If you’re a college student, chances are you’ve been asked to write an analysis paper at some point in your academic career. But how is an analysis paper different from other essays or research papers? How do you choose analysis topics for a paper if your professor doesn’t provide one?
This article will help you answer all these questions and give you a heads-up on how to write a good analysis paper in the future.
What is an analysis paper?
An analysis paper is an academic paper that thoroughly examines a particular subject or topic. In essence, it involves breaking down the subject to understand its various components and its relationship with other elements. This type of paper requires you to use your analytical skills to evaluate the material you’re researching.
When writing an analysis paper, you must be able to present an argument based on your findings and support it with evidence.
What makes a good analysis topic?
A good analysis topic should focus on something relevant and timely. It should also be specific enough to target one particular concept. Think of exciting and challenging topics that can elicit conversations among your peers and prompt critical thinking about the issue.
How to choose analysis paper topics?
Before you start writing an analysis paper, it’s important to take your time to pick the most appropriate topic. The topic you choose will determine the quality of your paper and how easy it will be to complete it.
What is the first step to choosing a topic for an analysis essay?
The first step in choosing a topic for an analysis essay is research. Get familiar with different topics by reading books or articles related to those topics or conducting interviews with experts in the field. Doing this will give you ideas on potential analysis topics and give you insight into different angles of the topic. Once you have done your research, narrow down your list to one or two potential topics that interest you most.
Here are some factors to consider when choosing a topic for an analysis paper.
Refer to your class notes
One excellent place to start looking for topics for an analysis paper is in your own notes from class. Are there any concepts or ideas discussed in class that particularly interested you? Did any questions arise for which you'd like to find answers? If so, those are excellent topics for an analysis paper.
Resources on campus (such as libraries) or online (such as research databases) may help you further explore these topics.
Choose a topic that interests you
Writing an analysis paper about something that interests you will make the entire process more enjoyable.
Think about topics or issues you’re passionate about or know a lot about. Also, consider things that have been on your mind lately or topics you’ve been curious about. When you choose a topic that has piqued your interest, it makes it easier to research and write a well-thought-out analysis paper.
Consider your hobbies
Aside from your interests, you can also refer to your hobbies outside school work to help you find a potential analysis topic.
Maybe it’s something related to music, fashion, art, sports, gaming, or another hobby that you can critically analyze. For instance, if you’re interested in fashion, you could analyze trends in fashion over the past few decades and how they’ve impacted society.
Working with your hobbies can make the project more enjoyable while providing exciting insights into the chosen field of study.
Talk to your classmates or professors
Talking to other people can also provide valuable insight into potential topics for an analysis paper—especially if they are knowledgeable about the subject matter.
You can chat with your friends or fellow students who have taken similar classes or done similar projects. They could give you valuable insight into possible directions for exploration.
Similarly, you could talk with lecturers who teach courses related to your intended field. They may have suggestions based on current trends in their fields or offer leads on research materials related to specific topics.
Check online resources
The internet is full of resources that can help you find the best analysis topics for a paper. For instance, many universities have online libraries where students can access journals and other published academic papers on their fields of study. You can analyze journals and academic papers to find a potential topic for your paper.
Many websites are also devoted to helping students find analysis topics— like The Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL), Harvard Writing Center, and The Texas A&M University Writing Center.
Additionally, you can check out websites like Quora, where people post questions and get answers from experts in various fields – this can help to narrow down potential topics further.
Analyze issues around you
Another excellent way to find topics for an analysis paper is to look around you and analyze the issues you see in your community.
Think about current events, local news stories, or something that recently happened in your family or your own life.
Maybe there’s something about how people interact in your town or an experience that has been particularly meaningful to you. If you choose an issue you have personal experience with, your analysis paper will come alive with emotion, making it lively and interesting.
Refer to historical events
You could also look back at historical events and analyze how they shaped our current situation or influenced popular opinion and behavior today.
Our modern society stands on the shoulders of legends. Think about what they did in their time and whether it still applies today or needs to be revised. Writing an analysis paper based on history could provide some interesting insights into our modern world.
For instance, if you’re studying gender roles in society, you could compare how gender roles were viewed in Ancient Greece to now. Or, if you’re exploring religious beliefs, you could compare how different religions have evolved and why those changes occurred.
Think about scientific studies or findings
If you’re in a science-based field, scientific studies are a great place to start when looking for topics for analysis papers.
Review some scientific studies that have been conducted in your field, and ask yourself if they need further refining. Consider looking into recent scientific studies and findings that may have raised questions about long-held beliefs or theories.
For instance, if you’re studying psychology, look at recent studies on human behavior and try to draw conclusions from them as part of your analysis paper.
Consider trending topics in your field of study
Another great way to find ideas for an analysis paper is by keeping up with what’s trending in your field of study – both online and offline.
What issues are being talked about most in your field? Is there anything new that people are interested in discussing?
To know about trending topics, follow blogs related to your subject matter and pay attention to news articles on related topics. Since blogs often highlight timely and important issues today, they can give you some great ideas for analysis.
It is also helpful to use tools like Google Trends to see trends across different topics over time before settling on a particular topic.
Ensure there are reference materials online
Finally, when selecting a topic for analysis, ensure plenty of reference materials are available online. This will make it easy for you to research and find enough evidence to back up your opinion when writing the analysis paper.
You can check out databases like Google Scholar, JSTOR, ProQuest, and popular websites like Wikipedia (which should only be used as a starting point).
These online databases contain an extensive collection of papers and articles that you can scan and find a topic that needs further analysis.
Final thoughts
Writing an analysis paper can be daunting if you don’t select the right topic. To write a high-quality essay, you need to choose a topic that’s engaging and meaningful to your readers while providing enough evidence to support your thesis.
All it takes to find a suitable topic is creativity and careful consideration. Take time to research different potential topics before narrowing down your choices. You can then select the best topic from your list based on your interest, relevance, and the availability of evidence.
With enough research and brainstorming sessions, you can find some great topic ideas that will make your analysis paper stand out.
If you cannot find topics for your analysis paper, you’ll be relieved to know that Writers Per Hour can help. Our team of expert writers will help you find an interesting topic, research it, and write the analysis paper from scratch. So, if you need a high-quality, 100% original analysis paper, reach out to us, and we will get onto it.
Last edit at Feb 13 2023
Written by
Adela Belin
