Skip to Main Content

Research Topic Ideas

Astronomy; Biology; Chemistry; Computer Science; Engineering; Geography, Planning, & Environment; Mathematics; Physics

Astronomy Topics

  • Auroras
  • Asteroids
  • Big Bang theory
  • Black holes
  • Comets
  • Curiosity Rover
  • Dwarf galaxies
  • Earth-size planets
  • Gravitational lensing
  • Hubble telescope
  • Kepler telescope
  • Mars water
  • Philae probe
  • Pluto
  • Quasars
  • Remote sensing
  • Sagan effect
  • Spectroscopy
  • Stellar spectra
  • Sunspots
  • Superclusters
  • Supernova
  • Thompson Library Guide for Physics & Astronomy

Biology Topics

  • Algae blooms
  • Biofouling
  • Biological warfare
  • Bioluminescence
  • Butterfly migration
  • Camouflage
  • Circadian rhythm
  • Cloning
  • Composting
  • Coral reefs
  • De-extinction
  • Dismal Swamp
  • Ecotourism
  • Endangered species
  • Fertilizers
  • Genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
  • Human genome map
  • Invasive species
  • Mass extinction
  • Microbiome
  • Mimicry
  • Mutagenesis
  • Neural systems
  • Neurobiology of sleep
  • Oil spill effects
  • Organic farming
  • Penicillin
  • Primate language
  • Rainforest conservation
  • Red tides
  • Teratogenesis
  • Viruses
  • Wetland restoration
  • Thompson Library Guide for Biology

Chemistry and Biochemistry Topics

  • Aerogels
  • Alkali metals
  • Bioenergetics
  • Buffer solutions
  • Carbon cature
  • Carbon dating
  • Chemical carcinogens
  • Chemical warfare
  • Desalinization
  • Electromagnetic radiation
  • Esters
  • Flavonoids
  • Oxidation numbers
  • Periodic table
  • Pesticides
  • Polymers
  • Pyrotechnics
  • Radioactive waste
  • Silver iodide
  • Synthetic DNA
  • Water fluoridation
  • Thompson Library Guide for Chemistry and Biochemistry

Computer Science and Information Technology & Informatics Topics

  • Artificial intelligence
  • Biometric signature
  • Bitcoin
  • Computer animation
  • Computer composed music
  • Computer forensics
  • Computer modeling
  • Datamining
  • Encryption
  • Gamergate
  • Gamification
  • General Data Protection Regulation
  • Intelligent databases
  • Internet of things
  • Machine language
  • Malware
  • Mobile computing
  • MOOs
  • Piracy
  • Social media literacy
  • Ubiquitous design
  • Viruses
  • Voice recognition
  • Thompson Library Guides for Computer Science and Information Technology & Informatics

Engineering Topics

  • 3D printing
  • Additive design
  • Aeroacoustics
  • Aerothermodynamics
  • Air turbulence
  • Analytical mechanics
  • Boundary layer
  • Carbon capture
  • Composite materials
  • Computer-aided design (CAD)
  • Computer-aided engineering (CAE)
  • Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM)
  • Design optimization
  • Electric cars
  • Fiber optics
  • Finite element analysis (FEA)
  • Fluid dynamics
  • Flutter phenomena
  • Information theory
  • Geoengineering
  • High horsepower in cars
  • Holographs
  • Hybrid vehicles
  • Hydroforming
  • Laser applications
  • Liquid crystals
  • MEMs
  • Nanomaterials
  • Nanotechnology
  • Nanotubes
  • Naturalistic decision making
  • Nuclear power
  • Stereo imaging
  • Thompson Library Guide for Engineering

Geography, Planning, & Environment

  • Acid rain
  • Air pollution
  • Algae bloom
  • Alternative fuels
  • Beach erosion
  • Biofouling
  • Carbon footprint
  • Climate forcing
  • Compostable plastic
  • Coral reefs
  • Dismal Swamp
  • Drought
  • Dymaxion House
  • Earth-sheltered structures
  • Ecotourism
  • Fertilizers
  • Green cities
  • Green infrastructure
  • Natual resource conservation
  • Nitrogen farming
  • Oceans
  • Oil spills
  • Organic farming
  • Ozone depletion
  • Pesticides
  • Pollution reduction
  • Radioactive waste
  • Rip currents
  • Soil contamination
  • Sustainable design
  • Three Gorges Dam
  • Tiny houses
  • Toxic dumping in oceans
  • Tsunami
  • Water conservation
  • Water pollution
  • Thompson Library Guide for Geography, Planning, and Environment

Mathematics Topics

  • Applied statistics
  • Bioinformatics
  • Convex geometry
  • Game theory
  • Infinity
  • Millennium Prize problems
  • Modeling
  • Probability theory
  • Random walks
  • Representation theory
  • Riemannian geometry
  • Theory of chaos
  • Turing, Alan
  • Turing patterns
  • Thompson Library Guide for Mathematics

Physics Topics

  • Antiparticles
  • Bohr's radius
  • Bose–Einstein condensate
  • Dark matter
  • Gravitational waves
  • Heat death of the universe
  • Higgs boson
  • Light
  • Manhattan Project
  • Nanofabrication
  • Quantum entanglement
  • Quarks
  • Space elevator
  • Superstring theory
  • Thermodynamics 
  • Wave-particle duality
  • Thompson Library Guide for Physics & Astronomy