If your teacher has already chosen a topic, your first job has been done for you. But many teachers leave this job-or at least part of it-up to you. Your teacher may give you an assignment such as, "Write a research paper on any topic you choose." Or, she or he may give you a general topic but leave the specific topic up to you: "Write a research paper on a topic related to the American Revolution." You are not expected to find out everything about the American Revolution, of course. Rather, your teacher expects you to think about what you've already learned about this large, general topic and then focus on some specific part of it in your paper.

Although choosing your own topic is more work than having a topic given to you, the extra thought allows you to find a topic you're truly interested in and will enjoy learning and writing about. Try to think of it as having a world of possibilities at your fingertips.

Which Topics Work (and Which Ones Don't)read full excerpt from How to Write a Great Research Paper ebook