondary school education and the new challenges of tertiary education. It also analyses the challenges that the Nine-Year Schooling might pose to higher education. Assuming that outcomes are not yet available, the research seeks expert advice from various stakeholders and a panel of expert opinion to see how the Nine-Year Schooling posits itself in the future and how universities will have to embrace such a new concept.

For the first time ever, 385 professional journalists in Indonesia have been surveyed, by means of face-to-face interviews, for their basic characteristics and their views on professional values. The findings suggest that the 'typical' Indonesian journalist is young, male, well educated and earns an above-average salary. In terms of education and training, journalists of the archipelago are becoming increasingly professional. They see themselves as neutral and objective disseminators of news, though not as political actors and agents of development. Indonesian journalists disapprove of unscrupulous practices of reporting, yet many of them justify and practice corruption during their everyday work. Although the study's primary focus is on Indonesia, the analysis goes well beyond national boundaries. By subjecting the data to factor analysis, five dimensions of media roles could be extracted, namely public-oriented news journalism, popular service journalism, critical watchdog journalism, objective precision journalism and opinion-oriented news journalism.

Despite the intensive work conducted by scholars to capture and preserve the memories of Latino immigrants in the Los Angeles, New York, Miami, and Chicago metro areas, relatively little is known about the history and experiences of this immigrant group living in the Washington metro area, home to twelve of the top sixty Latino communities in the nation. 62

My assumption is that, although those identities which are weak, anti-essential, mobile and easily " open " to new phenomena are particularly popular in postmodern epoch, in Iberian and Slavic cultures strong identities, which are essential, stable and coherent, play an important role in social life. It is caused mainly by such factors as adherence of the cultures to the difficult past (inheritance, tradition and memory), producing of rich repertory of their own language systems and symbolic signs of another type and devotion to values, which maintain the sense of separateness or even uniqueness. I analyze the most important tensions which exist nowadays between those strong and weak cultural identities as a result of integrative and globalization processes, which are reinforced by the expansion of the media. The focus of my reasoning is, as the most current interpreting perspective, the phenomenon of glocalization, which is understood as globalization (globalizm, globality) strongly connected with localization (localism, locality). I consider how in social practice tensions between cultural identities are used " to open " locally to globalization and simultaneously participate in global processes which " open " to locality? The main concern then, is to produce new rules of intercultural communication.

Andrea Guiati

The GCC countries' unified economic agreement which has been signed on 1981 and activated in 2002 aimed for easing free trade and attract more FDI to enhance the level of economic growth. This agreement has also emphasized on reducing levels of pollution and achieving a sustainable economic growth. In reality, there is an increase in the level of emissions along with the level of rising of economic growth in GCC countries. Accordingly, in this study we will test the most significant variables pertaining to the increasing carbon dioxide emissions in GCC countries. The research objective is to determine how much the FDI inflows, economic growth, and commodity imports influenced the increasing level of emissions, and which variable has most effect? For this purpose, an empirical model is specified as a function of FDI inflows, per capita GDP growth rate, and commodity imports. However, we have built this model based on Environmental Kuznets Curve assumption (EKC), as well as Pollution Haven Hypothesis (PHH). It will be examined simultaneously a 66 balanced observation of the six GCC countries within the panel data technique using cross-section random effects.

Post-capitalist economy, which is characterized by conditions such as high competition, global circulation of capital and neo-liberal regime, forced organizations to introduce novel types of organizing strategies that aim to promote efficiency and effectiveness. Organizations tend to follow restructuring, downsizing or subcontracting strategies to become more " competitive " that causes high number of laid off and displaced employees. This fact of job loss is strikingly handled by two films. Inspired from these two films, the present study aims to argue the negative impacts of job loss on family. For this aim, in-depth interview was conducted with 8 laid off employees. Findings indicate that long-run unemployment is destructive on family structure. Separation and intent of separation of couples increase by the paternal job loss that also creates role inversion between the partner that results in self-esteem and mental health erosion of patriarch.

The social functions consisting of principles such as “being able to embody, express and represent a message, a view, an attitude, a philosophy or an opinion” are basic criterion of being intellectual. From this point of view, it is possible to say that every country, every age, every class, every ideology has suitable intellectuals for its structure. For this reason, the intellectual can not be assessed as a creation of modernity, that is, monopoly of a certain time and society. In parallel to the social functions of the intellectuals, Mustafa Ali who came to prominence as a creation of socio-political and economic conditions of the Ottoman State in the 16th century. Despite the monarchic and autocratic character of the Ottoman State, Mustafa Ali who revealed a paradigm about state and society life, not only at a theoretical level but also in a practical context, above all, exhibited an intellectual attitude with a critical, sharp, brave language and style. One of the most important determinations of Mustafa Ali about the Ottoman state and society life is erosion of meritocratic management mentality which ideally based superiority of the individual and talents of persons. Mustafa Ali, who regarded the erosion of the meritocracy as one of the most basic management problems, built his paradigm about state and society on this basis with examples of stories from near and distant pasts as well as religious references such as verse and hadith. In spite of the quantity of studies based on different aspects of Mustafa Ali, the absence of a study in a special sense on the basis of his emphasis of intellectuality and his demand of meritocracy which has vital values in the state and society at every stage of the historical process made it essential to carry out such a study.

An exhaustive research was made on the parental & environmental factors that affect breeding in the databases Redalyc, EBSCOhost, Dialnet & CONRICyt, using the keywords parenting styles, & child development in order to determine what parental, environmental, sociodemographic, temperamental & conditional factors of the child affect the internalized & externalized problems of the children. It was found that different parental factors, environmental, sociodemographic, temperamental & the condition of the child influence in different ways the low school performance, bullying, anxiety, depression, self-esteem & aggressiveness in the boys & girls. It is argued that the study of parenting styles should be approached from multidisciplinary approaches & should be studied among different cultures. Also discussed is the variable temperament of the child & the role of the father figure in parenting.

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Key facts about U.S. immigration policies and Biden’s proposed changes

legal research proposal topics

Since President Joe Biden took office in January 2021, his administration has acted on a number of fronts to reverse Trump-era restrictions on immigration to the United States. The steps include plans to boost refugee admissions , preserving deportation relief for unauthorized immigrants who came to the U.S. as children and not enforcing the “ public charge ” rule that denies green cards to immigrants who might use public benefits like Medicaid.

A line graph showing that the number of people who received a U.S. green card declined sharply in fiscal 2020 amid the pandemic

Biden has also lifted restrictions established early in the coronavirus pandemic that drastically reduced the number of visas issued to immigrants. The number of people who received a green card declined from about 240,000 in the second quarter of the 2020 fiscal year (January to March) to about 79,000 in the third quarter (April to June). By comparison, in the third quarter of fiscal 2019, nearly 266,000 people received a green card.

Biden’s biggest immigration proposal to date would allow more new immigrants into the U.S. while giving millions of unauthorized immigrants who are already in the country a pathway to legal status. The expansive legislation would create an eight-year path to citizenship for the nation’s estimated 10.5 million unauthorized immigrants , update the existing family-based immigration system, revise employment-based visa rules and increase the number of diversity visas . By contrast, President Donald Trump’s administration sought to restrict legal immigration in a variety of ways, including through legislation that would have overhauled the nation’s legal immigration system by sharply reducing family-based immigration.

The Biden administration has proposed legislation that would create new ways for immigrants to legally enter the United States. The bill would also create a path to citizenship for unauthorized immigrants living in the country.

To better understand the existing U.S. immigration system, we analyzed the most recent data available on federal immigration programs. This includes admission categories for green card recipients and the types of temporary employment visas available to immigrant workers. We also examined temporary permissions granted to some immigrants to live and work in the country through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and Temporary Protected Status programs.

This analysis relies on data from various sources within the U.S. government, including the Department of Homeland Security, Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Department of State, Federal Register announcements and public statements from the White House.

The Senate is considering several immigration provisions in a spending bill, the Build Back Better Act , that the House passed in November 2021. While passage of the bill is uncertain – as is the inclusion of immigration reforms in the bill’s final version – the legislation would make about 7 million unauthorized immigrants eligible to apply for protection from deportation, work permits and driver’s licenses.

Amid a record number of migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border, Biden reinstated in December 2021 a Trump-era policy that requires those who arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border and seek asylum to wait in Mexico while their claims are processed. Biden had earlier ended the Migration Protection Protocols , or “Remain in Mexico” policy, and then restarted it after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a lawsuit by Texas and Missouri that challenged the program’s closure. Asylum seekers do not receive a legal status that allows them to live and work in the U.S. until the claim is approved.

Overall, more than 35 million lawful immigrants live in the U.S.; most are American citizens. Many live and work in the country after being granted lawful permanent residence, while others receive temporary visas available to students and workers. In addition, roughly 1 million unauthorized immigrants have temporary permission to live and work in the U.S. through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and Temporary Protected Status programs.

Here are key details about existing U.S. immigration programs, as well as Biden’s proposed changes to them:

Family-based immigration

A pie chart showing that most immigrants receive green cards because of family ties in the United States

In fiscal 2019, nearly 710,000 people received lawful permanent residence in the U.S. through family sponsorship. The program allows someone to receive a green card if they already have a spouse, child, sibling or parent living in the country with U.S. citizenship or, in some cases, a green card. Immigrants from countries with large numbers of applicants often wait for years to receive a green card because a single country can account for no more than 7% of all green cards issued annually.

Biden’s proposal would expand access to family-based green cards in a variety of ways, such as by increasing per-country caps and clearing application backlogs. Today, family-based immigration – referred to by some as “ chain migration ” – is the most common way people gain green cards, in recent years accounting for about two-thirds of the more than 1 million people who receive green cards annually.

Refugee admissions

A line graph showing that the Biden administration increased the refugee ceiling after steep declines in admissions under Trump

The U.S. admitted only 11,411 refugees in fiscal year 2021, the lowest number since Congress passed the 1980 Refugee Act for those fleeing persecution in their home countries. The low number of admissions came even after the Biden administration raised the maximum number of refugees the nation could admit to 62,500 in fiscal 2021 . Biden has increased the refugee cap to 125,000 for fiscal 2022, which started on Oct. 1, 2021.

The low number of admissions in recent years is due in part to the ongoing pandemic. The U.S. admitted only about 12,000 refugees in fiscal 2020 after the country suspended admissions during the coronavirus outbreak . This was down from nearly 54,000 in fiscal 2017 and far below the nearly 85,000 refugees admitted in fiscal 2016, the last full fiscal year of the Obama administration.

The recent decline in refugee admissions also reflects policy decisions made by the Trump administration before the pandemic. Trump capped refugee admissions in fiscal 2020 at 18,000 , the lowest total since Congress created the modern refugee program in 1980.

Employment-based green cards

In fiscal 2019, the U.S. government awarded more than 139,000 employment-based green cards to foreign workers and their families. The Biden administration’s proposed legislation could boost the number of employment-based green cards, which are capped at about 140,000 per year . The proposal would allow the use of unused visa slots from previous years and allow spouses and children of employment-based visa holders to receive green cards without counting them against the annual cap. These measures could help clear the large backlog of applicants. The proposed legislation also would eliminate the per-country cap that prevents immigrants from any single country to account for more than 7% of green cards issued each year.

Diversity visas

Each year, about 50,000 people receive green cards through the U.S. diversity visa program , also known as the visa lottery. Since the program began in 1995, more than 1 million immigrants have received green cards through the lottery, which seeks to diversify the U.S. immigrant population by granting visas to underrepresented nations. Citizens of countries with the most legal immigrant arrivals in recent years – such as Mexico, Canada, China and India – are not eligible to apply.

The Biden administration has proposed legislation to increase the annual total to 80,000 diversity visas. Trump had sought to eliminate the program .

H-1B visas accounted for about one-in-five temporary employment visas issued in 2019

In fiscal 2019, more than 188,000 high-skilled foreign workers received H-1B visas . H-1B visas accounted for 22% of all temporary visas for employment issued in 2019. This trailed only the H-2A visa for agricultural workers, which accounted for nearly a quarter (24%) of temporary visas. In all, nearly 2 million H-1B visas were issued from fiscal years 2007 to 2019.

The Biden administration is expected to review policies that led to increased denial rate s of H-1B visa applications under the Trump administration. In addition, Biden has delayed implementing a rule put in place by Trump that sought to prioritize the H-1B visa selection process based on wages, which would have raised the wages of H-1B recipients overall. Biden also proposed legislation to provide permanent work permits to spouses of H-1B visa holders. By contrast, the Trump administration had sought to restrict these permits. The Trump administration also created an electronic registration system that led to a record number of applicants for fiscal 2021.

Temporary permissions

A relatively small number of unauthorized immigrants who came to the U.S. under unusual circumstances have received temporary legal permission to stay in the country. One key distinction for this group of immigrants is that, despite having received permission to live in the U.S., most don’t have a path to gain lawful permanent residence. The following two programs are examples of this:

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals

About 636,000 unauthorized immigrants had temporary work permits and protection from deportation through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, as of Dec. 31, 2020. One of Biden’s first actions as president was to direct the federal government to take steps to preserve the program , which Trump had tried to end before the Supreme Court allowed it to remain in place . DACA recipients, sometimes called “Dreamers,” would be among the undocumented immigrants to have a path to U.S. citizenship under Biden’s immigration bill. Senators have also proposed separate legislation that would do the same.

Temporary Protected Status

A table showing that at least 700,000 immigrants from 12 different nations covered by Temporary Protected Status

Overall, it is estimated that more than 700,000 immigrants from 12 countries currently have or are eligible for a reprieve from deportation under Temporary Protected Status, or TPS , a federal program that gives time-limited permission for some immigrants from certain countries to work and live in the U.S. The program covers those who fled designated nations because of war, hurricanes, earthquakes or other extraordinary conditions that could make it dangerous for them to live there.

The estimated total number of immigrants is based on those currently registered, in addition to those estimated to be eligible from Myanmar – also called Burma – and Venezuela.

Immigrants from Venezuela and Myanmar are newly eligible for TPS under changes made after Biden took office in January 2021 by the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the program. The government must periodically renew TPS benefits or they will expire. The department extended benefits into 2022 and beyond for eligible immigrants from nine nations: El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. In addition, the Biden administration expanded eligibility for immigrants from Haiti based on recent turmoil.

Biden and congressional Democrats have proposed granting citizenship to certain immigrants who receive TPS benefits. Under Biden’s large immigration bill, TPS recipients who meet certain conditions could apply immediately for green cards that let them become lawful permanent residents. The proposal would allow TPS holders who meet certain conditions to apply for citizenship three years after receiving a green card, which is two years earlier than usual for green-card holders. By contrast, the Trump administration had sought to end TPS for nearly all beneficiaries, but was blocked from doing so by a series of lawsuits.

Note: This is an update of a post originally published March 22, 2021.

  • Citizenship
  • Family Reunification
  • High-Skilled Immigration
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Jens Manuel Krogstad's photo

Jens Manuel Krogstad is a senior writer and editor at Pew Research Center

Ana Gonzalez-Barrera's photo

Ana Gonzalez-Barrera is a former senior researcher focusing on Hispanics, immigration and demographics at Pew Research Center

How Temporary Protected Status has expanded under the Biden administration

After declining early in the covid-19 outbreak, immigrant naturalizations in the u.s. are rising again, how the political typology groups compare, most americans are critical of government’s handling of situation at u.s.-mexico border, most latinos say u.s. immigration system needs big changes, most popular.

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