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• How to write an argumentative essay | Examples & tips

How to Write an Argumentative Essay | Examples & Tips

Published on July 24, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

An argumentative essay expresses an extended argument for a particular thesis statement . The author takes a clearly defined stance on their subject and builds up an evidence-based case for it.

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Table of contents

When do you write an argumentative essay, approaches to argumentative essays, introducing your argument, the body: developing your argument, concluding your argument, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about argumentative essays.

You might be assigned an argumentative essay as a writing exercise in high school or in a composition class. The prompt will often ask you to argue for one of two positions, and may include terms like “argue” or “argument.” It will frequently take the form of a question.

The prompt may also be more open-ended in terms of the possible arguments you could make.

Argumentative writing at college level

At university, the vast majority of essays or papers you write will involve some form of argumentation. For example, both rhetorical analysis and literary analysis essays involve making arguments about texts.

In this context, you won’t necessarily be told to write an argumentative essay—but making an evidence-based argument is an essential goal of most academic writing, and this should be your default approach unless you’re told otherwise.

Examples of argumentative essay prompts

At a university level, all the prompts below imply an argumentative essay as the appropriate response.

Your research should lead you to develop a specific position on the topic. The essay then argues for that position and aims to convince the reader by presenting your evidence, evaluation and analysis.

• Don’t just list all the effects you can think of.
• Do develop a focused argument about the overall effect and why it matters, backed up by evidence from sources.
• Don’t just provide a selection of data on the measures’ effectiveness.
• Do build up your own argument about which kinds of measures have been most or least effective, and why.
• Don’t just analyze a random selection of doppelgänger characters.
• Do form an argument about specific texts, comparing and contrasting how they express their thematic concerns through doppelgänger characters.

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An argumentative essay should be objective in its approach; your arguments should rely on logic and evidence, not on exaggeration or appeals to emotion.

There are many possible approaches to argumentative essays, but there are two common models that can help you start outlining your arguments: The Toulmin model and the Rogerian model.

Toulmin arguments

The Toulmin model consists of four steps, which may be repeated as many times as necessary for the argument:

• Make a claim
• Provide the grounds (evidence) for the claim
• Explain the warrant (how the grounds support the claim)
• Discuss possible rebuttals to the claim, identifying the limits of the argument and showing that you have considered alternative perspectives

The Toulmin model is a common approach in academic essays. You don’t have to use these specific terms (grounds, warrants, rebuttals), but establishing a clear connection between your claims and the evidence supporting them is crucial in an argumentative essay.

Say you’re making an argument about the effectiveness of workplace anti-discrimination measures. You might:

• Claim that unconscious bias training does not have the desired results, and resources would be better spent on other approaches
• Cite data to support your claim
• Explain how the data indicates that the method is ineffective
• Anticipate objections to your claim based on other data, indicating whether these objections are valid, and if not, why not.

Rogerian arguments

The Rogerian model also consists of four steps you might repeat throughout your essay:

• Discuss what the opposing position gets right and why people might hold this position
• Highlight the problems with this position
• Present your own position , showing how it addresses these problems
• Suggest a possible compromise —what elements of your position would proponents of the opposing position benefit from adopting?

This model builds up a clear picture of both sides of an argument and seeks a compromise. It is particularly useful when people tend to disagree strongly on the issue discussed, allowing you to approach opposing arguments in good faith.

Say you want to argue that the internet has had a positive impact on education. You might:

• Acknowledge that students rely too much on websites like Wikipedia
• Argue that teachers view Wikipedia as more unreliable than it really is
• Suggest that Wikipedia’s system of citations can actually teach students about referencing
• Suggest critical engagement with Wikipedia as a possible assignment for teachers who are skeptical of its usefulness.

You don’t necessarily have to pick one of these models—you may even use elements of both in different parts of your essay—but it’s worth considering them if you struggle to structure your arguments.

Regardless of which approach you take, your essay should always be structured using an introduction , a body , and a conclusion .

Like other academic essays, an argumentative essay begins with an introduction . The introduction serves to capture the reader’s interest, provide background information, present your thesis statement , and (in longer essays) to summarize the structure of the body.

Hover over different parts of the example below to see how a typical introduction works.

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts is on the rise, and its role in learning is hotly debated. For many teachers who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its critical benefits for students and educators—as a uniquely comprehensive and accessible information source; a means of exposure to and engagement with different perspectives; and a highly flexible learning environment.

The body of an argumentative essay is where you develop your arguments in detail. Here you’ll present evidence, analysis, and reasoning to convince the reader that your thesis statement is true.

In the standard five-paragraph format for short essays, the body takes up three of your five paragraphs. In longer essays, it will be more paragraphs, and might be divided into sections with headings.

Each paragraph covers its own topic, introduced with a topic sentence . Each of these topics must contribute to your overall argument; don’t include irrelevant information.

This example paragraph takes a Rogerian approach: It first acknowledges the merits of the opposing position and then highlights problems with that position.

Hover over different parts of the example to see how a body paragraph is constructed.

A common frustration for teachers is students’ use of Wikipedia as a source in their writing. Its prevalence among students is not exaggerated; a survey found that the vast majority of the students surveyed used Wikipedia (Head & Eisenberg, 2010). An article in The Guardian stresses a common objection to its use: “a reliance on Wikipedia can discourage students from engaging with genuine academic writing” (Coomer, 2013). Teachers are clearly not mistaken in viewing Wikipedia usage as ubiquitous among their students; but the claim that it discourages engagement with academic sources requires further investigation. This point is treated as self-evident by many teachers, but Wikipedia itself explicitly encourages students to look into other sources. Its articles often provide references to academic publications and include warning notes where citations are missing; the site’s own guidelines for research make clear that it should be used as a starting point, emphasizing that users should always “read the references and check whether they really do support what the article says” (“Wikipedia:Researching with Wikipedia,” 2020). Indeed, for many students, Wikipedia is their first encounter with the concepts of citation and referencing. The use of Wikipedia therefore has a positive side that merits deeper consideration than it often receives.

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An argumentative essay ends with a conclusion that summarizes and reflects on the arguments made in the body.

No new arguments or evidence appear here, but in longer essays you may discuss the strengths and weaknesses of your argument and suggest topics for future research. In all conclusions, you should stress the relevance and importance of your argument.

Hover over the following example to see the typical elements of a conclusion.

The internet has had a major positive impact on the world of education; occasional pitfalls aside, its value is evident in numerous applications. The future of teaching lies in the possibilities the internet opens up for communication, research, and interactivity. As the popularity of distance learning shows, students value the flexibility and accessibility offered by digital education, and educators should fully embrace these advantages. The internet’s dangers, real and imaginary, have been documented exhaustively by skeptics, but the internet is here to stay; it is time to focus seriously on its potential for good.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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An argumentative essay tends to be a longer essay involving independent research, and aims to make an original argument about a topic. Its thesis statement makes a contentious claim that must be supported in an objective, evidence-based way.

An expository essay also aims to be objective, but it doesn’t have to make an original argument. Rather, it aims to explain something (e.g., a process or idea) in a clear, concise way. Expository essays are often shorter assignments and rely less on research.

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

The majority of the essays written at university are some sort of argumentative essay . Unless otherwise specified, you can assume that the goal of any essay you’re asked to write is argumentative: To convince the reader of your position using evidence and reasoning.

In composition classes you might be given assignments that specifically test your ability to write an argumentative essay. Look out for prompts including instructions like “argue,” “assess,” or “discuss” to see if this is the goal.

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271 Strong Argumentative Research Paper Topics You Must Know

Writing good argumentative research paper topics can always place you in a rock and a hard place. Writing from scratch can be daunting, but writing to a deadline is worse. Creating a terrific academic argumentative research paper takes a few tweaks. Through them, you will eventually craft a standardized paper that would earn you all points and, if not all, perhaps better grades.

This article will discuss the various angles you could take flawlessly to finish an argumentative research paper. Consequently, do not let terror take over you when writing a research paper.

Instead, it will be your forte after reading through this article’s steps.

What Is An Argumentative Research Paper?

An argumentative research paper is a paper that is structured in a way that allows you to present and defend your ideas about the topic, and that’s what definitional argument paper topics involve. The main purpose of an argumentative research paper is to make it possible for you to demonstrate your arguments. They may be based on either scientific knowledge or personal experience.

College argumentative research paper topics can be a single paper or a collection of several papers that you have written. Alternatively, it can be a series of papers in which you have analyzed different aspects of the topic. It will take you a while of introspection to understand this.

An award-winning research paper or one that could earn you better grades must be deeply rooted in facts. Generally, you must employ extensive evidence to defend your opinion or point.

What Are The Different Types Of Argumentative Research Paper Topics?

The are many different types of argumentative research paper topics. Here we explore the classic classification of the topics and their characteristics

• Classical Western Argument These types of classical argument paper topics have always been footed on two bases: to convince the audience that they are right and give well-reasoned answers to questionsThey are easy argument paper topics. Topics for argumentative research paper tasks do not necessarily have to be complicated. An introduction is imperative for a classical western argument since it welcomes the audience and builds goodwill and a connection with the readers. It also announces the overall theme or thesis of the argument.It must have a narration that portrays necessary background facts. It is intended to inform the listener about the setting and occurrences that produced the argument.A classic western argument must have confirmation, refutation, and summation. Remember, the summary must be concrete, echoing the gravity of the argument and equally reflecting the best solution to the readers.
• Toulon Argument The primary goal of a Toulmin argument is frequently to gather the most compelling proof in favor of the presented statements. For example, if you take “Philosophy argument paper topics”, you have to work through this topic well and understand it.The goal of a Toulmin argument is precise, unlike the previous types. It is made up of six parts, namely: introduction, data, warrants, qualifiers, rebuttal, and backing. It has a conclusion intended to trigger evocative thought among the readers.
• Rogerian Argument The Rogerian argument seeks the greatest plausible solution based on the wants and preferences of everyone concerned, or, in other words, some form of unanimity. The essay structure of this type of argument does not bear innate disparities to the different types. It has a structure that aims at reaching a consensus amidst the contest.The Rogerian argument topics for a paper focus on expanding comprehension between conflicting viewpoints by noting that an issue can be viewed from various perspectives. Its building blocks are; an introduction, an acknowledgement of the opposition, a thesis statement, support for the thesis, and a conclusion.Notably, the summary has to highlight the imperatives of a classical argument paper topic, even if it cannot resolve the problem wholly. Also, it has to acknowledge that more work needs to be done in the future to find lasting remedies.

How To Write A Strong Thesis Statement

A thesis statement outlines the topic of your assignments, that is, argumentative research essay topics, and provides a summary of the article’s content, particularly your position on the subject. It is helpful to pose a concern before making your assertion in a thesis, so that your thesis can provide a resolution.

This is a powerful strategy for getting the reader interested in your subject and the viewpoint you advocate. The basic custom of any argument should be briefly covered in a thesis. By accomplishing this-getting thesis writing help, you can assist the reader in becoming ready for the essay’s main body.

When writing a thesis statement, you must include: A question A provocative statement A well-laid description An anecdote that compels the readers to find out more about the essay

Whenever you start writing, make an effort to define your aim explicitly. This is what argumentative research paper topics college institutions demand. Constantly write on your subject if you cannot express your purpose effectively.

How To Select A Topic For An Argumentative Essay

You might occasionally find yourself debating points you do not particularly agree with. That is just good – making a convincing argument does not need you to believe what you are saying fervently.

However, picking a subject you are passionate about is a fantastic option when you have complete freedom over it. A strong perspective and various supporting arguments are the two essential elements of a high quality successful argumentative essay.

It will be simpler for a student to obtain proof to back up an argument if they are fascinated and enthusiastic about the issue that they chose. The evidence itself is what matters most.

Decide on a topic by considering issues that are important to you, irrespective of whether they are good or bad. Create a list of concepts, and then pick a couple to focus on. You will then elaborate upon such concepts by addressing a few compensatory picks.

Making these lists may lead you to discover that a few are more powerful than others. The greater the issue, the more proof you have and the more compelling you believe that proved to be.

Again, choosing a different argument research topic is acceptable if you think one issue would have more verifiable data, but you would prefer not to pen about it. If you are enthusiastic about our topic, it might be much simpler to uncover solid arguments and evidence to support your claims than if you are not.

Well, here is a list of sample argumentative research paper topics you could decide to choose from and develop a terrific essay.

Good Argument Paper Topics On Education

Here are some ingenious argumentative essay sample topics touching on matters of education:

• Can parents be able to alter their unborn children’s characteristics?
• Should pupils need to be immunized to attend a public school?
• Should global governments take action to combat climate change?
• Should physical education classes have an impact on a student’s grades?
• Is free college a good idea?
• Should Greek life be banned from academic institutions?
• Should comprehensive sex education be given to scholars?
• It should be possible for pupils to choose the high school curriculum.
• The importance of physical education in education.
• Schools should not permit the use of cell phones.
• Like scholars, teachers need to pass a professional exam.
• Less work should be assigned to pupils in schools.
• High schools should be required to include sex education.
• The Best Alternative to Regular School is Home Schooling
• Scholars should only spend three months studying and nine months vacationing.
• Sporting Activities Can Help You Change Your Life.
• Lies Are a Vital Component of a Healthy Relationship
• There Are Aliens
• Keeping a Journal Is a Fun Stress Reduction Technique
• Colleges need medical facilities to aid scholars in overcoming stress and depression.
• You Can Learn Important Life Skills from Video Games
• Having a pet is a way to improve your happiness.
• Better Off Renting Than Buying a Home
• Is the American educational system ideal for the modern world?

Interesting Argument Paper Topics On Ethics

When faced with an argumentative essay touching on ethics, here are samples to jog your mind:

• Do GMOs benefit or hurt humans?
• Should Facebook be permitted to gather user data?
• Should autonomous vehicles be made legal?
• Is it moral to use automation to replace human labor?
• Should use a cell phone while driving is prohibited by law?
• Has the Internet had a good or bad impact on society?
• Should college athletes receive compensation for playing on teams?
• Must fracking be permitted?
• Same-sex couples ought to be permitted to wed.
• Death Penalties: Are They Still Valid in the Twenty-First Century?
• Benefits of Medical Marijuana Legalization
• Without organized religion, the world might be a better place.
• More harm than good is caused by technology.
• What would life be like if animals ruled the world?
• What if scholars and teachers switched places?
• How will having flying automobiles affect our daily lives?
• The most prosperous people are school dropouts.
• Why drinking is advisable before a test
• What if humans were to view the world as dogs do?
• The causes behind Starbucks’ delicious flavor
• How defying your parents can help you succeed?
• Why passing the driving test is crucial
• The top pupils are those who do not attend class.
• The best visitors are those who arrived already stuffed.
• Why I enjoy junk mail
• Why setting your school on fire is not an option
• Clowns are not as terrifying as you would imagine.
• The reason why your washing won’t do itself
• Why you should continue to wear a mask even after COVID-19
• Which film has ever been the worst?
• How playing video games can benefit your career search
• Why I don’t like country music
• Why films are superior to books
• Is it wrong to show sex scenes on television?
• Should learning institutions condone cheating?
• Should young people have access to birth control?
• Is religion a valid justification for terrorism?
• Does bullying make one stronger?
• Do you think young kids should have access to cell phones and tablets?
• Should minors be allowed to obtain contraception without their parent’s permission?
• Is it time for single-payer healthcare in the US?
• Should assisted suicide be allowed to exist?
• Should nutritional supplements and products for weight loss, such as teas, be allowed to use influencer marketing?
• Should physicians be permitted to promote medications?
• Is the electoral college still a useful mechanism in contemporary America?
• Should Puerto Rico gain statehood?
• Is automatic voter registration a good idea?
• Should prisoners have the right to vote?
• Should justices of the Supreme Court be voted into power?
• Children should not be served soda at restaurants.
• Should sexual labor be made legal?
• Should Indigenous Peoples’ Day take the place of Columbus Day?
• Should executions be permitted?
• Are uniforms for schools a good idea?
• Should using animals for clinical tests be permitted?
• Should the crime of drug possession be dropped?
• Must unpaid internships be permitted?
• Must abortion be outlawed?
• Do individuals misuse their freedom to carry weapons?
• Is there a racial component to police violence?
• It is time to raise the legal drinking age.
• A child’s sexual orientation is established when they are young.
• All around the world, same-sex unions should be permitted.
• Inmates should not be kept as illegal immigrants.
• Should all women have access to reproductive health care and birth control?
• Would anyone benefit equally from our tax system?
• Is vaping just as dangerous as cigarette smoking?
• Is global consumption a serious problem?
• Is social media a privacy infringement?
• Does everyone need to get vaccinated?
• Do food firms have a say in what we eat?
• Does our system of education fit our culture?
• Why should certain languages be recognized as official in the US?
• Is the death penalty ever justified?
• Victims of rape ought to abort their unborn children.
• Equal paternity leave should be granted to fathers.
• Do trouble-making behaviors among teenagers stem from boredom?
• Parents who have failed their children should be disciplined.
• Animal testing ought to be prohibited.
• Gaming that is violent needs to be prohibited.
• Adopting parents with mental impairments should not be permitted.
• Islamist nations should allow alcohol usage.
• Everyone should receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
• School dress codes ought to be abolished
• Assignments should not be required
• Pets ought to be allowed in learning institutions
• Cellphone use should be permitted in class for scholars.
• The daily schooling hours ought to be cut shorter
• Why longer school breaks are necessary
• Every classroom needs a TV.
• We must extend our summer vacation.
• Schools ought to have recess in between class sessions.
• A pet belongs in every classroom.
• Is a College Education Still Required?
• Should High School Graduates Have a Gap Year?
• Cyberbullying in High School Is a Serious Problem
• Scholars ought to be permitted to dress however they like.
• The Existing Grading System Does Not Reflect Scholars’ Knowledge in the Contemporary World
• Is a Lower Voting Age Needed?
• The Benefits of Offering Free Condoms to Scholars
• Partners expecting a child ought to take parenting classes
• Sex education ought to be taught in schools.
• Should the legal drinking age be lowered?
• Standardized Tests Need to Be Banned
• Scholar loans: Are They Favorable or Bad?
• Is drug use on campuses a test or a genuine issue?
• Do College Relationships Last a Long Time?
• Children should not be permitted to attend college classes by scholars.
• Fraternities’ detrimental effects on scholars’ behavior and performance
• When Is a Gap Year a Welcomed Idea?
• There should be more benefits for college athletes when schooling.
• Most college units are already obsolete and unfit for the contemporary world.
• The cost of lodging in universities ought to be zero.
• Celebs ought not to serve as teenage girls’ role models.
• Diet obsession can result in a variety of eating conditions and health complications.
• School uniforms ought to be required.
• Males and females can have friendships that are limited to just that.
• The vegetarian lifestyle is not practical
• Democracy is currently the sanest form of government.
• GMO diets aren’t as risky as we once thought
• Horror films may harm one’s mental health.
• Junk food ought not to be offered in school lunches.

Easy Argument Paper Topics On Sports

Sports argumentative essay topics can prove hard to formulate. Here are samples:

• Should there be a gender divide in sports?
• Should baseball’s designated hitter system be eliminated?
• Should American sports treat soccer with more respect?
• Should players and coaches receive the same compensation?
• Girls should be urged to participate in sports and put just as much effort into their studies as boys do.
• College Sports Players Must Be Paid
• Sports should allow women to compete against men.
• Countries benefit economically and socially by hosting the Olympic Games.
• Media coverage of female athletes is still sexist.
• Certain sports can encourage violent behavior.
• Injury Has a Significant Impact on an Athlete’s Mental Health
• Among Athletes, Eating Disorders Are a Common Issue
• Schools and Colleges should emphasize physical education more
• Taking part in sports can have calming, resonant effects on the body and mind.
• Motivating girls to participate in sports is important.

Argument Paper Topics On Religion

Argumentative essay topics on religion could prove contentious. Below are samples:

• Should religious institutions be subject to taxation?
• Should schools allow religious clubs?
• Should the pledge of allegiance include “one nation under God”?
• Should religion be covered in the classroom?
• Should clerics be permitted to wed?

Professional Argument  Paper Topics On Economics

Argumentative topics in economics essays are easy. Here are some examples:

• Is raising the minimum wage necessary?
• Do monopolies deserve to exist?
• Is the concept of universal basic income wisely?
• Should the tax rate on companies be higher or cheap?

Argument Paper Topics On Society And Culture

Formulating argumentative essay topics on culture and society, in general, should not bother you that much. Here are samples. But if you have problems with your writing you can order a dissertation online .

• Is graffiti considered destruction or art?
• Should books with offensive language be prohibited?
• Should YouTube content be more strictly regulated?
• Is the study of art important?
• Should people be able to share their art and music online?
• Current assessments do not match the scholar’s ability.
• Breastfeeding in public should be permitted for women.
• To bring about change, the Internet was developed.
• When it comes to giving their kids a nutritious diet, parents should be accountable.
• Churches ought to be taxed as well.
• The Contribution of Art to the Evolution of Our World
• Using Art Therapy to Treat Mental Illness
• Scholars that participate in the arts excel academically.
• Unlike traditional art, digital art lacks soul.
• Everybody ought to enrol in art classes in school
• Is Art Actually Required?
• What Inner Fears Do Children Express in Their Art?
• What Is Art For?
• How Has the Representation of Women in Art Changed Over the Centuries?
• Most art forms were created in ancient Greece, which is where they originated.
• A potent treatment for psychological issues is music.
• Hard Rock Harmfully influences teenage Behavior
• If You Pay Attention, You Can Hear Music in the Natural World
• Billie Eilish Is Not Your Average Teen Pop Star-Star
• The Human Brain is Positively affected by Music
• The Calming Power of Celtic Music
• Modern music is largely commercial rather than artistic.
• Rap music encourages aggression.
• A better pregnancy can be ensured by classical music.
• College scholars’ academic performance is improved through music

Technology Argument Paper Topics

Many learners avoid technology-related argumentative topics due to their technicality. Below are samples:

• Owners of social media platforms should keep an eye on and delete comments that use offensive language.
• Does technology contribute to individuals feeling more alone?
• Will there ever be a moment when no new technological developments take place?
• Vlogging is not a legitimate career.
• Is LinkedIn useful in terms of job search?
• The number of business opportunities has significantly increased thanks to social media.
• Is Java going out of style?
• Are social media profiles of candidates something employers should look through?
• Social media cause teenage despair.

Science Argument Paper Topics

Below are argumentative topics touching on the science field:

• The Morality of Cloning the Benefits of Genetic Engineering and How They Can Change the World the Potential Benefits of Investing in Space Exploration
• Universities should spend more money on scientific programs.
• How Do New Scientific Discoveries Affect Our Everyday Lives?
• Do New Technologies Pose Health Risks?
• The use of animals in scientific research should be prohibited
• The Science of Medical Marijuana’s Healing Effect
• Food that has been genetically modified: Is it healthy for us or not?
• Why Science Should Be Taught to Everyone.

Argument Paper Topics On The Environment

Argumentative topics on the environment tend to be broad. Here are useful samples:

• Existing environmental statutes do not avert human encroachment and habitat obliteration
• Human encroachment endangers the lives of plants and animals
• Climate change is real
• Developed nations primarily cause global warming
• A change in farming practices is required to cease environmental obliteration.
• Environment-friendly effects of vegetarianism
• The worst polluters of air and water are industrial by-products and farming additives
• Overpopulation is the root cause of city pollution
• We must protect the world’s resources.
• Hunting is a sinful activity.
• Is using animals in a circus acceptable?
• Evil dogs ought to be put to sleep.
• Recycling ought to be required.
• Should recycling be made required?
• Is competition advantageous?
• Does blogging as a profession have a future?
• Is it possible for people to ever exist without the Internet?
• Should everyone volunteer and donate to charities?
• Does the media infringe on famous people’s privacy?

Argument Paper Topics On Government

Politics is not everyone. Below are argumentative topics on governance you could exploit:

• In wealthy nations, unlawful immigration is a serious problem.
• Citizenship should always be granted to persons sired within a particular country’s borders. Stricter immigration laws should be enforced against illegal immigration
• Border restrictions should be tightened to stop illegal immigration.
• The main driver of unlawful immigration is poverty.
• Deporting illegal immigrants to their nations of origin is usually pointless.
• High Illegal Immigration Rates May Encourage Prostitution
• High levels of unlawful immigration are one of the main causes of terrorism.
• Lowering immigration costs may help avert illegal immigration
• Refugee applicants ought not to be viewed as unauthorized immigrants.
• Is Racial Profiling Still Appropriate in Today’s World?
• Euthanasia for terminally ill patients should be made legal.
• All should have access to free higher education.
• Is Donald Trump’s presidency detrimental to the US and the rest of the world, or beneficial?
• In colleges and schools, energy drinks have to be prohibited.
• In the US, gambling ought to be outlawed.
• Should abortion be outlawed globally?
• Should the death penalty be carried out universally?
• Certain kinds of animal experimentation and other forms of study ought to be prohibited.
• Should the government take additional steps to provide accessibility for the physically challenged?
• Are people born with the skill to be a politician, or do they learn it?

High Quality Argument Paper Topics On Health

There are numerous argumentative topics on health to choose from. Below are samples:

• Everyone should have access to free health care.
• It is possible to discover a working cure for AIDs
• Art therapy can be effective for a wide range of health issues
• Healthy alternatives: benefits and drawbacks
• The negative consequences of a head injury
• Does the media accurately represent the risk of coronavirus?
• Are electronic cigarettes more harmless than smoke?
• Could 3D printing help the medical field?
• Nanotechnology can aid in cancer treatment
• How would stem cells reduce cardiac arrest patients’ mortality rates?
• Pro-life vs. Pro-choice views on abortion
• Alcoholism harms all aspects of life, not just health
• The production and sale of tobacco should be prohibited
• Vaping is safer than cigarette smoking.
• The risks of the COVID-19 vaccine outweigh the benefits.

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Writing an Argumentative Research Paper

• Library Resources
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• What is an Argumentative Research Essay?
• Choosing a Topic
• How to Write a Thesis Statement Libguide
• Structure & Outline
• Types of Sources
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Examples of argumentative essays

Skyline College libguides: MLA Sample Argumentative Papers

Ebooks in Galileo

Video Tutorial

Structure & Outline

Usually written in the five-paragraph structure, the argumentative essay format consists of an introduction, 2-3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

A works cited page or reference page (depending on format) will be included at the end of the essay along with in-text citations within the essay.

When writing an argumentative research essay, create an outline to structure the research you find as well as help with the writing process. The outline of an argumentative essay should include an introduction with thesis statement, 3 main body paragraphs with supporting evidence and opposing viewpoints with evidence to disprove, along with an conclusion.

The example below is just a basic outline and structure

I. Introduction: tells what you are going to write about. Basic information about the issue along with your thesis statement.

 A. Basic information

B. Thesis Statement

II. Body 1 : Reason 1 write about the first reason that proves your claim on the issue and give supporting evidence

A. supporting evidence 

B. Supporting evidence 

II. Body 2 .: Reason 2 write about the third reason that proves your claim on the issue and give supporting evidence

A. supporting evidence

III. Body 3 : Reason 3 write about the fourth reason that proves your claim on the issue and give supporting evidence

IV. Counter arguments and responses. Write about opposing viewpoints and use evidence to refute their argument and persuade audience in your direction or viewpoint

A. Arguments from other side of the issue

B. Refute the arguments

V. Conclusion

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Writing a Paper: Academic Arguments

Definition of academic arguments, what is an academic argument.

An academic argument is your stance, your claim, or your take on your topic.

This stance, claim, or take is your contribution to the current conversation on your topic and provides your readers with a position, perspective, and/or point of view on your topic.

An academic argument is also based in the research, what we often call "evidence-based." This means you must support your argument with findings from sources you read.

An academic argument is not....

An academic argument is not a fight, a battle, or a negative confrontation. An academic argument is also not emotional nor focused on one person's opinion.

Academic Arguments Overview

Although reflection and summary play a role in academic writing, your papers need to be founded in analysis and critique. Learning to spot a strong argument in what you read can help you become better at constructing your own arguments when you write. The following subpages will help you learn how to understand and develop a strong argument in a paper and move beyond basic summary.

• Understanding Arguments
• Developing Arguments
• Comparing & Contrasting
• Avoiding Logical Fallacies
• Addressing Assumptions
• Responding to Counterarguments

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The Research Argument: Resources

• College Writing

An argumentative essay attempts to convince your reader of the validity of a particular opinion on a controversial issue.  These following steps may assist you in forming your written argument:

1. Choose a topic that interests you.  It doesn't have to be a vital topic of the day but it should be something that you can feel strongly about. 2.  Clearly identify the issue at stake, and where you stand on it in the introductory paragraph. This is your thesis. 3.  Provide support to your stated argument (thesis) in the subsequent body paragraphs. Support this thesis with the 3 strongest arguments you can find. Draw on statistics, expert opinions, facts, personal experiences, research studies drawn from journals, books, newspaper articles, reports etc.. 4. Acknowledge and address opposing viewpoints and repudiate them using your sources. This will lend additional persuasiveness to your argument. 5. Provide a forceful conclusion that restates your position in different words. It may include a call to action. (Adapted from Indian River State College Writing Handout)

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Suggested Databases

• Gale Databases This link opens in a new window Full-text articles and citations on all subjects

Google Scholar provides a simple way to broadly search for scholarly literature using the familiar Google interface. Google Scholar helps you find relevant work across the world of scholarly research. If you are off-campus, use these instructions to set it up for full access to library resources .

Acknowledgement

Thank you to Edward Metz for his permission to adopt and adapt his guide The Argument Essay .

Examples and more...

Research and instruction librarian.

• Last Updated: Feb 7, 2023 3:27 PM
• URL: https://library.mcla.edu/researchargument

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How to Write an Argumentative Research Paper

Last Updated: December 9, 2022 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD . Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. There are 14 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 371,585 times.

An argumentative essay requires you to make an argument about something and support your point of view using evidence in the form of primary and secondary sources. The argumentative essay is a common assignment, but teachers may present it in a variety of different ways. You can learn how to write an argumentative essay by following some standard steps for writing an essay as well as by doing some things that are required for argumentative essays, such as citing your sources.

Sample Outlines

Getting Started

• a thesis statement that makes a clear argument (provided in the first paragraph)
• claims that help prove your overall argument
• logical transitions that connect paragraphs and sentences
• support for your claims from your sources
• a conclusion that considers the evidence you have presented
• in-text citations throughout your essay to indicate where you have used sources (ask your teacher about what citation style to use)
• a works cited page with an entry for each of your sources (ask your teacher about what citation style to use)

• Make sure that you understand how to cite your sources for the paper and how to use the documentation style your teacher prefers. If you’re not sure, just ask.
• Don’t feel bad if you have questions. It is better to ask and make sure that you understand than to do the assignment wrong and get a bad grade.

• Listing List all of the ideas that you have for your essay (good or bad) and then look over the list you have made and group similar ideas together. Expand those lists by adding more ideas or by using another prewriting activity. [3] X Research source
• Freewriting Write nonstop for about 10 minutes. Write whatever comes to mind and don’t edit yourself. When you are done, review what you have written and highlight or underline the most useful information. Repeat the freewriting exercise using the passages you underlined as a starting point. You can repeat this exercise multiple times to continue to refine and develop your ideas. [4] X Research source
• Clustering Write a brief explanation (phrase or short sentence) of the subject of your argumentative essay on the center of a piece of paper and circle it. Then draw three or more lines extending from the circle. Write a corresponding idea at the end of each of these lines. Continue developing your cluster until you have explored as many connections as you can. [5] X Research source
• Questioning On a piece of paper, write out “Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?” Space the questions about two or three lines apart on the paper so that you can write your answers on these lines. Respond to each question in as much detail as you can. [6] X Research source

• Ethos refers to a writer’s credibility or trustworthiness. To convince your readers that your argument is valid, you need to convince them that you are trustworthy. You can accomplish this goal by presenting yourself as confident, fair, and approachable. You can achieve these objectives by avoiding wishy-washy statements, presenting information in an unbiased manner, and identifying common ground between yourself and your readers(including the ones that may disagree with you). You can also show your authority, another aspect of ethos, by demonstrating that you’ve done thorough research on the topic.
• Pathos refers to your use of emotional appeals. Emotional appeals have a place in argumentative writing, but overuse of them may lead a reader to reject your argument. Make sure that your use of emotional appeals is minimal and appropriate. Some ways that you can incorporate pathos into your paper without turning off your readers includes using descriptive language that evokes the desired reaction (positive or negative) to your subject, especially when you use other people’s language—such as quotes—to do so (which avoids damaging your ethos with overly emotional language). You can also invoke pathos by providing relevant examples that evoke an emotional response in your readers and using figurative language (such as metaphors) to help your readers understand and sympathize with your point of view.
• Logos refers to your use of logic, reasoning, and sequencing. This means setting up your argument in a way that uses logic to achieve your desired endpoint or reaction, often through inductive and deductive reasoning. For example, you can appeal to your readers’ desire for logic by organizing your examples in a way that shows your argument in the best light and is easy to follow, such as chronologically, by cause and effect, or by problem and solution.

• Place your thesis statement at the end of your first paragraph unless your instructor tells you to place it elsewhere. The end of the first paragraph is the traditional place to provide your thesis in an academic essay.

• For example, an arguable thesis statement might be something like, “The drinking age should be reduced to 18 in the United States.” This statement is arguable because it presents a position that others might debate by saying “The drinking age should not be reduced to 18 in the US.” Or, others might argue that the drinking age should be abolished altogether or even raised. There are many possibilities for a counter argument, which makes this topic arguable.

• For example, a detailed thesis statement might be something like, “Because youth are more drawn to drinking as a way to rebel, lowering the drinking age to 18 in the United States would help to reduce binge drinking among teenagers and college students.” This thesis still provides a position that could be debated, but it also explains the reasoning behind the position. Providing this detail gives readers a good sense of what the rest of the paper will discuss.
• Your thesis should tell your reader why your argument matters, and for whom.

• Organize your outline by essay part and then break those parts into subsections. For example, part 1 might be your introduction, which could then be broken into three sub-parts: a)Opening sentence, b)context/background information c)thesis statement.

Research Your Topic

• For example, some relevant key terms and phrases for a paper on lowering the drinking age to 18 might be: “drinking”, “underage”, “minors”, “binge”, “rebellion”, “drinking age”, “binge drinking culture”, “countries with low drinking age”, “drinking and rebellion”, etc.

• Use your library’s databases rather than a general internet search. University libraries subscribe to many databases, such as EBSCO and JSTOR. These databases provide you with free access to articles and other resources that you cannot usually gain access to by using a search engine. Schedule an appointment with a librarian at your school’s library if you are not sure about how to use the library databases.
• If your university doesn’t subscribe to any databases, use Google Scholar.

• Author's credentials Choose sources that include an author’s name and that provide credentials for that author. The credentials should indicate something about why this person is qualified to speak as an authority on the subject. For example, an article about a medical condition will be more trustworthy if the author is a medical doctor. If you find a source where no author is listed or the author does not have any credentials, then this source may not be trustworthy.
• Citations Think about whether or not this author has adequately researched the topic. Check the author’s bibliography or works cited page. If the author has provided few or no sources, then this source may not be trustworthy.
• Bias Think about whether or not this author has presented an objective, well-reasoned account of the topic. How often does the tone indicate a strong preference for one side of the argument? How often does the argument dismiss or disregard the opposition’s concerns or valid arguments? If these are regular occurrences in the source, then it may not be a good choice.
• Publication date Think about whether or not this source presents the most up to date information on the subject. Noting the publication date is especially important for scientific subjects, since new technologies and techniques have made some earlier findings irrelevant.
• Information provided in the source If you are still questioning the trustworthiness of this source, cross check some of the information provided against a trustworthy source. If the information that this author presents contradicts one of your trustworthy sources, then it might not be a good source to use in your paper.

• To be certain that you understand your sources and that you are capable of responding to each of them, try writing a paragraph summary and response after you finish each one. Some people find keeping notecards on their sources to be a helpful way of organizing their ideas about each one. [15] X Research source
• Misunderstanding and misrepresenting your sources can damage your credibility as an author and also have a negative effect on your grade. Give yourself plenty of time to read your sources and understand what they are saying.

• Be careful to properly cite your sources when taking notes. Even accidental plagiarism may result in a failing grade on a paper.

Drafting Your Essay

• For example, an argumentative essay about lowering the drinking age might begin with something like, “Binge drinking culture is killing teens in the United States, but it hasn’t always been this way.” This sentence offers a compelling statement and it also acts as a launch pad for you to provide some background on your topic.

• For example, if you are arguing that lowering the drinking age would help to counter binge drinking among teens and young adults, your introduction should talk about the damage that is being done by binge drinking. Tell your readers about this problem in more detail so that they will begin to see why something needs to change.
• Keep in mind that your background information in the first paragraph should lead up to your thesis statement. Explain everything the reader needs to know to understand what your topic is about, then narrow it down until you reach the topic itself.

• For example, a thesis statement for a paper on lowering the drinking age might look something like, “Because the current drinking age of 21 in the United States does more harm than good by proliferating binge drinking culture among teens, the drinking age should be lowered to 18.” This thesis provides a straightforward position and reason for that position that readers can easily identify as the author’s main argument.
• In your thesis, you should also address how you’ll support your argument and why your argument matters.

• For example, one of your body paragraphs might begin with something like, “Teens are more likely to engage in binge drinking in the United States than in countries where the drinking age is lower or non-existent.”
• You might then follow up this claim with evidence from your sources. For example, you could provide statistics on teen drinking in other countries where the drinking age is lower, or you could summarize an interview with an authority of the subject, or cite an article that explains the psychological basis of this phenomenon. Whatever source(s) you choose, make sure that they are relevant that they offer convincing support for your claim.

• Rephrase your thesis. It is often helpful to remind your readers of the initial argument, but don’t simply restate your thesis if you do this. Rephrase it so that it sounds different but has the same meaning. Summarize some of the most important evidence you have offered in your essay and say remind readers of how that evidence has contributed to supporting your thesis.
• Synthesize what you have discussed. Put everything together for your readers and explain what other lessons might be gained from your argument. How might this discussion change the way others view your subject?
• Explain why your topic matters. Help your readers to see why this topic deserve their attention. How does this topic affect your readers? What are the broader implications of this topic? Why does your topic matter?
• Return to your opening discussion. If you offered an anecdote or a quote early in your paper, it might be helpful to revisit that opening discussion and explore how the information you have gathered implicates that discussion.

• Ask your teacher what documentation style he or she prefers that you use if it is not mentioned in the assignment guidelines.
• Visit your school’s writing center for additional help with your works cited page and in-text citations.

Revising Your Essay

• What is your main point? How might you clarify your main point?
• Who is your audience? Have you considered their needs and expectations?
• What is your purpose? Have you accomplished your purpose with this paper?
• How effective is your evidence? How might your strengthen your evidence?
• Does every part of your paper relate back to your thesis? How might you improve these connections?
• Is anything confusing about your language or organization? How might your clarify your language or organization?
• Have you made any errors with grammar, punctuation, or spelling? How can you correct these errors?
• What might someone who disagrees with you say about your paper? How can you address these opposing arguments in your paper? [25] X Research source

Community Q&A

• If you're still stumped, ask your teacher for help. He or she will most likely be more than happy to help you AND you'll get on his or her good side for "taking the initiative." Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• Plagiarism is a serious offense in the academic world. If you plagiarize your paper you may fail the assignment and even the course altogether. Make sure that you fully understand what is and is not considered plagiarism before you write your paper. Ask your teacher if you have any concerns or questions about your school’s plagiarism policy. Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 0

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• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/academic_writing/essay_writing/argumentative_essays.html
• ↑ http://writing.ku.edu/prewriting-strategies
• ↑ https://stlcc.edu/student-support/academic-success-and-tutoring/writing-center/writing-resources/pathos-logos-and-ethos.aspx
• ↑ https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/673/1/
• ↑ http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/thesis-statements/
• ↑ https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/writingprocess/outlining
• ↑ https://apus.libanswers.com/faq/2316
• ↑ https://libguides.schoolcraft.edu/c.php?g=430555&p=3011200
• ↑ http://guides.jwcc.edu/content.php?pid=65900&sid=538553
• ↑ http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/reading-and-researching/notes-from-research
• ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/argumentative-essay/
• ↑ https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/process/revisingargument/
• ↑ https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/561/05/
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/editing-and-proofreading/

About This Article

To write an argumentative research paper, choose a topic that can be argued from one or more perspectives, then pick a side. Start your paper with a thesis statement summing up your position, then support your statement with facts and arguments gathered from reputable sources. Use background information or context to help guide your readers through your essay, telling them what they need to know to understand the rest of your argument. For different approaches you can use while revising your paper, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Write an Argumentative Essay

4-minute read

• 30th April 2022

An argumentative essay is a structured, compelling piece of writing where an author clearly defines their stance on a specific topic. This is a very popular style of writing assigned to students at schools, colleges, and universities. Learn the steps to researching, structuring, and writing an effective argumentative essay below.

Requirements of an Argumentative Essay

To effectively achieve its purpose, an argumentative essay must contain:

●  A concise thesis statement that introduces readers to the central argument of the essay

●  A clear, logical, argument that engages readers

●  Ample research and evidence that supports your argument

Approaches to Use in Your Argumentative Essay

1.   classical.

●  Clearly present the central argument.

●  Outline your opinion.

●  Provide enough evidence to support your theory.

2.   Toulmin

●  State your claim.

●  Supply the evidence for your stance.

●  Explain how these findings support the argument.

●  Include and discuss any limitations of your belief.

3.   Rogerian

●  Explain the opposing stance of your argument.

●  Discuss the problems with adopting this viewpoint.

●  Offer your position on the matter.

●  Provide reasons for why yours is the more beneficial stance.

●  Include a potential compromise for the topic at hand.

Tips for Writing a Well-Written Argumentative Essay

●  Introduce your topic in a bold, direct, and engaging manner to captivate your readers and encourage them to keep reading.

●  Provide sufficient evidence to justify your argument and convince readers to adopt this point of view.

●  Consider, include, and fairly present all sides of the topic.

●  Structure your argument in a clear, logical manner that helps your readers to understand your thought process.

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●  Discuss any counterarguments that might be posed.

●  Use persuasive writing that’s appropriate for your target audience and motivates them to agree with you.

Steps to Write an Argumentative Essay

Follow these basic steps to write a powerful and meaningful argumentative essay :

Step 1: Choose a topic that you’re passionate about

If you’ve already been given a topic to write about, pick a stance that resonates deeply with you. This will shine through in your writing, make the research process easier, and positively influence the outcome of your argument.

Step 2: Conduct ample research to prove the validity of your argument

To write an emotive argumentative essay , finding enough research to support your theory is a must. You’ll need solid evidence to convince readers to agree with your take on the matter. You’ll also need to logically organize the research so that it naturally convinces readers of your viewpoint and leaves no room for questioning.

Step 3: Follow a simple, easy-to-follow structure and compile your essay

A good structure to ensure a well-written and effective argumentative essay includes:

Introduction

●  Introduce your topic.

●  Offer background information on the claim.

●  Discuss the evidence you’ll present to support your argument.

●  State your thesis statement, a one-to-two sentence summary of your claim.

●  This is the section where you’ll develop and expand on your argument.

●  It should be split into three or four coherent paragraphs, with each one presenting its own idea.

●  Start each paragraph with a topic sentence that indicates why readers should adopt your belief or stance.

●  Include your research, statistics, citations, and other supporting evidence.

●  Discuss opposing viewpoints and why they’re invalid.

●  This part typically consists of one paragraph.

●  Summarize your research and the findings that were presented.

●  Emphasize your initial thesis statement.

●  Persuade readers to agree with your stance.

We certainly hope that you feel inspired to use these tips when writing your next argumentative essay . And, if you’re currently elbow-deep in writing one, consider submitting a free sample to us once it’s completed. Our expert team of editors can help ensure that it’s concise, error-free, and effective!

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52 Argumentative Essay Ideas that are Actually Interesting

What’s covered:, how to pick a good argumentative essay topic, elements of a strong argumentative essay, argumentative essay idea example topics.

Are you having writer’s block? Coming up with an essay topic can be the hardest part of the process. You have very likely encountered argumentative essay writing in high school and have been asked to write your own. If you’re having trouble finding a topic, we’ve created a list of 52 essay ideas to help jumpstart your brainstorming process! In addition, this post will cover strategies for picking a topic and how to make your argument a strong one. Ultimately, the goal is to convince your reader. 

An argumentative essay tasks the writer with presenting an assertion and bolstering that assertion with proper research. You’ll present the claim’s authenticity. This means that whatever argument you’re making must be empirically true! Writing an argumentative essay without any evidence will leave you stranded without any facts to back up your claim. When choosing your essay topic, begin by thinking about themes that have been researched before. Readers will be more engaged with an argument that is supported by data.

This isn’t to say that your argumentative essay topic has to be as well-known, like “Gravity: Does it Exist?” but it shouldn’t be so obscure that there isn’t ample evidence. Finding a topic with multiple sources confirming its validity will help you support your thesis throughout your essay. If upon review of these articles you begin to doubt their worth due to small sample sizes, biased funding sources, or scientific disintegrity, don’t be afraid to move on to a different topic. Your ultimate goal should be proving to your audience that your argument is true because the data supports it.

The hardest essays to write are the ones that you don’t care about. If you don’t care about your topic, why should someone else? Topics that are more personal to the reader are immediately more thoughtful and meaningful because the author’s passion shines through. If you are free to choose an argumentative essay topic, find a topic where the papers you read and cite are fun to read. It’s much easier to write when the passion is already inside of you!

However, you won’t always have the choice to pick your topic. You may receive an assignment to write an argumentative essay that you feel is boring. There is still value in writing an argumentative essay on a topic that may not be of interest to you. It will push you to study a new topic, and broaden your ability to write on a variety of topics. Getting good at proving a point thoroughly and effectively will help you to both understand different fields more completely and increase your comfort with scientific writing.

Convincing Thesis Statement

It’s important to remember the general essay structure: an introduction paragraph with a thesis statement, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. A strong thesis statement will set your essay up for success. What is it? A succinct, concise, and pithy sentence found in your first paragraph that summarizes your main point. Pour over this statement to ensure that you can set up your reader to understand your essay. You should also restate your thesis throughout your essay to keep your reader focused on your point.

Ample Research

A typical argumentative essay prompt may look like this: “What has been the most important invention of the 21st century? Support your claim with evidence.” This question is open-ended and gives you flexibility. But that also means it requires research to prove your point convincingly. The strongest essays weave scientific quotes and results into your writing. You can use recent articles, primary sources, or news sources. Maybe you even cite your own research. Remember, this process takes time, so be sure you set aside enough time to dive deep into your topic.

Clear Structure

If the reader can’t follow your argument, all your research could be for nothing! Structure is key to persuading your audience. Below are two common argumentative essay structures that you can use to organize your essays.

The Toulmin argument and the Rogerian argument each contain the four sections mentioned above but executes them in different ways. Be sure to familiarize yourself with both essay structures so that your essay is the most effective it can be.

The Toulmin argument has a straightforward presentation. You begin with your assertion, your thesis statement. You then list the evidence that supports your point and why these are valid sources. The bulk of your essay should be explaining how your sources support your claim. You then end your essay by acknowledging and discussing the problems or flaws that readers may find in your presentation. Then, you should list the solutions to these and alternative perspectives and prove your argument is stronger.

The Rogerian argument has a more complex structure. You begin with a discussion of what opposing sides do right and the validity of their arguments. This is effective because it allows you to piece apart your opponent’s argument. The next section contains your position on the questions. In this section, it is important to list problems with your opponent’s argument that your argument fixes. This way, your position feels much stronger. Your essay ends with suggesting a possible compromise between the two sides. A combination of the two sides could be the most effective solution.

• Is the death penalty effective?
• Is our election process fair?
• Is the electoral college outdated?
• Should we have lower taxes?
• How many Supreme Court Justices should there be?
• Should there be different term limits for elected officials?
• Should the drinking age be lowered?
• Does religion cause war?
• Should the country legalize marijuana?
• Should the country have tighter gun control laws?
• Should men get paternity leave?
• Should maternity leave be longer?
• Should smoking be banned?
• Should the government have a say in our diet?
• Should birth control be free?
• Should we increase access to condoms for teens?
• Should abortion be legal?
• Do school uniforms help educational attainment?
• Are kids better or worse students than they were ten years ago?
• Should students be allowed to cheat?
• Is school too long?
• Does school start too early?
• Are there benefits to attending a single-sex school?
• Is summer break still relevant?
• Is college too expensive?

Art / Culture

• How can you reform copyright law?
• What was the best decade for music?
• Do video games cause students to be more violent?
• Should content online be more harshly regulated?
• Should graffiti be considered art or vandalism?
• Should schools ban books?
• How important is art education?
• Should music be taught in school?
• Are music-sharing services helpful to artists?
• What is the best way to teach science in a religious school?
• Should fracking be legal?
• Should parents be allowed to modify their unborn children?
• Should vaccinations be required for attending school?
• Are GMOs helpful or harmful?
• Are we too dependent on our phones?
• Should everyone have internet access?
• Should internet access be free?
• Should the police force be required to wear body cams?
• Should social media companies be allowed to collect data from their users?
• How has the internet impacted human society?
• Should self-driving cars be allowed on the streets?
• Should athletes be held to high moral standards?
• Are professional athletes paid too much?
• Should the U.S. have more professional sports teams?
• Should sports be separated by gender?
• Should college athletes be paid?
• What are the best ways to increase safety in sports?

Where to Get More Argumentative Essay 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 argumentative essay ideas, and she can also help with the rest of your homework, from math to languages.

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Argument in Research Papers

An argumentative research paper needs to support your stand on an issue. An argumentative research paper is analytical, but it uses information as evidence to support its point, much as a lawyer uses evidence to make their case.

For example, you might try to find research to back up the stand that ancient Egyptian women were the first feminists. Notice that this is a very different focus than an analytical focus on the role of the mother in ancient Egyptian society--argument uses evidence to take a stand on an issue whereas analysis uses evidence to support a perspective on a topic.

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Argumentative Research Paper Topics

This page provides a comprehensive list of argumentative research paper topics to guide students in their academic journey. Covering a vast range of subjects, the list aims to inspire thoughtful debate, encourage in-depth investigation, and assist in the formulation of well-founded arguments, ensuring students not only choose compelling topics but also approach them with analytical rigor.

1000 Argumentative Research Paper Topics

Choosing the right topic can set the foundation for a compelling and insightful argumentative research paper. A well-chosen topic not only sparks interest but also drives the researcher to delve deeply, ensuring that the paper becomes a blend of passion and evidence-based argumentation. In the vast academic landscape, there are countless subjects to explore. To help guide your choices, we’ve curated a list of topics across a wide range of categories, presented alphabetically for easy navigation. These topics are designed to inspire thought, stimulate debate, and encourage a thorough investigation.

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• The moral implications of abortion.
• The psychological effects of abortion on women.
• Abortion laws around the world: A comparative analysis.
• The role of religion in the abortion debate.
• Medical perspectives on the risks and safety of abortion.
• Socio-economic factors influencing abortion rates.
• Abortion and its impact on relationships.
• The history of abortion rights movements.
• Stigmatization and societal views on abortion.
• Technological advancements in abortion procedures.
• The benefits of open vs. closed adoption.
• International adoption: Pros, cons, and challenges.
• The psychological impact of adoption on children.
• The influence of culture and religion on adoption practices.
• The process and challenges of adopting older children.
• LGBTQ+ couples and adoption rights.
• Adoption and its impact on biological parents.
• The role of government and private agencies in adoption.
• Adoption myths and misconceptions.
• The evolving nature of adoption in the 21st century.
• The promise of solar energy in addressing climate change.
• Wind energy: Benefits, challenges, and innovations.
• Hydroelectric power: Environmental impacts and sustainability.
• The potential of nuclear fusion as a clean energy source.
• Geothermal energy and its applicability worldwide.
• The future of bioenergy and biofuels.
• The role of governments in promoting alternative energy.
• Alternative energy vs. fossil fuels: A cost comparison.
• Innovations in energy storage and battery technology.
• The socio-economic impact of transitioning to alternative energy.
• The rise of holistic health and wellness.
• Acupuncture: Medical benefits and scientific validation.
• Herbal medicine: A critical review of its efficacy.
• Yoga and meditation: Physical and psychological benefits.
• The challenges of integrating alternative medicine into conventional healthcare.
• The global market for alternative medicine and wellness.
• Ethical considerations in promoting alternative healing practices.
• The role of cultural beliefs in the use of alternative medicine.
• Homeopathy: Scientific scrutiny and patient testimonials.
• The impact of alternative medicine on the pharmaceutical industry.
• Animal testing: Ethical concerns and alternatives.
• The moral considerations of vegetarianism and veganism.
• The impact of industrial farming on animal welfare.
• Legal frameworks for animal rights across countries.
• The challenges of reintroducing animals into the wild.
• Animal rights activism: Achievements and controversies.
• The psychological and emotional lives of animals.
• The ethics of hunting and conservation.
• Animals in entertainment: Circuses, zoos, and marine parks.
• The role of animals in therapeutic and emotional support.
• Ethical implications of AI in decision-making.
• The transformative impact of AI on industries.
• AI in healthcare: Promises and challenges.
• Bias and fairness in machine learning models.
• The future of AI: Superintelligence and singularity.
• AI in art and creativity: Innovations and debates.
• National AI policies: A global perspective.
• AI’s role in enhancing or diminishing job opportunities.
• The psychological effects of AI-human interactions.
• Security and privacy concerns in AI-driven applications.
• Health implications of consuming lab-grown meat.
• Environmental benefits of cellular agriculture.
• Economic feasibility and market prospects for synthetic meat.
• Public perception and acceptance of cultured meat.
• The future of farming in an era of lab-grown foods.
• Technological advancements in meat cultivation.
• Legal and regulatory challenges for meat alternatives.
• Animal welfare considerations in artificial meat production.
• Nutritional comparison: Lab meat vs. traditional meat.
• Investment and entrepreneurship in the field of cellular agriculture.
• Ethical dilemmas in genome editing using CRISPR.
• The moral implications of human cloning.
• Organ transplantation: Ethics and allocation.
• The right to die: Euthanasia and assisted suicide.
• Genetic data privacy and commercialization.
• Ethics of human enhancement and biohacking.
• Patient rights and informed consent in medical trials.
• Ethical considerations in pandemic response and vaccine distribution.
• The intersection of bioethics, culture, and religion.
• The role of bioethicists in shaping health policy.
• Innovations in drug development and personalized medicine.
• Biotechnology in agriculture: GMOs and beyond.
• Environmental biotechnology: Solutions for a sustainable future.
• The future of regenerative medicine.
• Biotechnological approaches to combat climate change.
• Intellectual property challenges in biotechnology.
• The global race for biotechnological supremacy.
• Bioinformatics and the digital future of biotechnology.
• Public perception and education on biotech breakthroughs.
• Investment trends in biotechnological startups.
• The psychological effects of bullying on victims.
• Cyberbullying in the digital age.
• Schools’ role and responsibility in addressing bullying.
• Workplace bullying and organizational culture.
• The correlation between bullying and societal violence.
• Strategies and interventions for bullying prevention.
• The impact of bullying on academic performance.
• Legal perspectives on bullying and harassment.
• The dynamics of power and control in bullying scenarios.
• Bullying among different age groups and demographics.
• The history of censorship and its impact on society.
• Internet censorship: Pros, cons, and implications.
• The role of media in shaping narratives through censorship.
• Artistic expression versus societal norms.
• The balance between national security and freedom of speech.
• Censorship in literature and the concept of banned books.
• Social media platforms and content moderation challenges.
• Political censorship and its influence on elections.
• The psychology of censorship and public perception.
• The global rise of surveillance states and information control.
• The influence of media on child behavior.
• Parenting styles and their impact on child conduct.
• Addressing behavioral disorders in early childhood.
• The role of education in shaping child behavior.
• Nature vs. nurture: The age-old debate revisited.
• The impact of peer pressure and school environments.
• Societal changes and their reflection in child behavior.
• Child behavior in blended and non-traditional family structures.
• Technology’s role in altering child interactions and behaviors.
• Strategies for fostering positive behavior in children.
• Historical perspectives on child labor.
• Economic implications and root causes of child labor.
• The mental and physical health effects on working children.
• Legal frameworks addressing child labor worldwide.
• Industries most notorious for child labor exploitation.
• Efforts and strategies to eradicate child labor.
• The link between poverty and child labor.
• Child labor in the global supply chain and consumer responsibility.
• Education’s role in preventing child labor.
• Documentaries and media portrayal of child labor issues.
• Psychological trauma and rehabilitation of former child soldiers.
• The role of militant groups and the recruitment of child soldiers.
• Legal repercussions and international conventions on child soldiers.
• The global prevalence and hotspots of child soldier recruitment.
• Preventive measures and international interventions.
• The long-term societal impact of using child soldiers.
• Child soldiers in historical wars and conflicts.
• The weaponization of innocence: An analysis.
• First-person narratives and memoirs of former child soldiers.
• Strategies for reintegration and reconciliation for affected children.
• The science behind global warming and its implications.
• Political debates and divisions on climate change.
• The effects of climate change on global ecosystems.
• Innovations and technologies addressing climate change.
• International agreements, like the Paris Agreement, and their impact.
• The economic implications of a shifting climate.
• Climate change refugees and their growing numbers.
• Strategies for individual and collective climate action.
• The link between corporate interests and environmental degradation.
• Grassroot movements and activists leading the climate change dialogue.
• The science and methodology behind cloning.
• Ethical implications of human and animal cloning.
• Potential benefits of cloning for medical research.
• The history and evolution of cloning techniques.
• Public perception and the cultural impact of cloning.
• Cloning endangered species: Conservation efforts and critiques.
• Legal frameworks and regulations governing cloning practices.
• The economics and commercial interests in cloning.
• Philosophical debates on identity, individuality, and cloning.
• The future prospects and technological advancements in cloning.
• The dynamics of cultural assimilation in multicultural societies.
• Historical instances of forced assimilation and their implications.
• Assimilation vs. integration: Understanding the nuances.
• The role of education in facilitating cultural assimilation.
• The psychological impacts of assimilation on immigrants.
• Resistance to assimilation: Case studies and analysis.
• The effects of globalization on cultural assimilation trends.
• Language acquisition and its role in assimilation.
• The balance between preserving cultural identity and assimilation.
• Modern-day challenges and debates surrounding cultural assimilation.
• The importance of preserving cultural heritage sites.
• Impacts of war and conflict on cultural preservation.
• Technology’s role in documenting and conserving heritage.
• Case studies of successful cultural heritage restorations.
• UNESCO World Heritage Sites and their significance.
• Cultural heritage in the face of natural disasters.
• The debate over repatriating historical artifacts.
• Integrating cultural heritage in modern urban planning.
• Indigenous communities and their struggles to preserve cultural identity.
• Tourism’s role in both harming and conserving cultural sites.
• The increasing importance of cybersecurity in the digital age.
• Notorious cyber-attacks and their global implications.
• The evolution of malware, ransomware, and cyber threats.
• National cybersecurity policies and international collaborations.
• Ethical hacking and its role in bolstering security.
• The dangers of identity theft and data breaches.
• Privacy in the age of surveillance and data collection.
• Economic implications of cybercrimes for businesses.
• Future trends: Quantum computing and potential cybersecurity threats.
• The integration of AI and machine learning in cybersecurity solutions.
• The moral arguments for and against the death penalty.
• A historical overview of capital punishment practices.
• The death penalty’s effectiveness as a crime deterrent.
• Racial, socio-economic biases, and the death penalty.
• Legal procedures and the possibility of judicial errors.
• Public perception and global trends regarding the death penalty.
• Methods of execution: History, ethics, and controversies.
• Psychological impacts on death row inmates.
• The death penalty in literature, film, and media.
• The future of the death penalty in evolving legal landscapes.
• Understanding the causes and effects of desertification.
• The link between climate change and accelerating desertification.
• Socio-economic impacts of desertification on local communities.
• Strategies and initiatives to combat desertification.
• Desertification’s role in global migration patterns.
• Case studies: Regions most affected by desertification.
• The interplay of deforestation, overgrazing, and desertification.
• Technological solutions and innovations to reverse desertification.
• The importance of international cooperation in addressing desertification.
• The future: Predictions and scenarios in a world facing increasing desertification.
• The science behind balanced diets and nutritional needs.
• Contemporary diet trends: Keto, veganism, intermittent fasting, and more.
• The impact of diet on chronic diseases and health outcomes.
• Cultural diets and their benefits: Mediterranean, Japanese, and others.
• The rise of supplements and fortified foods: Pros and cons.
• Childhood nutrition and its long-term effects on health.
• The global obesity epidemic and its dietary implications.
• Ethical considerations in diet: Factory farming, sustainability, and consumption.
• Nutritional education and its role in shaping societal health.
• The future of nutrition: Genetically modified foods, lab-grown meat, and beyond.
• The right to privacy in the digital world.
• Implications of data breaches and their global impacts.
• Social media platforms and the commodification of user data.
• National digital privacy laws and their enforcement.
• The challenges of maintaining privacy in a connected world.
• The rise of VPNs, encrypted messaging, and other privacy tools.
• The balance between national security and individual privacy rights.
• The role of whistleblowers in exposing privacy violations.
• Future trends in digital privacy and potential threats.
• The psychological effects of living under constant digital surveillance.
• Historical roots and evolution of discrimination.
• Racial, gender, and religious discrimination: A comparative analysis.
• The psychological impacts of discrimination on individuals.
• Institutional discrimination: Forms, implications, and solutions.
• Anti-discrimination laws and their effectiveness globally.
• The role of media and pop culture in perpetuating or combating discrimination.
• Affirmative action: Merits, critiques, and outcomes.
• Discrimination in the workplace: Challenges and strategies for inclusion.
• Case studies of movements against discrimination.
• The future: Steps toward a more inclusive and equitable society.
• The global war on drugs: History, costs, and effectiveness.
• Benefits and challenges of legalizing recreational drugs.
• The economic implications of drug decriminalization.
• Case studies: Impacts of drug legalization in various countries.
• Medical marijuana: Therapeutic benefits and societal concerns.
• The role of lobbying and activism in changing drug policies.
• Comparing drug policies: Decriminalization vs. legalization.
• Societal perceptions and the cultural shift towards drug acceptance.
• The relationship between drug legalization and addiction rates.
• The future of drug policy: Predictions and emerging trends.
• Defining ecotourism and understanding its principles.
• Benefits of ecotourism for local communities and environments.
• Case studies of successful ecotourism models around the world.
• Challenges and criticisms of ecotourism practices.
• The balance between conservation and commercialization.
• The role of governments and NGOs in promoting sustainable tourism.
• The impact of global events (e.g., pandemics) on ecotourism.
• Best practices for travelers aiming for eco-conscious travel.
• Cultural sensitivity and respect in the context of ecotourism.
• The future trajectory of the global ecotourism industry.
• The global state of education and need for reforms.
• Comparing Eastern and Western education systems.
• The integration of technology in modern education.
• Case studies of countries with successful education reforms.
• The challenge of equal access and education disparities.
• Rethinking standardized testing and evaluation methods.
• The role of educators, parents, and policymakers in shaping reforms.
• The changing dynamics of higher education and vocational training.
• Lifelong learning and the importance of continuous education.
• Predictions for the future of education in a rapidly changing world.
• Understanding the rising global elderly population.
• The challenges of aging: Physical, mental, and social.
• Comparing elderly care systems across different cultures.
• The role of technology in enhancing elderly care.
• Economic implications of an aging population for nations.
• Elderly care during crises: Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Traditional vs. modern perspectives on elderly care.
• Policy recommendations for improving elderly care infrastructure.
• The ethics of elderly care: Balancing autonomy and safety.
• Predicting the future needs of elderly care in an aging world.
• The scientific foundation of the theory of evolution.
• An overview of creationist beliefs across cultures.
• The role of education: Teaching evolution and creationism in schools.
• Societal perceptions and debates between the two theories.
• The implications of these beliefs on societal values and policies.
• Scientific evidence, fossil records, and evolution.
• Creationism in the modern world: Young Earth vs. Old Earth views.
• The interplay of religion, politics, and science in this debate.
• Philosophical implications: Purpose, morality, and origins.
• Predictions for the future trajectory of this perennial debate.
• The scientific pursuit of life beyond Earth.
• Historical perceptions of extraterrestrial beings.
• The implications of the discovery of extraterrestrial life on humanity.
• The SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) initiative and its findings.
• Planetary exploration: Mars, Europa, and beyond.
• Fermi’s Paradox and the silence of the cosmos.
• The role of popular culture in shaping our views on aliens.
• UFOs, government disclosures, and the search for truth.
• Ethical considerations of potential interactions with extraterrestrial beings.
• Predictions for the future of interstellar exploration and discovery.
• The historical evolution of feminist movements.
• Understanding the waves of feminism and their key issues.
• Global feminism: Similarities and differences across cultures.
• The role of literature, art, and media in feminist discourse.
• Intersectionality and the broadening scope of feminist thought.
• Key challenges facing modern feminist movements.
• Achievements and milestones in the fight for gender equality.
• Feminism in the age of digital activism and social media.
• The future of feminism: Emerging issues and trajectories.
• Men’s roles and participation in feminist movements.
• The global importance of maintaining food safety standards.
• Common pathogens and risks associated with foodborne illnesses.
• The role of agencies like the FDA in ensuring food safety.
• Technological innovations enhancing food safety protocols.
• Globalization, imports, and challenges in food safety monitoring.
• Case studies of major food recalls and their implications.
• Organic vs. conventionally grown: Safety and nutritional debates.
• The future of food safety in the age of GMOs and bioengineering.
• Best practices for consumers to ensure food safety.
• Global collaborations and initiatives to improve food safety standards.
• An overview of the global energy landscape.
• Environmental, economic, and societal implications of fossil fuel dependence.
• Advancements and benefits of renewable energy sources.
• Case studies: Countries transitioning from fossil fuels to renewables.
• Challenges and critiques of renewable energy integration.
• The role of geopolitics in global energy decisions.
• Economic implications: Job creation in the renewable sector vs. fossil fuel decline.
• The future of energy: Predictions in a post-fossil fuel world.
• Activism, policies, and global initiatives pushing for energy transition.
• Technological innovations in energy storage and distribution.
• Understanding the principles of free speech.
• Defining hate speech: Parameters and implications.
• Balancing freedom of expression with societal harmony.
• Case studies: Legal battles over free speech and hate speech.
• The role of social media platforms in moderating speech.
• Global variations in free speech laws and regulations.
• Philosophical debates: Absolute free speech vs. limitations.
• The impact of hate speech on marginalized communities.
• The future of free speech in a world of digital communication.
• Strategies and solutions to combat hate speech without suppressing freedom.
• A brief history of gambling and its societal implications.
• The psychology of gambling and addiction.
• Economic implications: The gambling industry’s impact on economies.
• Ethical considerations of promoting gambling.
• The rise of online gambling and its challenges.
• Case studies: Gambling regulations in different countries.
• The relationship between sports and gambling.
• Potential benefits of legalized gambling.
• Strategies for promoting responsible gambling.
• Predictions for the future of the gambling industry.
• The role and importance of genetic counseling in modern medicine.
• Ethical considerations in the genetic counseling process.
• Genetic counseling’s impact on families and reproductive decisions.
• Technological advancements supporting genetic counseling.
• Case studies: Outcomes and implications of genetic counseling sessions.
• The integration of genetic counseling in prenatal and postnatal care.
• Global variations in genetic counseling practices and regulations.
• The future of genetic counseling in the era of personalized medicine.
• Training and qualifications for professional genetic counselors.
• Public perception and awareness of genetic counseling services.
• The science and methodology behind genetic engineering techniques.
• Benefits and potential risks of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
• Ethical implications of human genome editing.
• The role of genetic engineering in agriculture and food production.
• Genetic engineering’s impact on medical research and therapies.
• Legal and regulatory frameworks governing genetic engineering.
• Public perception, debates, and education on genetic modifications.
• Genetic engineering in the realm of biohacking and DIY biology.
• The future of genetic engineering: Prospects and challenges.
• Case studies of groundbreaking genetic engineering applications.
• Understanding the multi-faceted dynamics of globalization.
• Economic, cultural, and technological aspects of globalization.
• The role of multinational corporations in driving globalization.
• Globalization’s impact on local cultures and traditions.
• Critiques and challenges: Global inequality in the age of globalization.
• The relationship between globalization and global crises (e.g., pandemics).
• The future of globalization in a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape.
• Case studies: Countries that have benefited or been harmed by globalization.
• Globalization’s influence on arts, media, and popular culture.
• Strategies for ensuring equitable growth in the globalized era.
• A historical overview of gun rights and regulations.
• The psychological and societal implications of widespread gun ownership.
• Comparing gun control policies across different countries.
• The correlation between gun ownership rates and gun-related crimes.
• The role of lobbying and political activism in shaping gun laws.
• Ethical considerations in the gun control debate.
• Strategies and recommendations for effective gun control.
• Public perception and cultural nuances surrounding gun ownership.
• Case studies of communities impacted by gun violence.
• The future of gun control in light of technological advancements.
• Understanding the complexities of health care systems.
• Comparative analysis of health care models across nations.
• The challenge of universal health care: Benefits and hurdles.
• Economic implications of health care reforms.
• The role of private sectors and insurance in health care debates.
• Case studies of successful health care reform implementations.
• The future of health care: Technology, accessibility, and quality.
• Ethical considerations in health care provision and access.
• Strategies for ensuring equitable and quality health care for all.
• Public perception and expectations regarding health care reforms.
• A foundational understanding of universally recognized human rights.
• Historical instances and the evolution of human rights over time.
• The role of international organizations, such as the UN, in monitoring human rights.
• Notable cases of large-scale human rights violations.
• The impact of politics and power dynamics on human rights enforcement.
• Strategies and challenges in addressing and preventing violations.
• The connection between economic disparities and human rights infringements.
• Public response and the role of activism in spotlighting violations.
• Case studies of successful human rights campaigns and interventions.
• Predictions for the future trajectory of global human rights efforts.
• Understanding the nuances of human trafficking and its types.
• Global trends and hotspots for trafficking activities.
• The tragic impacts on victims: psychological, physical, and societal.
• Efforts by international and local entities to combat human trafficking.
• The role of technology, both as a tool for traffickers and as a means to combat the issue.
• Legal frameworks and the challenges in prosecuting traffickers.
• Public awareness campaigns and their importance in preventing trafficking.
• The interplay between economic conditions and trafficking vulnerabilities.
• Case studies highlighting rescue and rehabilitation efforts.
• Looking forward: Strategies for a future with diminished human trafficking.
• A global overview of migration patterns and their causes.
• The challenges and benefits of immigration for host countries.
• Exploring the motives behind immigration: economic, social, political.
• The plight of refugees: reasons, responses, and resettlements.
• Legal frameworks governing immigration and their implications.
• The impact of globalization and conflict on migration trends.
• Public perceptions of immigrants and the role of media.
• Strategies for successful immigrant integration into host societies.
• Case studies of nations with significant immigration challenges and solutions.
• The future of global mobility and immigration trends.
• Understanding the metrics and scales of income inequality.
• Historical trends and the growth of income disparity globally.
• The societal implications of significant income gaps.
• The relationship between income inequality and economic health.
• Government policies that exacerbate or alleviate income disparities.
• Strategies for promoting income equality and their successes.
• The role of global institutions in addressing income inequality.
• Public perceptions and the political ramifications of economic disparities.
• Case studies of countries that have made strides in reducing income inequality.
• Predictions on the future trajectories of global income distributions.
• Fundamentals of intellectual property (IP): copyrights, patents, trademarks.
• The role of IP in fostering innovation and creativity.
• Challenges in IP enforcement in the digital age.
• Notable cases of IP disputes and their global implications.
• Strategies for businesses and individuals to protect their IP rights.
• The role of international agreements and treaties in IP protection.
• Public perceptions of IP and the balance with open-source movements.
• Economic implications of strong versus weak IP protections.
• The future of IP in the context of rapid technological advancements.
• The ethical considerations in IP debates and conflicts.
• The evolution of the internet and the need for regulation.
• Different models of internet governance across the world.
• The debate over net neutrality: principles, challenges, and implications.
• Protecting user privacy in the age of big data.
• The role of major tech companies in shaping internet regulations.
• Challenges in regulating online content: censorship vs. freedom of speech.
• The implications of internet regulations on global e-commerce.
• Case studies of countries with stringent or relaxed internet regulations.
• The future of internet regulation in light of emerging technologies.
• Ethical dilemmas in balancing security, freedom, and commerce online.
• An introduction to the foundational principles of journalistic integrity.
• The role of journalism in shaping public perception and opinion.
• Challenges in maintaining objectivity in a polarized world.
• The implications of fake news and disinformation campaigns.
• The ethical considerations in investigative journalism.
• Case studies of journalistic controversies and their societal impacts.
• The evolving dynamics of journalism in the digital age.
• Strategies for ensuring accountability and transparency in news reporting.
• The role of readers and viewers in discerning journalistic credibility.
• The future of journalism and the challenges ahead.
• A brief history of the labor movement and the establishment of unions.
• The role of labor unions in shaping workers’ rights and benefits.
• Challenges faced by labor unions in the 21st century.
• The global variations in labor union strength and influence.
• Case studies of significant labor union movements and their outcomes.
• The relationship between labor unions and political entities.
• The future of labor unions in the age of automation and gig economies.
• Ethical considerations in labor union tactics and strategies.
• The balance between employer interests and union demands.
• Public perception of labor unions and their relevance today.
• Understanding the importance of linguistic diversity in the global landscape.
• The reasons behind the endangerment and extinction of languages.
• Efforts and strategies to revive and preserve endangered languages.
• The role of technology in language preservation.
• Case studies of communities actively engaged in language conservation.
• The interplay between cultural identity and linguistic preservation.
• Challenges in maintaining language relevancy in a globalized world.
• The future of linguistic diversity and the role of educational institutions.
• Public awareness campaigns and their role in language conservation.
• The balance between global lingua francas and local languages.
• The importance of cultural diversity in a globalized society.
• Understanding the principles and benefits of inclusive environments.
• Strategies for promoting cultural diversity in workplaces and communities.
• The challenges faced by marginalized groups in various societal structures.
• Case studies of organizations championing diversity and inclusion.
• The relationship between cultural diversity and economic outcomes.
• The role of education in fostering understanding and inclusion.
• The future prospects for a more inclusive global community.
• Public perceptions and attitudes towards cultural diversity.
• Strategies for overcoming biases and stereotypes to promote inclusivity.
• Understanding the trajectory of automation and its potential impacts on the workforce.
• Predictions for jobs most at risk and those likely to emerge in an automated future.
• The balance between automation benefits and human employment challenges.
• Strategies for workers to remain relevant in an evolving job landscape.
• Case studies of industries undergoing significant automation shifts.
• The role of education and training in preparing for an automated world.
• Ethical considerations in automation decisions.
• Economic implications of widespread job automation.
• Public perceptions of automation and its potential societal impacts.
• The future of human-machine collaboration in the workplace.
• A historical perspective on marijuana use and its regulation.
• Arguments for and against the legalization of marijuana.
• Medical, recreational, and economic aspects of marijuana use.
• Case studies of countries or states that have legalized marijuana and their outcomes.
• The role of public perception in shaping marijuana policies.
• Challenges in regulating and monitoring legalized marijuana markets.
• The potential health implications of widespread marijuana use.
• Comparisons between marijuana and other controlled substances.
• Future trajectories of global marijuana policies.
• Ethical debates surrounding marijuana legalization.
• A history of the global marriage equality movement.
• Understanding the cultural, religious, and political factors influencing marriage rights.
• Case studies of countries that have embraced or resisted marriage equality.
• The societal impacts of marriage equality legislation.
• Public perception shifts over time regarding LGBTQ+ marriage rights.
• Challenges faced by LGBTQ+ couples in countries without marriage equality.
• The intersection of marriage equality with other civil rights movements.
• The future trajectory of the global marriage equality movement.
• Legal and ethical considerations in the marriage equality debate.
• Celebrating milestones and key figures in the marriage equality journey.
• Understanding the nature and types of media bias.
• Exploring the causes and implications of biased reporting.
• Strategies for discerning bias in news and media outlets.
• The impact of media bias on public perceptions and beliefs.
• Case studies of notable instances of biased reporting and their repercussions.
• The role of independent journalism in counteracting bias.
• Ethical considerations in journalism and media presentation.
• The future of media integrity in the digital age.
• Tools and techniques for readers to navigate media bias.
• An overview of the importance of mental health in overall well-being.
• Understanding various mental health disorders and their impacts.
• The societal stigma associated with mental health and efforts to combat it.
• Case studies of communities or countries excelling in mental health care.
• The role of modern lifestyles in influencing mental health.
• Strategies for promoting mental health and well-being.
• Challenges in providing adequate mental health care globally.
• The future of mental health research and treatment.
• The role of public awareness campaigns in shifting mental health perceptions.
• Personal and societal benefits of prioritizing mental health.
• Understanding the fundamentals and potential of nanotechnology.
• Exploring the current applications and breakthroughs in nanotech.
• Ethical and environmental implications of widespread nanotechnology use.
• Case studies of industries revolutionized by nanotech innovations.
• Predictions for the future evolution of nanotechnology.
• The role of education and training in advancing nanotech.
• Public perceptions and potential fears regarding nanotechnology.
• Economic implications of nanotech advancements.
• Challenges in regulating and controlling nanotechnology applications.
• Celebrating notable figures and milestones in the nanotech field.
• Understanding various types of natural disasters and their impacts.
• Strategies for communities to prepare for and respond to disasters.
• The role of technology in predicting and managing natural disasters.
• Case studies of effective disaster preparedness and response.
• The societal and economic implications of major natural disasters.
• Challenges in providing adequate disaster response in vulnerable regions.
• The future of global cooperation in disaster management.
• Public education and awareness initiatives for disaster preparedness.
• Ethical considerations in disaster response and aid provision.
• The role of climate change in influencing disaster patterns.
• A history and overview of nuclear energy and its significance.
• Exploring the benefits and challenges of nuclear power as an energy source.
• Understanding the risks associated with nuclear energy, including meltdowns and waste.
• Case studies of countries with significant nuclear energy programs.
• The role of nuclear energy in global climate change mitigation efforts.
• Public perceptions and fears regarding nuclear power.
• Strategies for enhancing nuclear safety and waste management.
• The future trajectory of global nuclear energy policies.
• Ethical debates surrounding nuclear energy production.
• The balance between nuclear energy, renewable sources, and fossil fuels.
• Understanding the scale and implications of the global obesity epidemic.
• Exploring the causes, from dietary habits to sedentary lifestyles.
• The health ramifications of widespread obesity, from heart disease to diabetes.
• Case studies of nations combatting high obesity rates effectively.
• Strategies for promoting healthier lifestyles and combating obesity.
• The economic implications of the obesity epidemic on healthcare systems.
• Challenges in shifting public perceptions and behaviors regarding diet and exercise.
• The future of global health trends in the face of rising obesity rates.
• Public awareness campaigns and initiatives targeting obesity.
• Celebrating successes and innovations in the fight against obesity.
• Tracing the evolution and rise of online educational platforms.
• Understanding the benefits and challenges of online learning.
• Case studies of successful online education programs and institutions.
• The role of technology in shaping and enhancing online education experiences.
• Strategies for ensuring quality and credibility in online courses.
• The future of education in an increasingly digital world.
• Public perceptions and attitudes toward online vs. traditional education.
• The economic implications of the shift towards online education.
• Ethical considerations in ensuring equal access to online learning resources.
• Celebrating pioneers and innovators in the online education sphere.
• Understanding the importance and process of organ donation.
• Debates surrounding voluntary vs. mandatory organ donation.
• Ethical considerations in organ transplantation.
• Case studies of countries with effective organ donation systems.
• The role of public awareness campaigns in promoting organ donation.
• Challenges in ensuring equitable access to organ transplants.
• Medical advancements and innovations in the field of organ transplantation.
• Public perceptions and misconceptions about organ donation.
• The future of organ transplantation with technological advancements.
• Celebrating stories of hope and transformation through organ donation.
• An overview of parental rights and their significance.
• Debates surrounding parental rights vs. child welfare.
• Legal perspectives on parental rights in various jurisdictions.
• The role of cultural and societal norms in shaping parental rights.
• Case studies of contentious parental rights battles.
• The future of parental rights in an evolving societal landscape.
• Public perceptions on the balance between parental autonomy and child protection.
• Ethical considerations in determining and enforcing parental rights.
• The impact of parental rights on child development and well-being.
• Celebrating milestones in the evolution of parental rights.
• Understanding various parenting styles and their implications.
• Research on the effects of different parenting styles on child development.
• Cultural perspectives on parenting and their influences.
• Case studies of the outcomes of specific parenting styles.
• Strategies for parents seeking guidance on effective parenting.
• The role of societal norms in shaping parenting choices.
• Challenges faced by parents in an evolving and complex world.
• The future trajectory of research on parenting styles and outcomes.
• Public perceptions on the “ideal” way to parent.
• Celebrating the diversity and nuances of parenting globally.
• The importance of physical fitness for overall health and well-being.
• Research on the benefits of various types of physical activities.
• Strategies for incorporating fitness into daily routines.
• Case studies of communities or nations prioritizing physical fitness.
• The role of education in promoting physical fitness from a young age.
• The challenges of maintaining fitness in modern sedentary lifestyles.
• Innovations in fitness training, equipment, and methodologies.
• Public perceptions and attitudes toward fitness and exercise.
• The economic implications of a physically fit vs. unfit society.
• Celebrating fitness icons and the culture of athleticism.
• An overview of political corruption and its manifestations.
• Case studies of countries grappling with significant political corruption.
• The societal and economic repercussions of widespread corruption.
• Strategies for combatting and reducing political corruption.
• Public perceptions and tolerance of political corruption.
• The role of media and journalism in exposing corruption.
• Historical perspectives on the evolution of political corruption.
• Ethical debates surrounding political graft, bribery, and malfeasance.
• The challenges in establishing transparent and accountable governance.
• Celebrating successes in the fight against political corruption.
• Understanding various forms of pollution and their impacts.
• Research on the health, environmental, and economic implications of pollution.
• Strategies for reducing and managing pollution effectively.
• Case studies of regions successfully combatting pollution.
• The role of policy, legislation, and public awareness in addressing pollution.
• The challenges of balancing industrial growth with environmental stewardship.
• Innovations in pollution control and management.
• Public perceptions and attitudes toward pollution and its causes.
• The future trajectory of global pollution trends.
• Celebrating environmental champions leading the charge against pollution.
• An overview of the global prison system and its challenges.
• Research on the efficacy of various prison models.
• Case studies of countries pioneering prison reform.
• The societal implications of mass incarceration.
• Strategies for ensuring prisoner rights and rehabilitation.
• The challenges of balancing public safety with humane imprisonment.
• Innovations in rehabilitative and restorative justice.
• Public perceptions on the purposes and outcomes of imprisonment.
• The future trajectory of global prison reform movements.
• Celebrating successes in creating more just and effective prison systems.
• Understanding the importance of privacy in a digital age.
• Debates surrounding individual privacy vs. state surveillance.
• Legal perspectives on privacy rights in various jurisdictions.
• The challenges of maintaining privacy in the age of social media and big data.
• Strategies for individuals to protect their privacy online and offline.
• Public perceptions and attitudes toward privacy and surveillance.
• Innovations and tools for enhancing personal privacy.
• Case studies of significant breaches of privacy and their implications.
• The future trajectory of global privacy norms and regulations.
• Celebrating champions of privacy rights and their contributions.
• A primer on quantum computing and its revolutionary potential.
• Research on the current advancements in quantum computing.
• Implications of quantum computing for industries, encryption, and more.
• Challenges in the development and mainstreaming of quantum technologies.
• The potential risks and benefits of widespread quantum computing.
• Strategies for training and education in the realm of quantum tech.
• The economic implications of quantum innovations.
• Public perceptions and understandings of quantum computing.
• Ethical considerations in the development and use of quantum tech.
• Celebrating pioneers and milestones in quantum computing.
• Understanding racial profiling and its societal implications.
• Research on the impacts of racial profiling on targeted communities.
• Legal perspectives on racial profiling practices in various jurisdictions.
• Strategies for combatting racial profiling in law enforcement and other sectors.
• Public perceptions and experiences with racial profiling.
• The role of media in shaping perceptions about racial profiling.
• Historical perspectives on racial profiling and its origins.
• Case studies of communities or nations addressing racial profiling effectively.
• The future trajectory of global attitudes and policies on racial profiling.
• Celebrating champions of justice working against racial profiling.
• The significance of religious freedom in diverse societies.
• Historical perspectives on the fight for religious freedom.
• The challenges of ensuring religious freedom in multi-faith societies.
• Legal implications and protections concerning religious freedom.
• Case studies of countries that either uphold or infringe on religious freedom.
• The balance between religious freedom and secular governance.
• Public perceptions and misconceptions about religious rights.
• The future of religious freedom in an interconnected world.
• Debates surrounding the limits of religious freedom.
• Celebrating moments and figures pivotal in championing religious freedom.
• Understanding the importance of transitioning to renewable energy sources.
• Comparisons between various sources of renewable energy.
• Technological innovations driving the renewable energy sector.
• Economic implications of a shift from fossil fuels to renewables.
• Case studies of countries leading in renewable energy adoption.
• Challenges in integrating renewable energy into existing infrastructures.
• The environmental benefits and sustainability of renewable sources.
• Public perceptions and attitudes toward renewable energy.
• Strategies to promote and support renewable energy initiatives.
• Celebrating milestones in renewable energy development.
• An overview of reproductive rights and their significance.
• The global status of reproductive rights and associated challenges.
• Legal battles and breakthroughs surrounding reproductive rights.
• The intersection of reproductive rights with societal, cultural, and religious views.
• The importance of education in ensuring reproductive rights.
• Strategies to ensure reproductive rights for all genders.
• Public perceptions and debates surrounding reproductive health and rights.
• The future trajectory of reproductive rights in a changing global landscape.
• Innovations and advancements in reproductive healthcare.
• Celebrating champions and milestones in the fight for reproductive rights.
• The importance and implications of the right to privacy in modern societies.
• Historical contexts shaping the evolution of privacy rights.
• The challenges posed by technology to the traditional notions of privacy.
• Legal landmarks in the establishment of privacy rights.
• Case studies of breaches of privacy and their societal impacts.
• Strategies for individuals to safeguard their privacy in the digital age.
• Public perceptions and concerns regarding privacy intrusions.
• Future challenges and opportunities in ensuring robust privacy rights.
• The balance between national security and individual privacy.
• Celebrating successes and milestones in the defense of privacy rights.
• An introduction to the rapidly evolving field of robotics.
• The societal and economic implications of advanced robotics.
• Ethical considerations in the development and deployment of robots.
• Innovations and breakthroughs in robotics research.
• Case studies of industries transformed by robotics.
• Public perceptions and attitudes toward the increasing role of robots.
• The future of human-robot interactions and coexistence.
• Challenges in ensuring ethical and responsible use of robotics.
• The economic implications of widespread robotic automation.
• Celebrating pioneers and landmarks in robotics research and development.
• An overview of the debates surrounding school uniforms.
• The pros and cons of implementing school uniform policies.
• Case studies of schools and regions with varying uniform practices.
• Public perceptions and arguments for and against school uniforms.
• The impact of school uniforms on student behavior and academic performance.
• Cultural and societal factors influencing school uniform practices.
• Historical perspectives on the evolution of school attire.
• Challenges and considerations in designing inclusive school uniforms.
• The future of school dress codes in diverse educational settings.
• Celebrating the diversity of school attire traditions worldwide.
• Understanding the profound influence of social media on modern life.
• The societal implications of widespread social media use.
• The psychological effects of social media on individual users.
• Case studies of social movements and events amplified by social media.
• Strategies for responsible and healthy social media consumption.
• Public perceptions and concerns regarding social media’s role in society.
• The economic and political impacts of social media platforms.
• Future challenges and opportunities in the realm of social media.
• The balance between online connectivity and real-world interactions.
• Celebrating positive societal changes driven by social media.
• An overview of human endeavors to explore space.
• The scientific, economic, and societal implications of space exploration.
• Breakthroughs and milestones in the journey to explore the cosmos.
• Public perceptions and dreams associated with venturing into space.
• The challenges and risks associated with space missions.
• The future potential of interplanetary colonization and exploration.
• Ethical considerations in the search for extraterrestrial life.
• The economic implications of space exploration and tourism.
• Innovations and advancements in space technology and research.
• Celebrating the spirit of curiosity and adventure that drives space exploration.
• Delving into the ethical dimensions of sports and athletics.
• Case studies of ethical dilemmas and controversies in various sports.
• The balance between competition, sportsmanship, and ethics.
• Strategies for ensuring ethical conduct in sports at all levels.
• Public perceptions and debates surrounding sports ethics.
• The challenges of addressing doping, cheating, and other unethical practices.
• The role of sports organizations and authorities in upholding ethics.
• Innovations in ensuring fair play and ethical conduct in sports.
• The future of sports in an era of increasing scrutiny and expectations.
• Celebrating moments and figures exemplifying the best in sports ethics.
• An introduction to stem cell research and its potential.
• Ethical debates surrounding embryonic stem cell research.
• Medical breakthroughs and potential treatments derived from stem cells.
• Public perceptions and misconceptions about stem cell research.
• Regulatory frameworks and global stance on stem cell utilization.
• Innovations in stem cell technology and methods.
• The economic implications of the stem cell industry.
• Challenges in ensuring ethical conduct in stem cell research.
• Celebrating milestones and pioneers in stem cell advancements.
• The future trajectory of stem cell research and its societal impact.
• Understanding the gravity and implications of substance abuse.
• The societal cost of drug and alcohol addiction.
• Prevention strategies and rehabilitation methods for substance abusers.
• Case studies of communities grappling with substance abuse issues.
• Public perceptions and the role of education in preventing addiction.
• The balance between criminalization and medical treatment of substance abuse.
• Insights into the psychological underpinnings of addiction.
• Innovations in treatment methodologies and recovery approaches.
• The future landscape of substance abuse in the face of societal changes.
• Celebrating stories of recovery and hope amidst the challenge of addiction.
• Examining the rise and implications of extensive state surveillance.
• Balancing national security concerns with individual privacy rights.
• Technological advancements facilitating widespread surveillance.
• Public perceptions and reactions to living in a surveillance state.
• Case studies of countries with varying levels of state surveillance.
• Legal and ethical debates surrounding surveillance practices.
• The future trajectory of surveillance in an interconnected digital world.
• Strategies for citizens to safeguard privacy amidst surveillance.
• Unraveling the economic implications of the surveillance industry.
• Celebrating instances where surveillance has been used for the public good.
• Exploring the significance of sustainable agriculture for future food security.
• Practices and methods promoting sustainable farming.
• Economic implications of transitioning from traditional to sustainable agriculture.
• The role of technology in fostering sustainable agricultural practices.
• Public perceptions and the push for organic and sustainably sourced produce.
• Challenges and roadblocks in achieving global sustainable agriculture.
• The interrelation between climate change and agricultural practices.
• Celebrating farms and regions leading in sustainable agricultural endeavors.
• The future of farming in the face of global challenges.
• Strategies for promoting sustainable agriculture at grassroots levels.
• Understanding the role and importance of taxation in statecraft.
• Debates surrounding progressive vs. regressive taxation.
• The economic and societal implications of tax policies.
• Public perceptions and debates surrounding tax levies and benefits.
• Innovations and strategies in tax collection and utilization.
• Historical perspectives on the evolution of tax systems.
• The challenges posed by global corporations and taxation.
• Strategies for ensuring fair and just taxation for all.
• The future of taxation in a globalized world economy.
• Celebrating instances where taxation has led to societal advancements.
• Delving into the rising concern of addiction to technological devices.
• Understanding the psychological implications of technology addiction.
• Strategies and methods for mitigating screen addiction.
• Public perceptions and challenges in confronting technology dependence.
• The societal costs of unchecked technology addiction.
• Balancing the conveniences of technology with its potential pitfalls.
• Innovations aimed at reducing screen time and promoting real-world interactions.
• The role of educational institutions in addressing technology addiction.
• The future trajectory of human-device relationships.
• Celebrating strategies and methods that promote balanced tech usage.
• An introduction to the realm of telemedicine and its significance.
• The advantages and challenges posed by telemedicine.
• Case studies showcasing the success and potential of telemedicine.
• Technological innovations driving the telemedicine revolution.
• Public perceptions and the future potential of telehealth services.
• The economic implications of widespread telemedical practices.
• Strategies for ensuring quality healthcare via telemedicine.
• The role of regulations and standardization in telemedicine.
• Celebrating breakthroughs and milestones in telemedical services.
• Envisioning the future of healthcare in a telemedicine-dominated landscape.
• Exploring the underpinnings and implications of global terrorism.
• Historical perspectives on the rise and motives of terrorist groups.
• Strategies and methods for counter-terrorism efforts.
• Public perceptions and the societal cost of living under the threat of terrorism.
• Legal, ethical, and strategic challenges in confronting terrorism.
• Case studies of regions grappling with terrorism and their strategies.
• The global collaborative efforts to combat terrorist threats.
• The psychological and socio-economic roots of terrorism.
• The future landscape of global security in the face of terrorism.
• Celebrating victories and milestones in the fight against terrorism.
• An introduction to the concept and potential of Universal Basic Income (UBI).
• Debates surrounding the feasibility and implications of UBI.
• Economic perspectives on funding and sustaining UBI.
• Public perceptions and global experiments with UBI.
• The potential societal transformation due to UBI implementation.
• Challenges and roadblocks in universally implementing UBI.
• Strategies for piloting and scaling UBI in various regions.
• Historical attempts and lessons learned from UBI experiments.
• The future trajectory of social welfare in the face of UBI debates.
• Celebrating regions and communities positively impacted by UBI.
• Delving into the processes and significance of urban development.
• Strategies for sustainable and inclusive urbanization.
• The societal and environmental implications of urban sprawl.
• Public perceptions and challenges associated with rapid urbanization.
• Innovations and strategies for future-ready urban development.
• Balancing urban growth with environmental and societal concerns.
• The role of regulations and policies in shaping urban landscapes.
• Celebrating cities leading in innovative and sustainable urban development.
• Historical perspectives on urban development patterns.
• Envisioning the future of cities and urban life in a globalized world.
• Unpacking the significance and science behind vaccination.
• Public debates surrounding the efficacy and safety of vaccines.
• The societal impact of vaccine hesitancy and misinformation.
• Strategies for promoting vaccine literacy and widespread immunization.
• Historical perspectives on the success stories of vaccines.
• The economic and health implications of global vaccination campaigns.
• Innovations and breakthroughs in the field of vaccine research.
• The challenges and prospects of vaccine distribution in low-income regions.
• The future trajectory of diseases in the face of vaccination drives.
• Celebrating milestones in the eradication of diseases through vaccines.
• Exploring veganism and its implications for health and environment.
• Debates surrounding the ethics of animal consumption.
• Public perceptions and the rise of vegan diets and products.
• The health benefits and challenges associated with vegan lifestyles.
• The environmental impact of transitioning to plant-based diets.
• Economic perspectives on the burgeoning vegan product industry.
• Strategies for promoting veganism and its societal benefits.
• Case studies of regions and communities leading in vegan practices.
• The future trajectory of global diets in the face of veganism debates.
• Celebrating pioneers and innovations in the vegan movement.
• An introduction to the world of virtual reality (VR) and its potential.
• The transformative implications of VR in industries like gaming, medicine, and education.
• Public perceptions and the rapidly evolving VR technologies.
• The psychological and societal implications of immersive VR experiences.
• Challenges and ethical considerations in VR application and development.
• The economic potential and growth trajectory of the VR industry.
• Innovations driving the future of VR experiences.
• Historical evolution and milestones in the realm of VR.
• The future landscape of entertainment, work, and socializing in a VR-dominated world.
• Celebrating breakthroughs and pioneers in VR advancements.
• Delving into the pressing issue of water scarcity and its global implications.
• Analyzing the factors contributing to diminishing freshwater resources.
• Public perceptions and the societal costs of water shortages.
• Strategies and technologies for sustainable water management and conservation.
• Case studies of regions severely impacted by water scarcity.
• Economic and geopolitical implications of water shortages.
• The challenges of ensuring water security in a rapidly changing climate.
• Celebrating innovations and community efforts in water conservation.
• The future trajectory of global water resources and strategies for resilience.
• Insights into the role of international collaborations in tackling water scarcity.
• Understanding the nuances and significance of water security.
• The balance between water utilization for agriculture, industry, and personal consumption.
• Public perceptions and the importance of water quality and access.
• Strategies for ensuring water security amidst growing global demands.
• Technological advancements facilitating better water management.
• The economic implications of ensuring consistent water supply.
• The role of governance and regulations in water resource management.
• Celebrating initiatives and countries leading in water security endeavors.
• Envisioning a future where every individual has access to safe and ample water.
• Challenges and roadmaps for achieving global water security.
• Emphasizing the critical need for wildlife conservation for a balanced ecosystem.
• The detrimental impact of human activities on wildlife habitats.
• Celebrating success stories of species recovery and sustained conservation efforts.
• Technologies and strategies aiding effective wildlife conservation.
• The role of international treaties and bodies in wildlife preservation.
• Economic implications and benefits of preserving rich biodiversity.
• Balancing urban expansion with the creation of wildlife corridors and sanctuaries.
• The grave challenges of poaching and the illegal wildlife trade.
• Public perceptions and the role of awareness in promoting wildlife conservation.
• Looking into the future of wildlife amidst changing climatic conditions.
• Exploring the journey and significance of women’s rights movements.
• Analyzing the socio-cultural barriers to women’s emancipation.
• Celebrating milestones in the fight for women’s suffrage, education, and workplace rights.
• Public perceptions and the evolving dynamics of gender equality.
• Challenges in achieving universal women’s rights across diverse cultures.
• The economic, social, and political implications of women’s empowerment.
• Future trajectories and strategies for ensuring gender equity.
• The role of international bodies and treaties in upholding women’s rights.
• Debates surrounding contemporary women’s rights issues.
• Case studies showcasing countries leading in women’s rights and gender equity.
• Delving into the significance and challenges of achieving work-life balance.
• Public perceptions and the impact of modern work cultures on personal lives.
• Strategies for promoting work-life balance in organizational settings.
• The implications of poor work-life balance on mental and physical health.
• Technological advancements and their role in blurring work-life boundaries.
• Case studies of organizations and countries promoting healthy work cultures.
• Challenges and prospects in a world rapidly transitioning to remote work.
• Celebrating initiatives and policies that prioritize employee well-being.
• Future trajectories in work cultures and the importance of personal time.
• The economic implications of promoting work-life balance in industries.
• Exploring the significance and rise of youth-led movements and initiatives.
• Analyzing historical contexts where youth activism catalyzed societal change.
• Understanding the unique strengths and challenges youth activists face in today’s digital age.
• Public perceptions and the influence of social media on youth-led campaigns.
• Celebrating notable youth activists and their transformative contributions.
• The role of educational institutions in fostering or suppressing youth activism.
• Strategies employed by youth activists to gather momentum and influence policy changes.
• Debates surrounding the impact and sustainability of youth-driven movements.
• Future trajectories: envisioning a world shaped by the passionate endeavors of young leaders.
• Case studies of impactful youth-led movements, like climate change protests, anti-gun violence campaigns, and racial justice movements.
• Understanding the pivotal role of youth in shaping societal futures.
• Debates surrounding generational dynamics and perceptions.
• The societal implications of major youth-led movements.
• Challenges faced by the youth, including employment, mental health, and societal expectations.
• Celebrating youth-driven innovations and changes.
• The role of education systems in molding the perspectives of the youth.
• Strategies for fostering a more inclusive and participative society for the youth.
• The economic and political implications of youthful populations.
• Envisioning a future driven by youth-led initiatives and priorities.
• Case studies of regions where youth have significantly impacted societal structures.
• Introduction to the diverse world of animals and the science of zoology.
• The importance of studying animals for ecological balance and human benefits.
• Debates and challenges surrounding wildlife conservation efforts.
• Celebrating breakthroughs and discoveries in the field of zoology.
• The implications of habitat loss and climate change on various species.
• Strategies and technologies aiding effective animal conservation.
• Public perceptions and the importance of biodiversity.
• The role of zoos, sanctuaries, and research in animal preservation.
• Future trajectories in the realm of zoological research and conservation.
• Delving into the beautiful world of animal behaviors, adaptations, and ecosystems.

With such a broad spectrum of topics at your fingertips, you have the power to explore a subject that genuinely intrigues you, pushing you to research and argue with authenticity and depth. Remember, the best argumentative essays don’t merely present facts; they engage with them, challenge them, and present them in a new light. Choose a topic that resonates with you, and embark on a journey of exploration, debate, and discovery.

The Range of Argumentative Research Paper Topics

The Significance of Argumentative Research in Academia

Every year, millions of students worldwide immerse themselves in the realm of argumentative research, a testament to its pivotal role in academia. At its core, argumentative research isn’t just about putting forth a viewpoint; it’s an intricate dance of presenting a thesis, supporting it with evidence, and addressing counterarguments. This practice cultivates a rigorous academic mindset, teaching students not only to understand a topic deeply but also to challenge and dissect various perspectives surrounding it.

Argumentative research papers are distinct in that they require students to pick a side on a contentious issue, defend their stance, and potentially persuade their readers. It isn’t merely about recounting facts or describing a phenomenon; it’s about molding those facts and observations into a compelling narrative that supports one’s thesis.

How Argumentative Topics Differ from Other Research Topics

While all research aims to uncover truths or shed light on the unknown, argumentative research specifically seeks to make a point. For example, a descriptive research paper on climate change might discuss its effects and causes, but an argumentative paper might take a stance on the efficacy of a specific solution, like renewable energy, defending it against detractors.

Other types of research, such as analytical or experimental, might prioritize data collection, hypothesis testing, or analysis over taking a firm stance. But argumentative research is unique; it’s centered on making a case and backing it up robustly.

The Versatility and Applicability of Argumentative Research Across Disciplines

One of the striking features of argumentative research is its universal applicability. Whether you’re diving into the intricacies of quantum physics, exploring social dynamics in ancient civilizations, or debating the ethical ramifications of AI, there’s room for argument. This versatility stems from the fact that most fields, no matter how empirical or fact-driven, have areas of contention. These grey areas, these debates, are fertile ground for argumentative research.

For instance, in medicine, one might argue the potential of stem cell therapy in treating degenerative diseases. In literature, a student could make a case for the influences of post-colonialism in a specific author’s work. The possibilities are endless, and this adaptability ensures that argumentative research remains a mainstay in academic pursuits across disciplines.

Benefits of Engaging with Argumentative Topics

Engaging in argumentative research is like embarking on an academic adventure. It demands critical thinking – not taking things at face value but questioning, probing, and analyzing. When you’re tasked with defending a viewpoint, it pushes you to look beyond the superficial, to seek out evidence, and to anticipate counterarguments.

Furthermore, it’s a magnificent exercise in structured thinking. Making an argument isn’t just about having a viewpoint; it’s about presenting it in a way that’s logical, coherent, and compelling. This process invariably improves one’s writing skills, making one’s narratives more persuasive and grounded.

Another subtle yet profound benefit is the empathy it instills. To make a strong argument, one must understand the counterarguments deeply. This process fosters an appreciation for diverse perspectives, an essential trait in our increasingly globalized world.

Concluding Remarks

In conclusion, diving into the world of argumentative research is not just an academic task; it’s a transformative experience. The journey, from choosing the right topic to fleshing out a compelling argument, is laden with challenges and discoveries. The topic chosen can make a world of difference. It should resonate with the researcher, offer enough scope for exploration, and have sufficient evidence available for or against it.

The skills one gains – critical thinking, structured argumentation, persuasive writing, and empathy for opposing views – are not just academic assets. They’re life skills, assets in any professional or personal endeavor one undertakes. As students embark on these academic quests, they’re not just earning grades; they’re honing skills that will serve them for a lifetime.

How to Choose an Argumentative Topic

Choosing the right topic for an argumentative research paper is not merely the first step; it’s the cornerstone of the entire research process. A well-selected topic can provide direction, inspire passion, and pave the way for meaningful insights and robust arguments. Conversely, a hastily chosen or ill-fitted topic might lead to a lack of motivation, weak arguments, or even a disorganized paper. With this in mind, one must approach the task of topic selection with diligence and strategic consideration.

• Align with Personal Interest: The process of research can be laborious, but if the topic resonates with your personal interests, the journey becomes engaging and even enjoyable. Your enthusiasm will also reflect in your writing, making your arguments more compelling.
• Ensure Ample Resources are Available: A solid argument is built on robust evidence. Before finalizing a topic, ensure that there’s a wealth of resources available, be it in the form of books, journals, interviews, or case studies.
• Consider the Audience: Tailor your topic to your audience. Whether you’re writing for academics, industry professionals, or the general public, ensure that your topic is relevant and engaging for them.
• Reflect on the Broader Impact of the Topic: A topic with wider societal, ethical, or global implications can lend more depth and significance to your research. It can also open doors to interdisciplinary insights.
• Seek Originality: While it’s essential to have ample resources, consider areas that haven’t been over-researched. Carving a niche for your perspective can make your paper stand out.
• Ensure It’s Debatable: An argumentative paper thrives on contention. Your chosen topic should have multiple perspectives, allowing for a rigorous exploration of views and counterarguments.
• Check Feasibility: Consider the feasibility in terms of research timeframe, accessibility of resources, and the scope of the paper. An overly broad topic can be as challenging as an overly narrow one.
• Consult With Peers and Mentors: Sometimes, a fresh perspective or expert guidance can refine your choice or introduce you to new avenues worth exploring.
• Stay Updated: Especially in fields that are rapidly evolving, like technology or global politics, ensure your topic is relevant to current discussions and developments.
• Relevance to Future Endeavors: If possible, choose a topic that aligns with your future academic or professional aspirations. This research can then become a foundation or reference point for subsequent projects.

In essence, the act of selecting the right topic is as crucial, if not more so, than the research itself. A carefully chosen topic not only sets the stage for a compelling argumentative paper but also makes the research process an insightful and enriching experience. It’s an investment of time and thought that invariably pays off, elevating the quality, depth, and impact of your research.

How to Write an Argumentative Research Paper

Embarking on the journey of writing an argumentative research paper is an exercise both in intellectual rigor and creative expression. Unlike other research formats, an argumentative paper not only presents facts but weaves these facts into a persuasive and coherent argument. This presents unique challenges – the need for impeccable accuracy, fairness in representation, and the art of persuasive writing. However, the rewards, too, are substantial: a well-crafted argumentative paper not only contributes to academic discourse but also hones the writer’s critical thinking and articulation skills.

• Start with a Clear Thesis Statement: At the heart of your paper lies your thesis statement – a clear, concise assertion that encapsulates your primary argument. It serves as a roadmap, guiding your readers through the argument you’ll be unfolding.
• Use Reputable Sources: The strength of an argumentative paper lies in the credibility of its sources. Rely on peer-reviewed journals, established experts, and primary sources. Avoid anecdotal evidence or unverified online sources.
• Ensure a Balanced Argument: While the goal is to persuade, an argumentative paper should fairly represent opposing views. This not only strengthens your credibility but allows you to directly address and counter these views, making your argument more compelling.
• Organize Your Thoughts: A well-structured paper aids comprehension. Start with an introduction (with your thesis statement), followed by your arguments and counterarguments, and conclude by reinforcing your thesis and summarizing your main points.
• Adopt a Formal and Respectful Tone: While passion about your topic is great, maintain a formal tone, and avoid emotional or confrontational language. This lends your paper professionalism and credibility.
• Use Evidence Effectively: For each point you make, back it up with evidence. However, be selective and ensure the evidence directly supports your point. Avoid the temptation to overwhelm the reader with too many examples.
• Address Counterarguments: After presenting each of your main arguments, anticipate and address potential counterarguments. This shows thoroughness in your research and strengthens your overall position.
• Revise and Seek Feedback: First drafts are rarely perfect. Revise for clarity, coherence, and conciseness. Also, seeking feedback – perhaps from peers or mentors – can provide valuable outside perspectives.
• Cite Your Sources: Properly citing the sources you’ve consulted and referenced not only avoids plagiarism but also demonstrates the depth of your research and the credibility of your arguments.
• Conclude with Conviction: Your conclusion should restate your thesis and summarize your main points. End with a powerful statement that reinforces your position and leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

The process of crafting an argumentative research paper is undeniably demanding, requiring meticulous research, careful organization, and thoughtful writing. However, the satisfaction derived from producing a well-argued, coherent, and impactful paper is unparalleled. Beyond the immediate goal of persuasion, such a paper serves as a testament to the writer’s dedication, analytical prowess, and ability to engage constructively with diverse viewpoints. As you conclude your paper, take a moment to appreciate not just the finished product, but the skills and insights you’ve garnered along the way.

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50 Argumentative Essay Topics

Illustration by Catherine Song. ThoughtCo. 

• M.Ed., Education Administration, University of Georgia
• B.A., History, Armstrong State University

An argumentative essay requires you to decide on a topic and argue for or against it. You'll need to back up your viewpoint with well-researched facts and information as well. One of the hardest parts is deciding which topic to write about, but there are plenty of ideas available to get you started. Then you need to take a position, do some research, and present your viewpoint convincingly.

Choosing a Great Argumentative Essay Topic

Students often find that most of their work on these essays is done before they even start writing. This means that it's best if you have a general interest in your subject. Otherwise, you might get bored or frustrated while trying to gather information. You don't need to know everything, though; part of what makes this experience rewarding is learning something new.

It's best if you have a general interest in your subject, but the argument you choose doesn't have to be one that you agree with.

The subject you choose may not necessarily be one you are in full agreement with, either. You may even be asked to write a paper from the opposing point of view. Researching a different viewpoint helps students broaden their perspectives. 

Ideas for Argument Essays

Sometimes, the best ideas are sparked by looking at many different options. Explore this list of possible topics and see if a few pique your interest. Write those down as you come across them, then think about each for a few minutes.

Which would you enjoy researching? Do you have a firm position on a particular subject? Is there a point you would like to make sure you get across? Did the topic give you something new to think about? Can you see why someone else may feel differently?

List of 50 Possible Argumentative Essay Topics

A number of these topics are rather controversial—that's the point. In an argumentative essay , opinions matter, and controversy is based on opinions. Just make sure your opinions are backed up by facts in the essay.   If these topics are a little too controversial or you don't find the right one for you, try browsing through persuasive essay and speech topics  as well.

• Is global climate change  caused by humans?
• Is the death penalty effective?
• Is the U.S. election process fair?
• Is torture ever acceptable?
• Should men get paternity leave from work?
• Are school uniforms beneficial?
• Does the U.S. have a fair tax system?
• Do curfews keep teens out of trouble?
• Is cheating out of control?
• Are we too dependent on computers?
• Should animals be used for research?
• Should cigarette smoking be banned?
• Are cell phones dangerous?
• Are law enforcement cameras an invasion of privacy?
• Do we have a throwaway society ?
• Is child behavior better or worse than it was years ago?
• Should companies market to children?
• Should the government have a say in our diets?
• Does access to condoms prevent teen pregnancy?
• Should members of Congress have term limits?
• Are actors and professional athletes paid too much?
• Are CEOs paid too much?
• Should athletes be held to high moral standards?
• Do violent video games cause behavior problems?
• Should creationism be taught in public schools?
• Are beauty pageants exploitative ?
• Should English be the official language of the United States?
• Should the racing industry be forced to use biofuels?
• Should the alcohol-drinking age be increased or decreased?
• Should everyone be required to recycle?
• Is it okay for prisoners to vote (as they are in some states)?
• Should same-sex marriage be legalized in more countries?
• Are there benefits to attending a single-sex school ?
• Does boredom lead to trouble?
• Should schools be in session year-round ?
• Does religion cause war?
• Should the government provide health care?
• Should abortion be illegal?
• Should more companies expand their reproductive health benefits for employees?
• Is homework harmful or helpful?
• Is the cost of college too high?
• Is college admission too competitive?
• Should euthanasia be illegal?
• Should the federal government legalize marijuana use nationally ?
• Should rich people be required to pay more taxes?
• Should schools require foreign language or physical education?
• Is affirmative action fair?
• Is public prayer okay in schools?
• Are schools and teachers responsible for low test scores?
• Is greater gun control a good idea?

How to Craft a Persuasive Argument

After you've decided on your essay topic, gather evidence to make your argument as strong as possible. Your research could even help shape the position your essay ultimately takes. As you craft your essay, remember to utilize persuasive writing techniques , such as invoking emotional language or citing facts from authoritative figures. 

• 100 Persuasive Essay Topics
• Examples of Great Introductory Paragraphs
• Complete List of Transition Words
• Tips on How to Write an Argumentative Essay
• 501 Topic Suggestions for Writing Essays and Speeches
• How to Write a Narrative Essay or Speech (With Topic Ideas)
• 67 Causal Essay Topics to Consider
• Practice in Supporting a Topic Sentence with Specific Details
• 40 Topics to Help With Descriptive Writing Assignments
• What Is Expository Writing?
• Topical Organization Essay
• How to Outline and Organize an Essay
• Make Your Paragraphs Flow to Improve Writing
• What an Essay Is and How to Write One
• Personal Essay Topics
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3 Strong Argumentative Essay Examples, Analyzed

General Education

Need to defend your opinion on an issue? Argumentative essays are one of the most popular types of essays you’ll write in school. They combine persuasive arguments with fact-based research, and, when done well, can be powerful tools for making someone agree with your point of view. If you’re struggling to write an argumentative essay or just want to learn more about them, seeing examples can be a big help.

After giving an overview of this type of essay, we provide three argumentative essay examples. After each essay, we explain in-depth how the essay was structured, what worked, and where the essay could be improved. We end with tips for making your own argumentative essay as strong as possible.

What Is an Argumentative Essay?

An argumentative essay is an essay that uses evidence and facts to support the claim it’s making. Its purpose is to persuade the reader to agree with the argument being made.

A good argumentative essay will use facts and evidence to support the argument, rather than just the author’s thoughts and opinions. For example, say you wanted to write an argumentative essay stating that Charleston, SC is a great destination for families. You couldn’t just say that it’s a great place because you took your family there and enjoyed it. For it to be an argumentative essay, you need to have facts and data to support your argument, such as the number of child-friendly attractions in Charleston, special deals you can get with kids, and surveys of people who visited Charleston as a family and enjoyed it. The first argument is based entirely on feelings, whereas the second is based on evidence that can be proven.

The standard five paragraph format is common, but not required, for argumentative essays. These essays typically follow one of two formats: the Toulmin model or the Rogerian model.

• The Toulmin model is the most common. It begins with an introduction, follows with a thesis/claim, and gives data and evidence to support that claim. This style of essay also includes rebuttals of counterarguments.
• The Rogerian model analyzes two sides of an argument and reaches a conclusion after weighing the strengths and weaknesses of each.

3 Good Argumentative Essay Examples + Analysis

Below are three examples of argumentative essays, written by yours truly in my school days, as well as analysis of what each did well and where it could be improved.

Argumentative Essay Example 1

Proponents of this idea state that it will save local cities and towns money because libraries are expensive to maintain. They also believe it will encourage more people to read because they won’t have to travel to a library to get a book; they can simply click on what they want to read and read it from wherever they are. They could also access more materials because libraries won’t have to buy physical copies of books; they can simply rent out as many digital copies as they need.

However, it would be a serious mistake to replace libraries with tablets. First, digital books and resources are associated with less learning and more problems than print resources. A study done on tablet vs book reading found that people read 20-30% slower on tablets, retain 20% less information, and understand 10% less of what they read compared to people who read the same information in print. Additionally, staring too long at a screen has been shown to cause numerous health problems, including blurred vision, dizziness, dry eyes, headaches, and eye strain, at much higher instances than reading print does. People who use tablets and mobile devices excessively also have a higher incidence of more serious health issues such as fibromyalgia, shoulder and back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and muscle strain. I know that whenever I read from my e-reader for too long, my eyes begin to feel tired and my neck hurts. We should not add to these problems by giving people, especially young people, more reasons to look at screens.

Second, it is incredibly narrow-minded to assume that the only service libraries offer is book lending. Libraries have a multitude of benefits, and many are only available if the library has a physical location. Some of these benefits include acting as a quiet study space, giving people a way to converse with their neighbors, holding classes on a variety of topics, providing jobs, answering patron questions, and keeping the community connected. One neighborhood found that, after a local library instituted community events such as play times for toddlers and parents, job fairs for teenagers, and meeting spaces for senior citizens, over a third of residents reported feeling more connected to their community. Similarly, a Pew survey conducted in 2015 found that nearly two-thirds of American adults feel that closing their local library would have a major impact on their community. People see libraries as a way to connect with others and get their questions answered, benefits tablets can’t offer nearly as well or as easily.

While replacing libraries with tablets may seem like a simple solution, it would encourage people to spend even more time looking at digital screens, despite the myriad issues surrounding them. It would also end access to many of the benefits of libraries that people have come to rely on. In many areas, libraries are such an important part of the community network that they could never be replaced by a simple object.

The author begins by giving an overview of the counter-argument, then the thesis appears as the first sentence in the third paragraph. The essay then spends the rest of the paper dismantling the counter argument and showing why readers should believe the other side.

What this essay does well:

• Although it’s a bit unusual to have the thesis appear fairly far into the essay, it works because, once the thesis is stated, the rest of the essay focuses on supporting it since the counter-argument has already been discussed earlier in the paper.
• This essay includes numerous facts and cites studies to support its case. By having specific data to rely on, the author’s argument is stronger and readers will be more inclined to agree with it.
• For every argument the other side makes, the author makes sure to refute it and follow up with why her opinion is the stronger one. In order to make a strong argument, it’s important to dismantle the other side, which this essay does this by making the author's view appear stronger.
• This is a shorter paper, and if it needed to be expanded to meet length requirements, it could include more examples and go more into depth with them, such as by explaining specific cases where people benefited from local libraries.
• Additionally, while the paper uses lots of data, the author also mentions their own experience with using tablets. This should be removed since argumentative essays focus on facts and data to support an argument, not the author’s own opinion or experiences. Replacing that with more data on health issues associated with screen time would strengthen the essay.
• Some of the points made aren't completely accurate , particularly the one about digital books being cheaper. It actually often costs a library more money to rent out numerous digital copies of a book compared to buying a single physical copy. Make sure in your own essay you thoroughly research each of the points and rebuttals you make, otherwise you'll look like you don't know the issue that well.

Argumentative Essay Example 2

There are multiple drugs available to treat malaria, and many of them work well and save lives, but malaria eradication programs that focus too much on them and not enough on prevention haven’t seen long-term success in Sub-Saharan Africa. A major program to combat malaria was WHO’s Global Malaria Eradication Programme. Started in 1955, it had a goal of eliminating malaria in Africa within the next ten years. Based upon previously successful programs in Brazil and the United States, the program focused mainly on vector control. This included widely distributing chloroquine and spraying large amounts of DDT. More than one billion dollars was spent trying to abolish malaria. However, the program suffered from many problems and in 1969, WHO was forced to admit that the program had not succeeded in eradicating malaria. The number of people in Sub-Saharan Africa who contracted malaria as well as the number of malaria deaths had actually increased over 10% during the time the program was active.

One of the major reasons for the failure of the project was that it set uniform strategies and policies. By failing to consider variations between governments, geography, and infrastructure, the program was not nearly as successful as it could have been. Sub-Saharan Africa has neither the money nor the infrastructure to support such an elaborate program, and it couldn’t be run the way it was meant to. Most African countries don't have the resources to send all their people to doctors and get shots, nor can they afford to clear wetlands or other malaria prone areas. The continent’s spending per person for eradicating malaria was just a quarter of what Brazil spent. Sub-Saharan Africa simply can’t rely on a plan that requires more money, infrastructure, and expertise than they have to spare.

Additionally, the widespread use of chloroquine has created drug resistant parasites which are now plaguing Sub-Saharan Africa. Because chloroquine was used widely but inconsistently, mosquitoes developed resistance, and chloroquine is now nearly completely ineffective in Sub-Saharan Africa, with over 95% of mosquitoes resistant to it. As a result, newer, more expensive drugs need to be used to prevent and treat malaria, which further drives up the cost of malaria treatment for a region that can ill afford it.

Instead of developing plans to treat malaria after the infection has incurred, programs should focus on preventing infection from occurring in the first place. Not only is this plan cheaper and more effective, reducing the number of people who contract malaria also reduces loss of work/school days which can further bring down the productivity of the region.

One of the cheapest and most effective ways of preventing malaria is to implement insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs).  These nets provide a protective barrier around the person or people using them. While untreated bed nets are still helpful, those treated with insecticides are much more useful because they stop mosquitoes from biting people through the nets, and they help reduce mosquito populations in a community, thus helping people who don’t even own bed nets.  Bed nets are also very effective because most mosquito bites occur while the person is sleeping, so bed nets would be able to drastically reduce the number of transmissions during the night. In fact, transmission of malaria can be reduced by as much as 90% in areas where the use of ITNs is widespread. Because money is so scarce in Sub-Saharan Africa, the low cost is a great benefit and a major reason why the program is so successful. Bed nets cost roughly 2 USD to make, last several years, and can protect two adults. Studies have shown that, for every 100-1000 more nets are being used, one less child dies of malaria. With an estimated 300 million people in Africa not being protected by mosquito nets, there’s the potential to save three million lives by spending just a few dollars per person.

Reducing the number of people who contract malaria would also reduce poverty levels in Africa significantly, thus improving other aspects of society like education levels and the economy. Vector control is more effective than treatment strategies because it means fewer people are getting sick. When fewer people get sick, the working population is stronger as a whole because people are not put out of work from malaria, nor are they caring for sick relatives. Malaria-afflicted families can typically only harvest 40% of the crops that healthy families can harvest. Additionally, a family with members who have malaria spends roughly a quarter of its income treatment, not including the loss of work they also must deal with due to the illness. It’s estimated that malaria costs Africa 12 billion USD in lost income every year. A strong working population creates a stronger economy, which Sub-Saharan Africa is in desperate need of.  

This essay begins with an introduction, which ends with the thesis (that malaria eradication plans in Sub-Saharan Africa should focus on prevention rather than treatment). The first part of the essay lays out why the counter argument (treatment rather than prevention) is not as effective, and the second part of the essay focuses on why prevention of malaria is the better path to take.

• The thesis appears early, is stated clearly, and is supported throughout the rest of the essay. This makes the argument clear for readers to understand and follow throughout the essay.
• There’s lots of solid research in this essay, including specific programs that were conducted and how successful they were, as well as specific data mentioned throughout. This evidence helps strengthen the author’s argument.
• The author makes a case for using expanding bed net use over waiting until malaria occurs and beginning treatment, but not much of a plan is given for how the bed nets would be distributed or how to ensure they’re being used properly. By going more into detail of what she believes should be done, the author would be making a stronger argument.
• The introduction of the essay does a good job of laying out the seriousness of the problem, but the conclusion is short and abrupt. Expanding it into its own paragraph would give the author a final way to convince readers of her side of the argument.

Argumentative Essay Example 3

There are many ways payments could work. They could be in the form of a free-market approach, where athletes are able to earn whatever the market is willing to pay them, it could be a set amount of money per athlete, or student athletes could earn income from endorsements, autographs, and control of their likeness, similar to the way top Olympians earn money.

Proponents of the idea believe that, because college athletes are the ones who are training, participating in games, and bringing in audiences, they should receive some sort of compensation for their work. If there were no college athletes, the NCAA wouldn’t exist, college coaches wouldn’t receive there (sometimes very high) salaries, and brands like Nike couldn’t profit from college sports. In fact, the NCAA brings in roughly $1 billion in revenue a year, but college athletes don’t receive any of that money in the form of a paycheck. Additionally, people who believe college athletes should be paid state that paying college athletes will actually encourage them to remain in college longer and not turn pro as quickly, either by giving them a way to begin earning money in college or requiring them to sign a contract stating they’ll stay at the university for a certain number of years while making an agreed-upon salary.  

Supporters of this idea point to Zion Williamson, the Duke basketball superstar, who, during his freshman year, sustained a serious knee injury. Many argued that, even if he enjoyed playing for Duke, it wasn’t worth risking another injury and ending his professional career before it even began for a program that wasn’t paying him. Williamson seems to have agreed with them and declared his eligibility for the NCAA draft later that year. If he was being paid, he may have stayed at Duke longer. In fact, roughly a third of student athletes surveyed stated that receiving a salary while in college would make them “strongly consider” remaining collegiate athletes longer before turning pro.

Paying athletes could also stop the recruitment scandals that have plagued the NCAA. In 2018, the NCAA stripped the University of Louisville's men's basketball team of its 2013 national championship title because it was discovered coaches were using sex workers to entice recruits to join the team. There have been dozens of other recruitment scandals where college athletes and recruits have been bribed with anything from having their grades changed, to getting free cars, to being straight out bribed. By paying college athletes and putting their salaries out in the open, the NCAA could end the illegal and underhanded ways some schools and coaches try to entice athletes to join.

People who argue against the idea of paying college athletes believe the practice could be disastrous for college sports. By paying athletes, they argue, they’d turn college sports into a bidding war, where only the richest schools could afford top athletes, and the majority of schools would be shut out from developing a talented team (though some argue this already happens because the best players often go to the most established college sports programs, who typically pay their coaches millions of dollars per year). It could also ruin the tight camaraderie of many college teams if players become jealous that certain teammates are making more money than they are.

They also argue that paying college athletes actually means only a small fraction would make significant money. Out of the 350 Division I athletic departments, fewer than a dozen earn any money. Nearly all the money the NCAA makes comes from men’s football and basketball, so paying college athletes would make a small group of men--who likely will be signed to pro teams and begin making millions immediately out of college--rich at the expense of other players.

Those against paying college athletes also believe that the athletes are receiving enough benefits already. The top athletes already receive scholarships that are worth tens of thousands per year, they receive free food/housing/textbooks, have access to top medical care if they are injured, receive top coaching, get travel perks and free gear, and can use their time in college as a way to capture the attention of professional recruiters. No other college students receive anywhere near as much from their schools.

People on this side also point out that, while the NCAA brings in a massive amount of money each year, it is still a non-profit organization. How? Because over 95% of those profits are redistributed to its members’ institutions in the form of scholarships, grants, conferences, support for Division II and Division III teams, and educational programs. Taking away a significant part of that revenue would hurt smaller programs that rely on that money to keep running.

While both sides have good points, it’s clear that the negatives of paying college athletes far outweigh the positives. College athletes spend a significant amount of time and energy playing for their school, but they are compensated for it by the scholarships and perks they receive. Adding a salary to that would result in a college athletic system where only a small handful of athletes (those likely to become millionaires in the professional leagues) are paid by a handful of schools who enter bidding wars to recruit them, while the majority of student athletics and college athletic programs suffer or even shut down for lack of money. Continuing to offer the current level of benefits to student athletes makes it possible for as many people to benefit from and enjoy college sports as possible.

This argumentative essay follows the Rogerian model. It discusses each side, first laying out multiple reasons people believe student athletes should be paid, then discussing reasons why the athletes shouldn’t be paid. It ends by stating that college athletes shouldn’t be paid by arguing that paying them would destroy college athletics programs and cause them to have many of the issues professional sports leagues have.

• Both sides of the argument are well developed, with multiple reasons why people agree with each side. It allows readers to get a full view of the argument and its nuances.
• Certain statements on both sides are directly rebuffed in order to show where the strengths and weaknesses of each side lie and give a more complete and sophisticated look at the argument.
• Using the Rogerian model can be tricky because oftentimes you don’t explicitly state your argument until the end of the paper. Here, the thesis doesn’t appear until the first sentence of the final paragraph. That doesn’t give readers a lot of time to be convinced that your argument is the right one, compared to a paper where the thesis is stated in the beginning and then supported throughout the paper. This paper could be strengthened if the final paragraph was expanded to more fully explain why the author supports the view, or if the paper had made it clearer that paying athletes was the weaker argument throughout.

3 Tips for Writing a Good Argumentative Essay

Now that you’ve seen examples of what good argumentative essay samples look like, follow these three tips when crafting your own essay.

#1: Make Your Thesis Crystal Clear

The thesis is the key to your argumentative essay; if it isn’t clear or readers can’t find it easily, your entire essay will be weak as a result. Always make sure that your thesis statement is easy to find. The typical spot for it is the final sentence of the introduction paragraph, but if it doesn’t fit in that spot for your essay, try to at least put it as the first or last sentence of a different paragraph so it stands out more.

Also make sure that your thesis makes clear what side of the argument you’re on. After you’ve written it, it’s a great idea to show your thesis to a couple different people--classmates are great for this. Just by reading your thesis they should be able to understand what point you’ll be trying to make with the rest of your essay.

#2: Show Why the Other Side Is Weak

When writing your essay, you may be tempted to ignore the other side of the argument and just focus on your side, but don’t do this. The best argumentative essays really tear apart the other side to show why readers shouldn’t believe it. Before you begin writing your essay, research what the other side believes, and what their strongest points are. Then, in your essay, be sure to mention each of these and use evidence to explain why they’re incorrect/weak arguments. That’ll make your essay much more effective than if you only focused on your side of the argument.

#3: Use Evidence to Support Your Side

Remember, an essay can’t be an argumentative essay if it doesn’t support its argument with evidence. For every point you make, make sure you have facts to back it up. Some examples are previous studies done on the topic, surveys of large groups of people, data points, etc. There should be lots of numbers in your argumentative essay that support your side of the argument. This will make your essay much stronger compared to only relying on your own opinions to support your argument.

Summary: Argumentative Essay Sample

Argumentative essays are persuasive essays that use facts and evidence to support their side of the argument. Most argumentative essays follow either the Toulmin model or the Rogerian model. By reading good argumentative essay examples, you can learn how to develop your essay and provide enough support to make readers agree with your opinion. When writing your essay, remember to always make your thesis clear, show where the other side is weak, and back up your opinion with data and evidence.

What's Next?

Do you need to write an argumentative essay as well? Check out our guide on the best argumentative essay topics for ideas!

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Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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Debate Topics

Need to write an argumentative essay? Preparing for an upcoming debate? ProCon.org has over 100 topics complete with pro and con arguments, quotes and statistics from experts, historical information, and other pertinent research.

Abortion – Should abortion be legal?

Alternative Energy – Can alternative energy effectively replace fossil fuels?

American Socialism – Should the U.S. become socialist?

Animal Dissection – Should K-12 students dissect animals in science classrooms?

Animal Testing – Should animals be used for scientific or commercial testing?

Artificial Intelligence – Is artificial intelligence good for society?

Banned Books – Should parents or other adults be able to ban books from schools and libraries?

Binge-Watching – Is binge-watching good for you?

Cancel Culture – Is cancel culture (or callout culture) good for society?

CBD for Pets – Is CBD good for pets?

Cell Phone Radiation – Is cell phone radiation safe?

Cheerleading – Is cheerleading a sport?

Churches & Taxes – Should churches (including mosques, synagogues, etc.) remain tax-exempt?

College Education – Is a college education worth it?

Congressional Term Limits  – Should term limits be imposed on U.S. Senators and Representatives?

Constitutional Carry of Handguns – Should permitless, “constitutional carry” of guns be legal?

Corporal Punishment – Should corporal punishment be used in K-12 schools?

Corporate Tax Rate – Should the federal corporate income tax rate be raised?

Cuba Embargo – Should the United States maintain its embargo against Cuba?

DACA & Dreamers – Are DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) and the DREAM Act good for America?

Daylight Saving Time – Should the United States keep daylight saving time?

DC AND Puerto Rico Statehood – Should Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico be granted U.S. statehood?

Death Penalty – Should the death penalty be legal?

Defund the Police – Should police departments be defunded, if not abolished?

Dress Codes – Should dress codes be implemented and enforced?

Drinking Age – Should the drinking age be lowered from 21 to a younger age?

Drone Strikes – Should the United States continue its use of drone strikes abroad?

Drug Use in Sports – Should performance-enhancing drugs be accepted in sports?

Election Day National Holiday – Should the election day be made a national holiday?

Electoral College – Should the United States use the electoral college in presidential elections?

Employer Vaccine Mandates – Should employers be able to mandate vaccinations?

Felon Voting – Should people who have completed felony sentences be allowed to vote?

Fighting in Hockey – Should fighting be allowed in hockey?

Filibuster – Should the U.S. Senate keep the filibuster?

Fracking – Should the United States continue fracking

Free College – Should public college be tuition-free?

Fur Clothing Bans – Should fur clothing be banned?

GMOS – Should genetically modified organisms (GMOs) be grown?

Gold Standard – Should the United States return to a gold standard?

Golf – Is golf a sport and are golfers athletes?

Gun Control – Should more gun control laws be enacted?

Historic Statue Removal – Should historic statues be taken down?

Homework – Is homework beneficial?

Illegal Immigration – Should the U.S. government provide a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants?

Internet – Is the internet “making us stupid?”

Kneeling during the National Anthem – Is kneeling during the national anthem an appropriate form of protest?

Mandatory National Service – Should the United States have mandatory national service?

Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) – Should medical aid in dying be legal?

Medical Marijuana – Should medical marijuana be legal?

Milk – Should humans consume dairy milk?

Minimum Wage – Should the federal minimum wage be increased?

Net Neutrality – Should the U.S. have net neutrality laws?

Obesity – Is obesity a disease?

Olympics – Are the Olympic games an overall benefit for their host countries and cities?

OTC Birth Control Pills – Should birth control pills be available over-the-counter (OTC)?

Penny – Should the penny stay in circulation?

Pit Bull Bans – Should breed-specific legislation (“pit bull bans”) be enacted?

Pokémon – Is Pokémon Go good for our society?

Police Body Cameras – Should police officers wear body cameras?

Prescription Drug Costs – Should the U.S. federal government regulate prescription drug prices?

Presidential Election, 2024 – 2024 Presidential Election Site

Private Prisons – Should prisons be privatized?

Recreational Marijuana – Should recreational marijuana be legal?

Reparations for Slavery – Should the federal government pay reparations to the descendants of slaves?

Right to Healthcare – Should all Americans have the right (be entitled) to health care?

Sanctuary Cities – Should sanctuary cities receive federal funding?

Santa Claus – Is there really a Santa Claus?

Saturday Halloween – Should Halloween be moved permanently to Saturday?

School Uniforms – Should students have to wear school uniforms?

Single-use Plastics Ban – Should single-use plastics be banned?

Social Media & Digital Addiction – Does social media spur digital addiction and other social ills?

Social Security Privatization – Should social security be privatized?

Space Colonization – Should humans colonize space?

Standardized Tests – Do standardized tests improve education in America?

Student Loan Debt – Should student loan debt be eliminated via forgiveness or bankruptcy?

TikTok Bans – Should TikTok be banned?

Uber & Lyft – Are ride-sharing companies a benefit to society?

Universal Basic Income (UBI) – Should the United States implement a universal basic income?

U.S. Supreme Court Packing – Should packing the U.S. Supreme Court ever be considered?

Vaccines for Kids – Should states be allowed to mandate vaccines for school attendance??

Vaping E-Cigarettes – Is vaping e-cigarettes safe?

Vegetarianism – Should people become vegetarian?

Video Games & Violence – Do violent video games contribute to youth violence?

Voting Age – Should the voting age be lowered to 16?

Voting Machines – Are electronic voting machines the best method for voting?

Zoos – Should zoos exist?

Archived Topics

Please note that ProCon no longer updates these debates.

ACLU – Is the ACLU good for America?

Big Three Bailout – Should the big three car manufacturers be bailed out by the U.S. government?

Born Gay – Is sexual orientation determined at birth?

Climate Change – Is human activity primarily responsible for global climate change?

College Football Playoffs – Should college football replace the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) with a playoff system?

Dakota Access Pipeline – Should the Dakota Access Pipeline be completed?

D.A.R.E. – Is the D.A.R.E. program good for America’s kids (K-12)?

Gay Marriage – Should gay marriage be legal?

Congressional Insider Trading – Should insider trading by Congress be allowed?

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict – What are the solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?

Obamacare – Is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) good for America?

Paying College Athletes – Should colleges and universities pay college athletes?

President Bill Clinton – Was Bill Clinton a good president?

President Ronald Reagan – Was Ronald Reagan a good president?

Presidential Election, 2008 – Which candidate would make the best U.S. president?

Presidential Election, 2012 – Which candidate should be U.S. president in 2012?

Presidential Election, 2016 – The candidates and where they stand on the issues

Presidential Election, 2020 – 2020 Presidential Election Site

Prostitution – Should prostitution be legal?

School Vouchers – Should states have school voucher programs?

Tablets v. Textbooks -Should tablets replace textbooks in K-12 schools?

Teacher Tenure – Should teachers get tenure?

Under God in the Pledge – Should the words “under god” be in the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance?

U.S. Drone Shot down by Iran – Was the U.S. drone shot down by Iran over international waters?

U.S.-Iraq War – Should the U.S. have attacked Iraq?

WTC Muslim Center – Is it appropriate to build a muslim community center (aka the ”ground zero mosque”) near the World Trade Center site?

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Natalie Leppard Managing Editor [email protected]

© 2023 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved

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• Animal Testing
• Gun Control
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150 Argumentative Research Paper Topics [2024 Upd.]

Argumentative research paper topics are a lot easier to find than to come up with. We always try to make your life easier. That’s why you should feel free to check out this list of the hottest and most controversial argumentative essay topics for 2024. In the article prepared by custom writing experts, you’ll find unique ideas for college, high school, and middle school. You might want to take your favorite topic as it is, or use it as an example and formulate one by yourself. Another option would be to tale the main keywords and try them on a research paper topic generator in order to get more choices.

OK, let’s cut to the chase, and continue with our suggested argumentative topics for 2024!

🔝 Top 10 Argumentative Research Paper Topics

• ⭐ Top 10 Argumentative Essay Topics
• 📱 Topics on Social Media
• 👪 Topics on Family
• 👨‍⚕️ Topics on Health and Nutrition
• 🗳️ Topics on Government
• 💡 Other Topic Ideas
• 🕵️‍♂️ Choosing a Topic
• 🧱 Writing Rules
• 📑 Organizing Your Paper

🔍 References

• The benefits of GMOs
• Is online dating dangerous?
• Ways to reduce college tuitions
• Should school athletes get paid?
• Alternatives to the death penalty
• Why is passive smoking dangerous?
• How can we regulate YouTube content?
• Should junk food advertisements be banned?
• Should parents answer for children’s misbehavior?
• How do wildfires contribute to global warming?

⭐ Top 10 Argumentative Essay Topics 2024

📱 Argumentative Research Paper Topics on Social Media

• Hiding identities online: should it be allowed? Anonymous surveys are not an unusual thing anymore. However, people can leave pretty offensive comments without naming themselves. It all leads to them feeling invincible. Should this function be removed for the sake of equality and justice?
• Will GIFs become a new way of communication? People are getting more used to exchanging emoji and GIFs as a reaction to something. But is it a good idea? Can it affect our behavior patterns and the way we express our emotions in real life?
• Online shaming and bullying: where is the limit? Since practically anyone can be active online these days, shaming has become an enormous problem. No one watches it, and only turning off the comment option is a way out. But other than that, who is in control of the unstopping flow of abusive comments?
• Punctuation and spelling mistakes in texting. We all know someone who goes crazy when they see the slightest mistake in the text message. They may get pretty annoying, that’s true. But does it really matter? Or should we take it easy on spelling mistakes in the text messages?
• Social media: helping us connect or contributing to loneliness? They say social media connects people from all over the world. But despite having thousands of friends online and hundreds of likes under photos, we can still feel lonely. Why is it happening?
• How has Snapchat changed the social media industry?
• Should there be a limit for sending text messages?
• The impact of social media on the phenomenon of narcissism.
• The issue of missing real life while filming?
• Advantages and disadvantages of social media for college students. 
• What is the value of digital photos compared to those taken by film cameras?
• What would make people delete their Facebook account?
• Are new popular game apps a part of the culture?
• Should social media consider adding a “dislike” function?
• Screen time matters: what makes people stare at their phones so much?
• The decline of Facebook’s popularity and its reasons.
• How to only choose useful apps for your smartphone.
• Employers on Facebook: why should you be careful with your content?
• They are watching you: how to keep your privacy online?
• The issue of fake profiles online.
• Is there still a deep meaning in digital photography?
• Do influencers have fun spending hours taking a perfect shot?
• Mental health and social media: is there anyone to help?
• The optimal age restriction for new social media users.
• Manipulating people’s feelings online: dangers.

👪 Family Argumentative Topics 2024

• How traumatic is the divorce of the parents for a child? There is no doubt that children are sensitive in terms of the relationship between their parents. Usually, kids blame themselves for the split of the family. As it often happens, they also go through a divorce in their adulthood.
• Kids’ rooms: why privacy matters? Parents don’t usually think about the privacy of their children. They rush to invade in their rooms without permission and go through their stuff. How does it affect the perception of trust in kids?
• Should we reconsider the age restrictions for starting a family? The age when young couples decide to get married and start a family varies from culture to culture. However, sometimes it appears that they are not ready for that. Should we think about implementing some restrictions to protect their mental and physical health?
• What is the optimal age for children to travel without supervision? It is also a matter of personal preference. However, there must be some limits. Up until a specific age, parents are fully responsible for the safety of their children. But kids need some freedom. What should be a solution?
• Where is the line between discipline and child abuse? Unfortunately, some parents don’t know when to stop. It is normal to practice some disciplinary methods, but crossing the line is dangerous. A child’s mental health is on stake. What parents see as a light punishment, may look like an act of hate and abuse for a child. 
• Should fathers spend as much time with their kids as mothers do?
• Choosing the teenagers’ outfits or letting them do it?
• Sharing the records of the students with parents: is it the right decision?
• Limiting the screen time of children and the benefits.
• Who should teach kids how to behave?
• The community approach to building families and raising kids.
• Traveling around as a family: benefits for the relationship between the family members.
• Are parents violating children’s rights by posting pictures of them online?
• Pursuing parents’ dreams: do children have a choice?
• Bribing kids: is it for their sake or to spare a minute of peace for parents?
• The effect of modern culture on childhood.
• No punishment: what is the effect on children?
• Teaching children responsibility without pushing them to do chores.
• Buying your kids expensive technology: is it worth it?
• A life without store-bought toys: the benefits.
• Pros and cons of moving outside the city as a family.
• Is it appropriate for kids to watch horror movies?
• Are there restrictions for Halloween costumes, and what are they?
• Encouraging children without giving them too many trophies.
• How are parents shaping the children’s behavior unconsciously?

👨‍⚕️ Argumentative Research Paper Topics on Health and Nutrition

• What is the role of nutrition in professional sports (e.g., soccer)? We all know professional athletes train a lot. But how important is nutrition in that process? Why do they follow different diets and still get pretty much the same results? Are there specific foods that help them win?
• Are French fries considered a part of your vegetable intake? Most of us probably wish it was true. Well, potatoes are vegetables, frying oils are made of plants as well. What’s the problem? It appears it is not that simple.
• Why are school diets not as healthy as we wish they were? Parents all over the world would surely like to see some nutritious and healthy lunches at schools. But the reality is far from that, especially in the US. Why do only some schools implement healthy diets for school lunches?
• Why is reading the lists of ingredients on the products so important? Unfortunately, most people don’t have a clue about what they eat and where it comes from. The worst part is that it may contribute to their health issues in the future. Reading the labels can save people from consuming harmful foods.
• E-cigarettes and under-aged: should teenagers use them? Maybe e-cigarettes are not as harmful as the usual smoke, but they still carry some risks. Moreover, they increase the chance that people would start smoking tobacco later. So why do we allow teens to use them?
• The age restrictions on alcohol: should the limits be lowered?
• What is the effectiveness of the pictures on the tobacco packs?
• The health risks connected with cosmetic surgeries.
• Are the diets that models follow healthy enough?
• Marijuana and science: what are the effects of this drug on our health?
• Why do looks matter more in our society than being healthy?
• Implementing required drug tests for school students: pros and cons.
• The hidden harm of the regular consumption of energy drinks.
• The phenomenon of binge drinking in the US.
• What are the restrictions on the amount of sugar in soft drinks?
• The methods colleges can implement to reduce the drinking problem among students.
• Distracted driving: is it as serious and drunk driving?
• What is the real importance of not skipping breakfast?
• The issue of texting while driving from the perspective of being illegal.
• The best and healthiest variation of the school lunch.
• Do schools have the right to ban unvaccinated students?
• Legal suicides from the perspective of ethics.
• Terminal diseases: should patients decide how they end their lives?
• Is there a way to prevent teenagers from smoking?
• Why do people keep eating chips even when they know it’s not healthy?

🗳️ Government Argumentative Essay Topics 2024

• Authorities and values: what moral obligations should people with power have? Power doesn’t mean permission to do anything they want. Political leaders are obligated to use it wisely. But what are the standards? Should it be just a common sense of morality or something more?
• Do our political leaders lead us in the right direction? Everybody must have wondered about it at least once. It is undoubtedly hard to trust our leaders without any doubts. They set the course of our lives. But how do we know whether they do it for the good of each and every citizen without exceptions?
• To raise or not to raise: the question of the minimum wage. Many people are struggling with finances, and the rise of the minimum wage would help them out. This research can focus on supporting this idea by presenting strong arguments.
• How achievable is the American dream when you start in the US from scratch? We all heard successful stories about the poor becoming millionaires in the US. But how far is it from reality? What are the real chances of people with low income to become self-made wealthy business owners?
• Global crisis: who is responsible for refugees? It’s not the refugees’ fault that wars have come to their home countries. Just like any other human being, they need our help. But who decides which country should take them? Who is responsible?
• American democracy: how strongly citizens believe in it?
• Politics becoming more friendly and outgoing: pros and cons.
• Are we paying back enough to the veterans?
• Why is the US considered to be the best country?
• Illegal immigrants and education: the rights and responsibilities.
• The new authorities: should the opposition still deny it or become open-minded?
• Immigrants with no documentation: what are the consequences of leaving them in peace? 
• The importance of the first lady nowadays.
• Pay-offs: should we just pay terrorists to free the hostages?
• Why is the current voting system failing?
• Some of the most effective ways to encourage people to vote.
• The morality of spying on fellow countries.
• The most beneficial way to spend the city’s extra budget.
• Knowing the right time: negotiating with opponent countries.
• The most common issues city mayors should address immediately.
• In what situations the military is allowed to use force without doubts?
• How much taxes should millionaires pay?
• Why do governments prefer national safety over our privacy?
• Should all governments allow same-sex marriages?
• Young leaders: at what age should people start pursuing politics?

💡 Other Research Paper Topic Ideas

• Fallacies of Afrocentrism.
• Antisemitism in the world today.
• Controversy over children being made into models.
• Money is the root of all evil.
• Corporal punishment.
• The right age for drinking.
• Doping and sports: possible misunderstandings
• Extended breastfeeding: pros and cons.
• Do we have to talk about feminism that much?
• Food safety training and its outcomes.
• U.S. border control: the insights.
• Incest: why is this love forbidden?
• Child advocacy: is it effective enough?
• Child adoption by a gay family. 
• DADT repeal and its importance.
• The minimum wage in your state.
• The impact of the Gold Rush on California’s native communities.
• Native American sovereignty issues.
• The Pledge of Allegiance: was adding “under God” in 1954 to it the right choice?
• The effectiveness of military action against terrorism.
• What isn’t worth going to war for?
• War tax: to pay or to resist?
• You’re allowed to be cast in pornographic movies when you’re 18. But it’s not OK for you to buy alcohol until you’re 21? Where’s the logic?
• Homelessness: whose fault is it?
• Premarital sex: is it a problem in American society?
• Legalized prostitution.
• Tolerance for nudism and naturism.
• Shorter work weeks.
• Video games: leisure, or abuse?
• What’s happening at the zoo? Animal abuse and problems of animals living in captivity.

Research paper writing is not the most complicated academic assignment; and still, it does take a lot of time! Our argumentative essay topic ideas are meant to save your time when you need to choose what to write about.

Also be sure to check out our great article with 50 more argumentative research paper topics – it has a lot of useful ideas for your next amazing essay.

🕵️‍♂️ Choosing an Argumentative Paper Topic

Writing a college argumentative research paper is not as easy as it may seem at first glance. In fact, the difficulties start right from the beginning—choosing the right topic. We may have handed you a great list of argumentative topics, but still it takes a careful eye to pick a topic to write about. If you choose the wrong topic, you might get stuck with your writing and have a hard time moving forward.

But don’t worry! Soon you will have no more questions about how to write an argumentative essay.

Why is that?

There are several essential criteria to be considered when choosing easy topics to write on. And you will discover them right now.

Argumentative Essay: Writing Rules

Here are the basic rules:

• Write about what you know. Although this may seem obvious to some students, you need to have some basic knowledge about the chosen topic. You probably already have some topics you are familiar with, so opting for one of them will save you time and effort. Even research won’t frighten you away because you will know where to start.
• Find things that you’re passionate about and write about them. Essentially, this is a recommendation rather than a rule. The more you like your essay topic, the easier it will be to generate solid and engaging content that your audience will like.
• Don’t choose anything too broad; stay specific. It’s okay to think of some general topics at first, but then you should gradually narrow your topics down to just a few. The last remaining ones will be the ones you feel most comfortable with.
• Make sure your thesis has enough defense. Choosing a wonderful topic that is not protected against potential counterarguments is a common mistake among students. So think twice before making your final choice, and consider the evidence you have available.
• Opt for an argument that will appeal to your audience’s emotions. By making your readers emotionally relate to your words and position, you’ll connect them with what you’re trying to express. You’ll certainly have to include rational arguments in your paper, but choosing a topic that doesn’t trigger any feeling isn’t the best choice.
• Choose a topic that is directly related to your assignment. Before starting to research and write, you’ll need to get closely acquainted with your task instead of just scanning it. Carefully check all the keywords to understand the essence of the assignment. Missing even minor details or instructions can break your paper!
• Stay away from topics that don’t have two sides of the problem. Don’t forget that an argumentative essay is all about the argument. No argument means no argumentative essay. Before you start writing, take some notes: write down your thesis and an opposing thesis or an argument with its counterargument. Thinking carefully and writing it all down will save you time!

📑 Organizing Your Argumentative Paper

Here we’ll explain how to organize your argumentative essay. Keep in mind that your paper structure still has to stay flexible to meet the needs of your purpose and your readers. Our recommendation? Create an argumentative essay outline to make the writing process faster and easier.

Introduction

This part lays a solid foundation for your argumentative paper by providing answers to the reader’s questions:

• What is in front of me?
• Why should I read it?
• What do you want me to do?

Let’s see how these three questions can be answered in the basic steps for how to write an essay introduction:

• Give some background information about the main idea and provide an explanation of the issue and the situation. Your reader should understand the topic, as well as your claims and their support.
• Explain the importance of the main idea. This step will convince the reader to keep reading and really care about the content.
• Describe your thesis/claim with logos, pathos, and ethos . Compose a few sentences that support your position with writer’s logic (logos), emotional appeals (pathos), and author’s trustworthiness/credibility (ethos).

Body paragraphs

Your argumentative essay should have body paragraphs that each look like an inverted pyramid: moving from general to specific. The broadest idea is located at the top, and as you continue writing, you become more concentrated on the main point, eventually coming to specific evidence to support your claim.

Good Argumentative Essay Paragraph

The following four elements are present in a good argumentative essay paragraph (also called TTEB ):

• A transition sentence assures smooth reading by leading from one paragraph to the next.
• A topic sentence explains to the reader what will be discussed in a paragraph.
• Specific evidence and analysis support your claim. They provide more detail than a topic sentence.
• A brief wrap-up (or a warrant) explains to the reader why and in what way this information supports the thesis. Basically, it connects your evidence to your main argument. It also demonstrates how the paragraph is connected to your thesis and assists in defending it.

This part of your essay concludes the discussion in your paper. The conclusion is a generalization and restating of the argument’s main points. It may also include a call to action or suggest further research. Here’s what any conclusion should do:

• Restate the topic.
• Tell why the chosen topic is important.
• Restate the specific thesis/claim.
• Cover opposing points of view.
• Make readers align with the writer’s position.
• Call readers to action or propose further research.

These core elements are the critical final steps in writing an argumentative essay.

Our advice is to discover more tips and ideas for choosing argumentative essay samples to know what exactly argumentative essays look like. You can also get professional help from qualified essay writers from Custom-Writing.org.

Learn more on this topic:

• Top Ideas for Argumentative or Persuasive Essay Topics
• 97 Inspirational & Motivational Argumentative Essay Topics
• Great Persuasive & Argumentative Essay on Divorce
• Gun Control Essay: How-to Guide + Argumentative Topics
• Proposal Essay Topics and Ideas – Easy and Interesting
• Free Exemplification Essay Examples

✏️ Argumentative Research Paper FAQ

An argumentative research paper is a piece of writing you work on when you need to defend your position. You have an issue, and you have your point of view. All you need to do is to write an essay strong enough to persuade your opponents. There are specific writing steps, too.

Some good argumentative research paper topics would always be related to the theme you feel passionate about. For example, if you think that every life is precious, consider writing about the death penalty. Or if you enjoy promoting a healthy lifestyle, you can write a persuasive statement on youth alcoholism.

A debatable question is such a question that can encourage the start of a debate. Some people would support the issue, while others would disagree because they have doubts. It means that the opposition would try to persuade others. Mostly, such questions are related to moral issues, politics, and gender equality.

Today, the most debated topics are controversial and related to human rights, environmental issues, gender equality, as well as women’s rights. For instance, some people insist that climate change is not the most important problem now. Others would disagree and argue that we need to take action immediately to prevent the collapse of the ecosystem.

• Research Papers | KU Writing Center
• Purdue OWL: Research Papers–Choosing a Topic
• What is a Research Paper? | Online Writing Center
• Project Topics Research Papers – Academia.edu
• 200 Prompts for Argumentative Writing – The New York Times
• Thesis Generator | Ashford Writing Center
• Social Media Studies | SAGE Publications Inc
• List of issues Journal of Family Studies – Taylor & Francis Online
• Journal of Child and Family Studies | Home – Springer
• Nutrition | Nutrition Studies Research Group | Stanford Medicine
• American Society for Nutrition – Nutrition Research & Practice
• List of issues Local Government Studies
• Argumentative Paper Format. University of Washington
• Suggestions for Developing Argumentative Essays. UC Berkeley
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Research: What it is.

A research paper is the culmination and final product of an involved process of research, critical thinking, source evaluation, organization, and composition. It is, perhaps, helpful to think of the research paper as a living thing, which grows and changes as the student explores, interprets, and evaluates sources related to a specific topic. Primary and secondary sources are the heart of a research paper, and provide its nourishment; without the support of and interaction with these sources, the research paper would morph into a different genre of writing (e.g., an encyclopedic article). The research paper serves not only to further the field in which it is written, but also to provide the student with an exceptional opportunity to increase her knowledge in that field. It is also possible to identify a research paper by what it is not.

Research: What it is not.

A research paper is not simply an informed summary of a topic by means of primary and secondary sources. It is neither a book report nor an opinion piece nor an expository essay consisting solely of one's interpretation of a text nor an overview of a particular topic. Instead, it is a genre that requires one to spend time investigating and evaluating sources with the intent to offer interpretations of the texts, and not unconscious regurgitations of those sources. The goal of a research paper is not to inform the reader what others have to say about a topic, but to draw on what others have to say about a topic and engage the sources in order to thoughtfully offer a unique perspective on the issue at hand. This is accomplished through two major types of research papers.

Two major types of research papers.

Argumentative research paper:

The argumentative research paper consists of an introduction in which the writer clearly introduces the topic and informs his audience exactly which stance he intends to take; this stance is often identified as the thesis statement . An important goal of the argumentative research paper is persuasion, which means the topic chosen should be debatable or controversial. For example, it would be difficult for a student to successfully argue in favor of the following stance.

Perhaps 25 years ago this topic would have been debatable; however, today, it is assumed that smoking cigarettes is, indeed, harmful to one's health. A better thesis would be the following.

In this sentence, the writer is not challenging the current accepted stance that both firsthand and secondhand cigarette smoke is dangerous; rather, she is positing that the social acceptance of the latter over the former is indicative of a cultural double-standard of sorts. The student would support this thesis throughout her paper by means of both primary and secondary sources, with the intent to persuade her audience that her particular interpretation of the situation is viable.

Analytical research paper:

The analytical research paper often begins with the student asking a question (a.k.a. a research question) on which he has taken no stance. Such a paper is often an exercise in exploration and evaluation. For example, perhaps one is interested in the Old English poem Beowulf . He has read the poem intently and desires to offer a fresh reading of the poem to the academic community. His question may be as follows.

His research may lead him to the following conclusion.

Though his topic may be debatable and controversial, it is not the student's intent to persuade the audience that his ideas are right while those of others are wrong. Instead, his goal is to offer a critical interpretation of primary and secondary sources throughout the paper--sources that should, ultimately, buttress his particular analysis of the topic. The following is an example of what his thesis statement may look like once he has completed his research.

This statement does not negate the traditional readings of Beowulf ; instead, it offers a fresh and detailed reading of the poem that will be supported by the student's research.

It is typically not until the student has begun the writing process that his thesis statement begins to take solid form. In fact, the thesis statement in an analytical paper is often more fluid than the thesis in an argumentative paper. Such is one of the benefits of approaching the topic without a predetermined stance.

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• Published: 06 August 2024

AI and ethics: Investigating the first policy responses of higher education institutions to the challenge of generative AI

• Attila Dabis   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-4924-7664 1 &
• Csaba Csáki   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-8245-1002 1  

Humanities and Social Sciences Communications volume  11 , Article number:  1006 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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This article addresses the ethical challenges posed by generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools in higher education and explores the first responses of universities to these challenges globally. Drawing on five key international documents from the UN, EU, and OECD, the study used content analysis to identify key ethical dimensions related to the use of generative AI in academia, such as accountability, human oversight, transparency, or inclusiveness. Empirical evidence was compiled from 30 leading universities ranked among the top 500 in the Shanghai Ranking list from May to July 2023, covering those institutions that already had publicly available responses to these dimensions in the form of policy documents or guidelines. The paper identifies the central ethical imperative that student assignments must reflect individual knowledge acquired during their education, with human individuals retaining moral and legal responsibility for AI-related wrongdoings. This top-down requirement aligns with a bottom-up approach, allowing instructors flexibility in determining how they utilize generative AI especially large language models in their own courses. Regarding human oversight, the typical response identified by the study involves a blend of preventive measures (e.g., course assessment modifications) and soft, dialogue-based sanctioning procedures. The challenge of transparency induced the good practice of clear communication of AI use in course syllabi in the first university responses examined by this study.

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Introduction.

The competition in generative artificial intelligence (AI) ignited by the arrival of ChatGPT, the conversational platform based on a large language model (LLM) in late November 2022 (OpenAI, 2022 ) had a shocking effect even on those who are not involved in the industry (Rudolph et al. 2023 ). Within four months, on 22 March 2023, an open letter was signed by several hundred IT professionals, corporate stakeholders, and academics calling on all AI labs to immediately pause the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4 (i.e., those that may trick a human being into believing it is conversing with a peer rather than a machine) for at least six months (Future of Life Institute, 2023 ).

Despite these concerns, competition in generative AI and LLMs does not seem to lose momentum, forcing various social systems to overcome the existential distress they might feel about the changes and the uncertainty of what the future may bring (Roose, 2023 ). Organisations and individuals from different sectors of the economy and various industries are looking for adaptive strategies to accommodate the emerging new normal. This includes lawmakers, international organisations, employers, and employees, as well as academic and higher education institutions (Ray, 2023 ; Wach et al. 2023 ). This fierce competition generates gaps in real-time in everyday and academic life, the latter of which is also trying to make sense of the rapid technological advancement and its effects on university-level education (Perkins, 2023 ). Naturally, these gaps can only be filled, and relevant questions answered much slower by academia, making AI-related research topics timely.

This article aims to reduce the magnitude of these gaps and is intended to help leaders, administrators, teachers, and students better understand the ramifications of AI tools on higher education institutions. It will do so by providing a non-exhaustive snapshot of how various universities around the world responded to generative AI-induced ethical challenges in their everyday academic lives within six-eights months after the arrival of ChatGPT. Thus, the research had asked what expectations and guidelines the first policies introduced into existing academic structures to ensure the informed, transparent, responsible and ethical use of the new tools of generative AI (henceforth GAI) by students and teachers. Through reviewing and evaluating first responses and related difficulties the paper helps institutional decision-makers to create better policies to address AI issues specific to academia. The research reported here thus addressed actual answers to the question of what happened at the institutional (policy) level as opposed to what should happen with the use of AI in classrooms. Based on such a descriptive overview, one may contemplate normative recommendations and their realistic implementability.

Given the global nature of the study’s subject matter, the paper presents examples from various continents. Even though it was not yet a widespread practice to adopt separate, AI-related guidelines, the research focused on universities that had already done so quite early. Furthermore, as best practices most often accrue from the highest-ranking universities, the analysis only considered higher education institutions that were represented among the top 500 universities in the Shanghai Ranking list (containing 3041 Universities at the time), a commonly used source to rank academic excellence. Footnote 1 The main sources of this content analysis are internal documents (such as Codes of Ethics, Academic Regulations, Codes of Practice and Procedure, Guidelines for Students and Teachers or similar policy documents) from those institutions whose response to the GAI challenge was publicly accessible.

The investigation is organised around AI-related ethical dilemmas as concluded from relevant international documents, such as the instruments published by the UN, the EU, and the OECD (often considered soft law material). Through these sources, the study inductively identifies the primary aspects that these AI guidelines mention and can be connected to higher education. Thus it only contains concise references to the main ethical implications of the manifold pedagogical practices in which AI tools can be utilised in the classroom. The paper starts with a review of the challenges posed by AI technology to higher education with special focus on ethical dilemmas. Section 3 covers the research objective and the methodology followed. Section 4 presents the analysis of the selected international documents and establishes a list of key ethical principles relevant in HE contexts and in parallel presents the analysis of the examples distilled from the institutional policy documents and guidelines along that dimension. The paper closes with drawing key conclusions as well as listing limitations and ideas for future research.

Generative AI and higher education: Developments in the literature

General ai-related challenges in the classroom from a historical perspective.

Jacque Ellul fatalistically wrote already in 1954 that the “infusion of some more or less vague sentiment of human welfare” cannot fundamentally alter technology’s “rigorous autonomy”, bringing him to the conclusion that “technology never observes the distinction between moral and immoral use” (Ellul, 1964 , p. 97). Footnote 2 Jumping ahead nearly six decades, the above quote comes to the fore, among others, when evaluating the moral and ethical aspects of the services offered by specific software programs, like ChatGPT. While they might be trained to give ethical answers, these moral barriers can be circumvented by prompt injection (Blalock, 2022 ), or manipulated with tricks (Alberti, 2022 ), so generative AI platforms can hardly be held accountable for the inaccuracy of their responses Footnote 3 or how the physical user who inserted a prompt will make use of the output. Indeed, the AI chatbot is now considered to be a potentially disruptive technology in higher education practices (Farazouli et al. 2024 ).

Educators and educational institution leaders have from the beginning sought solutions on how “to use a variety of the strategies and technologies of the day to help their institutions adapt to dramatically changing social needs” (Miller, 2023 , p. 3). Education in the past had always had high hopes for applying the latest technological advances (Reiser, 2001 ; Howard and Mozejko, 2015 ), including the promise of providing personalised learning or using the latest tools to create and manage courses (Crompton and Burke, 2023 ).

The most basic (and original) educational settings include three components: the blackboard with chalk, the instructor, and textbooks as elementary “educational technologies” at any level (Reiser, 2001 ). Beyond these, one may talk about “educational media” which, once digital technology had entered the picture, have progressed from Computer Based Learning to Learning Management Systems to the use of the Internet, and lately to online shared learning environments with various stages in between including intelligent tutoring system, Dialogue-based Tutoring System, and Exploratory Learning Environment and Artificial Intelligence (Paek and Kim, 2021 ). And now the latest craze is about the generative form of AI often called conversational chatbot (Rudolph et al. 2023 ).

The above-mentioned promises appear to be no different in the case of using generative AI tools in education (Baskara, 2023a ; Mhlanga, 2023 ; Yan et al. 2023 ). The general claim is that GAI chatbots have transformative potential in HE (Mollick and Mollick, 2022 ; Ilieva et al. 2023 ). It is further alleged, that feedback mechanisms supposedly provided by GAI can be used to provide personalised guidance to students (Baskara, 2023b ). Some argue, that “AI education should be expanded and improved, especially by presenting realistic use cases and the real limitations of the technology, so that students are able to use AI confidently and responsibly in their professional future” (Almaraz-López et al. 2023 , p. 1). It is still debated whether the hype is justified, yet the question still remains, how to address the issues arising in the wake of the educational application of GAI tools (Ivanov, 2023 ; Memarian and Doleck, 2023 ).

Generative AI tools, such as their most-known representative, ChatGPT impact several areas of learning and teaching. From the point of view of students, chatbots may help with so-called Self-Regulated or Self-Determined Learning (Nicol and Macfarlane‐Dick, 2006 ; Baskara, 2023b ), where students either dialogue with chatbots or AI help with reviewing student work, even correcting it and giving feedback (Uchiyama et al. 2023 ). There are innovative ideas on how to use AI to support peer feedback (Bauer et al. 2023 ). Some consider that GAI can provide adaptive and personalised environments (Qadir, 2023 ) and may offer personalised tutoring (see, for example, Limo et al. ( 2023 ) on ChatGPT as a virtual tutor for personalized learning experiences). Furthermore, Yan et al. ( 2023 ) lists nine different categories of educational tasks that prior studies have attempted to automate using LLMs: Profiling and labelling (various educational or related content), Detection, Assessment and grading, Teaching support (in various educational and communication activities), Prediction, Knowledge representation, Feedback, Content generation (outline, questions, cases, etc.), Recommendation.

From the lecturers’ point of view, one of the most argued impacts is that assessment practices need to be revisited (Chaudhry et al. 2023 ; Gamage et al. 2023 ; Lim et al. 2023 ). For example, ChatGPT-written responses to exam questions may not be distinguished from student-written answers (Rudolph et al. 2023 ; Farazouli et al. 2024 ). Furthermore, essay-type works are facing special challenges (Sweeney, 2023 ). On the other hand, AI may be utilised to automate a range of educational tasks, such as test question generation, including open-ended questions, test correction, or even essay grading, feedback provision, analysing student feedback surveys, and so on (Mollick and Mollick, 2022 ; Rasul et al. 2023 ; Gimpel et al. 2023 ).

There is no convincing evidence, however, that either lecturers or dedicated tools are able to distinguish AI-written and student-written text with high enough accuracy that can be used to prove unethical behaviour in all cases (Akram, 2023 ). This led to concerns regarding the practicality and ethicality of such innovations (Yan et al. 2023 ). Indeed, the appearance of ChatGPT in higher education has reignited the (inconclusive) debate on the potential and risks associated with AI technologies (Ray, 2023 ; Rudolph et al. 2023 ).

When new technologies appear in or are considered for higher education, debates about their claimed advantages and potential drawbacks heat up as they are expected to disrupt traditional practices and require teachers to adapt to their potential benefits and drawbacks (as collected by Farrokhnia et al. 2023 ). One key area of such debates is the ethical issues raised by the growing accessibility of generative AI and discursive chatbots.

Key ethical challenges posed by AI in higher education

Yan et al. ( 2023 ), while investigating the practicality of AI in education in general, also consider ethicality in the context of educational technology and point out that related debates over the last decade (pre-ChatGPT, so to say), mostly focused on algorithmic ethics, i.e. concerns related to data mining and using AI in learning analytics. At the same time, the use of AI by teachers or, especially, by students has received less attention (or only under the scope or traditional human ethics). However, with the arrival of generative AI chatbots (such as ChatGPT), the number of publications about their use in higher education grew rapidly (Rasul et al. 2023 ; Yan et al. 2023 ).

The study by Chan ( 2023 ) offers a (general) policy framework for higher education institutions, although it focuses on one location and is based on the perceptions of students and teachers. While there are studies that collect factors to be considered for the ethical use of AI in HE, they appear to be restricted to ChatGPT (see, for example, Mhlanga ( 2023 )). Mhlanga ( 2023 ) presents six factors: respect for privacy, fairness, and non-discrimination, transparency in the use of ChatGPT, responsible use of AI (including clarifying its limitations), ChatGPT is not a substitute for human teachers, and accuracy of information. The framework by Chan ( 2023 ) is aimed at creating policies to teach students about GAI and considers three dimensions: pedagogical, governance, and operational. Within those dimensions, ten key areas identified covering ethical concerns such as academic integrity versus academic misconduct and related ethical dilemmas (e.g. cheating or plagiarism), data privacy, transparency, accountability and security, equity in access to AI technologies, critical AI literacy, over-reliance on AI technologies (not directly ethical), responsible use of AI (in general), competencies impeded by AI (such as leadership and teamwork). Baskara ( 2023b ), while also looking at ChatGPT only, considers the following likely danger areas: privacy, algorithmic bias issues, data security, and the potential negative impact of ChatGPT on learners’ autonomy and agency, The paper also questions the possible negative impact of GAI on social interaction and collaboration among learners. Although Yan et al. ( 2023 ) considers education in general (not HE in particular) during its review of 118 papers published since 2017 on the topic of AI ethics in education, its list of areas to look at is still relevant: transparency (of the models used), privacy (related to data collection and use by AI tools), equality (such as availability of AI tools in different languages), and beneficence (e.g. avoiding bias and avoiding biased and toxic knowledge from training data). While systematically reviewing recent publications about AI’s “morality footprint” in higher education, Memarian and Doleck ( 2023 ) consider the Fairness, Accountability, Transparency, and Ethics (FATE) approach as their framework of analyses. They note that “Ethics” appears to be the most used term as it serves as a general descriptor, while the other terms are typically only used in their descriptive sense, and their operationalisation is often lacking in related literature.

Regarding education-related data analytics, Khosravi et al. ( 2022 ) argue that educational technology that involves AI should consider accountability, explainability, fairness, interpretability and safety as key ethical concerns. Ferguson et al. ( 2016 ) also looked at learning analytics solutions using AI and warned of potential issues related to privacy, beneficence, and equality. M.A. Chaudhry et al. ( 2022 ) emphasise that enhancing the comprehension of stakeholders of a new educational AI system is the most important task, which requires making all information and decision processes available to those affected, therefore the key concern is related to transparency according to their arguments.

As such debates continue, it is difficult to identify an established definition of ethical AI in HE. It is clear, however, that the focus should not be on detecting academic misconduct (Rudolph et al. 2023 ). Instead, practical recommendations are required. This is especially true as even the latest studies focus mostly on issues related to assessment practices (Chan, 2023 ; Farazouli et al. 2024 ) and often limit their scope to ChatGPT (Cotton et al. 2024 ) (this specific tool still dominates discourses of LLMs despite the availability of many other solutions since its arrival). At the same time, the list of issues addressed appears to be arbitrary, and most publications do not look at actual practices on a global scale. Indeed, reviews of actual current practices of higher education institutions are rare, and this aspect is not yet the focus of recent HE AI ethics research reports.

As follows from the growing literature and the debate shaping up about the implications of using GAI tools in HE, there was a clear need for a systematic review of how first responses in actual academic policies and guidelines in practice have represented and addressed known ethical principles.

Research objective and methodology

In order to contribute to the debate on the impact of GAI on HE, this study aimed to review how leading institutions had reacted to the arrival of generative AI (such as ChatGPT) and what policies or institutional guidelines they have put in place shortly after. The research intended to understand whether key ethical principles were reflected in the first policy responses of HE institutions and, if yes, how they were handled.

As potential principles can diverge and could be numerous, as well as early guidelines may cover wide areas, the investigation is intended to be based on a few broad categories instead of trying to manage a large set of ideals and goals. To achieve this objective, the research was executed in three steps:

It was started with identifying and collecting general ethical ideals, which were then translated and structured for the context of higher education. A thorough content analysis was performed with the intention to put emphasis on positive values instead of simply focusing on issues or risks and their mitigation.

Given those positive ideals, this research collected actual examples of university policies and guidelines already available: this step was executed from May to July 2023 to find early responses addressing such norms and principles developed by leading HE institutions.

The documents identified were then analysed to understand how such norms and principles had been addressed by leading HE institutions.

As a result, this research managed to highlight and contrast differing practical views, and the findings raise awareness about the difficulties of creating relevant institutional policies. The research considered the ethics of using GAI and not expectations towards their development. The next two sections provide details of the two steps.

Establishing ethical principles for higher education

While the review of relevant ethical and HE literature (as presented above) was not fully conclusive, it highlighted the importance and need for some ideals specific to HE. Therefore, as a first step, this study sought to find highly respected sources of such ethical dimensions by executing a directed content analysis of relevant international regulatory and policy recommendations.

In order to establish what key values and ideas drive the formation of future AI regulations in general, Corrêa et al. ( 2023 ) investigated 200 publications discussing governance policies and ethical guidelines for using AI as proposed by various organisations (including national governments and institutions, civil society and academic organisations, private companies, as well as international bodies). The authors were also interested in whether there are common patterns or missing ideals and norms in this extensive set of proposals and recommendations. As the research was looking for key principles and normative attributes that could form a common ground for the comparison of HE policies, this vast set of documents was used to identify internationally recognised bodies that have potential real influence in this arena and decided to consider the guidelines and recommendations they have put forward for the ethical governance of AI. Therefore, for the purpose of this study, the following sources were selected (some organisations, such as the EU were represented by several bodies):

European Commission ( 2021 ): Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council Laying Down Harmonised Rules on Artificial Intelligence (Artificial Intelligence Act) and Amending Certain Union Legislative Acts (2021/0106 (COD)) . Footnote 4

European Parliament Committee on Culture and Education ( 2021 ): Report on artificial intelligence in education, culture and the audiovisual sector (2020/2017(INI)) . Footnote 5

High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence (EUHLEX) ( 2019 ): Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy AI . Footnote 6

UNESCO ( 2022 ): Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (SHS/BIO/PI/2021/1) . Footnote 7

OECD ( 2019 ): Recommendation of the Council on Artificial Intelligence (OECD/LEGAL/0449) . Footnote 8

The ethical dilemmas established by these international documents (most of which is considered soft law material) were then used to inductively identify the primary aspects around which the investigation of educational AI principles may be organised.

Among the above documents, the EUHLEX material is the salient one as it contains a Glossary that defines and explains, among others, the two primary concepts that will be used in this paper: “artificial intelligence” and “ethics”. As this paper is, to a large extent, based on the deducted categorisation embedded in these international documents, it will follow suit in using the above terms as EUHLEX did, supporting it with the definitions contained in the other four referenced international documents. Consequently, artificial intelligence (AI) systems are referred to in this paper as software and hardware systems designed by humans that “act in the physical or digital dimension by perceiving their environment through data acquisition, interpreting the collected structured or unstructured data, reasoning on the knowledge, or processing the information, derived from this data and deciding the best action(s) to take to achieve the given goal” (EUHLEX, 2019 ). With regards to ethics, the EUHLEX group defines this term, in general as an academic discipline which is a subfield of philosophy, dealing with questions like “What is a good action?”, “What is the value of a human life?”, “What is justice?”, or “What is the good life?”. It also mentions that academia distinguishes four major fields: (i) Meta-ethics, (ii) normative ethics, (iii) descriptive ethics, and (iv) applied ethics ” (EUHLEX, 2019 , p. 37). Within these, AI ethics belongs to the latter group of applied ethics that focuses on the practical issues raised by the design, development, implementation, and use of AI systems. By extension, the application of AI systems in higher education also falls under the domain of applied ethics.

The selection of sample universities

The collection of cases started with the AI guidelines compiled by the authors as members of the AI Committee at their university from May to July 2023. The AI Committee consisted of 12 members and investigated over 150 cases to gauge international best practices of GAI use in higher education when formulating a policy recommendation for their own university leadership. Given the global nature of the subject matter, examples from various continents were collected. From this initial pool authors narrowed the scope to the Top 500 higher education institutions of the Shanghai Ranking list for this study, as best practices most often accrue from the highest-ranking universities. Finally, only those institutions were included which, at the time of data collection, have indeed had publicly available policy documents or guidelines with clearly identifiable ethical considerations (such as relevant internal documents, Codes of Ethics, Academic Regulations, Codes of Practice and Procedure, or Guidelines for Students and Teachers). By the end of this selection process, 30 samples proved to be substantiated enough to be included in this study (presented in Table 1 ).

All documents were contextually analysed and annotated by both authors individually looking for references or mentions of ideas, actions or recommendations related to the ethical principles identified during the first step of the research. These comments were then compared and commonalities analysed regarding the nature and goal of the ethical recommendation.

Principles and practices of responsible use of AI in higher education

Ai-related ethical codes forming the base of this investigation.

A common feature of the selected AI ethics documents issued by international organisations is that they enumerate a set of ethical principles based on fundamental human values. The referenced international documents have different geographical- and policy scopes, yet they overlap in their categorisation of the ethical dimensions relevant to this research, even though they might use discrepant language to describe the same phenomenon (a factor we took into account when establishing key categories). For example, what EUHLEX dubs as “Human agency and oversight” is addressed by UNESCO under the section called “Human oversight and determination”, yet they essentially cover the same issues and recommended requirements. Among the many principles enshrined in these documents, the research focuses on those that can be directly linked to the everyday education practices of universities in relation to AI tools, omitting those that, within this context, are less situation-dependent and should normally form the overarching basis of the functioning of universities at all times, such as: respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms, refraining from all forms of discrimination, the right to privacy and data protection, or being aware of environmental concerns and responsibilities regarding sustainable development. As pointed out by Nikolinakos ( 2023 ), such principles and values provide essential guidance not only for development but also during the deployment and use of AI systems. Synthesising the common ethical codes in these instruments has led to the following cluster of ethical principles that are directly linked to AI-related higher education practices:

Accountability and responsibility;

Human agency and oversight;

Transparency and explainability

Inclusiveness and diversity.

The following subsections will give a comprehensive definition of these ethical areas and relate them to higher education expectations. Each subsection will first explain the corresponding ethical cluster, then present the specific university examples, concluding with a summary of the identified best practice under that particular cluster.

Accountability and responsibility

Definition in ethical codes and relevance.

The most fundamental requirements, appearing in almost all relevant documents, bring forward the necessity that mechanisms should be implemented to ensure responsibility and accountability for AI systems and their outcomes. These cover expectations both before and after their deployment, including development and use. They entail the basic requirements of auditability (i.e. the enablement of the assessment of algorithms), clear roles in the management of data and design processes (as a means for contributing to the trustworthiness of AI technology), the minimalisation and reporting of negative impacts (focusing on the possibility of identifying, assessing, documenting and reporting on the potential negative impacts of AI systems), as well as the ability of redress (understood as the capability to utilise mechanisms that offer legal and practical remedy when unjust adverse impact occurs) (EUHLEX, 2019 , pp. 19–20).

Additionally, Points 35–36 of the UNESCO recommendations remind us that it is imperative to “attribute ethical and legal responsibility for any stage of the life cycle of AI systems, as well as in cases of remedy related to AI systems, to physical persons or to existing legal entities. AI system can never replace ultimate human responsibility and accountability” (UNESCO, 2022 , p. 22).

The fulfilment of this fundamental principle is also expected from academic authors, as per the announcements of some of the largest publishing houses in the world. Accordingly, AI is not an author or co-author, Footnote 9 and AI-assisted technologies should not be cited as authors either, Footnote 10 given that AI-generated content cannot be considered capable of initiating an original piece of research without direction from human authors. The ethical guidelines of Wiley ( 2023 ) stated that ”[AI tools] also cannot be accountable for a published work or for research design, which is a generally held requirement of authorship, nor do they have legal standing or the ability to hold or assign copyright.” Footnote 11 This research angle carries over to teaching as well since students are also expected to produce outputs that are the results of their own work. Furthermore, they also often do their own research (such as literature search and review) in support of their projects, homework, thesis, and other forms of performance evaluation.

Accountability and responsibility in university first responses

The rapidly changing nature of the subject matter poses a significant challenge for scholars to assess the state of play of human responsibility. This is well exemplified by the reversal of hearts by some Australian universities (see Rudolph et al. ( 2023 ) quoting newspaper articles) who first disallowed the use of AI by students while doing assignments, just to reverse that decision a few months later and replace it by a requirement of disclosing the use of AI in homeworks. Similarly, Indian governments have been oscillating between a non-regulatory approach to foster an “innovation-friendly environment” for their universities in the summer of 2023 (Liu, 2023 ), only to roll back on this pledge a few months later (Dhaor, 2023 ).

Beyond this regulatory entropy, a fundamental principle enshrined in university codes of ethics across the globe is that students need to meet existing rules of scientific referencing and authorship. Footnote 12 In other words, they should refrain from any form of plagiarism in all their written work (including essays, theses, term papers, or in-class presentations). Submitting any work and assessments created by someone or something else (including AI-generated content) as if it was their own usually amounts to either a violation of scientific referencing, plagiarism or is considered to be a form of cheating (or a combination of these), depending on the terminology used by the respective higher education institution.

As a course description of Johns Hopkins puts it, “academic honesty is required in all work you submit to be graded …., you must solve all homework and programming assignments without the help of outside sources (e.g., GAI tools)” (Johns Hopkins University, 2023 ).

The Tokyo Institute of Technology applies a more flexible approach, as they “trust the independence of the students and expect the best use” of AI systems from them based on good sense and ethical standards. They add, however, that submitting reports that rely almost entirely on the output of GenAI is “highly improper, and its continued use is equivalent to one’s enslavement to the technology” (Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2023 ).

In the case of York University, the Senate’s Academic Standards, Curriculum, and Pedagogy Committee clarified in February 2023 that students are not authorised to use “text-, image-, code-, or video-generating AI tools when completing their academic work unless explicitly permitted by a specific instructor in a particular course” (York University Senate, 2023 ).

In the same time frame (6 February 2023), the University of Oxford stated in a guidance material for staff members that “the unauthorised use of AI tools in exams and other assessed work is a serious disciplinary offence” not permitted for students (University of Oxford, 2023b ).

Main message and best practice: honesty and mutual trust

In essence, students are not allowed to present AI-generated content as their own, Footnote 13 and they should have full responsibility and accountability for their own papers. Footnote 14 This is in line with the most ubiquitous principle enshrined in almost all university guidelines, irrespective of AI, that students are expected to complete their tasks based on their own knowledge and skills obtained throughout their education.

Given that the main challenge here is unauthorised use and overreliance on GAI platforms, the best practice answer is for students to adhere to academic honesty and integrity, scientific referencing standards, existing anti-plagiarism rules, and complete university assignments without fully relying on GAI tools, using, first and foremost, their own skills. The only exception is when instructed otherwise by their professors. By extension, preventing overuse and unauthorised use of AI assists students in avoiding undermining their own academic capacity-building efforts.

Human agency and oversight

AI systems have the potential to manipulate and influence human behaviour in ways that are not easily detectable. AI systems must, therefore, follow human-centric design principles and leave meaningful opportunities for human choice and intervention. Such systems should not be able to unjustifiably subordinate, coerce, deceive, manipulate, condition or herd humans (EUHLEX, 2019 , p. 16).

Human oversight thus refers to the capability for human intervention in every decision cycle of the AI system and the ability of users to make informed, autonomous decisions regarding AI systems. This encompasses the ability to choose not to use an AI system in a particular situation or to halt AI-related operations via a “stop” button or a comparable procedure in case the user detects anomalies, dysfunctions and unexpected performance from AI tools (European Commission, 2021 , Art. 14).

The sheer capability of active oversight and intervention vis-á-vis GAI systems is strongly linked to ethical responsibility and legal accountability. As Liao puts it, “the sufficient condition for human beings being rightsholders is that they have a physical basis for moral agency.” (Liao, 2020 , pp. 496–497). Wagner complemented this with the essential point that entity status for non-human actors would help to shield other parties from liability, i.e., primarily manufacturers and users (Wagner, 2018 ). This, in turn, would result in risk externalisation, which serves to minimise or relativise a person’s moral accountability and legal liability associated with wrongful or unethical acts.

Users, in our case, are primarily students who, at times, might be tempted to make use of AI tools in an unethical way, hoping to fulfil their university tasks faster and more efficiently than they could without these.

Human agency and oversight in university first responses

The crucial aspect of this ethical issue is the presence of a “stop” button or a similar regulatory procedure to streamline the operation of GAI tools. Existing university guidelines in this question point clearly in the direction of soft sanctions, if any, given the fact that there is a lack of evidence that AI detection platforms are effective and reliable tools to tell apart human work from AI-generated ones. Additionally, these tools raise some significant implications for privacy and data security issues, which is why university guidelines are particularly cautious when referring to these. Accordingly, the National Taiwan University, the University of Toronto, the University of Waterloo, the University of Miami, the National Autonomous University of Mexico, and Yale, among others, do not recommend the use of AI detection platforms in university assessments. The University of Zürich further added the moral perspective in a guidance note from 13 July 2023, that “forbidding the use of undetectable tools on unsupervised assignments or demanding some sort of honour code likely ends up punishing the honest students” (University of Zürich, 2023 ). Apart from unreliability, the University of Cape Town also drew attention in its guide for staff that AI detection tools may “disproportionately flag text written by non-first language speakers as AI-generated” (University of Cape Town, 2023 , p. 8).

Macquarie University took a slightly more ambiguous stance when they informed their staff that, while it is not “proof” for anything, an AI writing detection feature was launched within Turnitin as of 5 April 2023 (Hillier, 2023 ), claiming that the software has a 97% detection rate with a 1% false positive rate in the tests that they had conducted (Turnitin, 2023 ). Apart from these, Boston University is among the few examples that recommend employing AI detection tools, but only in a restricted manner to ”evaluate the degree to which AI tools have likely been employed” and not as a source for any punitive measures against students (University of Boston, 2023 ). Remarkably, they complement the above with suggestions for a merit-based scoring system, whereby instructors shall treat work by students who declare no use of AI tools as the baseline for grading. A lower baseline is suggested for students who declare the use of AI tools (depending on how extensive the usage was), and for the bottom of this spectrum, the university suggests imposing a significant penalty for low-energy or unreflective reuse of material generated by AI tools and assigning zero points for merely reproducing the output from AI platforms.

A discrepant approach was adopted at the University of Toronto. Here, if an instructor indicates that the use of AI tools is not permitted on an assessment, and a student is later found to have used such a tool nevertheless, then the instructor should consider meeting with the student as the first step of a dialogue-based process under the Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters (the same Code, which categorises the use of ChatGPT and other such tools as “unauthorised aid” or as “any other form of cheating” in case, an instructor specified that no outside assistance was permitted on an assignment) (University of Toronto, 2019 ).

More specifically, Imperial College London’s Guidance on the Use of Generative AI tools envisages the possibility of inviting a random selection of students to a so-called “authenticity interview” on their submitted assignments (Imperial College London, 2023b ). This entails requiring students to attend an oral examination of their submitted work to ensure its authenticity, which includes questions about the subject or how they approached their assignment.

As a rare exception, the University of Helsinki represents one of the more rigorous examples. The “Guidelines for the Use of AI in Teaching at the University of Helsinki” does not lay down any specific procedures for AI-related ethical offences. On the contrary, as para. 7 stipulates the unauthorised use of GAI in any course examination “constitutes cheating and will be treated in the same way as other cases of cheating” (University of Helsinki, 2023 ). Footnote 15

Those teachers who are reluctant to make AI tools a big part of their courses should rather aim to develop course assessment methods that can plausibly prevent the use of AI tools instead of attempting to filter these afterwards. Footnote 16 For example, the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin instructs that, if possible, oral or practical examinations or written examinations performed on-site are recommended as alternatives to “classical” written home assignments (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 2023a ).

Monash University also mentions some examples in this regard (Monash University, 2023a ), such as: asking students to create oral presentations, videos, and multimedia resources; asking them to incorporate more personal reflections tied to the concepts studied; implementing programmatic assessment that focuses on assessing broader attributes of students, using multiple methods rather than focusing on assessing individual kinds of knowledge or skills using a single assessment method (e.g., writing an essay).

Similarly, the University of Toronto suggest instructors to: ask students to respond to a specific reading that is very new and thus has a limited online footprint; assign group work to be completed in class, with each member contributing; or ask students to create a first draft of an assignment by hand, which could be complemented by a call to explain or justify certain elements of their work (University of Toronto, 2023 ).

Main message and best practice: Avoiding overreaction

In summary, the best practice that can be identified under this ethical dilemma is to secure human oversight through a blend of preventive measures (e.g. a shift in assessment methods) and soft sanctions. Given that AI detectors are unreliable and can cause a series of data privacy issues, the sanctioning of unauthorised AI use should happen on a “soft basis”, as part of a dialogue with the student concerned. Additionally, universities need to be aware and pay due attention to potentially unwanted rebound effects of bona fide measures, such as the merit-based scoring system of the University of Boston. In that case, using different scoring baselines based on the self-declared use of AI could, in practice, generate incentives for not declaring any use of AI at all, thereby producing counter-effective results.

While explainability refers to providing intelligible insight into the functioning of AI tools with a special focus on the interplay between the user’s input and the received output, transparency alludes to the requirement of providing unambiguous communication in the framework of system use.

As the European Commission’s Regulation proposal ( 2021 ) puts it under subchapter 5.2.4., transparency obligations should apply for systems that „(i) interact with humans, (ii) are used to detect emotions or determine association with (social) categories based on biometric data, or (iii) generate or manipulate content (‘deep fakes’). When persons interact with an AI system or their emotions or characteristics are recognised through automated means, people must be informed of that circumstance. If an AI system is used to generate or manipulate image, audio or video content that appreciably resembles authentic content, there should be an obligation to disclose that the content is generated through automated means, subject to exceptions for legitimate purposes (law enforcement, freedom of expression). This allows persons to make informed choices or step back from a given situation.”

People (in our case, university students and teachers) should, therefore, be fully informed when a decision is influenced by or relies on AI algorithms. In such instances, individuals should be able to ask for further explanation from the decision-maker using AI (e.g., a university body). Furthermore, individuals should be afforded the choice to present their case to a dedicated representative of the organisation in question who should have the power to reviset the decision and make corrections if necessary (UNESCO, 2022 , p. 22). Therefore, in the context of courses and other related education events, teachers should be clear about their utilisation of AI during the preparation of the material. Furthermore, instructors must unambiguously clarify ethical AI use in the classroom. Clear communication is essential about whether students have permission to utilise AI tools during assignments and how to report actual use.

As both UN and EU sources point out, raising awareness about and promoting basic AI literacy should be fostered as a means to empower people and reduce the digital divides and digital access inequalities resulting from the broad adoption of AI systems (EUHLEX, 2019 , p. 23; UNESCO, 2022 , p. 34).

Transparency and explainability in university first responses

The implementation of this principle seems to revolve around the challenge of decentralisation of university work, including the respect for teachers’ autonomy.

Teachers’ autonomy entails that teachers can decide if and to what extent they will allow their students to use AI platforms as part of their respective courses. This, however, comes with the essential corollary, that they must clearly communicate their decision to both students and university management in the course syllabus. To support transparency in this respect, many universities decided to establish 3-level- or 4-level admissibility frameworks (and even those who did not establish such multi-level systems, e.g., the University of Toronto, urge instructors to explicitly indicate in the course syllabus the expected use of AI) (University of Toronto, 2023 ).

The University of Auckland is among the universities that apply a fully laissez passer laissez-faire approach in this respect, meaning that there is a lack of centralised guidance or recommendations on this subject. They rather confer all practical decision-making of GAI use on course directors, adding that it is ultimately the student’s responsibility to correctly acknowledge the use of Gen-AI software (University of Auckland, 2023 ). Similarly, the University of Helsinki gives as much manoeuvring space to their staff as to allow them to change the course of action during the semester. As para 1 of their earlier quoted Guidelines stipulates, teachers are responsible for deciding how GAI can be used on a given course and are free to fully prohibit their use if they think it impedes the achievement of the learning objectives.

Colorado State University, for example, provides its teachers with 3 types of syllabus statement options (Colorado State University, 2023 ): (a) the prohibitive statement: whereby any work created, or inspired by AI agents is considered plagiarism and will not be tolerated; (b) the use-with-permission statement: whereby generative AI can be used but only as an exception and in line with the teachers further instruction, and (c) the abdication statement: where the teacher acknowledges that the course grade will also be a reflection of the students ability to harness AI technologies as part of their preparation for their future in a workforce that will increasingly require AI-literacy.

Macquarie University applies a similar system and provides it’s professors with an Assessment Checklist in which AI use can be either “Not permitted” or “Some use permitted” (meaning that the scope of use is limited while the majority of the work should be written or made by the student.), or “Full use permitted (with attribution)”, alluding to the adaptive use of AI tools, where the generated content is edited, mixed, adapted and integrated into the student’s final submission – with attribution of the source (Macquarie University, 2023 ).

The same approach is used at Monash University where generative AI tools can be: (a) used for all assessments in a specific unit; (b) cannot be used for any assessments; (c) some AI tools may be used selectively (Monash University, 2023b ).

The University of Cape Town (UCT) applies a 3-tier system not just in terms of the overall approach to the use or banning of GAI, but also with regard to specific assessment approaches recommended to teachers. As far as the former is concerned, they differentiate between the strategies of: (a) Avoiding (reverting to in-person assessment, where the use of AI isn’t possible); (b) Outrunning (devising an assessment that AI cannot produce); and (c) Embracing (discussing the appropriate use of AI with students and its ethical use to create the circumstances for authentic assessment outputs). The assessment possibilities, in turn, are categorised into easy, medium, and hard levels. Easy tasks include, e.g., generic short written assignments. Medium level might include examples such as personalised or context-based assessments (e.g. asking students to write to a particular audience whose knowledge and values must be considered or asking questions that would require them to give a response that draws from concepts that were learnt in class, in a lab, field trip…etc). In contrast, hard assessments include projects involving real-world applications, synchronous oral assessments, or panel assessments (University of Cape Town, 2023 ).

4-tier-systems are analogues. The only difference is that they break down the “middle ground”. Accordingly, the Chinese University of Hong Kong clarifies that Approach 1 (by default) means the prohibition of all use of AI tools; Approach 2 entails using AI tools only with prior permission; Approach 3 means using AI tools only with explicit acknowledgement; and Approach 4 is reserved for courses in which the use of AI tools is freely permitted with no acknowledgement needed (Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2023 ).

Similarly, the University of Delaware provides course syllabus statement examples for teachers including: (1) Prohibiting all use of AI tools; (2) Allowing their use only with prior permission; (3) Allow their use only with explicit acknowledgement; (4) Freely allow their use (University of Delaware, 2023 ).

The Technical University of Berlin also proposes a 4-tier system but uses a very different logic based on the practical knowledge one can obtain by using GAI. Accordingly, they divide AI tools as used to: (a) acquire professional competence; (b) learn to write scientifically; (c) be able to assess AI tools and compare them with scientific methods; d) professional use of AI tools in scientific work. Their corresponding guideline even quotes Art. 5 of the German Constitution referencing the freedom of teaching ( Freiheit der Lehre ), entailing that teachers should have the ability to decide for themselves which teaching aids they allow or prohibit. Footnote 17

This detailed approach, however, is rather the exception. According to the compilation on 6 May 2023 by Solis ( 2023 ), among the 100 largest German universities, 2% applied a general prohibition on the use of ChatGPT, 23% granted partial permission, 12% generally permitted its use, while 63% of the universities had none or only vague guidelines in this respect.

Main message and best practice: raising awareness

Overall, the best practice answer to the dilemma of transparency is the internal decentralisation of university work and the application of a “bottom-up” approach that respects the autonomy of university professors. Notwithstanding the potential existence of regulatory frameworks that set out binding rules for all citizens of an HE institution, this means providing university instructors with proper manoeuvring space to decide on their own how they would like to make AI use permissible in their courses, insofar as they communicate their decision openly.

Inclusiveness and diversity

Para. 34 of the Report by the European Parliament Committee on Culture and Education ( 2021 ) highlights that inclusive education can only be reached with the proactive presence of teachers and stresses that “AI technologies cannot be used to the detriment or at the expense of in-person education, as teachers must not be replaced by any AI or AI-related technologies”. Additionally, para. 20 of the same document highlights the need to create diverse teams of developers and engineers to work alongside the main actors in the educational, cultural, and audiovisual sectors in order to prevent gender or social bias from being inadvertently included in AI algorithms, systems, and applications.

This approach also underlines the need to consider the variety of different theories through which AI has been developed as a precursor to ensuring the application of the principle of diversity (UNESCO, 2022 , pp. 33–35), and it also recognises that a nuanced answer to AI-related challenges is only possible if affected stakeholders have an equal say in regulatory and design processes. An idea closely linked to the principle of fairness and the pledge to leave no one behind who might be affected by the outcome of using AI systems (EUHLEX, 2019 , pp. 18–19).

Therefore, in the context of higher education, the principle of inclusiveness aims to ensure that an institution provides the same opportunities to access the benefits of AI technologies for all its students, irrespective of their background, while also considering the particular needs of various vulnerable groups potentially marginalised based on age, gender, culture, religion, language, or disabilities. Footnote 18 Inclusiveness also alludes to stakeholder participation in internal university dialogues on the use and impact of AI systems (including students, teachers, administration and leadership) as well as in the constant evaluation of how these systems evolve. On a broader scale, it implies communication with policymakers on how higher education should accommodate itself to this rapidly changing environment (EUHLEX, 2019 , p. 23; UNESCO, 2022 , p. 35).

Inclusiveness and diversity in university first responses

Universities appear to be aware of the potential disadvantages for students who are either unfamiliar with GAI or who choose not to use it or use it in an unethical manner. As a result, many universities thought that the best way to foster inclusive GAI use was to offer specific examples of how teachers could constructively incorporate these tools into their courses.

The University of Waterloo, for example, recommends various methods that instructors can apply on sight, with the same set of tools for all students during their courses, which in itself mitigates the effects of any discrepancies in varying student backgrounds (University of Waterloo, 2023 ): (a) Give students a prompt during class, and the resulting text and ask them to critique and improve it using track changes; (b) Create two distinct texts and have students explain the flaws of each or combine them in some way using track changes; (c) Test code and documentation accuracy with a peer; or (d) Use ChatGPT to provide a preliminary summary of an issue as a jumping-off point for further research and discussion.

The University of Pittsburgh ( 2023 ) and Monash added similar recommendations to their AI guidelines (Monash University, 2023c ).

The University of Cambridge mentions under its AI-deas initiative a series of projects aimed to develop new AI methods to understand and address sensory, neural or linguistic challenges such as hearing loss, brain injury or language barriers to support people who find communicating a daily challenge in order to improve equity and inclusion. As they put it, “with AI we can assess and diagnose common language and communication conditions at scale, and develop technologies such as intelligent hearing aids, real-time machine translation, or other language aids to support affected individuals at home, work or school.” (University of Cambridge, 2023 ).

The homepage of the Technical University of Berlin (Technische Universität Berlin) displays ample and diverse materials, including videos Footnote 19 and other documents, as a source of inspiration for teachers on how to provide an equitable share of AI knowledge for their students (Glathe et al. 2023 ). More progressively, the university’s Institute of Psychology offers a learning modul called “Inclusive Digitalisation”, available for students enrolled in various degree programmes to understand inclusion and exclusion mechanisms in digitalisation. This modul touches upon topics such as barrier-free software design, mechanisms and reasons for digitalised discrimination or biases in corporate practices (their homepage specifically alludes to the fact that input and output devices, such as VR glasses, have exclusively undergone testing with male test subjects and that the development of digital products and services is predominantly carried out by men. The practical ramifications of such a bias result in input and output devices that are less appropriate for women and children) (Technische Universität Berlin, 2023 ).

Columbia recommends the practice of “scaffolding”, which is the process of breaking down a larger assignment into subtasks (Columbia University, 2023 ). In their understanding, this method facilitates regular check-ins and enables students to receive timely feedback throughout the learning process. Simultaneously, the implementation of scaffolding helps instructors become more familiar with students and their work as the semester progresses, allowing them to take additional steps in the case of students who might need more attention due to their vulnerable backgrounds or disabilities to complete the same tasks.

The Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, in its Recommendations, clearly links the permission of GAI use with the requirement of equal accessibility. They remind that if examiners require students to use AI for an examination, “students must be provided with access to these technologies free of charge and in compliance with data protection regulations” (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 2023b ).

Concurringly, the University of Cape Town also links inclusivity to accessibility. As they put it, “there is a risk that those with poorer access to connectivity, devices, data and literacies will get unequal access to the opportunities being provided by AI”, leading to the conclusion that the planning of the admissible use of GAI on campus should be cognizant of access inequalities (University of Cape Town, 2023 ). They also draw their staff’s attention to a UNESCO guide material containing useful methods to incorporate ChatGPT into the course, including methods such as the “Socratic opponent” (AI acts as an opponent to develop an argument), the “study buddy” (AI helps the student reflect on learning material) or the “dynamic assessor” (AI provides educators with a profile of each student’s current knowledge based on their interactions with ChatGPT) (UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean, 2023 ).

Finally, the National Autonomous University of Mexico’s Recommendations suggest using GAI tools, among others, for the purposes of community development. They suggest that such community-building activities, whether online or in live groups, kill two birds with one stone. On the one hand, they assist individuals in keeping their knowledge up to date with a topic that is constantly evolving, while it offers people from various backgrounds the opportunity to become part of communities in the process where they can share their experiences and build new relations (National Autonomous University of Mexico, 2023 ).

Main message and best practice: Proactive central support and the pledge to leave no one behind

To conclude, AI-related inclusivity for students is best fostered if the university does not leave its professors solely to their own resources to come up with diverging initiatives. The best practice example for this dilemma thus lies in a proactive approach that results in the elaboration of concrete teaching materials (e.g., subscriptions to AI tools to ensure equal accessibility for all students, templates, video tutorials, open-access answers to FAQs…etc.), specific ideas, recommendations and to support specialised programmes and collaborations with an inclusion-generating edge. With centrally offered resources and tools institutions seem to be able to ensure accessability irrespective of students’ background and financial abilities.

Discussion of the First Responses

While artificial intelligence and even its generative form has been around for a while, the arrival of application-ready LLMs – most notably ChatGPT has changed the game when it comes to grammatically correct large-scale and content-specific text generation. This has invoked an immediate reaction from the higher education community as the question arose as to how it may affect various forms of student performance evaluation (such as essay and thesis writing) (Chaudhry et al. 2023 ; Yu, 2023 ; Farazouli et al. 2024 ).

Often the very first reaction (a few months after the announcement of the availability of ChatGPT) was a ban on these tools and a potential return to hand-written evaluation and oral exams. In the institutions investigated under this research, notable examples may be most Australian universities (such as Monash) or even Oxford. On the other hand, even leading institutions have immediately embraced this new tool as a great potential helper of lecturers – the top name here being Harvard. Very early responses thus ranged widely – and have changed fast over the first six-eight months “post-ChatGPT”.

Over time responses from the institutions investigated started to put out clear guidelines and even created dedicated policies or modified existing ones to ensure a framework of acceptable use. The inspiration leading these early regulatory efforts was influenced by the international ethics documents reviewed in this paper. Institutions were aware of and relied on those guidelines. The main goal of this research was to shed light on the questions of how much and in what ways they took them on board regarding first responses. Most first reactions were based on “traditional” AI ethics and understanding of AI before LLMs and the generative revolution. First responses by institutions were not based on scientific literature or arguments from journal publications. Instead, as our results demonstrated it was based on publicly available ethical norms and guidelines published by well-known international organizations and professional bodies.

Conclusions, limitations and future research

Ethical dilemmas discussed in this paper were based on the conceptualisation embedded in relevant documents of various international fora. Each ethical dimension, while multifaceted in itself, forms a complex set of challenges that are inextricably intertwined with one another. Browsing university materials, the overall impression is that Universities primarily aim to explore and harness the potential benefits of generative AI but not with an uncritical mindset. They are focusing on the opportunities while simultaneously trying to address the emerging challenges in the field.

Accordingly, the main ethical imperative is that students must complete university assignments based on the knowledge and skills they acquired during their university education unless their instructors determine otherwise. Moral and legal responsibility in this regard always rests with human individuals. AI agents possess neither the legal standing nor the physical basis for moral agency, which makes them incapable of assuming such responsibilities. This “top-down” requirement is most often complemented by the “bottom-up” approach of providing instructors with proper maneuvering space to decide how they would like to make AI use permissible in their courses.

Good practice in human oversight could thus be achieved through a combination of preventive measures and soft, dialogue-based procedures. This latter category includes the simple act of teachers providing clear, written communications in their syllabi and engaging in a dialogue with their students to provide unambiguous and transparent instructions on the use of generative AI tools within their courses. Additionally, to prevent the unauthorised use of AI tools, changing course assessment methods by default is more effective than engaging in post-assessment review due to the unreliability of AI detection tools.

Among the many ethical dilemmas that generative AI tools pose to social systems, this paper focused on those pertaining to the pedagogical aspects of higher education. Due to this limitation, related fields, such as university research, were excluded from the scope of the analysis. However, research-related activities are certainly ripe for scientific scrutiny along the lines indicated in this study. Furthermore, only a limited set of institutions could be investigated, those who were the ”first respondents” to the set of issues covered by this study. Hereby, this paper hopes to inspire further research on the impact of AI tools on higher education. Such research could cover more institutions, but it would also be interesting to revisit the same institutions again to see how their stance and approach might have changed over time considering how fast this technology evolves and how much we learn about its capabilities and shortcomings.

Data availability

Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analysed during the current study. All documents referenced in this study are publicly available on the corresponding websites provided in the Bibliography or in the footnotes. No code has been developed as part of this research.

For the methodology behind the Shanghai Rankings see: https://www.shanghairanking.com/methodology/arwu/2022 . Accessed: 14 November 2023.

While the original French version was published in 1954, the first English translation is dated 1964.

As the evaluation by Bang et al. ( 2023 ) found, ChatGPT is only 63.41% accurate on average in ten different reasoning categories under logical reasoning, non-textual reasoning, and common-sense reasoning, making it an unreliable reasoner.

Source: https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/proposal-regulation-laying-down-harmonised-rules-artificial-intelligence . Accessed: 14 November 2023.

Source https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-9-2021-0127_EN.html . Accessed: 14 November 2023.

Source: https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/ethics-guidelines-trustworthy-ai . Accessed: 14 November 2023.

Source: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000381137 . Accessed: 14 November 2023.

Source: https://legalinstruments.oecd.org/en/instruments/OECD-LEGAL-0449#mainText . Accessed: 14 November 2023.

The editors-in-chief of Nature and Science stated that ChatGPT does not meet the standard for authorship: „ An attribution of authorship carries with it accountability for the work, which cannot be effectively applied to LLMs…. We would not allow AI to be listed as an author on a paper we published, and use of AI-generated text without proper citation could be considered plagiarism,” (Stokel-Walker, 2023 ). See also (Nature, 2023 ).

While there was an initial mistake that credited ChatGPT as an author of an academic paper, Elsevier issued a Corrigendum on the subject in February 2023 (O’Connor, 2023 ). Elsevier then clarified in its “Use of AI and AI-assisted technologies in writing for Elsevier” announcement, issued in March 2023, that “Authors should not list AI and AI-assisted technologies as an author or co-author, nor cite AI as an author”. See https://www.elsevier.com/about/policies-and-standards/the-use-of-generative-ai-and-ai-assisted-technologies-in-writing-for-elsevier . Accessed 23 Nov 2023.

The ethical guidelines of Wiley was updated on 28 February 2023 to clarify the publishing house’s stance on AI-generated content.

See e.g.: Section 2.4 of Princeton University’s Academic Regulations (Princeton University, 2023 ); the Code of Practice and Procedure regarding Misconduct in Research of the University of Oxford (University of Oxford, 2023a ); Section 2.1.1 of the Senate Guidelines on Academic Honesty of York University, enumerating cases of cheating (York University, 2011 ); Imperial College London’s Academic Misconduct Policy and Procedures document (Imperial College London, 2023a ); the Guidelines for seminar and term papers of the University of Vienna (Universität Wien, 2016 ); Para 4. § (1) - (4) of the Anti-plagiarism Regulation of the Corvinus University of Budapest (Corvinus University of Budapest, 2018 ), to name a few.

15 Art. 2 (c)(v) of the early Terms of Use of OpenAI Products (including ChatGPT) dated 14 March 2023 clarified the restrictions of the use of their products. Accordingly, users may not represent the output from their services as human-generated when it was not ( https://openai.com/policies/mar-2023-terms/ . Accessed 14 Nov 2023). Higher education institutions tend to follow suit with this policy. For example, the List of Student Responsibilities enumerated under the “Policies and Regulations” of the Harvard Summer School from 2023 reminds students that their “academic integrity policy forbids students to represent work as their own that they did not write, code, or create” (Harvard University, 2023 ).

A similar view was communicated by Taylor & Francis in a press release issued on 17 February 2023, in which they clarified that: “Authors are accountable for the originality, validity and integrity of the content of their submissions. In choosing to use AI tools, authors are expected to do so responsibly and in accordance with our editorial policies on authorship and principles of publishing ethics” (Taylor and Francis, 2023 ).

This is one of the rare examples where the guideline was adopted by the university’s senior management, in this case, the Academic Affairs Council.

It should be noted that abundant sources recommend harnessing AI tools’ opportunities to improve education instead of attempting to ban them. Heaven, among others, advocated on the pages of the MIT Technology Review the use of advanced chatbots such as ChatGPT as these could be used as “powerful classroom aids that make lessons more interactive, teach students media literacy, generate personalised lesson plans, save teachers time on admin” (Heaven, 2023 ).

This university based its policies on the recommendations of the German Association for University Didactics (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Hochschuldidaktik). Consequently, they draw their students’ attention to the corresponding material, see: (Glathe et al. 2023 ).

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Dabis, A., Csáki, C. AI and ethics: Investigating the first policy responses of higher education institutions to the challenge of generative AI. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 11 , 1006 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-03526-z

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