Sample Research Topics

Transcription

1 Mr. Gunnar AP English Language and Composition Sample Research Topics Note that these topics are broad and need to be narrowed. Your paper can be argumentative or expository. However, you do not want to simply regurgitate or string together sources you want to break new ground. THE WAR ON TERROR: Airport security (who should pay? who should manage - airlines or government? procedures for check-in and carry-ons) Security of U.S. borders (restrictions on travel? immigration policies) Risks of different types of terrorist attacks (chemical, biological, threats to water supply) Continuing to build skyscrapers What do with the site of the World Trade Center Gitmo Coerced interrogation methods Changing the national anthem Definitions of patriotism Homeland security and civil rights The effectiveness of our national intelligence organizations Insurance for airlines (who should pay for injuries due to acts of war?) Conflicts between civil liberties and laws designed to stop terrorism (wiretapping, racial profiling, immigration limits) Racial profiling of Middle Eastern ethnic groups Limits on Muslim and/or Arab immigration Helping children deal with trauma/catastrophic events National prayer services (church/state conflict? content of an ecumenical service?) Radio censorship of "inappropriate songs" (free speech vs. "sensitivity") Pulling movies with violent themes from distribution Responsibilities of talk radio and talk show hosts to present accurate information Reinstating the Fairness Doctrine Mainstream media bias Journalistic responsibilities (waiting to check accuracy of facts, crisis reporting, handling inaccurate statements and corrections) 24 hour news coverage (effect on the public's understanding of world events, added pressures to break news quickly) Rhetorical definitions of leadership (communication skills and effectiveness of U.S. leadership) EDUCATION: School uniforms in public schools Year-round schooling Should high school education (now mandated) become optional? Homosexuality in education Methods of school crime prevention Student vs. teacher s rights Block scheduling in high schools Censorship of books in schools

2 School violence and security National testing / national educational standards CSAP Teacher certification standards Teaching about global warming Political correctness in schools/colleges Prayer in schools Religious proselytizing on campus Sex education courses in public schools School vouchers Bilingual education Ebonics debate Home schooling and public schools Violence & student privacy in schools Privileges of athletes Cutting funding for theater and arts programs INTERNET & MEDIA: Filters on the Web The influence of the blogosphere Internet privacy; implementing a federal standard for the protection of an individual's privacy Profusion of questionable or incorrect information on the Internet (should we regulate?) Internet domain names (Who owns them? What rights do they have?) Dot-com news coverage vs. broadcast news vs. print journalism (How does the medium affect what is reported? What is the effect of the Internet on news coverage?) Media coverage of celebrities Electronic storage of information and intellectual property rights Music and film downloading Music and film file sharing; record company lawsuits Storing information electronically instead of in hard copy The coarsening of the culture ENVIRONMENT: Deer and Elk hunting and animal rights Native American culture and endangered species laws (killing certain species as part of religious ceremonies) Increased shark attacks Shark feeding "Green" government (government's role in setting environmental policy) Human inducement of global warming The effects of ozone depletion on the earth and its creatures Revising the Endangered Species Act House construction on "marginal" land (flood plains, ocean front, etc.) Alternative energy sources Drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge U.S. energy policy (consumption or conservation?)

3 Shrimp farming in South America Overfishing Effects of fertilizers & pesticides on drinking water SCIENCE: Stem cell research DNA testing for death penalty Fetal tissue research Fertility and ethics Life on other planets Xinotransplantation (cloning of pigs to acquire organs for humans) Organic horticulture Funding for NASA Bioengineering plants Biological inclination to rape Biology related to criminal activity Should animals be kept captive in zoos and aquariums? The pros and cons of genetic engineering in humans Biotechnology - whether genetically modified foods should carry labels or not Genetic testing & ethics Animal research--if it should be done, how it should be done Genetically engineered foods POLITICS & GOVERNMENT: Israel / Palestine peace talks The World Trade Org., free trade and how the WTO affects the environment, labor and consumer rights Regulation of the entertainment industry U.S. Army School of the Americas; "School of Assassins" Nuclear arms race in South Asia Roosevelt & Pearl Harbor Ballistic missile defense U.S. assistance to Africa Military spending Cubans in America; Cuban immigration Debt cancellation for developing countries Supreme Court dominance in the United States federal system U.S. intervention in Iraq U.S intervention in Iran China / Taiwan controversy Social Security - history, current and future Campaign finance reform Trade relations with China; China and Tibet Influence of religion on government and politics Revising the tax system: flat tax, consumption tax, etc. Unlawful immigrants given residency

4 Lack of freedom of religion in Iran Social security privatization Government funding for faith-based initiatives Naturalizing Mexican workers Free U.S. access to Mexican trucks (NAFTA) HEALTH & MEDICAL ISSUES: Patients' Bill of Rights Nationalized health care, insurance Universal health care Caps on pain and suffering in lawsuits Medical privacy protection Prescription drug prices Impact of malpractice insurance rates Behavior modification drugs Fad diets Vegetarians vs. Meat-eaters Government funding of research into alternative medicine Performance enhancing drugs Attention Deficit Disorder and use of Ritalin Pharmaceutical industry and AIDS / HIV Fertility treatments / fertility issues for women having pregnancies late in life Dietary supplements HMO's Cell phones used while driving and their physical health risks Athletes and steroids Anthrax vaccine: availability and effects Managed care for the mentally ill Preventive surgery in women with breast cancer and other diseases Treatments for mild depression Physician assisted suicide and euthanasia Effectiveness of antibacterial products LAW: Smoking in public places Should there be tort reform, caps on lawsuits? Should athletes be legally accountable for their actions on the playing field? Should juvenile criminals be tried as adults? Fetal tissue research - should it be legal? Smart gun legislation Safety locks on guns Sentencing juveniles as adults Missing persons laws and police procedures Should performance enhancing drugs be legal? Patient's rights legislation Use of personal information by Web-based businesses

5 Standards of the chicken industry Lowering the legal minimum drinking age Flag burning amendment Jailing juveniles juveniles and the death penalty Lawful punishment for incorrigible children Parental responsibility for the actions of their children Trying terrorists or unlawful combatants in U.S courts rather than military tribunals BUSINESS & ECONOMICS: The dangers and effects of corporate monopolies Microsoft, a monopoly? United Airlines and D.I.A. Consolidation of ownership of radio stations The Barnes-and-Noble-ization of bookstores Should electronic commerce be taxed? The rise in cigarette taxes; good or bad? The value of the dollar Day trading Tobacco industry Oil price (gasoline oil) crisis; causes, solutions and prevention Minimum wage Tax cuts help or hurt the economy? Taxing Internet sales Visa and MasterCard accused of monopoly CULTURE & SOCIETY: What is art? Brooklyn Museum of Art & art exhibits Children and media violence Video game violence Boot camps and if they are harmful to juveniles Reparations for slavery Repatriation of sacred objects The drug war Impact of political correctness Overpopulation Music lyrics and teens MTV s impact on teen culture: Tila Tequila Violence in entertainment Negative effects of television violence Representation of women in the media Racially based affirmative action in college admissions Censorship of art & music Censorship of religion in the public square (ACLU) A history of the rave scene Needle exchange program Teenage drivers and car accidents

6 Teenage auto insurance rates Equal representation of women artists in art galleries and museums Decline in the publication of "serious fiction" Regulation and architecture of nursing homes Impact of public housing on neighborhoods Should people live together before getting married? Aggressive behavior in kids; nature, nurture, or both? Effects of beauty pageants on children Should same sex couples be allowed to adopt and raise children? LOCAL & REGIONAL: Recycling on campus Highway 285 expansion impact on environment Urban sprawl and the 285 corridor Lumber industry and environmentalism Forest fire prevention Minimizing impact of forest fires on the environment Dealing with drought and water shortages Water rights issues SPORTS: How and when should sports respond to national disasters? Drafting high school athletes (at what age should athletes be drafted into the pros?) Definitions of sportsmanship Baseball/sports economics/salaries Gambling in sports The corruption of the NCAA Violence in sports, specifically hockey Baseball Hall of Fame and convicted steroid users Should athletes be legally accountable for their actions on the playing field? Athletes and steroids Privileges of college athletes MISCELLANEOUS: Tire and automotive safety SUV's (are they safe? should they be regulated like cars with regard to fuel efficiency? Increasing CAFE standards International adoption Animal cruelty/welfare Animal rescue groups (should there be state-funded no-kill shelters) Women in combat Police brutality Racial profiling Muslim & Jewish relations regarding the Holocaust Pit Bulls and whether or not they are dangerous pets Adapted from The University of Maryland Libraries: