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113 Great Research Paper Topics

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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?

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?

• 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 ?

• 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?

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.

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Frontiers | Science News

• Science News

Research Topics

10 most viewed research topics in 2023.

This year, researchers explored a wide range of topics, including:

cancer combinational immunotherapy

COVID-19 research

the physiology of breathing during exercise

and the future of animal experimentation

With over 1.8 million views, the following Research Topics sought answers to your biggest research questions from 2023.

1 | Towards a New 3Rs Era in Experimental Research

36 articles │ 177,000 views

With the persisting need of animal experimentation for fundamental and applied research, the relevance and importance of the 3Rs Principle cannot be ignored. The 3Rs Principle of Replace, Reduce, Refine provides an essential framework for more humane animal experimentation in research.

This multi-disciplinary research review is a pan-European initiative supported by all EU 3R centers exploring the 3Rs Principle advances, challenges, and opportunities. The Research Topic draws upon multiple scientific disciplines, including biomedical, veterinary, biostatistical, biotechnology, and computer science, as well as perspectives from education, social, political, and ethical research in the 3Rs field.

2 | Combinational Immunotherapy of Cancer: Novel Targets, Mechanisms, and Strategies

84 articles │ 176,000 views

Cancer immunotherapy, including immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy, has revolutionized the paradigm in cancer treatment. However, the clinical outcome of immunotherapy varies considerably among patients, and only a minority of patients achieve long-term clinical benefits.

This Research Topic gathers novel insights into the cancer immunity mechanisms, novel therapeutic targets, and effective combinational strategies of cancer immunotherapies. It also addresses the fundamental understanding of mechanisms underlying cancer immunotherapy and the therapeutic potential of novel combinational therapy.

3 | Breathing in Sport and Exercise: Physiology, Pathophysiology and Applications

37 articles │ 180,000 views

The respiratory system has long been considered overbuilt for exercise as it is usually not the limiting factor for maximal oxygen uptake. However, growing evidence suggests that ventilatory variables such as respiratory frequency (ƒR) especially are closely associated with perceived exertion and exercise tolerance in different populations and exercise conditions, with important implications for endurance physiology and performance.

This Research Topic advances our understanding of the physiology and pathophysiology of breathing during exercise to advance the field of respiratory monitoring in applied settings. It also bridges the gap between the physiology/pathophysiology of breathing and respiratory monitoring.

4 | Multidisciplinary COVID-19 research

91 articles │ 148,000 views

The outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has seriously impacted mental and physical health worldwide. New and emerging solutions to global health threats posed by COVID-19 are urgently needed.

This second volume brings together scientists and clinicians in artificial intelligence, mathematics and statistics, neural science, neurorobotics, social sciences, computational biology, medical health care, psychiatry, and psychology to promote COVID-19 research and stimulate collaboration between researchers in these diverse fields.

5 | Sustainable Career Development in the Turbulent, Boundaryless and Internet Age

40 articles │ 115,000 views

Government’s social policies, such as school-to-work transitional regulations, and the extended retirement age, suggest that people today may face a different labor market situation, compared to other generations.

Career sustainability is a key issue, and it is particularly the case for vulnerable groups, such as the underemployed, (re) employment of laidoff workers, and those who strive to balance between work and personal life. Therefore, this research topic investigates the antecedents and outcomes of career sustainability in different social contexts.

6 | The Nobel collection, Volume 2 - Frontiers for Young Minds

10 articles │ 673,000 views

This second Volume of our unique Nobel Collection brings you more articles by Nobel Prize winners written specifically for young minds. These amazing research leaders explain their ground-breaking discoveries and how they achieved them, and also share their thoughts on making a career path in science with advice for becoming a successful researcher and having a happy life.

7 | Psychiatrization of society

17 articles │104,000 views

Worldwide, there have been consistently rising incidences of people classified as mentally ill, paired with increasing mental healthcare service utilization over the last decades. This process can be described as the psychiatrization of society.

Individuals or groups might well benefit from aspects of psychiatrization. Yet psychiatrization can be potentially harmful to individuals and to public healthcare, through overdiagnosis and overtreatment, the psychological burden of being labeled, and, in the Global North, exploding costs to meet the needs of the ‘worried well’.

This article collection seeks to theoretically and empirically assesses the causes, mechanisms, and effects of psychiatrization, as well to understand, prevent, and manage its negative aspects.

8 | Patterns, Functions, and Processes of Alpine Grassland Ecosystems under Global Change

76 articles │ 102,000 views

Alpine grassland ecosystems provide important ecological services and functions, such as biodiversity conservation, carbon storage, and water resource regulation, and critical ecosystem services, such as pastoral production, cultural inheritance, tourism, and recreation. In recent decades, some of these regions have experienced rapid climatic warming and changes in precipitation regimes.

This Research Topic elucidates the patterns, functions, processes, and mechanisms of alpine grassland ecosystems responding to changing environments. The goal is to influence the development of adaptive management practices for alpine grassland ecosystems under future environmental change.

9 | Abiotic Stress-Induced Responses and Tolerance Mechanisms in Plants : Molecular, Cellular, Physiological and Biochemical Levels

59 articles │ 99,000 views

In nature, plants are constantly facing adverse environmental conditions, including abiotic stresses caused by extreme low and high temperature, salinity, drought, flood, heavy metal toxicity and oxidative stress. These stresses, especially drought, salinity, and high temperature, are the major causes of crop loss around the globe.

This Research Topic advances our understanding of the fundamental processes, stress signaling, and adaptation mechanisms that develop in plants in response to various abiotic stresses.

10 | Serving Vulnerable and Marginalized Populations in Social and Educational Contexts

26 articles │ 97,000 views

There is evidence that the global COVID-19 crisis is exacerbating existing inequalities and marginalization of vulnerable groups. These multi-sectoral and intersecting challenges require multi- and interdisciplinary interventions to inform inclusive responses.

This Research Topic addresses the educational and socio-emotional needs of marginalized, vulnerable, at-risk, and exceptional learners during and after crises. It also addresses the psychological, educational, sociological, health, gender, cultural, and economic aspects of vulnerable and marginalized children and adolescents in developed and developing countries.

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61 intriguing psychology research topics to explore

Last updated

11 January 2024

Reviewed by

Brittany Ferri, PhD, OTR/L

Short on time? Get an AI generated summary of this article instead

Psychology is an incredibly diverse, critical, and ever-changing area of study in the medical and health industries. Because of this, it’s a common area of study for students and healthcare professionals.

We’re walking you through picking the perfect topic for your upcoming paper or study. Keep reading for plenty of example topics to pique your interest and curiosity.

• How to choose a psychology research topic

Exploring a psychology-based topic for your research project? You need to pick a specific area of interest to collect compelling data. 

Use these tips to help you narrow down which psychology topics to research:

Focus on a particular area of psychology

The most effective psychological research focuses on a smaller, niche concept or disorder within the scope of a study. 

Psychology is a broad and fascinating area of science, including everything from diagnosed mental health disorders to sports performance mindset assessments. 

This gives you plenty of different avenues to explore. Having a hard time choosing? Check out our list of 61 ideas further down in this article to get started.

Read the latest clinical studies

Once you’ve picked a more niche topic to explore, you need to do your due diligence and explore other research projects on the same topic. 

This practice will help you learn more about your chosen topic, ask more specific questions, and avoid covering existing projects. 

For the best results, we recommend creating a research folder of associated published papers to reference throughout your project. This makes it much easier to cite direct references and find inspiration down the line.

Find a topic you enjoy and ask questions

Once you’ve spent time researching and collecting references for your study, you finally get to explore. 

Whether this research project is for work, school, or just for fun, having a passion for your research will make the project much more enjoyable. (Trust us, there will be times when that is the only thing that keeps you going.) 

Now you’ve decided on the topic, ask more nuanced questions you might want to explore. 

If you can, pick the direction that interests you the most to make the research process much more enjoyable.

• 61 psychology topics to research in 2024

Need some extra help starting your psychology research project on the right foot? Explore our list of 61 cutting-edge, in-demand psychology research topics to use as a starting point for your research journey.

• Psychology research topics for university students

As a university student, it can be hard to pick a research topic that fits the scope of your classes and is still compelling and unique. 

Here are a few exciting topics we recommend exploring for your next assigned research project:

Mental health in post-secondary students

Seeking post-secondary education is a stressful and overwhelming experience for most students, making this topic a great choice to explore for your in-class research paper. 

Examples of post-secondary mental health research topics include:

Student mental health status during exam season

Mental health disorder prevalence based on study major

The impact of chronic school stress on overall quality of life

The impacts of cyberbullying

Cyberbullying can occur at all ages, starting as early as elementary school and carrying through into professional workplaces. 

Examples of cyberbullying-based research topics you can study include:

The impact of cyberbullying on self-esteem

Common reasons people engage in cyberbullying 

Cyberbullying themes and commonly used terms

Cyberbullying habits in children vs. adults

The long-term effects of cyberbullying

• Clinical psychology research topics

If you’re looking to take a more clinical approach to your next project, here are a few topics that involve direct patient assessment for you to consider:

Chronic pain and mental health

Living with chronic pain dramatically impacts every aspect of a person’s life, including their mental and emotional health. 

Here are a few examples of in-demand pain-related psychology research topics:

The connection between diabetic neuropathy and depression

Neurological pain and its connection to mental health disorders

Efficacy of meditation and mindfulness for pain management

The long-term effects of insomnia

Insomnia is where you have difficulty falling or staying asleep. It’s a common health concern that impacts millions of people worldwide. 

This is an excellent topic because insomnia can have a variety of causes, offering many research possibilities. 

Here are a few compelling psychology research topics about insomnia you could investigate:

The prevalence of insomnia based on age, gender, and ethnicity

Insomnia and its impact on workplace productivity

The connection between insomnia and mental health disorders

Efficacy and use of melatonin supplements for insomnia

The risks and benefits of prescription insomnia medications

Lifestyle options for managing insomnia symptoms

The efficacy of mental health treatment options

Management and treatment of mental health conditions is an ever-changing area of study. If you can witness or participate in mental health therapies, this can make a great research project. 

Examples of mental health treatment-related psychology research topics include:

The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for patients with severe anxiety

The benefits and drawbacks of group vs. individual therapy sessions

Music therapy for mental health disorders

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for patients with depression 

• Controversial psychology research paper topics

If you are looking to explore a more cutting-edge or modern psychology topic, you can delve into a variety of controversial and topical options:

The impact of social media and digital platforms

Ever since access to internet forums and video games became more commonplace, there’s been growing concern about the impact these digital platforms have on mental health. 

Examples of social media and video game-related psychology research topics include:

The effect of edited images on self-confidence

How social media platforms impact social behavior

Video games and their impact on teenage anger and violence

Digital communication and the rapid spread of misinformation

The development of digital friendships

Psychotropic medications for mental health

In recent years, the interest in using psychoactive medications to treat and manage health conditions has increased despite their inherently controversial nature. 

Examples of psychotropic medication-related research topics include:

The risks and benefits of using psilocybin mushrooms for managing anxiety

The impact of marijuana on early-onset psychosis

Childhood marijuana use and related prevalence of mental health conditions

Ketamine and its use for complex PTSD (C-PTSD) symptom management

The effect of long-term psychedelic use and mental health conditions

• Mental health disorder research topics

As one of the most popular subsections of psychology, studying mental health disorders and how they impact quality of life is an essential and impactful area of research. 

While studies in these areas are common, there’s always room for additional exploration, including the following hot-button topics:

Anxiety and depression disorders

Anxiety and depression are well-known and heavily researched mental health disorders. 

Despite this, we still don’t know many things about these conditions, making them great candidates for psychology research projects:

Social anxiety and its connection to chronic loneliness

C-PTSD symptoms and causes

The development of phobias

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) behaviors and symptoms

Depression triggers and causes

Self-care tools and resources for depression

The prevalence of anxiety and depression in particular age groups or geographic areas

Bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder is a complex and multi-faceted area of psychology research. 

Use your research skills to learn more about this condition and its impact by choosing any of the following topics:

Early signs of bipolar disorder

The incidence of bipolar disorder in young adults

The efficacy of existing bipolar treatment options

Bipolar medication side effects

Cognitive behavioral therapy for people with bipolar 

Schizoaffective disorder

Schizoaffective disorder is often stigmatized, and less common mental health disorders are a hotbed for new and exciting research. 

Here are a few examples of interesting research topics related to this mental health disorder:

The prevalence of schizoaffective disorder by certain age groups or geographic locations

Risk factors for developing schizoaffective disorder

The prevalence and content of auditory and visual hallucinations

Alternative therapies for schizoaffective disorder

• Societal and systematic psychology research topics

Modern society’s impact is deeply enmeshed in our mental and emotional health on a personal and community level. 

Here are a few examples of societal and systemic psychology research topics to explore in more detail:

Access to mental health services

While mental health awareness has risen over the past few decades, access to quality mental health treatment and resources is still not equitable. 

This can significantly impact the severity of a person’s mental health symptoms, which can result in worse health outcomes if left untreated. 

Explore this crucial issue and provide information about the need for improved mental health resource access by studying any of the following topics:

Rural vs. urban access to mental health resources

Access to crisis lines by location

Wait times for emergency mental health services

Inequities in mental health access based on income and location

Insurance coverage for mental health services

Systemic racism and mental health

Societal systems and the prevalence of systemic racism heavily impact every aspect of a person’s overall health.

Researching these topics draws attention to existing problems and contributes valuable insights into ways to improve access to care moving forward.

Examples of systemic racism-related psychology research topics include: 

Access to mental health resources based on race

The prevalence of BIPOC mental health therapists in a chosen area

The impact of systemic racism on mental health and self-worth

Racism training for mental health workers

The prevalence of mental health disorders in discriminated groups

LGBTQIA+ mental health concerns

Research about LGBTQIA+ people and their mental health needs is a unique area of study to explore for your next research project. It’s a commonly overlooked and underserved community.

Examples of LGBTQIA+ psychology research topics to consider include:

Mental health supports for queer teens and children

The impact of queer safe spaces on mental health

The prevalence of mental health disorders in the LGBTQIA+ community

The benefits of queer mentorship and found family

Substance misuse in LQBTQIA+ youth and adults

• Collect data and identify trends with Dovetail

Psychology research is an exciting and competitive study area, making it the perfect choice for projects or papers.

Take the headache out of analyzing your data and instantly access the insights you need to complete your next psychology research project by teaming up with Dovetail today.

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Collection  07 April 2023

Top 25 Life and Biological Sciences Articles of 2022

We are pleased to share with you the 25 most downloaded Nature Communications articles* in the life and biological sciences published in 2022. (Please note we have a separate collection on the Top 25 COVID-19 papers .) Featuring authors from around the world, these papers highlight valuable research from an international community. 

Browse all Top 25 subject area collections .

*Data obtained from SN Insights (based on Digital Science's Dimensions) and have been normalised to account for articles published later in the year.

Top 25 Articles

Engineered helicase replaces thermocycler in DNA amplification while retaining desired PCR characteristics

PCR is an essential method for the amplification and manipulation of nucleic acids, but the requirement for a thermocycler limits access. Here, authors engineer a helicase to replace the heating step of PCR with enzymatic unwinding, allowing the isothermal amplification of fragments up to 6 kb.

• Momčilo Gavrilov
• Joshua Y. C. Yang

Evolution of sexual systems, sex chromosomes and sex-linked gene transcription in flatworms and roundworms

Transitions between hermaphroditic and separate sexes are relatively understudied in animals compared to pants. Here, Wang et al. reconstruct the evolution of separate sexes in the flatworms and complex changes of sex chromosomes in the roundworms.

• Yifeng Wang
• Robin B. Gasser

The gut microbiota and depressive symptoms across ethnic groups

Here, by studying a multi-ethnic cross-sectional urban cohort ( N  = 3211, 6 ethnic groups), the authors show that depressive symptom levels are related to the gut microbiota taxonomic characteristics but that these are largely invariant across ethnic groups.

• Jos A. Bosch
• Max Nieuwdorp

Metagenomics of Parkinson’s disease implicates the gut microbiome in multiple disease mechanisms

Here, the authors perform large-scale high-resolution Parkinson’s disease metagenomics analyses, revealing widespread dysbiosis characterized by overabundance of pathogens, immunogens, toxicants, and curli, reduction in neuroprotective and antiinflammatory molecules, and dysregulated neuroactive signaling.

• Zachary D. Wallen
• Ayse Demirkan
• Haydeh Payami

Codon-specific Ramachandran plots show amino acid backbone conformation depends on identity of the translated codon

Genetic code redundancies are considered inconsequential to protein structure. This study uncovers a dependence between local amino acid conformation in folded proteins and the identity of the codon from which that amino acid was translated.

• Aviv A. Rosenberg
• Alex M. Bronstein

De novo analysis of bulk RNA-seq data at spatially resolved single-cell resolution

Current methods to reanalyze bulk RNA-seq at spatially resolved single-cell resolution have limitations. Here, the authors develop Bulk2Space, a spatial deconvolution algorithm using single-cell and spatial transcriptomics as references, providing new insights into spatial heterogeneity within bulk tissue.

• Jingyang Qian
• Xiaohui Fan

Exceptional preservation and foot structure reveal ecological transitions and lifestyles of early theropod flyers

The shape of bird toe pads and foot scales can be used to infer their behaviour. Here, the authors examine fossil evidence of toe pads and scales, in addition to claws and bones, from birds and close relatives, illustrating diverse lifestyles and ecological roles among early theropod flyers.

• Michael Pittman
• Phil R. Bell
• Thomas G. Kaye

Common evolutionary origin of acoustic communication in choanate vertebrates

Here, the authors record acoustic communication in 53 species commonly considered non-vocal and reconstruct acoustic communication as originating 407 million years ago.

• Gabriel Jorgewich-Cohen
• Simon William Townsend
• Marcelo R. Sánchez-Villagra

Calcium-mediated rapid movements defend against herbivorous insects in Mimosa pudica

Mimosa pudica moves its leaves within seconds of being touched or wounded. Here the authors show that such movements are triggered by rapid changes in Ca 2+ and action and variation potentials and provide evidence that rapid movements help protect the plant from insect attacks.

• Takuma Hagihara
• Hiroaki Mano
• Masatsugu Toyota

Evolutionary transition from a single RNA replicator to a multiple replicator network

Long-term experimental evolution shows that a single polymerase-encoding RNA replicator can evolve into a complex replicator network, shedding light on how a molecular replicator could have developed complexity before the emergence of life.

• Ryo Mizuuchi
• Taro Furubayashi
• Norikazu Ichihashi

Lysosomal damage drives mitochondrial proteome remodelling and reprograms macrophage immunometabolism

Extensive lysosomal damage can result in cell death but how limited protease leakage affects cytoplasmic organelles in viable cells is not well understood. Here the authors show that limited lysosomal damage leads to changes in the mitochondrial proteome and the modulation of macrophage immunometabolism.

• Claudio Bussi
• Tiaan Heunis
• Maximiliano G. Gutierrez

Payload distribution and capacity of mRNA lipid nanoparticles

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are effective vehicles to deliver mRNA vaccines and therapeutics but assessing the mRNA packaging characteristics in LNPs is challenging. Here, the authors report that mRNA and lipid contents in LNP formulations can be quantitatively examined by multi-laser cylindrical illumination confocal spectroscopy at the single-nanoparticle level.

• Hai-Quan Mao

Improved prediction of protein-protein interactions using AlphaFold2

Predicting the structure of protein complexes is extremely difficult. Here, authors apply AlphaFold2 with optimized multiple sequence alignments to model complexes of interacting proteins, enabling prediction of both if and how proteins interact with state-of-art accuracy.

• Patrick Bryant
• Gabriele Pozzati
• Arne Elofsson

Predicting the structure of large protein complexes using AlphaFold and Monte Carlo tree search

The accuracy of AlphaFold decreases with the number of protein chains and the available GPU memory limits the size of protein complexes that can be predicted. Here, the authors show that complexes with 10–30 chains can be assembled from predicted subcomponents using Monte Carlo tree search.

Microbiome differential abundance methods produce different results across 38 datasets

Many microbiome differential abundance methods are available, but it lacks systematic comparison among them. Here, the authors compare the performance of 14 differential abundance testing methods on 38 16S rRNA gene datasets with two sample groups, and show ALDEx2 and ANCOM-II produce the most consistent results.

• Jacob T. Nearing
• Gavin M. Douglas
• Morgan G. I. Langille

Deep phenotyping and lifetime trajectories reveal limited effects of longevity regulators on the aging process in C57BL/6J mice

Lifespan can be affected by both physiological ageing and specific sets of pathologies associated with old age. Here the authors report a resource of large-scale cross-sectional phenotyping of aging male mice at different time points to analyse a large set of phenotypes and molecular markers, including during genetic and diet interventions affecting lifespan.

• Helmut Fuchs
• Dan Ehninger

Structure-based discovery of small molecules that disaggregate Alzheimer’s disease tissue derived tau fibrils in vitro

Evidence suggests that fibrous aggregates of protein tau may be the proximal cause of Alzheimer’s disease. Here, using atomic structures of tau fibrils from brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease, the authors have found small-molecule drug leads that disaggregate tau fibrils in vitro.

• Paul M. Seidler
• Kevin A. Murray
• David S. Eisenberg

The intestinal clock drives the microbiome to maintain gastrointestinal homeostasis

Here, Heddes et al. demonstrate a major role for the intestinal circadian clock in driving microbiome dynamics. Microbiota transfer from intestinal clock-deficient mice promotes altered intestinal phenotypes, highlighting the importance of functional intestinal clocks for gastrointestinal homeostasis of the host.

• Marjolein Heddes
• Baraa Altaha
• Silke Kiessling

A new gene set identifies senescent cells and predicts senescence-associated pathways across tissues

Identification of senescent cells in vivo remains a challenging task. Here the authors present and validate a senescence gene set called SenMayo enriched in human and murine aged tissues.

• Dominik Saul
• Robyn Laura Kosinsky
• Sundeep Khosla

Caffeine blocks SREBP2-induced hepatic PCSK9 expression to enhance LDLR-mediated cholesterol clearance

Caffeine may reduce cardiovascular disease risk, but the underlying mechanisms for these effects are incompletely understood. Here the authors report that caffeine inhibits the activation of the transcription factor SREBP2 to promote LDLc clearance through the PCSK9-LDLR axis.

• Paul F. Lebeau
• Jae Hyun Byun
• Richard C. Austin

Tissue-specific impacts of aging and genetics on gene expression patterns in humans

Age is a risk factor for many diseases, but the impact of aging on molecular phenotypes is not fully understood. Here, the authors quantify the relative contributions of genetics and aging to gene expression patterns across 27 tissues in humans, showing that age and genetics each play distinct roles in shaping expression phenotypes.

• Ryo Yamamoto
• Peter H. Sudmant

Altered glycolysis triggers impaired mitochondrial metabolism and mTORC1 activation in diabetic β-cells

Chronic hyperglycemia impairs insulin secretion from pancreatic beta cells in diabetes. Here, the authors reveal that a glucose metabolite is responsible and show lowering glucose metabolism during hyperglycemia prevents loss of beta-cell function.

• Elizabeth Haythorne
• Matthew Lloyd
• Frances M. Ashcroft

Perspectives in machine learning for wildlife conservation

Animal ecologists are increasingly limited by constraints in data processing. Here, Tuia and colleagues discuss how collaboration between ecologists and data scientists can harness machine learning to capitalize on the data generated from technological advances and lead to novel modeling approaches.

• Benjamin Kellenberger
• Tanya Berger-Wolf

Fully-automated and ultra-fast cell-type identification using specific marker combinations from single-cell transcriptomic data

Cell types are typically identified in single cell transcriptomic data by manual annotation of cell clusters using established marker genes. Here the authors present a fully-automated computational platform that can quickly and accurately distinguish between cell types.

• Aleksandr Ianevski
• Anil K. Giri
• Tero Aittokallio

Host-dependent resistance of Group A Streptococcus to sulfamethoxazole mediated by a horizontally-acquired reduced folate transporter

There is increasing evidence for metabolic processes mediating antimicrobial resistance. Here, the authors present a mechanism of sulfamethoxazole resistance in Group A Streptococcus that is dependent on acquiring end products of the host folate biosynthesis pathway.

• M. Kalindu D. Rodrigo
• Aarti Saiganesh
• Timothy C. Barnett

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Identifying hot topics for research

Making smart decisions about what to study is critical to a successful research career, and can be one of the hardest challenges for a scientist.

A hot topic is any research area that many people will find interesting. It can be:

• A puzzling phenomenon
• An unsolved mystery about the world
• A new technology
• A problem needing better solutions

The ability to identify hot topics can help you:

• Make decisions about what to study
• Obtain funding for research
• Identify top researchers in your field
• Find important publications
• Explain to others why your work is important

One good method for finding hot topics is to look for issues that cause problems for other researchers.

Begin by searching for and reading literature in your field. Start with general interest journals, but don’t limit yourself to journal publications only; you can also look for clues in the news or on research blogs. Once you have identified a few interesting topics, read journal manuscripts related to that area of work. Review papers are extremely helpful for this purpose.

If possible, communicate with some of the authors of these manuscripts. Often, talking with the author of an important work in your research area will give you more ideas than just reading the manuscript would. Going to conferences is a great way to meet some of these authors.

Once you have set your research goals, use your unique skills and resources to address the challenges in the field. This will help you produce timely manuscripts of interest to a large audience.

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100 Interesting Research Paper Topics for High Schoolers

What’s covered:, how to pick the right research topic, elements of a strong research paper.

• Interesting Research Paper Topics

Composing a research paper can be a daunting task for first-time writers. In addition to making sure you’re using concise language and your thoughts are organized clearly, you need to find a topic that draws the reader in.

CollegeVine is here to help you brainstorm creative topics! Below are 100 interesting research paper topics that will help you engage with your project and keep you motivated until you’ve typed the final period. 

A research paper is similar to an academic essay but more lengthy and requires more research. This added length and depth is bittersweet: although a research paper is more work, you can create a more nuanced argument, and learn more about your topic. Research papers are a demonstration of your research ability and your ability to formulate a convincing argument. How well you’re able to engage with the sources and make original contributions will determine the strength of your paper. 

You can’t have a good research paper without a good research paper topic. “Good” is subjective, and different students will find different topics interesting. What’s important is that you find a topic that makes you want to find out more and make a convincing argument. Maybe you’ll be so interested that you’ll want to take it further and investigate some detail in even greater depth!

For example, last year over 4000 students applied for 500 spots in the Lumiere Research Scholar Program , a rigorous research program founded by Harvard researchers. The program pairs high-school students with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project . The program actually does not require you to have a research topic in mind when you apply, but pro tip: the more specific you can be the more likely you are to get in!

Introduction

The introduction to a research paper serves two critical functions: it conveys the topic of the paper and illustrates how you will address it. A strong introduction will also pique the interest of the reader and make them excited to read more. Selecting a research paper topic that is meaningful, interesting, and fascinates you is an excellent first step toward creating an engaging paper that people will want to read.

Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is technically part of the introduction—generally the last sentence of it—but is so important that it merits a section of its own. The thesis statement is a declarative sentence that tells the reader what the paper is about. A strong thesis statement serves three purposes: present the topic of the paper, deliver a clear opinion on the topic, and summarize the points the paper will cover.

An example of a good thesis statement of diversity in the workforce is:

Diversity in the workplace is not just a moral imperative but also a strategic advantage for businesses, as it fosters innovation, enhances creativity, improves decision-making, and enables companies to better understand and connect with a diverse customer base.

The body is the largest section of a research paper. It’s here where you support your thesis, present your facts and research, and persuade the reader.

Each paragraph in the body of a research paper should have its own idea. The idea is presented, generally in the first sentence of the paragraph, by a topic sentence. The topic sentence acts similarly to the thesis statement, only on a smaller scale, and every sentence in the paragraph with it supports the idea it conveys.

An example of a topic sentence on how diversity in the workplace fosters innovation is:

Diversity in the workplace fosters innovation by bringing together individuals with different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences, which stimulates creativity, encourages new ideas, and leads to the development of innovative solutions to complex problems.

The body of an engaging research paper flows smoothly from one idea to the next. Create an outline before writing and order your ideas so that each idea logically leads to another.

The conclusion of a research paper should summarize your thesis and reinforce your argument. It’s common to restate the thesis in the conclusion of a research paper.

For example, a conclusion for a paper about diversity in the workforce is:

In conclusion, diversity in the workplace is vital to success in the modern business world. By embracing diversity, companies can tap into the full potential of their workforce, promote creativity and innovation, and better connect with a diverse customer base, ultimately leading to greater success and a more prosperous future for all.

Reference Page

The reference page is normally found at the end of a research paper. It provides proof that you did research using credible sources, properly credits the originators of information, and prevents plagiarism.

There are a number of different formats of reference pages, including APA, MLA, and Chicago. Make sure to format your reference page in your teacher’s preferred style.

• Analyze the benefits of diversity in education.
• Are charter schools useful for the national education system?
• How has modern technology changed teaching?
• Discuss the pros and cons of standardized testing.
• What are the benefits of a gap year between high school and college?
• What funding allocations give the most benefit to students?
• Does homeschooling set students up for success?
• Should universities/high schools require students to be vaccinated?
• What effect does rising college tuition have on high schoolers?
• Do students perform better in same-sex schools?
• Discuss and analyze the impacts of a famous musician on pop music.
• How has pop music evolved over the past decade?
• How has the portrayal of women in music changed in the media over the past decade?
• How does a synthesizer work?
• How has music evolved to feature different instruments/voices?
• How has sound effect technology changed the music industry?
• Analyze the benefits of music education in high schools.
• Are rehabilitation centers more effective than prisons?
• Are congestion taxes useful?
• Does affirmative action help minorities?
• Can a capitalist system effectively reduce inequality?
• Is a three-branch government system effective?
• What causes polarization in today’s politics?
• Is the U.S. government racially unbiased?
• Choose a historical invention and discuss its impact on society today.
• Choose a famous historical leader who lost power—what led to their eventual downfall?
• How has your country evolved over the past century?
• What historical event has had the largest effect on the U.S.?
• Has the government’s response to national disasters improved or declined throughout history?
• Discuss the history of the American occupation of Iraq.
• Explain the history of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
• Is literature relevant in modern society?
• Discuss how fiction can be used for propaganda.
• How does literature teach and inform about society?
• Explain the influence of children’s literature on adulthood.
• How has literature addressed homosexuality?
• Does the media portray minorities realistically?
• Does the media reinforce stereotypes?
• Why have podcasts become so popular?
• Will streaming end traditional television?
• What is a patriot?
• What are the pros and cons of global citizenship?
• What are the causes and effects of bullying?
• Why has the divorce rate in the U.S. been declining in recent years?
• Is it more important to follow social norms or religion?
• What are the responsible limits on abortion, if any?
• How does an MRI machine work?
• Would the U.S. benefit from socialized healthcare?
• Elderly populations
• The education system
• State tax bases
• How do anti-vaxxers affect the health of the country?
• Analyze the costs and benefits of diet culture.
• Should companies allow employees to exercise on company time?
• What is an adequate amount of exercise for an adult per week/per month/per day?
• Discuss the effects of the obesity epidemic on American society.
• Are students smarter since the advent of the internet?
• What departures has the internet made from its original design?
• Has digital downloading helped the music industry?
• Discuss the benefits and costs of stricter internet censorship.
• Analyze the effects of the internet on the paper news industry.
• What would happen if the internet went out?
• How will artificial intelligence (AI) change our lives?
• What are the pros and cons of cryptocurrency?
• How has social media affected the way people relate with each other?
• Should social media have an age restriction?
• Discuss the importance of source software.
• What is more relevant in today’s world: mobile apps or websites?
• How will fully autonomous vehicles change our lives?
• How is text messaging affecting teen literacy?

Mental Health

• What are the benefits of daily exercise?
• How has social media affected people’s mental health?
• What things contribute to poor mental and physical health?
• Analyze how mental health is talked about in pop culture.
• Discuss the pros and cons of more counselors in high schools.
• How does stress affect the body?
• How do emotional support animals help people?
• What are black holes?
• Discuss the biggest successes and failures of the EPA.
• How has the Flint water crisis affected life in Michigan?
• Can science help save endangered species?
• Is the development of an anti-cancer vaccine possible?

Environment

• What are the effects of deforestation on climate change?
• Is climate change reversible?
• How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect global warming and climate change?
• Are carbon credits effective for offsetting emissions or just marketing?
• Is nuclear power a safe alternative to fossil fuels?
• Are hybrid vehicles helping to control pollution in the atmosphere?
• How is plastic waste harming the environment?
• Is entrepreneurism a trait people are born with or something they learn?
• How much more should CEOs make than their average employee?
• Can you start a business without money?
• Should the U.S. raise the minimum wage?
• Discuss how happy employees benefit businesses.
• How important is branding for a business?
• Discuss the ease, or difficulty, of landing a job today.
• What is the economic impact of sporting events?
• Are professional athletes overpaid?
• Should male and female athletes receive equal pay?
• What is a fair and equitable way for transgender athletes to compete in high school sports?
• What are the benefits of playing team sports?
• What is the most corrupt professional sport?

Where to Get More Research Paper Topic Ideas

If you need more help brainstorming topics, especially those that are personalized to your interests, you can use CollegeVine’s free AI tutor, Ivy . Ivy can help you come up with original research topic ideas, and she can also help with the rest of your homework, from math to languages.

Disclaimer: This post includes content sponsored by Lumiere Education.

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Hot topics and trends in cardiovascular research

1 Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, KU Leuven, Campus Gasthuisberg O/N1 704, Herestraat 49, Leuven, Belgium

2 ECOOM, Department of Managerial Economics, Strategy and Innovation, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 61, Leuven, Belgium

Wolfgang Glänzel

3 Department Science Policy & Scientometrics, Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Arany János u. 1, Budapest, Hungary

Karin R Sipido

Associated data.

Comprehensive data on research undertaken in cardiovascular medicine can inform the scientific community and can support policy building. We used the publication output from 2004 to 2013 and the 2014 references to these documents, to identify research topics and trends in the field of cardiovascular disease.

Methods and results

Text fragments were extracted from the titles and abstracts of 478 000 publications using natural language processing. Through machine-learning algorithms, these text fragments combined to identify specific topics across all publications. A second method, which included cross-references, assigned each publication document to a specific cluster. Experts named the topics and document clusters based on various outputs from these semi-automatic methods. We identified and labelled 175 cardiovascular topics and 20 large document clusters, with concordance between the approaches. Overarching, strongly growing topics in clinical and population sciences are evidence-based guidance for treatment, research on outcomes, prognosis, and risk factors. ‘Hot’ topics include novel treatments in valve disease and in coronary artery disease, and imaging. Basic research decreases its share over time but sees substantial growth of research on stem cells and tissue engineering, as well as in translational research. Inflammation, biomarkers, metabolic syndrome, obesity, and lipids are hot topics across population, clinical and basic research, supporting integration across the cardiovascular field.

Growth in clinical and population research emphasizes improving patient outcomes through novel treatments, risk stratification, and prevention. Translation and innovation redefine basic research in cardiovascular disease. Medical need, funding and publishing policies, and scientific opportunities are potential drivers for these evolutions.

Introduction

Current policies for public funding of health research increasingly focus on innovation, with a final goal to improve health outcomes. 1 To support policies, roadmaps are established, for example for diabetes 2 and respiratory 3 diseases. In the USA, the joint Academies developed a document to guide national policy in health 4 with a dedicated document for cardiovascular medicine 5 that includes general directions for research. In Europe, building a roadmap for cardiovascular research is one of the tasks of the ERA-CVD network. 6 Expert opinion guides the exercise but a macro and global-level overview of past cardiovascular research can enrich the debate and strengthen the basis for recommendations. The breadth of cardiovascular research is astounding, 7 with research undertaken across a variety of institutions and with each piece of research having its own scope/focus or topic. It is thus challenging to review and summarize all the research that has been undertaken.

Identifying all the relevant research is the first hurdle to overcome, then classifying or identifying topics of research is the next significant hurdle. Journal classification systems offer little assistance, as they are not granular enough to identify more specific topics within broader fields. Thesauri or medical dictionaries, such as PubMed or the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), do not offer an overview of time-dependent changes in topics or changing concepts.

Identifying key topics using semi-automatic approaches based on text analysis is an alternative solution that takes advantage of recent developments in high-level informatics. As this is not reliant on a predefined classification, it may result in different outcomes. Various methods use natural language processing (NLP) to extract topics or clusters from text. For example, the bibliometric community has compared the results when varying methods are applied to a set of astronomy publications, focusing on the importance having topic expert input throughout the process. 8 The recent CardioScape project analysed abstracts of 2476 research projects awarded 2010–12 as published by funding bodies. The authors assigned research project to topics, based on the abstract text, using a semi-automatic process that tested and trained the data to more quickly allocate abstracts to a topic than depending solely on expert review. They produced a detailed taxonomy or classification of cardiovascular research based on the list of topics of the European Society of Cardiology, creating a hierarchical list of over 600 topics. 9

Here, we aim to identify topics in published cardiovascular research and their evolution between 2004 and 2013, assessing whether they have appeared, disappeared, or changed over time. In a comprehensive approach, we use a combination of existing methods for text mining, network analysis, and clustering, and further develop these tools to handle a large dataset of >400 000 publications.

In our study, we use two different and complementary approaches. A first one detects topics across the collection of publications, counting number of documents, and relations between topics. A second one maps document networks into clusters with an identifiable subject of research. These approaches are described here in brief, with more detail provided in the Supplementary material online .

Data sources

The dataset includes the reference, abstract, address, and citation data for 478 006 cardiovascular publications from 2004 to 2013, including 2014 references to these documents, using an expert informed search strategy and references to core cardiovascular journals, as previously published. 7 The documents span across >5000 journals, and include cardiovascular publications in leading general journals in medical and life sciences ( Supplementary material online , Table S1 ). We obtained the data from Clarivate Analytics Web of Science Core Collection (WoS) through a custom data license held by ECOOM, KU Leuven.

Text pre-processing

We took all titles and abstracts of the above publications, and extracted the noun phrases (text fragments of various lengths) using the NLP framework developed at Stanford. 10 Supplementary material online , Figure S1 illustrates the subsequent data flow for the analysis.

Topic modelling

For this approach, we applied latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) 11 to the above-mentioned text fragments from the titles and abstracts of all publications. This LDA approach groups the text fragments to identify topics and allocates documents to topics. In this approach, a document contributes to several topics. Of note, general terms or terms that are used frequently across the majority of documents are filtered out as part of the methodology, resulting in groups of highly specific text fragments and, consequently, topics, as illustrated in Supplementary material online , Figure S2 .

At least three cardiovascular experts (listed in the Acknowledgements section) named each topic based on a set of the top 40 text fragments representing a topic. Further rounds of cross-review validated and consolidated the naming process. A final review of all topics ensured naming consistency across the topics and allowed for additional expert-based classification as clinical, basic, or population research.

We then calculated the number of documents that contributed to a topic, using probability analysis in LDA. Furthermore, we calculated the co-occurrence of topics in the publications, and visualized the outcome of this network analysis using VOSViewer ( www.vosviewer.com ). 12

Document clustering

For this second approach, the dataset was reduced to two periods, and we analysed the cardiovascular publications from 2006 to 2008 and those from 2011 to 2013, separately. For each time period, we then calculated the similarities between documents based on the noun phrase text fragments from the titles and abstracts of all publications and based on the references in these publications, using adapted cosine calculations and a hybrid document clustering algorithm, as previously described. 13 We then applied the Louvain 14 community detection algorithm to identify clusters of similar documents. For this method, each document is only located in one cluster. Subsequently, we applied the DrL/OpenOrd algorithm 15 to map and visualize the documents and clusters. We used R 16 in a high-powered cloud-based parallelized computing environment for all operations.

We identified and described the core documents, 13 the most common text fragments, as well as, the most highly cited documents and the most productive authors in each cluster, to name the clusters. For each document cluster, we identified the most highly representative topics from the LDA topic model.

Evolution of cardiovascular topics—trends and ‘hot’ topics

We identified 175 topics, listed alphabetically in Supplementary material online , Table S2 . This list groups specific topics within areas such as atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, arrhythmias, heart failure, and their evolution over time.

For a visual and comprehensive overview, we prepared a map of the topics and their interrelation, based on co-occurrence within publications using a network analysis ( Figure ​ Figure1 1 A ). This map identifies different categories of research: population (at the top, blue), clinical (left, green/yellow), and basic research (right, red). Large topics in each category define overarching interests such as Evidence-guided-treatment and Outcomes and prognosis in clinical research, and Epidemiology of CVD and risk factors in population research, topics that have seen large growth in numbers of publications since 2004 ( Figure ​ Figure1 1 B ). Cell signalling and gene transcription is a central topic for basic research, with modest growth ( Figure ​ Figure1 1 B ).

Main areas and organization of research focus. ( A ) Visual presentation of the topics in 2013 and how they relate to each other, based on how often the topics are included in the same publication. Each circle represents one topic and each group of topics is highlighted in a separate colour; the most similar documents and clusters are located closer to each other based on VOSviewer mapping. ( B ) Evolution of overarching topics.

More focused ‘hot’ topics that experienced a large growth in number of publications are presented in Figure  2 .

Topics with large growth. For population research, the eight topics that increased more than two-fold in volume are shown; for clinical research, 27 topics increased more than two-fold and 10 of these are presented; for basic research only two topics had more than a two-fold increase, and the top 8 growers are presented. Overarching topics are shown in Figure ​ Figure1 1 B .

In population research, risk factors with research on metabolic syndrome, lipids, diabetes, physical activity, and mental health are prominent. In clinical research, patient management after myocardial infarction (MI) and outside the hospital are leading topics, but the true ‘hot’ topic was aortic valve disease that saw a surge of interest, related to transaortic valve repair, starting 2008. Though still small in numbers, heart failure research and stem cells saw substantial growth. This last clinical topic complements the major hot topics in basic research, on stem cells and cardiac repair and tissue engineering. In basic research, increasing translational output in metabolic syndrome and diabetes use mostly mouse models. Focused topics are organelle studies on mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum.

Table  1 complements the fast growing topics of Figure  2 with additional leading 2013 topics. Most of these also have grown since 2004, but two topics, even if large, seem to have lost momentum, i.e. longitudinal studies on blood pressure, and basic research in cardiac electrophysiology.

Large topics in 2013

PCOS, polycystic ovary syndrome.

Only four topics in clinical, and none in population research, saw a decrease, whereas seven topics in basic research saw a decline in output ( Figure ​ Figure3 3 A ). Across all topics, the growth in publication output, measured as the number of documents in 2013 divided by the number of documents in 2004, was significantly larger in clinical and population research topics than in basic research topics ( Figure ​ Figure3 3 B ).

Unequal growth of research output across categories. ( A ) Topics that saw a decrease of >5%, i.e. 4/102 clinical and 7/50 basic research topics. ( B ) Average growth in each category. Each dot presents a topic; the values are the fractional growth, i.e. the number of documents in 2013 divided by the number of documents in 2004. Kruskal–Wallis followed by Dunn’s test for multiple comparisons; *** P < 0.0001 basic vs. clinical and vs. population.

When considering the overall output and growth of publications across the categories of population, clinical and basic research, the data suggest that the share of basic research publications is declining.

Document clusters define large research areas and trends

The size of topics represents the activity within each of these—documents contribute to more than one topic. In a complementary approach, we examined how documents group together based on the similarity of their text and of their references, whereby each document can belong to one cluster only, effectively dividing the total publication output into different areas. The hybrid clustering algorithm was applied to two datasets, i.e. the publications from 2006 to 2008 and 2011 to 2013.

In each period, 10 large clusters emerged, accounting for >90% of all documents.

To identify trends, we compare the two periods and examine the evolution over time ( Figure  4 ). In the graph legends, emerging areas are marked by green triangle, decreasing ones with a red triangle. Risk scoring in the population and related patient management are the leading areas, growing over time (top position). In 2011–13, a large cluster emerges that relates to gene and stem-cell therapy, including research on inducible pluripotent stem cells. Documents within this cluster include research on ischaemic heart disease and arrhythmias. Haemodynamics and biomechanics are another emerging area that includes documents on atherosclerosis and vascular diseases such as aneurysms, but also heart failure and assist devices. Aortic valve disease is a newly defined area in 2011–13. Imaging also becomes very prominent as an area in its own right. Whereas in 2006–08, hypertension was a defined area, this is no longer identifiable in 2011–13.

Distribution of document clusters in 2006–08 and in 2011–13. ( A ) In 2006–08, the 10 largest clusters represent 93% of the total publication output in this period. ( B ) In 2011–13, the 10 largest clusters represent 92% of the total publication output in this period. The colour codes for similar clusters are maintained across the periods. However, some clusters are present in only one period. The clusters are arranged by size, reading clockwise from the top, and the legends arranged accordingly. Red triangles mark clusters that disappeared and green triangles emerging clusters.

For the last period, we also examined the structure and interrelation of clusters, using a graphical rendering, giving insight in the size, composition, and presence of subclusters ( Figure  5 ).

Document clusters’ map 2011–13. A visual presentation of documents in clusters and subclusters: the most similar documents and clusters are located closer to each other, based on the DrL two-dimensional mapping layout technique.

In this force-directed DrL graph layout, the documents and clusters are mapped to minimize the distance between the most similar documents and maximize the distance between non-linked documents. This produces a two-dimensional co-ordinate layout where the documents closest to each other share the most similarities since they share common text fragments and references. Conversely, documents and clusters on the edges of the graph have the least similarity to other documents or clusters.

Cluster 2 on gene and stem cells is dense and separate, yet touches and interacts with Cluster 5 [acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and MI]. Cluster 9 on imaging is spread out in subclusters at different locations, including one near Cluster 5 (ACS and MI), and one near Cluster 4 (heart failure). Cluster 8 (arrhythmias) is also split with one part closer to heart failure, another to anticoagulation and atrial fibrillation.

Further naming the subclusters is presently beyond reach, as it would require a lot of expert input and resources. However, linking the clusters and the topics adds granularity to the larger research areas and provides internal methodological validation of the cluster naming.

Table  2 presents the most highly associated topics in the ten largest document clusters in each period. Overall, agreement with the LDA topics is high and provides more detail on the research contained in the clusters. E.g., the cluster ‘Haemodynamics’ is now showing different areas of focus, i.e. in congenital disease, aortic, and valvular diseases; the topic ‘Arrhythmias’ is more populated with device research in the second time period compared to the first.

Cluster names and topics present within clusters

AF, atrial fibrillation; ANS, autonomic nervous system; BP, blood pressure; CABG, coronary artery bypass grafting; CRT, cardiac resynchronization therapy; CT, computed tomography; CV, cardiovascular; DES, drug-eluting stent; ECG, electrocardiogram; HF, heart failure; LV, left ventricular; NOAC, new oral anticoagulant; PTCI, percutaneous transluminal coronary intervention; RV, right ventricle; STEMI, ST elevated myocardial infarction.

The method for identification of topics in cardiovascular publication output allowed the visualization and evaluation of trends in cardiovascular research. Over a 10-year period significant shifts occur.

Identification of cardiovascular research topics through natural language processing

In cardiovascular research, topics are generally predefined in a taxonomy that can be hierarchical and/or matrix structured. The CardioScape project approach (see Introduction section) was well suited to its purpose of the analysis of 2476 project abstracts in a single time period and using an existing taxonomy has the advantage of recognizable areas of research. The bottom-up approach used here lent itself well to analysis of much larger numbers of documents and generated a topic list that represents the interests from the community during the period under study.

A recent study by the WHO working to identify cardiovascular disease research output from random sets of publications from PubMed required a significant amount of expert-based review of only a small proportion of the published articles. 17 The current approach was more comprehensive in coverage of the field, but despite reliance on advanced automated analysis, experts still had an important role in interpreting and linking concepts to validate the results.

In the current naming of topics and clusters, experts frequently used terms that connect to a classic hierarchical list in the field, including major diseases, and recognizing clinical, population, and basic discovery research. Nevertheless, the approach uncovered specific emerging areas of research such as transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), topics consistent with broad trends, such as risk stratification and evidence-based guidance, and innovation (gene and stem cell research). Some of these terms would not appear in a classic taxonomy and thus the NLP approach offers novel insights.

The present study was not attempting to classify all research but to capture and identify the most common and evolving topics over time in the cardiovascular field by using a comprehensive set of cardiovascular publications across some 5000 journals.

Emphasis on improving clinical care and risk assessment

The most represented and fast growing topics across the documents are evidence-based guidance for treatment and research on outcomes and prognosis. These result underscore the attention given to guidelines and evidence based medicine (EBM). 18–23 Part of this research is likely to represent the large number of clinical trials taking place in the cardiovascular field, 24 which over time have had a significant effect on the reduction of mortality from CVD due to establishing the effectiveness and safety of a number of drugs and medical interventions in cardiovascular disease. 25 The presence of policy related topics, such as the topics on quality of care and health economics likewise supports the focus on implementation research and a shift of focus from reducing acute mortality to care in chronic disease.

Growth of research on risk factors emphasizes the importance of preventative medicine, evident in both the topics analysis and the document cluster analysis. However, some specific blood pressure studies declined over time, perhaps reflecting the change in focus on the single risk factor of ‘blood pressure’ to a multivariable spectrum and newly identified risk factors. We have also previously shown that hypertension has moved more closely to clinical cardiovascular research over time. 26

Smaller topics illustrate crosstalk with non-cardiovascular diseases, because of shared risk factors or common methods used in research or occurrence of cardiovascular complications. The latter is particularly evident in two topics that focus on cardiovascular complications in pregnancy and in cancer.

Innovation and translation in clinical and basic science

Major diseases such as ischaemic heart disease and arrhythmias, remain present over time but shifts can be seen. There is for example, a larger focus on atrial fibrillation, in particular embolic risk, on novel treatments, such as stem cells in heart failure, and transcatheter aortic valve interventions as a dominant element within the topic of valvular heart disease. 19 Imaging is present in several topics but emerges as a cluster in its own right in the document analysis. Many of these changes are driven by technological innovation and translation.

Basic research as a whole saw its share decline, but with interesting shifts in content. Although the topic analysis and mapping identifies basic research topics as a category, there are complementarities across categories. Stem cell research, tissue engineering, and biomechanical factors saw rapid growth and are also present in clinical topics. This also applies to inflammation and diabetes. Animal models for disease are rapidly growing topics consistent with growth of translational research.

An analysis of the countries of authorship of the publications in the emerging clusters of discovery research shows that the USA leads in the number and share of publications (30%+), followed mostly by Germany, or the UK or Italy. However, for the large document cluster on genes and stem cells in 2011–13, the second most productive country is China, contributing 17.5% of the publications in this cluster (Supplementary material online, Figure S3 ).

Interestingly, inflammation, biomarkers, metabolic syndrome, obesity, and lipids are hot topics with growing research output in population, clinical and basic research, indicating integration and crosstalk across the spectrum of cardiovascular research.

Drivers of change

Technology and opportunity-driven scientific interest, but also strategic choices and funding policies are likely to influence trends in research. CardioScape studied public and charity funding in the years 2010–12 and describes major investments in clinical research. Yet the share of publication output globally for clinical research appears to be substantially larger than the share of funding for clinical research reported in CardioScape. This could be explained by clinical research funded by other sources, such as industry or local funding, which are not included in the CardioScape analysis. Also, the present data represent global output. Major research investments in China, and the emphasis on clinical research in the USA, can contribute to some of the global trends.

The slower growth in basic science could reflect a slower growth in investment. This can be absolute or relative towards the increasing costs of advanced research methodology. Another reason could be editorial pressure for more comprehensive papers that may reduce quantity to the benefit of rich content in individual papers.

Finally, growing translational research may blur the boundaries between basic and clinical research and lead to an apparent slower growth in discovery research.

Policy perspectives

Policy development is a forward looking exercise. In health research, medical needs identified by health data and expert opinion, are an important consideration. 27 Past research output helps to identify areas that may need more investment. Research funders also use input from society. 28 When assessing current priorities in cardiovascular research for the Dutch 28 and British 29 Heart Foundations we can see that research into heart failure and arrhythmias are common across their top priorities. Focus on healthy lifestyles is a top priority in the Dutch Heart Foundation as well as in the US vision and strategic agenda. 4 , 5 At the macro-level, the data presented here indicate that some of the main issues presented in these research agendas are actively pursued but others less so.

Study limitations

Limitations of studying research topics have been addressed in the bibliometric field. 8 The reliance of expert input is a limitation and potential source of bias that we tried to minimize by using mixed panels.

The current approach was not sufficiently granular to extract recent emerging topics that contain a limited number of documents. In addition, publication output is somewhat delayed vs. actual research and experts may be aware of ongoing research with still limited output. In this case, the method and dataset can be used to interrogate about specific developments (see Supplementary material online , Table S3 for data on micro-RNA and personalized medicine).

As the data set ends in 2013, very recent developments are not covered. This relates to the methodological complexity. Web of Science data including 2014 references were available mid-2015, the cardiovascular publications dataset was complete in 2016 and algorithms for analysis including re-iterative expert review required another 18 months. A similar time lag is seen in other studies that rely on data mining and processing. 9 Congress abstracts could be considered as a source to identify emerging topics but have several limitations. They are of a different nature than papers and the scope of a congress shapes content of selected abstracts. We provide a complementary survey of 3000 abstracts from the 2018 congress of the European Society of Cardiology, illustrating the strong presence of clinical research at this event, within the topics of Clusters 1 and 3–7 of Table  2 ( Supplementary material online , Figure S4 ). Two emerging topics were cardio-oncology and digital health, each representing however <25 abstracts.

In the present analysis, quality and impact of studies in a particular domain were not evaluated, though highly cited papers were part of the cluster identification. In their analysis of poorly cited papers covering 165 000 papers in 1997–2008, Ranasinghe et al . 30 noted the highest percentage of poorly cited papers in the clinical and population research category. Nevertheless, as they and others 31 have noted, citations are not the only parameter to assess impact, in particular in clinical medicine.

Conclusions

Identification of leading research topics and trends illustrates the emphasis on improving clinical medicine, and the growing interest in risk stratification and preventive medicine. Translation and innovation redefine cardiovascular research. Linking the present data with the insights of the professional community and of funders and society, may contribute to the building of a future research roadmap.

Supplementary Material

Ehz282_supplementary_data, acknowledgements.

The authors thank to the following experts for their review of the text fragments and input into the names of the topics: Dr Matthew Amoni, Dr Peter Haemers, Prof Sian Harding, Dr Frederik Helsen, Prof Gerd Heusch, Prof Tatiana Kuznetsova, Prof Tobias Op‘t Hof, Prof Frank Rademakers, Dr Sander Trenson, Dr Bert Vandenberk, and Dr Maarten Vanhaverbeke.

D.G. had a PhD Fellowship through KU Leuven.

Conflict of interest: K.R.S. is Past Editor-in-Chief of Cardiovascular Research (2013–17). W.G. is Editor-in-Chief of Scientometrics .

12 emerging trends for 2024

In 2024, psychology will play a major role in pointing the way toward a healthier, more just society

2024 will be a pivotal year for psychology. The U.S. presidential campaign, already infected with misinformation, needs psychological science’s debunking and prebunking strategies. Generative artificial intelligence—unleashed upon society with few guardrails—will desperately require social science insights as it progresses along its exciting and uncertain trajectory.

The ongoing crisis in mental health care access, the trauma for women and LGBTQ+ individuals whose bodily autonomy is threatened by ongoing legislation, and the backlash against racial equity work present unprecedented challenges and opportunities over the next year. There is hope though as mental health technology enters a second wave of investment, clinicians continue to innovate to reach more patients, new strategies to end addiction make promising headway, and neuroscience helps us to discover ways to protect brain health and treat brutal afflictions like Alzheimer’s.

Join us in exploring these 12 trends.

This election year, fighting misinformation is messier and more important than ever

Psychologists are using science communication to set the record straight. But it's ugly out there.

What psychologists need to know about the evolution of generative AI

Psychologists are exploring how this new technology can simplify or amplify their efforts—and leading the charge to bring behavioral insights into the creation and deployment of generative AI tools.

Higher education is struggling. Psychologists are navigating its uncertain future

Policymakers are taking aim at women and LGBTQ+ individuals

Psychologists persevere in EDI work despite growing backlash against racial equity efforts

More than three years after pledges to increase racial diversity, the story on the ground is far less optimistic than many had hoped.

Mental health care is in high demand. Here’s how psychologists are leveraging technology and their peers to meet the need

Amid a shortage of mental health providers, digital therapeutics could play an important role in providing support for underserved communities.

What do people really want in their work? Meaning and stability

Widespread volatility is strengthening employee resolve to advocate for security, purpose, and well-being on the job.

Psychologists are innovating to tackle substance use by building new alliances in treatment efforts

New interventions are improving chances of recovery from addictions.

There’s a strong push for more school psychologists

A combination of pre-existing shortages and a rise in school stressors has led to a major effort to train and hire more mental health professionals for school settings.

Monetizing mental health is harder than it looks

After several years of rapid growth of mental health technology companies, a slew of high-profile layoffs and ethical breaches are spurring better clinical and business practices.

What’s ahead for clinical practice?

As telehealth settles into a new normal, new policies around reimbursement and data privacy are still being hammered out.

Psychology is improving brain health and aging

Researchers are developing new interventions that can help prevent, identify, and manage cognitive decline.

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Research Topics & Ideas: Education

170+ Research Ideas To Fast-Track Your Project

If you’re just starting out exploring education-related topics for your dissertation, thesis or research project, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’ll help kickstart your research topic ideation process by providing a hearty list of research topics and ideas , including examples from actual dissertations and theses..

PS – This is just the start…

We know it’s exciting to run through a list of research topics, but please keep in mind that this list is just a starting point . To develop a suitable education-related research topic, you’ll need to identify a clear and convincing research gap , and a viable plan of action to fill that gap.

If this sounds foreign to you, check out our free research topic webinar that explores how to find and refine a high-quality research topic, from scratch. Alternatively, if you’d like hands-on help, consider our 1-on-1 coaching service .

Overview: Education Research Topics

• How to find a research topic (video)
• List of 50+ education-related research topics/ideas
• List of 120+ level-specific research topics 
• Examples of actual dissertation topics in education
• Tips to fast-track your topic ideation (video)
• Free Webinar : Topic Ideation 101
• Where to get extra help

Education-Related Research Topics & Ideas

Below you’ll find a list of education-related research topics and idea kickstarters. These are fairly broad and flexible to various contexts, so keep in mind that you will need to refine them a little. Nevertheless, they should inspire some ideas for your project.

• The impact of school funding on student achievement
• The effects of social and emotional learning on student well-being
• The effects of parental involvement on student behaviour
• The impact of teacher training on student learning
• The impact of classroom design on student learning
• The impact of poverty on education
• The use of student data to inform instruction
• The role of parental involvement in education
• The effects of mindfulness practices in the classroom
• The use of technology in the classroom
• The role of critical thinking in education
• The use of formative and summative assessments in the classroom
• The use of differentiated instruction in the classroom
• The use of gamification in education
• The effects of teacher burnout on student learning
• The impact of school leadership on student achievement
• The effects of teacher diversity on student outcomes
• The role of teacher collaboration in improving student outcomes
• The implementation of blended and online learning
• The effects of teacher accountability on student achievement
• The effects of standardized testing on student learning
• The effects of classroom management on student behaviour
• The effects of school culture on student achievement
• The use of student-centred learning in the classroom
• The impact of teacher-student relationships on student outcomes
• The achievement gap in minority and low-income students
• The use of culturally responsive teaching in the classroom
• The impact of teacher professional development on student learning
• The use of project-based learning in the classroom
• The effects of teacher expectations on student achievement
• The use of adaptive learning technology in the classroom
• The impact of teacher turnover on student learning
• The effects of teacher recruitment and retention on student learning
• The impact of early childhood education on later academic success
• The impact of parental involvement on student engagement
• The use of positive reinforcement in education
• The impact of school climate on student engagement
• The role of STEM education in preparing students for the workforce
• The effects of school choice on student achievement
• The use of technology in the form of online tutoring

Level-Specific Research Topics

Looking for research topics for a specific level of education? We’ve got you covered. Below you can find research topic ideas for primary, secondary and tertiary-level education contexts. Click the relevant level to view the respective list.

Research Topics: Pick An Education Level

Primary education.

• Investigating the effects of peer tutoring on academic achievement in primary school
• Exploring the benefits of mindfulness practices in primary school classrooms
• Examining the effects of different teaching strategies on primary school students’ problem-solving skills
• The use of storytelling as a teaching strategy in primary school literacy instruction
• The role of cultural diversity in promoting tolerance and understanding in primary schools
• The impact of character education programs on moral development in primary school students
• Investigating the use of technology in enhancing primary school mathematics education
• The impact of inclusive curriculum on promoting equity and diversity in primary schools
• The impact of outdoor education programs on environmental awareness in primary school students
• The influence of school climate on student motivation and engagement in primary schools
• Investigating the effects of early literacy interventions on reading comprehension in primary school students
• The impact of parental involvement in school decision-making processes on student achievement in primary schools
• Exploring the benefits of inclusive education for students with special needs in primary schools
• Investigating the effects of teacher-student feedback on academic motivation in primary schools
• The role of technology in developing digital literacy skills in primary school students
• Effective strategies for fostering a growth mindset in primary school students
• Investigating the role of parental support in reducing academic stress in primary school children
• The role of arts education in fostering creativity and self-expression in primary school students
• Examining the effects of early childhood education programs on primary school readiness
• Examining the effects of homework on primary school students’ academic performance
• The role of formative assessment in improving learning outcomes in primary school classrooms
• The impact of teacher-student relationships on academic outcomes in primary school
• Investigating the effects of classroom environment on student behavior and learning outcomes in primary schools
• Investigating the role of creativity and imagination in primary school curriculum
• The impact of nutrition and healthy eating programs on academic performance in primary schools
• The impact of social-emotional learning programs on primary school students’ well-being and academic performance
• The role of parental involvement in academic achievement of primary school children
• Examining the effects of classroom management strategies on student behavior in primary school
• The role of school leadership in creating a positive school climate Exploring the benefits of bilingual education in primary schools
• The effectiveness of project-based learning in developing critical thinking skills in primary school students
• The role of inquiry-based learning in fostering curiosity and critical thinking in primary school students
• The effects of class size on student engagement and achievement in primary schools
• Investigating the effects of recess and physical activity breaks on attention and learning in primary school
• Exploring the benefits of outdoor play in developing gross motor skills in primary school children
• The effects of educational field trips on knowledge retention in primary school students
• Examining the effects of inclusive classroom practices on students’ attitudes towards diversity in primary schools
• The impact of parental involvement in homework on primary school students’ academic achievement
• Investigating the effectiveness of different assessment methods in primary school classrooms
• The influence of physical activity and exercise on cognitive development in primary school children
• Exploring the benefits of cooperative learning in promoting social skills in primary school students

Secondary Education

• Investigating the effects of school discipline policies on student behavior and academic success in secondary education
• The role of social media in enhancing communication and collaboration among secondary school students
• The impact of school leadership on teacher effectiveness and student outcomes in secondary schools
• Investigating the effects of technology integration on teaching and learning in secondary education
• Exploring the benefits of interdisciplinary instruction in promoting critical thinking skills in secondary schools
• The impact of arts education on creativity and self-expression in secondary school students
• The effectiveness of flipped classrooms in promoting student learning in secondary education
• The role of career guidance programs in preparing secondary school students for future employment
• Investigating the effects of student-centered learning approaches on student autonomy and academic success in secondary schools
• The impact of socio-economic factors on educational attainment in secondary education
• Investigating the impact of project-based learning on student engagement and academic achievement in secondary schools
• Investigating the effects of multicultural education on cultural understanding and tolerance in secondary schools
• The influence of standardized testing on teaching practices and student learning in secondary education
• Investigating the effects of classroom management strategies on student behavior and academic engagement in secondary education
• The influence of teacher professional development on instructional practices and student outcomes in secondary schools
• The role of extracurricular activities in promoting holistic development and well-roundedness in secondary school students
• Investigating the effects of blended learning models on student engagement and achievement in secondary education
• The role of physical education in promoting physical health and well-being among secondary school students
• Investigating the effects of gender on academic achievement and career aspirations in secondary education
• Exploring the benefits of multicultural literature in promoting cultural awareness and empathy among secondary school students
• The impact of school counseling services on student mental health and well-being in secondary schools
• Exploring the benefits of vocational education and training in preparing secondary school students for the workforce
• The role of digital literacy in preparing secondary school students for the digital age
• The influence of parental involvement on academic success and well-being of secondary school students
• The impact of social-emotional learning programs on secondary school students’ well-being and academic success
• The role of character education in fostering ethical and responsible behavior in secondary school students
• Examining the effects of digital citizenship education on responsible and ethical technology use among secondary school students
• The impact of parental involvement in school decision-making processes on student outcomes in secondary schools
• The role of educational technology in promoting personalized learning experiences in secondary schools
• The impact of inclusive education on the social and academic outcomes of students with disabilities in secondary schools
• The influence of parental support on academic motivation and achievement in secondary education
• The role of school climate in promoting positive behavior and well-being among secondary school students
• Examining the effects of peer mentoring programs on academic achievement and social-emotional development in secondary schools
• Examining the effects of teacher-student relationships on student motivation and achievement in secondary schools
• Exploring the benefits of service-learning programs in promoting civic engagement among secondary school students
• The impact of educational policies on educational equity and access in secondary education
• Examining the effects of homework on academic achievement and student well-being in secondary education
• Investigating the effects of different assessment methods on student performance in secondary schools
• Examining the effects of single-sex education on academic performance and gender stereotypes in secondary schools
• The role of mentoring programs in supporting the transition from secondary to post-secondary education

Tertiary Education

• The role of student support services in promoting academic success and well-being in higher education
• The impact of internationalization initiatives on students’ intercultural competence and global perspectives in tertiary education
• Investigating the effects of active learning classrooms and learning spaces on student engagement and learning outcomes in tertiary education
• Exploring the benefits of service-learning experiences in fostering civic engagement and social responsibility in higher education
• The influence of learning communities and collaborative learning environments on student academic and social integration in higher education
• Exploring the benefits of undergraduate research experiences in fostering critical thinking and scientific inquiry skills
• Investigating the effects of academic advising and mentoring on student retention and degree completion in higher education
• The role of student engagement and involvement in co-curricular activities on holistic student development in higher education
• The impact of multicultural education on fostering cultural competence and diversity appreciation in higher education
• The role of internships and work-integrated learning experiences in enhancing students’ employability and career outcomes
• Examining the effects of assessment and feedback practices on student learning and academic achievement in tertiary education
• The influence of faculty professional development on instructional practices and student outcomes in tertiary education
• The influence of faculty-student relationships on student success and well-being in tertiary education
• The impact of college transition programs on students’ academic and social adjustment to higher education
• The impact of online learning platforms on student learning outcomes in higher education
• The impact of financial aid and scholarships on access and persistence in higher education
• The influence of student leadership and involvement in extracurricular activities on personal development and campus engagement
• Exploring the benefits of competency-based education in developing job-specific skills in tertiary students
• Examining the effects of flipped classroom models on student learning and retention in higher education
• Exploring the benefits of online collaboration and virtual team projects in developing teamwork skills in tertiary students
• Investigating the effects of diversity and inclusion initiatives on campus climate and student experiences in tertiary education
• The influence of study abroad programs on intercultural competence and global perspectives of college students
• Investigating the effects of peer mentoring and tutoring programs on student retention and academic performance in tertiary education
• Investigating the effectiveness of active learning strategies in promoting student engagement and achievement in tertiary education
• Investigating the effects of blended learning models and hybrid courses on student learning and satisfaction in higher education
• The role of digital literacy and information literacy skills in supporting student success in the digital age
• Investigating the effects of experiential learning opportunities on career readiness and employability of college students
• The impact of e-portfolios on student reflection, self-assessment, and showcasing of learning in higher education
• The role of technology in enhancing collaborative learning experiences in tertiary classrooms
• The impact of research opportunities on undergraduate student engagement and pursuit of advanced degrees
• Examining the effects of competency-based assessment on measuring student learning and achievement in tertiary education
• Examining the effects of interdisciplinary programs and courses on critical thinking and problem-solving skills in college students
• The role of inclusive education and accessibility in promoting equitable learning experiences for diverse student populations
• The role of career counseling and guidance in supporting students’ career decision-making in tertiary education
• The influence of faculty diversity and representation on student success and inclusive learning environments in higher education

Education-Related Dissertations & Theses

While the ideas we’ve presented above are a decent starting point for finding a research topic in education, they are fairly generic and non-specific. So, it helps to look at actual dissertations and theses in the education space to see how this all comes together in practice.

Below, we’ve included a selection of education-related research projects to help refine your thinking. These are actual dissertations and theses, written as part of Master’s and PhD-level programs, so they can provide some useful insight as to what a research topic looks like in practice.

• From Rural to Urban: Education Conditions of Migrant Children in China (Wang, 2019)
• Energy Renovation While Learning English: A Guidebook for Elementary ESL Teachers (Yang, 2019)
• A Reanalyses of Intercorrelational Matrices of Visual and Verbal Learners’ Abilities, Cognitive Styles, and Learning Preferences (Fox, 2020)
• A study of the elementary math program utilized by a mid-Missouri school district (Barabas, 2020)
• Instructor formative assessment practices in virtual learning environments : a posthumanist sociomaterial perspective (Burcks, 2019)
• Higher education students services: a qualitative study of two mid-size universities’ direct exchange programs (Kinde, 2020)
• Exploring editorial leadership : a qualitative study of scholastic journalism advisers teaching leadership in Missouri secondary schools (Lewis, 2020)
• Selling the virtual university: a multimodal discourse analysis of marketing for online learning (Ludwig, 2020)
• Advocacy and accountability in school counselling: assessing the use of data as related to professional self-efficacy (Matthews, 2020)
• The use of an application screening assessment as a predictor of teaching retention at a midwestern, K-12, public school district (Scarbrough, 2020)
• Core values driving sustained elite performance cultures (Beiner, 2020)
• Educative features of upper elementary Eureka math curriculum (Dwiggins, 2020)
• How female principals nurture adult learning opportunities in successful high schools with challenging student demographics (Woodward, 2020)
• The disproportionality of Black Males in Special Education: A Case Study Analysis of Educator Perceptions in a Southeastern Urban High School (McCrae, 2021)

As you can see, these research topics are a lot more focused than the generic topic ideas we presented earlier. So, in order for you to develop a high-quality research topic, you’ll need to get specific and laser-focused on a specific context with specific variables of interest.  In the video below, we explore some other important things you’ll need to consider when crafting your research topic.

Get 1-On-1 Help

If you’re still unsure about how to find a quality research topic within education, check out our Research Topic Kickstarter service, which is the perfect starting point for developing a unique, well-justified research topic.

68 Comments

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In the field of curriculum any ideas of a research topic on deconalization in contextualization of digital teaching and learning through in higher education

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I am a graduate with two masters. 1) Master of arts in religious studies and 2) Master in education in foundations of education. I intend to do a Ph.D. on my second master’s, however, I need to bring both masters together through my Ph.D. research. can I do something like, ” The contribution of Philosophy of education for a quality religion education in Kenya”? kindly, assist and be free to suggest a similar topic that will bring together the two masters. thanks in advance

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The Top Ten Research Topics / Research Trends 2019-2020

Blog, Oxford Review

A look at the latest (people and organisations) research topics and research volumes for 2019 – 2020,

Most popular research topics 2019 – 2020

2019 – 2020 research volumes, commentary and notes: , evidence-based practice, explanations, what is the difference and what is this telling us, academic – practitioner gap and the time it takes for research to enter practice, leadership and management, knowledge management and organisational learning, innovation, open innovation, change and continuity, the generations in the workspace, concluding remarks.

Looking at our own stats and research volumes, the top 10 most popular research topics covered this year have been:

• Organisational culture and climate (by far the most searched for topics)
• Human Resource Cycles and models
• Open innovation
• Organisational commitment and engagement
• Absorptive capacity and organisational learning
• Phronesis and wisdom in organisations
• Openness to change
• Generations in the workplace

In terms of published research volume, the top ten (bearing in mind that we only include here research papers within our interest area of people and organisations).  You will notice that the sub items do not add up to the main research topics. The subitems represent allied research topics and are not subsets of the main topic. For example, research-based practice and learning trends are not primary research areas we cover all the time.

• Research based practice 141,000
• Evidence-based management – 76,800
• Evidence based implementation – 61,000
• Evidence-based leadership – 41,900
• Management style – 90,700
• Management strategy – 78,500
• Management trends 75,200
• Knowledge management – 116,000
• Open innovation 99,100
• Human Resources model – 24,400
• Human Resources cycle – 13,300
• Employee engagement – 25,900
• Leadership trends – 20,300
• Transformational leadership – 17,400
• Servant leadership – 10,200
• Organisational performance – 55,100
• Organisational culture – 41,100
• Organisational strategy – 41,100
• Organisational structure – 38,200
• Organisational climate – 32,300
• Organisation trends 19,300
• Organisational adaptation – 18,700
• Organisational engagement – 16,500
• Organisational citizenship – 7,220
• Generation X – 102,000
• Generation Z – 92,400
• Generation Y – 85,300
• Generations in the workplace – 10,400
• Positive organisational psychology – 21,900
• Positive organisational scholarship – 18,400
• Learning trends – 55,700
• Absorptive capacity – 8,760

There are some interesting observations and notes to be made about these two lists. The first list is based on the popularity / interest and search volumes of topics we have covered in the review.

The second list is based on research volumes or approximate numbers of papers published on a topic.

The first thing to note is that the issues people are interested in and the research volumes aren’t too far apart, but there are a few big differences.

Whilst scholars publish the most around evidence-based practice in terms of research volume, the interest from organisations is somewhat more muted. The world-wide search volume for evidence-based practice has remained constant:

In the US there has been a slight increase in interest (search volume) over the years :

In the UK search volumes have been pretty steady, which is largely the same picture in Australia, Germany, The Netherlands and just about every other country over the last 10 years.

There are a number of explanations here for this year’s research volumes. The first is that evidence-based practitioners, because they are close to the research evidence, appear to be significantly more likely to publish evaluations and other practitioner-focused materials in peer reviewed journals (as opposed to most of the published research being conducted largely by academics) than almost any other form of practitioner, thus boosting the publication figures.

The second observation, which ties in with the first assumption, is the relatively high numbers of papers looking at evidence-based practice implementation and management.

What is interesting is that the publications on research-based practice firstly exceed those of evidence-based practice (141,000 papers this year v 126,000 for EBP) and secondly the publication of papers around implementation and management of these practices is really telling.

Firstly, whilst the two terms are frequently confused and used interchangeably, there is a big difference between research and evidence-based practice in terms of complexity. Research-based practice is based on using research to inform practice. Evidence-based practice, on the other hand, involves a systematic analysis of what the:

• Research literature
• Practitioner experience and expertise
• Client requirements / needs
• Work based knowledge and testing

tell us about the situation. All of this data is then used for decision-making and problem solving.

A number of commentators and research papers (which we cover frequently in our briefings) have shown that there is often a considerable gap between academic / university derived knowledge and practice on the ground floor or in any community [i] . Also, that academic / university derived knowledge and models tend not very often to be readily translated into practical and operational settings, in many areas of work or practice [ii] . Indeed, recent studies [iii] have shown that the time it takes for academic research to enter practice spans from an average of between 9 to17 years, and often even longer!

The research volumes appear to reflect the relative complexity and difficulty of implementing evidence-based practice compared to research-based practice.

There is quite a difference between the volumes of management and leadership research.   Management research = 122,000 papers in 2019 vs leadership research = 69,000 papers. That equates to 334 papers a day being published around management and 189 papers a day being published around leadership topics!

This is a ratio of roughly of 2:1 research papers being published in management: leadership fields.

This difference in research interest is mirrored in search volumes on Google (not research related):

The red lines and volumes relate to management related searches over 2019 and the blue to leadership.

The search volume ratios for management and leadership are more like 4:1

In terms of management and leadership developers on LinkedIn we have:

For people with management development in their title 45.6 million people

For people with leadership development in their title 23.6 million people

Which is a rough ratio of 2:1

We have the same rough ratios of research output and people engaged in the development of managers and leaders (2:1), but this does not relate to actual public interest levels of the two topics (4:1).

Last year we published a briefing about how knowledge management was splitting from the learning domain within organisations and was not, largely (and bizarrely), being seen as part of the same process. In 2019 I tried to conduct a survey of organisational learning practitioners, managers and directors etc. Very few were willing to engage on the topic of knowledge management. This low return rate was the highest I have ever experienced.

It would appear that learning practitioners are not routinely involved in knowledge management, nor is knowledge management being seen as a learning issue. The research volumes also back this up with approximately 317 research papers a day (116,000 a year) being published about knowledge management and only 70 papers a day being published about topics connected to organisational learning (25,500).

Part of the issue appears to be that knowledge management is often being seen in organisations as a technology issue and learning often isn’t.

Innovation (93,000 papers in 2019) and open innovation – 66,500 papers, continue to be hot research topics last year. This is not surprising, given the evidence of increasing levels of competitiveness, market and social volatility and uncertainty. And yet, research levels looking at organisational ambidexterity (how to manage innovation / change and continuing operations / business / continuity at the same time) are relatively low at 2,500 papers in 2019. It could be that organisations don’t quite see (or are not quite thinking about) the challenges involved in continuity and change.

Given the above research volumes, it may come as a surprise to many practitioners that research around organisational change, on its own, was only around 37,500 papers in 2019 and business continuity about 21,900 research papers.

Something interesting is happening here. When we look at the Google search volumes, we see a world obsessed with innovation:

When we remove the issue of innovation …

It looks like people aren’t connecting innovation, change and continuity and how to manage and deal with these often-competing issues, especially in our organisations.

There are relatively high levels of research and public interest in generations in the workplace.

This is despite a lot of good research (and research briefings and special reports we have published) and systematic reviews showing that there is really not much difference between the generations as such. The issues are maturity issues, rather than there being some fundamental difference between generations. Its maturational not generational. However, why let a good story and popular understanding get in the way of the facts!

In terms of work (53,100) and organisational psychology (47,500) the research numbers are looking pretty even for last year (2019) and mirror public interest in these topics:

But are eclipsed by interest in topics like management:

It has been a busy year. Currently there are approximately 105,000 research papers published every day around the world (up from 97,000 papers a day in 2018)!  This rate of increase is about 9% per year per year, which is a not unreasonable heuristic for the rate of change.

In our areas of people and organisations we get to see about 200 papers a day. We use 3 sets of criteria for working out what to translate out of “academic” into “human”:

• That the research looks like reasonable (valid and reliable) research
• That the topic is of interest to our members
• That the research is saying something new and not just a re-validation of older studies

From that 200 approximately 65% are rejected on research quality grounds. This is usually either because:

• The research methods or results appear to be dubious or the wrong method was used.
• We can’t see how they have obtained their results.
• There is little connection between the data and the reported findings.
• There is no data to support the findings.

The desire and motivation to publish papers often exceeds the desire for rigour and science! Just because it’s in a peer reviewed paper doesn’t mean it is either correct or accurate.

We keep in pretty close contact with our members and have a pretty good handle on what they are working on / are interested in.

Lastly, looking forward, we will continue to be guided by our ever growing numbers of members, who are almost entirely evidence-based practitioners and experts in their field, either working in organisations or are active consultants, advisors, coaches and other professionals. About 5% of our members are academics, the rest are practitioners, authors and doers.

I hope this review is useful and interesting and I wish you a very happy and productive 2020.

David Wilkinson – Editor

January 1st 2020

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Glasgow, R. E., & Emmons, K. M. (2007). How can we increase translation of research into practice? Types of evidence needed. Annu. Rev. Public Health, 28, 413-433.

Dingfelder, H. E., & Mandell, D. S. (2011). Bridging the research-to-practice gap in autism intervention: An application of diffusion of innovation theory. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 41(5), 597-609.

Green, L. W. (2008). Making research relevant: if it is an evidence-based practice, where’s the practice-based evidence? Family practice, 25(suppl_1), i20-i24.

Balas, E. A., & Boren, S. A. (2000). Managing clinical knowledge for health care improvement. Yearbook of medical informatics, 9(01), 65-70.

Locke, J., Rotheram-Fuller, E., Harker, C., Kasari, C., & Mandell, D. S. (2019). Comparing a Practice-Based Model with a Research-Based Model of social skills interventions for children with autism in schools. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 62, 10-17.

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Bristol Medical Education Research Group

Group run by academics from University of Bristol Medical School with an interest in Medical Education Research. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not of Bristol Medical School or the University.

Hot Topics: Medical Education Research – Why, How, Why and What

In the next of our hot topic blogs, Dr Fiona Holmes from our BMERG committee talks about what actually defines a ‘Hot topic’ in Medical Education, and the importance of thinking about why and how we find out about what’s new and upcoming in our discipline.

While I was thinking about what to discuss, I realised that what I think is a hot topic might be just lukewarm to other people. We are all driven by different interests, experiences, and priorities.

In the hope of finding relevant and interesting subjects I started by looking into why a topic is hot, how they are identified and why this is important (which links back to why a topic is hot). This led me to what main areas of medical education are currently widely considered to be hot, and we look forward to exploring some of these in more depth in future hot topic blogs.

Why are topics considered ‘hot’?

Hot topics are influenced by various social and cultural contexts and needs, and may be hot because they are:

• Controversial

Within medical education, and by extension pedagogical research in this field, there are a wide range of factors that have been identified to contribute to hotness:

• Advancements in knowledge and technology: It has been estimated that new medical information doubles every 73 days. What and how to teach and the evaluation of learning needs to keep pace with these developments. How to prepare students to deal with such rapid developments and to be life-long learners is also a priority. Advances in technology for teaching and learning as well as the practice of medicine are transforming healthcare and its education. Adapting education to these technological changes will ensure future healthcare professionals are prepared to utilise these tools effectively.
• Patient-centred care: With ever-changing healthcare needs and demographics, education research is needed to address the teaching of emerging health concerns, population health management, and the needs of diverse patient populations. This is twinned with a need for more consideration of patients’ values, preferences, and needs when making healthcare decisions therefore effective education in communication skills, empathy, cultural competence, and shared decision-making.
• Interprofessional collaboration: Effective co-training of different healthcare professionals to foster teamwork skills to prepare students for collaborative healthcare environments.
• Accreditation, regulation, stakeholder input: Accreditation bodies and regulatory agencies may revise guidelines to promote quality, safety, and innovation in medical education, prompting educational institutions to adapt their curricula accordingly. Such changes can drive research in this area. Likewise, public expectations, patient advocacy, and input from stakeholders (e.g., healthcare providers, patients, policymakers) play a role in shaping medical education and its research. These can influence curriculum content, teaching methods, and the overall educational experience.
• Global health and environmental challenges: Global health issues, such as pandemics, emerging infectious diseases, health disparities, as well as environmental contexts highlight the need for a globally competent healthcare workforce. Medical education is addressing these challenges by incorporating global health content, cross-cultural training, and exposure to international healthcare systems.

Then of course there is medical education research itself and the innovation and design that comes with sharing evidence-based practice. This contributes to the evolution of medical education by identifying effective teaching methods, assessment tools, and strategies for continued professional development and aiming to ensure that innovation is beneficial.

How do hot topics get identified and become ‘hot’?

You may initially think that hot topics are simply those that are most prevalent in the current medical education journals, and this may well be true. Most things move in cycles and there are often trends for the types of issues that we see and trends in the solutions implemented. But, when you think about it, how do we find out what is prevalent or ‘trending’ at any given time?

There are number of ways to identify recurring themes, emerging topics and changes in research focus and involve both quantitative and qualitative research methods, and there is some overlap in the methods used. Examples include:

• Literature review:  The systematic search, selection, and evaluation of relevant studies.
• Bibliometric analysis: Analysis of publication and citation patterns over time to provide insight into the volume of research, popular topics, influential authors, and collaborations within the field.
• Content analysis: Systematically categorise and analyse the content of research articles, conference proceedings to identify patterns and trends in research articles, social media discussions and online forums.
• Surveys/questionnaires: Analysis of perceptions and attitudes of educational practices and emerging trends.
• Interviews/focus groups: In-depth exploration of topics and contextual information.

Let’s look at an example:

Ji et al (2018) used social network analysis to identify changing trends in medical education and interpreted their findings to suggest 5 eras of medical education:

They determined that “ during the 53-year period studied, medical education research has been subdivided and has expanded, improved, and changed along with shifts in society’s needs .” By analysing the trends they determined that medical education is forming a sense of the ‘voluntary order’ within the field and establishing legitimacy and originality. ( Ji et al (2018) Research topics and trends in medical education by social network analysis | BMC Medical Education | Full Text (biomedcentral.com) ).

So, why do we need to know about hot topics?

Hot topic research is important to ensure that medical education remains dynamic, responsive, and aligned with the evolving demands of the healthcare field and the needs of the learner. It supports the continuous improvement of medical education, leading to better-prepared healthcare professionals and ultimately improved patient outcomes.

Identifying hot topics helps time-limited researchers and educators stay informed about the latest trends, innovations, and challenges in medical knowledge, education and assessment practices to enhance teaching and learning methods, and to focus efforts on areas that require attention. This can then inform curriculum development and promote evidence-based practices.

Sharing hot topic research also helps to foster collaboration and networking among those with shared interests, leading to the exchange of ideas and development of research networks. As this grows, this helps institutions and funders prioritise and allocate resources by identifying areas of high research interest and impact. This is particularly important in identifying areas of medical education that are under-researched or require further attention.

What is hot right now?

Here are 8 of the hottest topics currently shaping medical education research in 2023:

Technology in education : Virtual (VR) and augmented reality (AR). Digital tools to engage with, filter and disseminate information that are interactive, efficient, and individualised.

Experiential and simulation-based learning : Through VR and AR, standardised patients, manikins, clinical scenarios to allow students to practice complex procedures and decision-making in a safe and controlled environment, improving their skills, confidence and safety.

Interdisciplinary education and team-based learning : Students from various healthcare disciplines learn about, from and with each other collaboratively. Case-based discussions and interprofessional simulations and debriefing, allow students to develop the skills needed to function in teams. It improves patient outcomes and enhances healthcare delivery and professional satisfaction by encouraging mutual respect, understanding, and effective communication.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion : Recruitment and retention of students from diverse backgrounds so that the healthcare profession better represents the patient population. Educating students in culturally appropriate care practices and social determinants of health. Learning environments to promote respect for diverse perspectives and equality of opportunities.

Competency-based education : Teaching and assessing ability to perform specific tasks and skills rather than relying solely on traditional exams to ensure proficiency in essential competencies required for clinical practice.

Biopsychosocial education : Effective teaching and learning to provide a more holistic, ethical and comprehensive approach to patient case.

Wellness and resilience : Self-care, stress management, and mental health support approaches such as mindfulness and peer support networks. Curriculum reform, including flexible scheduling, reducing workload and modifying assessment practices to create a healthier learning environment and promote a culture of empathy and compassion in healthcare.

Data-driven and evidence-based medicine : Education in critical appraisal of biomedical literature, interpret research findings, and apply evidence-based practices in clinical decision-making.

So, I hope it is interesting to consider why we should know the hot topics for research and identify topics that are warming up so that we can strive towards thoroughness in medical education research. We look forward to sharing more hot topics through the BMERG blog.

“Medical education is not just a program for building knowledge and skills in its recipients… it is also an experience which creates attitudes and expectations.” Abraham Flexner

You can also check out Grace’s recent hot topic blog on Reflexive Thematic Analysis here

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Exploring 250+ Machine Learning Research Topics

In recent years, machine learning has become super popular and grown very quickly. This happened because technology got better, and there’s a lot more data available. Because of this, we’ve seen lots of new and amazing things happen in different areas. Machine learning research is what makes all these cool things possible. In this blog, we’ll talk about machine learning research topics, why they’re important, how you can pick one, what areas are popular to study, what’s new and exciting, the tough problems, and where you can find help if you want to be a researcher.

Why Does Machine Learning Research Matter?

Table of Contents

Machine learning research is at the heart of the AI revolution. It underpins the development of intelligent systems capable of making predictions, automating tasks, and improving decision-making across industries. The importance of this research can be summarized as follows:

Advancements in Technology

The growth of machine learning research has led to the development of powerful algorithms, tools, and frameworks. Numerous industries, including healthcare, banking, autonomous cars, and natural language processing, have found use for these technology.

As researchers continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible, we can expect even more transformative technologies to emerge.

Real-world Applications

Machine learning research has brought about tangible changes in our daily lives. Voice assistants like Siri and Alexa, recommendation systems on streaming platforms, and personalized healthcare diagnostics are just a few examples of how this research impacts our world. 

By working on new research topics, scientists can further refine these applications and create new ones.

Economic and Industrial Impacts

The economic implications of machine learning research are substantial. Companies that harness the power of machine learning gain a competitive edge in the market. 

This creates a demand for skilled machine learning researchers, driving job opportunities and contributing to economic growth.

How to Choose the Machine Learning Research Topics?

Selecting the right machine learning research topics is crucial for your success as a machine learning researcher. Here’s a guide to help you make an informed decision:

• Understanding Your Interests

Start by considering your personal interests. Machine learning is a broad field with applications in virtually every sector. By choosing a topic that aligns with your passions, you’ll stay motivated and engaged throughout your research journey.

• Reviewing Current Trends

Stay updated on the latest trends in machine learning. Attend conferences, read research papers, and engage with the community to identify emerging research topics. Current trends often lead to exciting breakthroughs.

• Identifying Gaps in Existing Research

Sometimes, the most promising research topics involve addressing gaps in existing knowledge. These gaps may become evident through your own experiences, discussions with peers, or in the course of your studies.

• Collaborating with Experts

Collaboration is key in research. Working with experts in the field can help you refine your research topic and gain valuable insights. Seek mentors and collaborators who can guide you.

250+ Machine Learning Research Topics: Category-wise

Supervised learning.

• Explainable AI for Decision Support
• Few-shot Learning Methods
• Time Series Forecasting with Deep Learning
• Handling Imbalanced Datasets in Classification
• Regression Techniques for Non-linear Data
• Transfer Learning in Supervised Settings
• Multi-label Classification Strategies
• Semi-Supervised Learning Approaches
• Novel Feature Selection Methods
• Anomaly Detection in Supervised Scenarios
• Federated Learning for Distributed Supervised Models
• Ensemble Learning for Improved Accuracy
• Automated Hyperparameter Tuning
• Ethical Implications in Supervised Models
• Interpretability of Deep Neural Networks.

Unsupervised Learning

• Unsupervised Clustering of High-dimensional Data
• Semi-Supervised Clustering Approaches
• Density Estimation in Unsupervised Learning
• Anomaly Detection in Unsupervised Settings
• Transfer Learning for Unsupervised Tasks
• Representation Learning in Unsupervised Learning
• Outlier Detection Techniques
• Generative Models for Data Synthesis
• Manifold Learning in High-dimensional Spaces
• Unsupervised Feature Selection
• Privacy-Preserving Unsupervised Learning
• Community Detection in Complex Networks
• Clustering Interpretability and Visualization
• Unsupervised Learning for Image Segmentation
• Autoencoders for Dimensionality Reduction.

Reinforcement Learning

• Deep Reinforcement Learning in Real-world Applications
• Safe Reinforcement Learning for Autonomous Systems
• Transfer Learning in Reinforcement Learning
• Imitation Learning and Apprenticeship Learning
• Multi-agent Reinforcement Learning
• Explainable Reinforcement Learning Policies
• Hierarchical Reinforcement Learning
• Model-based Reinforcement Learning
• Curriculum Learning in Reinforcement Learning
• Reinforcement Learning in Robotics
• Exploration vs. Exploitation Strategies
• Reward Function Design and Ethical Considerations
• Reinforcement Learning in Healthcare
• Continuous Action Spaces in RL
• Reinforcement Learning for Resource Management.

Natural Language Processing (NLP)

• Multilingual and Cross-lingual NLP
• Contextualized Word Embeddings
• Bias Detection and Mitigation in NLP
• Named Entity Recognition for Low-resource Languages
• Sentiment Analysis in Social Media Text
• Dialogue Systems for Improved Customer Service
• Text Summarization for News Articles
• Low-resource Machine Translation
• Explainable NLP Models
• Coreference Resolution in NLP
• Question Answering in Specific Domains
• Detecting Fake News and Misinformation
• NLP for Healthcare: Clinical Document Understanding
• Emotion Analysis in Text
• Text Generation with Controlled Attributes.

Computer Vision

• Video Action Recognition and Event Detection
• Object Detection in Challenging Conditions (e.g., low light)
• Explainable Computer Vision Models
• Image Captioning for Accessibility
• Large-scale Image Retrieval
• Domain Adaptation in Computer Vision
• Fine-grained Image Classification
• Facial Expression Recognition
• Visual Question Answering
• Self-supervised Learning for Visual Representations
• Weakly Supervised Object Localization
• Human Pose Estimation in 3D
• Scene Understanding in Autonomous Vehicles
• Image Super-resolution
• Gaze Estimation for Human-Computer Interaction.

Deep Learning

• Neural Architecture Search for Efficient Models
• Self-attention Mechanisms and Transformers
• Interpretability in Deep Learning Models
• Robustness of Deep Neural Networks
• Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) for Data Augmentation
• Neural Style Transfer in Art and Design
• Adversarial Attacks and Defenses
• Neural Networks for Audio and Speech Processing
• Explainable AI for Healthcare Diagnosis
• Automated Machine Learning (AutoML)
• Reinforcement Learning with Deep Neural Networks
• Model Compression and Quantization
• Lifelong Learning with Deep Learning Models
• Multimodal Learning with Vision and Language
• Federated Learning for Privacy-preserving Deep Learning.

Explainable AI

• Visualizing Model Decision Boundaries
• Saliency Maps and Feature Attribution
• Rule-based Explanations for Black-box Models
• Contrastive Explanations for Model Interpretability
• Counterfactual Explanations and What-if Analysis
• Human-centered AI for Explainable Healthcare
• Ethics and Fairness in Explainable AI
• Explanation Generation for Natural Language Processing
• Explainable AI in Financial Risk Assessment
• User-friendly Interfaces for Model Interpretability
• Scalability and Efficiency in Explainable Models
• Hybrid Models for Combined Accuracy and Explainability
• Post-hoc vs. Intrinsic Explanations
• Evaluation Metrics for Explanation Quality
• Explainable AI for Autonomous Vehicles.

Transfer Learning

• Zero-shot Learning and Few-shot Learning
• Cross-domain Transfer Learning
• Domain Adaptation for Improved Generalization
• Multilingual Transfer Learning in NLP
• Pretraining and Fine-tuning Techniques
• Lifelong Learning and Continual Learning
• Domain-specific Transfer Learning Applications
• Model Distillation for Knowledge Transfer
• Contrastive Learning for Transfer Learning
• Self-training and Pseudo-labeling
• Dynamic Adaption of Pretrained Models
• Privacy-Preserving Transfer Learning
• Unsupervised Domain Adaptation
• Negative Transfer Avoidance in Transfer Learning.

Federated Learning

• Secure Aggregation in Federated Learning
• Communication-efficient Federated Learning
• Privacy-preserving Techniques in Federated Learning
• Federated Transfer Learning
• Heterogeneous Federated Learning
• Real-world Applications of Federated Learning
• Federated Learning for Edge Devices
• Federated Learning for Healthcare Data
• Differential Privacy in Federated Learning
• Byzantine-robust Federated Learning
• Federated Learning with Non-IID Data
• Model Selection in Federated Learning
• Scalable Federated Learning for Large Datasets
• Client Selection and Sampling Strategies
• Global Model Update Synchronization in Federated Learning.

Quantum Machine Learning

• Quantum Neural Networks and Quantum Circuit Learning
• Quantum-enhanced Optimization for Machine Learning
• Quantum Data Compression and Quantum Principal Component Analysis
• Quantum Kernels and Quantum Feature Maps
• Quantum Variational Autoencoders
• Quantum Transfer Learning
• Quantum-inspired Classical Algorithms for ML
• Hybrid Quantum-Classical Models
• Quantum Machine Learning on Near-term Quantum Devices
• Quantum-inspired Reinforcement Learning
• Quantum Computing for Quantum Chemistry and Drug Discovery
• Quantum Machine Learning for Finance
• Quantum Data Structures and Quantum Databases
• Quantum-enhanced Cryptography in Machine Learning
• Quantum Generative Models and Quantum GANs.

Ethical AI and Bias Mitigation

• Fairness-aware Machine Learning Algorithms
• Bias Detection and Mitigation in Real-world Data
• Explainable AI for Ethical Decision Support
• Algorithmic Accountability and Transparency
• Privacy-preserving AI and Data Governance
• Ethical Considerations in AI for Healthcare
• Fairness in Recommender Systems
• Bias and Fairness in NLP Models
• Auditing AI Systems for Bias
• Societal Implications of AI in Criminal Justice
• Ethical AI Education and Training
• Bias Mitigation in Autonomous Vehicles
• Fair AI in Financial and Hiring Decisions
• Case Studies in Ethical AI Failures
• Legal and Policy Frameworks for Ethical AI.

Meta-Learning and AutoML

• Neural Architecture Search (NAS) for Efficient Models
• Transfer Learning in NAS
• Reinforcement Learning for NAS
• Multi-objective NAS
• Automated Data Augmentation
• Neural Architecture Optimization for Edge Devices
• Bayesian Optimization for AutoML
• Model Compression and Quantization in AutoML
• AutoML for Federated Learning
• AutoML in Healthcare Diagnostics
• Explainable AutoML
• Cost-sensitive Learning in AutoML
• AutoML for Small Data
• Human-in-the-Loop AutoML.

AI for Healthcare and Medicine

• Disease Prediction and Early Diagnosis
• Medical Image Analysis with Deep Learning
• Drug Discovery and Molecular Modeling
• Electronic Health Record Analysis
• Predictive Analytics in Healthcare
• Personalized Treatment Planning
• Healthcare Fraud Detection
• Telemedicine and Remote Patient Monitoring
• AI in Radiology and Pathology
• AI in Drug Repurposing
• AI for Medical Robotics and Surgery
• Genomic Data Analysis
• AI-powered Mental Health Assessment
• Explainable AI in Healthcare Decision Support
• AI in Epidemiology and Outbreak Prediction.

AI in Finance and Investment

• Algorithmic Trading and High-frequency Trading
• Credit Scoring and Risk Assessment
• Fraud Detection and Anti-money Laundering
• Portfolio Optimization with AI
• Financial Market Prediction
• Sentiment Analysis in Financial News
• Explainable AI in Financial Decision-making
• Algorithmic Pricing and Dynamic Pricing Strategies
• AI in Cryptocurrency and Blockchain
• Customer Behavior Analysis in Banking
• Explainable AI in Credit Decisioning
• AI in Regulatory Compliance
• Ethical AI in Financial Services
• AI for Real Estate Investment
• Automated Financial Reporting.

AI in Climate Change and Sustainability

• Climate Modeling and Prediction
• Renewable Energy Forecasting
• Smart Grid Optimization
• Energy Consumption Forecasting
• Carbon Emission Reduction with AI
• Ecosystem Monitoring and Preservation
• Precision Agriculture with AI
• AI for Wildlife Conservation
• Natural Disaster Prediction and Management
• Water Resource Management with AI
• Sustainable Transportation and Urban Planning
• Climate Change Mitigation Strategies with AI
• Environmental Impact Assessment with Machine Learning
• Eco-friendly Supply Chain Optimization
• Ethical AI in Climate-related Decision Support.

Data Privacy and Security

• Differential Privacy Mechanisms
• Federated Learning for Privacy-preserving AI
• Secure Multi-Party Computation
• Privacy-enhancing Technologies in Machine Learning
• Homomorphic Encryption for Machine Learning
• Ethical Considerations in Data Privacy
• Privacy-preserving AI in Healthcare
• AI for Secure Authentication and Access Control
• Blockchain and AI for Data Security
• Explainable Privacy in Machine Learning
• Privacy-preserving AI in Government and Public Services
• Privacy-compliant AI for IoT and Edge Devices
• Secure AI Models Sharing and Deployment
• Privacy-preserving AI in Financial Transactions
• AI in the Legal Frameworks of Data Privacy.

Global Collaboration in Research

• International Research Partnerships and Collaboration Models
• Multilingual and Cross-cultural AI Research
• Addressing Global Healthcare Challenges with AI
• Ethical Considerations in International AI Collaborations
• Interdisciplinary AI Research in Global Challenges
• AI Ethics and Human Rights in Global Research
• Data Sharing and Data Access in Global AI Research
• Cross-border Research Regulations and Compliance
• AI Innovation Hubs and International Research Centers
• AI Education and Training for Global Communities
• Humanitarian AI and AI for Sustainable Development Goals
• AI for Cultural Preservation and Heritage Protection
• Collaboration in AI-related Global Crises
• AI in Cross-cultural Communication and Understanding
• Global AI for Environmental Sustainability and Conservation.

Emerging Trends and Hot Topics in Machine Learning Research

The landscape of machine learning research topics is constantly evolving. Here are some of the emerging trends and hot topics that are shaping the field:

As AI systems become more prevalent, addressing ethical concerns and mitigating bias in algorithms are critical research areas.

Interpretable and Explainable Models

Understanding why machine learning models make specific decisions is crucial for their adoption in sensitive areas, such as healthcare and finance.

Meta-learning algorithms are designed to enable machines to learn how to learn, while AutoML aims to automate the machine learning process itself.

Machine learning is revolutionizing the healthcare sector, from diagnostic tools to drug discovery and patient care.

Algorithmic trading, risk assessment, and fraud detection are just a few applications of AI in finance, creating a wealth of research opportunities.

Machine learning research is crucial in analyzing and mitigating the impacts of climate change and promoting sustainable practices.

Challenges and Future Directions

While machine learning research has made tremendous strides, it also faces several challenges:

• Data Privacy and Security: As machine learning models require vast amounts of data, protecting individual privacy and data security are paramount concerns.
• Scalability and Efficiency: Developing efficient algorithms that can handle increasingly large datasets and complex computations remains a challenge.
• Ensuring Fairness and Transparency: Addressing bias in machine learning models and making their decisions transparent is essential for equitable AI systems.
• Quantum Computing and Machine Learning: The integration of quantum computing and machine learning has the potential to revolutionize the field, but it also presents unique challenges.
• Global Collaboration in Research: Machine learning research benefits from collaboration on a global scale. Ensuring that researchers from diverse backgrounds work together is vital for progress.

Resources for Machine Learning Researchers

If you’re looking to embark on a journey in machine learning research topics, there are various resources at your disposal:

• Journals and Conferences

Journals such as the “Journal of Machine Learning Research” and conferences like NeurIPS and ICML provide a platform for publishing and discussing research findings.

• Online Communities and Forums

Platforms like Stack Overflow, GitHub, and dedicated forums for machine learning provide spaces for collaboration and problem-solving.

• Datasets and Tools

Open-source datasets and tools like TensorFlow and PyTorch simplify the research process by providing access to data and pre-built models.

• Research Grants and Funding Opportunities

Many organizations and government agencies offer research grants and funding for machine learning projects. Seek out these opportunities to support your research.

Machine learning research is like a superhero in the world of technology. To be a part of this exciting journey, it’s important to choose the right machine learning research topics and keep up with the latest trends.

Machine learning research makes our lives better. It powers things like smart assistants and life-saving medical tools. It’s like the force driving the future of technology and society.

But, there are challenges too. We need to work together and be ethical in our research. Everyone should benefit from this technology. The future of machine learning research is incredibly bright. If you want to be a part of it, get ready for an exciting adventure. You can help create new solutions and make a big impact on the world.

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Best Nursing Research Topics for Students

What is a nursing research paper.

• What They Include
• Choosing a Topic
• Best Nursing Research Topics
• Research Paper Writing Tips

Writing a research paper is a massive task that involves careful organization, critical analysis, and a lot of time. Some nursing students are natural writers, while others struggle to select a nursing research topic, let alone write about it.

If you're a nursing student who dreads writing research papers, this article may help ease your anxiety. We'll cover everything you need to know about writing nursing school research papers and the top topics for nursing research.  

Continue reading to make your paper-writing jitters a thing of the past.

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A nursing research paper is a work of academic writing composed by a nurse or nursing student. The paper may present information on a specific topic or answer a question.

During LPN/LVN and RN programs, most papers you write focus on learning to use research databases, evaluate appropriate resources, and format your writing with APA style. You'll then synthesize your research information to answer a question or analyze a topic.

BSN , MSN , Ph.D., and DNP programs also write nursing research papers. Students in these programs may also participate in conducting original research studies.

Writing papers during your academic program improves and develops many skills, including the ability to:

• Select nursing topics for research
• Conduct effective research
• Analyze published academic literature
• Format and cite sources
• Synthesize data
• Organize and articulate findings

About Nursing Research Papers

When do nursing students write research papers.

You may need to write a research paper for any of the nursing courses you take. Research papers help develop critical thinking and communication skills. They allow you to learn how to conduct research and critically review publications.

That said, not every class will require in-depth, 10-20-page papers. The more advanced your degree path, the more you can expect to write and conduct research. If you're in an associate or bachelor's program, you'll probably write a few papers each semester or term.

Do Nursing Students Conduct Original Research?

Most of the time, you won't be designing, conducting, and evaluating new research. Instead, your projects will focus on learning the research process and the scientific method. You'll achieve these objectives by evaluating existing nursing literature and sources and defending a thesis.

However, many nursing faculty members do conduct original research. So, you may get opportunities to participate in, and publish, research articles.

Example Research Project Scenario:

In your maternal child nursing class, the professor assigns the class a research paper regarding developmentally appropriate nursing interventions for the pediatric population. While that may sound specific, you have almost endless opportunities to narrow down the focus of your writing. 

You could choose pain intervention measures in toddlers. Conversely, you can research the effects of prolonged hospitalization on adolescents' social-emotional development.

What Does a Nursing Research Paper Include?

Your professor should provide a thorough guideline of the scope of the paper. In general, an undergraduate nursing research paper will consist of:

Introduction : A brief overview of the research question/thesis statement your paper will discuss. You can include why the topic is relevant.

Body : This section presents your research findings and allows you to synthesize the information and data you collected. You'll have a chance to articulate your evaluation and answer your research question. The length of this section depends on your assignment.

Conclusion : A brief review of the information and analysis you presented throughout the body of the paper. This section is a recap of your paper and another chance to reassert your thesis.

The best advice is to follow your instructor's rubric and guidelines. Remember to ask for help whenever needed, and avoid overcomplicating the assignment!

How to Choose a Nursing Research Topic

The sheer volume of prospective nursing research topics can become overwhelming for students. Additionally, you may get the misconception that all the 'good' research ideas are exhausted. However, a personal approach may help you narrow down a research topic and find a unique angle.

Writing your research paper about a topic you value or connect with makes the task easier. Additionally, you should consider the material's breadth. Topics with plenty of existing literature will make developing a research question and thesis smoother.

Finally, feel free to shift gears if necessary, especially if you're still early in the research process. If you start down one path and have trouble finding published information, ask your professor if you can choose another topic.

The Best Research Topics for Nursing Students

You have endless subject choices for nursing research papers. This non-exhaustive list just scratches the surface of some of the best nursing research topics.

1. Clinical Nursing Research Topics

• Analyze the use of telehealth/virtual nursing to reduce inpatient nurse duties.
• Discuss the impact of evidence-based respiratory interventions on patient outcomes in critical care settings.
• Explore the effectiveness of pain management protocols in pediatric patients.

2. Community Health Nursing Research Topics

• Assess the impact of nurse-led diabetes education in Type II Diabetics.
• Analyze the relationship between socioeconomic status and access to healthcare services.

3. Nurse Education Research Topics

• Review the effectiveness of simulation-based learning to improve nursing students' clinical skills.
• Identify methods that best prepare pre-licensure students for clinical practice.
• Investigate factors that influence nurses to pursue advanced degrees.
• Evaluate education methods that enhance cultural competence among nurses.
• Describe the role of mindfulness interventions in reducing stress and burnout among nurses.

4. Mental Health Nursing Research Topics

• Explore patient outcomes related to nurse staffing levels in acute behavioral health settings.
• Assess the effectiveness of mental health education among emergency room nurses .
• Explore de-escalation techniques that result in improved patient outcomes.
• Review the effectiveness of therapeutic communication in improving patient outcomes.

5. Pediatric Nursing Research Topics

• Assess the impact of parental involvement in pediatric asthma treatment adherence.
• Explore challenges related to chronic illness management in pediatric patients.
• Review the role of play therapy and other therapeutic interventions that alleviate anxiety among hospitalized children.

6. The Nursing Profession Research Topics

• Analyze the effects of short staffing on nurse burnout .
• Evaluate factors that facilitate resiliency among nursing professionals.
• Examine predictors of nurse dissatisfaction and burnout.
• Posit how nursing theories influence modern nursing practice.

Tips for Writing a Nursing Research Paper

The best nursing research advice we can provide is to follow your professor's rubric and instructions. However, here are a few study tips for nursing students to make paper writing less painful:

Avoid procrastination: Everyone says it, but few follow this advice. You can significantly lower your stress levels if you avoid procrastinating and start working on your project immediately.

Plan Ahead: Break down the writing process into smaller sections, especially if it seems overwhelming. Give yourself time for each step in the process.

Research: Use your resources and ask for help from the librarian or instructor. The rest should come together quickly once you find high-quality studies to analyze.

Outline: Create an outline to help you organize your thoughts. Then, you can plug in information throughout the research process. 

Clear Language: Use plain language as much as possible to get your point across. Jargon is inevitable when writing academic nursing papers, but keep it to a minimum.

Cite Properly: Accurately cite all sources using the appropriate citation style. Nursing research papers will almost always implement APA style. Check out the resources below for some excellent reference management options.

Revise and Edit: Once you finish your first draft, put it away for one to two hours or, preferably, a whole day. Once you've placed some space between you and your paper, read through and edit for clarity, coherence, and grammatical errors. Reading your essay out loud is an excellent way to check for the 'flow' of the paper.

Helpful Nursing Research Writing Resources:

Purdue OWL (Online writing lab) has a robust APA guide covering everything you need about APA style and rules.

Grammarly helps you edit grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Upgrading to a paid plan will get you plagiarism detection, formatting, and engagement suggestions. This tool is excellent to help you simplify complicated sentences.

Mendeley is a free reference management software. It stores, organizes, and cites references. It has a Microsoft plug-in that inserts and correctly formats APA citations.

Don't let nursing research papers scare you away from starting nursing school or furthering your education. Their purpose is to develop skills you'll need to be an effective nurse: critical thinking, communication, and the ability to review published information critically.

Choose a great topic and follow your teacher's instructions; you'll finish that paper in no time.

Joleen Sams is a certified Family Nurse Practitioner based in the Kansas City metro area. During her 10-year RN career, Joleen worked in NICU, inpatient pediatrics, and regulatory compliance. Since graduating with her MSN-FNP in 2019, she has worked in urgent care and nursing administration. Connect with Joleen on LinkedIn or see more of her writing on her website.

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Hot Topics: Cryptocurrency

Databases for news articles, business source complete newspaper articles - rss feed, google news articles - rss feed.

• Background Information
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• Last Updated: Aug 1, 2024 12:53 PM
• URL: https://research.library.gsu.edu/cryptocurrency

Masks Strongly Recommended but Not Required in Maryland, Starting Immediately

Due to the downward trend in respiratory viruses in Maryland, masking is no longer required but remains strongly recommended in Johns Hopkins Medicine clinical locations in Maryland. Read more .

• Vaccines  
• Masking Guidelines
• Visitor Guidelines  

Cardiovascular Research

Research topics, cardiovascular research topics, heart rhythm and arrhythmias.

HIV and Heart Disease

Hypertension

Interventional Cardiology

Myocardial Biology/Heart Failure

Myocardial Protection

Myocarditis

Neuroprotection in Cardiac Surgery

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The Johns Hopkins Core Lab provides access to Small Animal Cardiovascular Phenotyping and Model Core.

Feeling the Heat? Researchers Say Heat Waves Will Put More Older Adults in Danger

More hot days put an additional 250 million older people at risk as climate change accelerates.

Retirees may relocate to warmer climates, but they “don’t anticipate how much hotter those climates will become when their age is going to really advance,” says Boston University climate expert Ian Sue Wing. Photo via iStock/Miguel Angel Flores

Jessica Colarossi

If you’re reading this, congratulations—you survived the world’s hottest day ever recorded. On Monday, July 22, 2024, the daily global average temperature soared to a record-setting 62.87 degrees Fahrenheit (17.15 degrees C). This happened only days after heat waves scorched much of the United States—including Massachusetts —and western Europe , putting hundreds of millions of people in danger. 

Compared to more visible climate change–fueled disasters, like flooding and hurricanes, heat is an invisible threat. But excessively hot temperatures have real physical effects on the body , including lowering blood pressure due to blood vessels dilating, dehydration from sweating more, and kidney damage. About 489,000 people globally are killed by extreme heat each year, with people over 65 years old at the highest risk. 

As global temperatures rise, the population of older adults who are vulnerable to the heat is also rising: the population 60 years and older worldwide is expected to double to 2.1 billion by 2050. In a recent paper, BU economist and climate expert Ian Sue Wing and sociologist Deborah Carr found that compared to the present day, an additional 250 million older adults will be chronically exposed to dangerously high temperatures by 2050 as a result of the climate crisis and global aging trends. Their results were published in Nature Communications .

By combining their expertise in population health and climate modeling, they brought together two entirely different sets of data—demographics and climate forecasts—to see where older populations are more at risk of worsening heat in the coming decades.

“We’re seeing where people live, how fast the population is aging, and climate projections, allowing us to find this overlap,” says Sue Wing , a BU College of Arts & Sciences professor of Earth and environment. 

In the next three decades, they concluded, more than 23 percent of people over the age of 69 will be living in regions where temperatures will routinely surpass 99.5 degrees F (37.5 degrees C). Countries in Asia and Africa, including India, Pakistan, China, Nigeria, and Sudan, will endure some of the most severe effects, according to their analysis. The United States and Mexico are also projected to have more days of increased heat bearing down on their aging populations . 

Chart courtesy of Deborah Carr, Enrica De Cian, Giacomo Falchetta, and Ian Sue Wing. First published in The Conversation

“Heat affects older adults in a lot of ways that are different from young people,” says Carr , a CAS professor of sociology. “One main reason is that older people have more underlying health conditions. If you already have heart problems, for instance, that might put you at higher risk of heat stroke or heat exhaustion.” 

Medications for different kinds of health conditions, Carr says, can also be dehydrating or inhibit sweating, making it difficult for the body to thermoregulate. Plus, not everyone has equal access to the resources needed to weather the heat—a phenomenon called aging inequality . For example, having unstable housing, a lower income, being socially isolated, and many other factors, put some people at greater risk of the negative health impacts from the heat. 

“A good share of older adults, especially older women, are impoverished for a whole realm of reasons,” Carr says. “What that means is that maybe they can’t afford air-conditioning, or maybe they have a window air conditioner unit that they can’t physically put in. All the challenges that any of us deal with on a daily basis to manage heat will be much harder when you have no money, or perhaps limited upper body strength, or difficulty breathing, or cognitive issues. It’s a perfect storm of risk.” 

Scientists have found that periods of unusually hot days are occurring more frequently and for longer durations since the mid-20th century. This is due to a record-breaking amount of heat-trapping gasses like carbon dioxide and methane—that come from extracting and burning fossil fuels—entering the atmosphere and oceans, accelerating the effects of climate change. Still, older adults deciding to retire often move to a warmer climate—the classic New England “snowbirds” who vacation or retire in the warmer southern states—without realizing how many more days of extreme heat they’ll be exposed to. 

“People move to areas that are warmer in the current climate, but don’t anticipate how much hotter those climates will become when their age is going to really advance,” says Sue Wing. “They’re going to be subject to more of those challenges.” 

Sue Wing and Carr are continuing to study the impacts of climate change and aging, and hope their heat risk assessments can inform public health decisions about where to invest in preventive measures, like community cooling centers and green spaces that provide shade. “This phenomenon doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all solution,” Sue Wing says. In the paper, the researchers call for leaders in both climate change and healthy aging policy to work together to integrate climate preparedness and healthcare initiatives to protect people at the highest risk. 

“For interventions on the small scale, could there be subsidies for air conditioners for older people? Could there be more cooling centers? Could we train first responders, social workers, and residents to check in on their neighbors?” Carr says. “But, at the largest scale, we need climate mitigation efforts to reduce carbon emissions. We need to vote and think about our leaders’ political will to act.” 

This work was funded by the US Department of Energy.

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Jessica Colarossi is a science writer for The Brink . She graduated with a BS in journalism from Emerson College in 2016, with focuses on environmental studies and publishing. While a student, she interned at ThinkProgress in Washington, D.C., where she wrote over 30 stories, most of them relating to climate change, coral reefs, and women’s health. Profile

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International development trends in the field of agricultural resources and the environment.

1. Introduction

2. materials and methods, 2.1. data sources, 2.2. research methodology, 2.2.1. statistical methods, 2.2.2. research topic analysis method, 3.1. macro-development trend analysis, 3.1.1. total number of published papers in terms of global and annual changes, 3.1.2. total number of published papers in major countries and annual changes, 3.1.3. analysis of papers published by major research institutions, 3.1.4. cooperation analysis of the important institutions, 3.1.5. distribution of journals, 3.2. analysis of research topics, 3.2.1. analysis of global research hotspots, 3.2.2. comparison of research hotspots between china and the united states, 4. discussion, 4.1. geography and climate, 4.2. policy, 4.3. cultural environment, 4.4. agricultural development level, 5. conclusions and prospects, 5.1. conclusions, 5.2. prospects, author contributions, institutional review board statement, informed consent statement, data availability statement, conflicts of interest.

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Chuan, L.; Qi, S.; Zhang, H.; Jia, Q.; Wang, A.; Zhao, J. International Development Trends in the Field of Agricultural Resources and the Environment. Sustainability 2024 , 16 , 6516. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16156516

Chuan L, Qi S, Zhang H, Jia Q, Wang A, Zhao J. International Development Trends in the Field of Agricultural Resources and the Environment. Sustainability . 2024; 16(15):6516. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16156516

Chuan, Limin, Shijie Qi, Hui Zhang, Qian Jia, Ailing Wang, and Jingjuan Zhao. 2024. "International Development Trends in the Field of Agricultural Resources and the Environment" Sustainability 16, no. 15: 6516. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16156516

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