research questions in literature

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Literature Review: Research Questions

• Introduction
• Types of Literature Reviews
• Research Questions
• Search the Literature
• Manage and Evaluate References
• Nursing Literature Review Search Tips

Look up Discipline Examples

Literature reviews differ throughout the academic disciplines. Look at published journal articles to become familiar with how literature reviews are presented in your discipline.

• Sample literature reviews for Communication Arts
• Sample literature reviews for Nursing 1 and 2

Also look for literature reviews in our  databases  by using the search term "literature review."

Define Your Research Question

Research questions are the beginning to all of your research processes. A research question provides focus to your searches and guides you in selecting the correct sources for your literature review. Either way, research questions:

• Must be clear and concise in order to be effective.
• Must be complex enough to require research and analysis
• Must consider key themes and elements of the assigned topic.
• Must be of interest to you - you want to learn more about the topic, not dread doing your research!

Choose a topic that is neither too broad nor too narrow so that you find too much or too little research on your topic.

• Narrow down your research question by exploring the topic online or in books and then think about what issues you want to research in your literature review. 

Narrowing down topics like this is essential to creating an effective and complex research question:

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• Last Updated: Sep 12, 2023 10:51 AM
• URL: https://library.madonna.edu/literaturereview

Literature Reviews

• Getting Started
• Choosing a Type of Review

Developing a Research Question

Finding example literature reviews.

• Searching the Literature
• Searching Tips
• ChatGPT [beta]
• Documenting your Search
• Using Citation Managers
• Concept Mapping
• Writing the Review
• Further Resources

Goldilocker Tool

UM Librarians have developed a quick tool called Goldilocker  to help beginners who are struggling to refine their Research Question. 

DEVELOPING A RESEARCH QUESTION

Before searching for sources, you need to formulate a Research Question — this is what you are trying to answer using the existing academic literature. The Research Question pinpoints the focus of the review .

Your first step involves choosing, exploring, and focusing a topic. At this stage you might discover that you need to tweak your topic or the scope of your research as you learn more about the topic in the literature.

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND: 

• The question must be "researchable" — it can be answered with accessible facts and data
• Questions often start with How, Why, What, Which
• The question opens the door for other areas of inquiry — it identifies a gap in existing research
• Questions should be open-ended and focus on cause and effect

TRY TO AVOID: 

• Simple yes/no questions, or questions with an easy answer (what is the radius of the moon?)
• Questions that can only be answered by an opinion (does it smell nice when it rains?)
• Questions that involve secret information (what is the recipe for Coca-Cola?)
• Questions that are too broad or too narrow

REFINING YOUR RESEARCH QUESTION

Two examples of refining research questions that could be considered either too broad or too narrow.

USING DATABASE FILTER TOOLS

It can be helpful to read existing literature reviews on your topic to get an idea of major themes, how authors structure their arguments, or what reviews look like in your discipline.

DOCUMENT TYPE FILTERS

Many library databases have the option to highlight just Review Articles after you perform a search. Filters above show what the Document Type filter looks like, with a "Review" option. These examples are from Scopus and ProQuest. The "Review" filter here refers to free-standing, comprehensive Review Articles on a topic, as opposed to a shorter literature review inside a scholarly article.

LIT REVIEWS INSIDE ARTICLES

It is also worth taking a look at the shorter literature reviews inside scholarly articles. These can sometimes be called "Background" or "Background Literature." Look for a section typically following the Introduction that covers the history or gives context on the paper's topic.

EXAMPLE REVIEW ARTICLES

Here are a few examples of Review Articles in different disciplines. Note sometimes an article can be a Review Article without the word "review" in the title.

HUMANITIES — Art — " Art and Crime: Conceptualising Graffiti in the City " from the journal Geography Compass

SCIENCES — Climate Change — " Mercury Isotopes in Earth and Environmental Sciences " from the journal  Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences

SOCIAL SCIENCES — Psychology — " Structural Competency and the Future of Firearm Research " from the journal Social Science & Medicine

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• Last Updated: Feb 29, 2024 10:31 AM
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Literature Searching

Types of Research Questions

Research questions can be categorized into different types, depending on the type of research to be undertaken.

Qualitative questions concern broad areas or more specific areas of research and focus on discovering, explaining and exploring.  Types of qualitative questions include:

• Exploratory Questions, which seeks to understand without influencing the results.  The objective is to learn more about a topic without bias or preconceived notions.
• Predictive Questions, which seek to understand the intent or future outcome around a topic.
• Interpretive Questions, which tries to understand people’s behavior in a natural setting.  The objective is to understand how a group makes sense of shared experiences with regards to various phenomena.

Quantitative questions prove or disprove a  researcher’s hypothesis and are constructed to express the relationship between variables  and whether this relationship is significant.  Types of quantitative questions include:

• Descriptive questions , which are the most basic type of quantitative research question and seeks to explain the when, where, why or how something occurred. 
• Comparative questions are helpful when studying groups with dependent variables where one variable is compared with another.
• Relationship-based questions try to answer whether or not one variable has an influence on another.  These types of question are generally used in experimental research questions.

References/Additional Resources

Lipowski, E. E. (2008). Developing great research questions . American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 65(17), 1667–1670.

Ratan, S. K., Anand, T., & Ratan, J. (2019). Formulation of Research Question - Stepwise Approach .  Journal of Indian Association of Pediatric Surgeons ,  24 (1), 15–20.

Fandino W.(2019). Formulating a good research question: Pearls and pitfalls . I ndian J Anaesth. 63(8) :611-616. 

Beck, L. L. (2023). The question: types of research questions and how to develop them . In Translational Surgery: Handbook for Designing and Conducting Clinical and Translational Research (pp. 111-120). Academic Press. 

Doody, O., & Bailey, M. E. (2016). Setting a research question, aim and objective. Nurse Researcher, 23(4), 19–23.

Plano Clark, V., & Badiee, M. (2010). Research questions in mixed methods research . In: SAGE Handbook of Mixed Methods in Social &amp; Behavioral Research .  SAGE Publications, Inc.,

Agee, J. (2009). Developing qualitative research questions: A reflective process .  International journal of qualitative studies in education ,  22 (4), 431-447. 

Flemming, K., & Noyes, J. (2021). Qualitative Evidence Synthesis: Where Are We at? I nternational Journal of Qualitative Methods, 20.  

Research Question Frameworks

Research question frameworks have been designed to help structure research questions and clarify the main concepts. Not every question can fit perfectly into a framework, but using even just parts of a framework can help develop a well-defined research question. The framework to use depends on the type of question to be researched.   There are over 25 research question frameworks available.  The University of Maryland has a nice table listing out several of these research question frameworks, along with what the acronyms mean and what types of questions/disciplines that may be used for.

The process of developing a good research question involves taking your topic and breaking each aspect of it down into its component parts.

Booth, A., Noyes, J., Flemming, K., Moore, G., Tunçalp, Ö., & Shakibazadeh, E. (2019). Formulating questions to explore complex interventions within qualitative evidence synthesis.   BMJ global health ,  4 (Suppl 1), e001107. (See supplementary data#1)

The "Well-Built Clinical Question“: PICO(T)

One well-established framework that can be used both for refining questions and developing strategies is known as PICO(T). The PICO framework was designed primarily for questions that include interventions and comparisons, however other types of questions may also be able to follow its principles.  If the PICO(T) framework does not precisely fit your question, using its principles (see alternative component suggestions) can help you to think about what you want to explore even if you do not end up with a true PICO question.

A PICO(T) question has the following components:

• P : The patient’s disorder or disease or problem of interest / research object
• I: The intervention, exposure or finding under review / Application of a theory or method
• C: A comparison intervention or control (if applicable- not always present)/ Alternative theories or methods (or, in their absence, the null hypothesis)
• O : The outcome(s) (desired or of interest) / Knowledge generation
• T : (The time factor or period)

Keep in mind that solely using a tool will not enable you to design a good question. What is required is for you to think, carefully, about exactly what you want to study and precisely what you mean by each of the things that you think you want to study.

Rzany, & Bigby, M. (n.d.). Formulating Well-Built Clinical Questions. In Evidence-based dermatology / (pp. 27–30). Blackwell Pub/BMJ Books.  

Nishikawa-Pacher, A. (2022). Research questions with PICO: a universal mnemonic.   Publications ,  10 (3), 21.

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• University of Oregon Libraries
• Research Guides

How to Write a Literature Review

• 1. Identify the Question
• Literature Reviews: A Recap
• Reading Journal Articles
• Does it Describe a Literature Review?

Identify the question

Developing a research question.

• 2. Review Discipline Styles
• Searching Article Databases
• Finding Full-Text of an Article
• Citation Chaining
• When to Stop Searching
• 4. Manage Your References
• 5. Critically Analyze and Evaluate
• 6. Synthesize
• 7. Write a Literature Review

From Topic to Question (Infographic)

This graphic emphasizes how reading various sources can play a role in defining your research topic.

( Click to Enlarge Image )

Text description of "From Topic to Question" for web accessibility

In some cases, such as for a course assignment or a research project you're working on with a faculty mentor, your research question will be determined by your professor. If that's the case, you can move on to the next step .  Otherwise, you may need to explore questions on your own. 

A few suggestions

Photo Credit: UO Libraries

According to The Craft of Research (2003) , a research question is more than a practical problem or something with a yes/no answer. A research question helps you learn more about something you don't already know and it needs to be significant enough to interest your readers.

Your Curiosity + Significance to Others = Research Question

How to get started.

In a research paper, you develop a unique question and then synthesize scholarly and primary sources into a paper that supports your argument about the topic.

• Identify your Topic (This is the starting place from where you develop a research question.)
• Refine by Searching (find background information) (Before you can start to develop a research question, you may need to do some preliminary background research to see (1) what has already been done on the topic and (2) what are the issues surrounding the topic.) HINT: Find background information in Google and Books.
• Refine by Narrowing (Once you begin to understand the topic and the issues surrounding it, you can start to narrow your topic and develop a research question. Do this by asking the 6 journalistic question words.

Ask yourself these 6 questions 

These 6 journalistic question words can help you narrow your focus from a broad topic to a specific question.

Who : Are you interested in a specific group of people? Can your topic be narrowed by gender, sex, age, ethnicity, socio-economic status or something else? Are there any key figures related to your topic?

What : What are the issues surrounding your topic? Are there subtopics? In looking at background information, did you notice any gaps or questions that seemed unanswered?

Where : Can your topic be narrowed down to a geographic location? Warning: Don't get too narrow here. You might not be able to find enough information on a town or state.

When : Is your topic current or historical? Is it confined to a specific time period? Was there a causative event that led your topic to become an area of study?

Why : Why are you interested in this topic? Why should others be interested?

How : What kinds of information do you need? Primary sources, statistics? What is your methodology?

Detailed description of, "Developing a Research Question" for web accessibility

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How to Conduct a Literature Review (Health Sciences and Beyond)

• What is a Literature Review?

The Research Questions

• Selection Criteria
• Database Search
• Documenting Your Search
• Organize Key Findings
• Reference Management

Background vs. Foreground Questions

You may need to find answers to background questions (i.e. about general knowledge) before seeking answers to foreground questions (i.e. about specific knowledge, such as information that might inform a clinical decision).

The research questions on this page are for foreground questions.

A well-formulated research question:

• starts your entire search process
• provides focus for your searches
• guides the selection of literature sources

Question formats are helpful tools researchers can use to structure a question that will facilitate a focused search. Such formats include: PICO , PEO , SPIDER , and  COSMIN . Other formats can be found here .  

The  PICO  format is commonly used in evidence-based clinical practice.  This format creates a "well-built" question that identifies four concepts: (1) the P atient problem or P opulation, (2) the I ntervention, (3) the C omparison (if there is one), and (4) the O utcome(s) .

Example : In adults with recurrent furunculosis (skin boils), do prophylactic antibiotics, compared to no treatment, reduce the recurrence rate?  ( Cochrane Library Tutorial, 2005 )

The  PEO  question format is useful for qualitative research questions. Questions based on this format identify three concepts: (1) P opulation, (2) E xposure, and (3) O utcome(s) .

Example:  In infants, is there an association between exposure to soy milk and the subsequent development of peanut allergy ( Levine, Ioannidis, Haines, & Guyatt, 2014 )?

The  SPIDER  question format was adapted from the PICO tool to search for qualitative and mixed-methods research.  Questions based on this format identify the following concepts: (1) S ample, (2) P henomenon of I nterest, (3) D esign, (4) E valuation, and (5) R esearch type .

Example:  What are young parents’ experiences of attending antenatal education? 

Search for ( S  AND  P of I   AND ( D  OR  E ) AND  R ) ( Cooke, Smith, & Booth, 2012 ).

The COSMIN  ( CO nsensus-based  S tandards for the selection of health status M easurement IN struments ) format is used for systematic review of measurement properties.  Questions based on this format identify (1) the construct or the name(s) of the outcome measurement instrument(s) of interest,  (2) the target population, (3) the type of measurement instrument of interest, and (4) the measurement properties on which the review focuses.

Visit the COSMIN website to view the COSMIN manual and checklist.

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Conducting a Literature Review

• Getting Started
• Define your Research Question
• Finding Sources
• Evaluating Sources
• Organizing the Review
• Cite and Manage your Sources

Additional Resources

• Developing Research Questions by Monash University
• Developing Strong Research Questions by Scribbr
• Formulating Your Research Question by Vanderbilt University
• Narrowing a Topic and Developing a Research Question by Indiana University

Develop your Research Question

Before you can begin your literature review, you will need to select a topic. It is helpful to think about your research topic as a question. For example, instead of a topic like "diversity", you could ask "How do diversity training programs impact hiring practices in retail organizations?"

A good research question is manageable in scope - not too broad, but not too narrow. If your topic is too broad, you may become overwhelmed and find it difficult to organize your ideas.  If your topic is too narrow, you may not be able to find enough information to include in your literature review.

As the video below describes in further detail , a good research question should be focused on a single problem or issue, researchable  using college resources, feasible within the constraints of your assignment, specific enough to find relevant sources about, complex enough to require thoughtful analysis, and relevant  to your interests and/or field of study.

Developing a Research Question - General Tips

It is often helpful to start with a broad idea, then narrow your focus by brainstorming related ideas. If you have a general area of interest, you can think about various issues in that general subject area.  Do any of your ideas present a puzzle or problem that you are interested in investigating?  Are there issues that make you wonder about causes or consequences?

The general steps of a research question, explained in detail in the below video, are:

• Choose a broad topic
• If necessary, do some preliminary reading to find out about issues related to the topic or interesting subtopics
• Narrow down a specific problem, issue, or subtopic to focus on
• Looking at this narrower topic, come up with a question that could guide your research going forward

Your Research Question and the Literature Review

Your literature review should be guided by a central research question.  Remember, it is not a collection of loosely related studies in a field but instead represents background and research developments related to a specific research question, interpreted and analyzed by you in a synthesized way.

As you begin to investigate and evaluate scholarly literature on your topic, you may find it necessary to revise your original research question based on what you learn.  Be sure to expand your literature search to include any new concepts you may identify along the way !

• Make sure your research question is not too broad or too narrow.  Is it manageable?
• Begin writing down terms that are related to your question. These will be useful for searches later.
• If you have the opportunity, discuss your topic with your professor.

How many studies do you need to look at? How comprehensive should it be? How many years should it cover? 

Tip: This may depend on your assignment.  How many sources does the assignment require?

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• Last Updated: Apr 12, 2024 10:37 AM
• URL: https://libraryservices.acphs.edu/lit_review

• Subject guides
• Researching for your literature review
• Before you start

Researching for your literature review: Before you start

• Literature reviews
• Literature sources
• Develop a search strategy
• Keyword search activity
• Subject search activity
• Combined keyword and subject searching
• Online tutorials
• Apply search limits
• Run a search in different databases
• Supplementary searching
• Save your searches
• Manage results

The research question

If you are having difficulty finding a suitable topic for your review, try thinking about the following:

• Areas of uncertainty
• Variations of practice 
• Assumptions in practice
• Existing review topics that may be outdated and could be revised to address a new element

Once you have your topic, put it into the format of a question or questions to be answered by the literature . 

Essentially a research question puts forward an hypothesis about a relationship, such as the relationship between an intervention and an outcome. For example: In P (population group) does I (intervention) result in O (outcome)? or Will I perform better than C at achieving O in population P?

For an overview of five main steps to creating a good research question see the online library resources . See also this online video on YouTube.

T he research question will guide the development of your search strategy so it's important that you take time to do some testing of your proposed question. Having done the preliminary scoping searches as noted above will be helpful in understanding the volume of the literature. This guide will provide a sample search for a health/medical topic, as well as for an education/social science topic. Choose which section you would like to work through.

Start with scoping searches

Doing some scoping searches are an essential step to help you understand the quantity of existing literature in your area of interest, and the terminology used in its discussion. This preliminary searching is non-systematic in its nature and is not documented, but helps establish a basis for the subsequent development of a comprehensive search strategy.

Scoping searches usually involve a series of very targeted searches , perhaps looking for your main keywords in the article title. You might also look for examples of review articles on similar topics, as these might be useful for gaining an overview of a facet of your own topic. We can use a search engine such as Google Scholar , large inter-disciplinary databases such as Scopus or Proquest central , or a discipline-specific database that you are familiar with.

Our scoping searches will help us to understand whether our research question has the following elements:

• the question addresses a gap in the literature ( has not recently been answered in another review)
• the question is specific and focused (and therefore feasible)
• the question is answerable in the literature.

Develop a 'gold set' of target papers

Your scoping searches should enable you to locate a 'gold set' of relevant articles that you would expect to use in your review.

This gold set is a curated collection of highly relevant papers for your research question. These articles are important as a reliable foundation for compiling your search terms.

The gold set is also needed to test the strength of the search strategy that you will later develop. This testing is a hallmark of a rigorous and comprehensive search. Unless you test your search on a target set of papers that are definitely relevant, you have no tangible means of assessing whether you have any errors or omissions in your search strategy!

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Literature Reviews

• 1. Define your research question
• Getting started
• Types of reviews

Define topic

Brainstorming, limit scope, how ai can help, helpful resources.

• 2. Plan your search
• 3. Search the literature
• 4. Organize your results
• 5. Synthesize your findings
• 6. Write the review
• Artificial intelligence (AI) tools
• Thompson Writing Studio This link opens in a new window
• Need to write a systematic review? This link opens in a new window

Contact a Librarian

Ask a Librarian

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For example, the following research question is too broad.

Does social media affect mental health in college students?

A more focused research question could be:

Does social media play a role in the number of eating disorder diagnoses in college-aged women?

Need some guidance? Contact your subject librarian for a research consultation or reach out to [email protected] .

Start the brainstorming process:

• Begin by identifying a broad topic of research interest (the more you're personally interested in it, the better!). Write it down to clarify your focus.
• Narrow down your scope  by considering specific areas within this topic that you want to explore.
• Identify key themes and elements  related to these specific areas. These will be the building blocks of your investigation.
• Finally,  integrate these key areas and elements  into a well-crafted research question.

One way to brainstorm is to use a flowchart.

The scope of a topic  encompasses the boundaries and constraints you set for your research. The more precise your research question, the smoother the research process becomes.

Feeling stuck? Here are some ways you can narrow down your topic:

• geographic location
• time period
• discipline/field of study
• age group, etc.

You:  I need to conduct a literature review about social media, mental health, and college students. What are some example research questions within this topic?

ChatGPT: 

• How does the frequency and nature of social media use impact the mental health of college students?
• What role do specific social media platforms play in influencing the mental well-being of college students?
• How do online social interactions on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter relate to the mental health outcomes of college students?
• Are there differences in the association between social media use and mental health outcomes based on demographic factors such as gender, age, or academic major among college students?
• What strategies do college students employ to cope with negative mental health effects associated with social media use?
• How does the perception of social support through online platforms affect the mental health of college students?
• To what extent does the comparison of oneself to others on social media contribute to mental health challenges among college students?
• What interventions or educational programs are effective in promoting positive mental health behaviors in the context of social media use for college students?
• How do social media literacy and awareness programs impact the mental health attitudes and behaviors of college students?
• What is the relationship between the use of social media for academic and social purposes and the mental health outcomes of college students?

Generative AI tools : ChatGPT , Google Gemini (formerly Bard) , Claude , Microsoft Copilot

For more information on how to incorporate AI tools into your research, check out the section on AI Tools .

• Developing Your Research Question
• Developing a Researchable Question
• Brainstorming tips from UNC Writing Center
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• Last Updated: Apr 3, 2024 12:40 PM
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Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper

• 5. The Literature Review
• Purpose of Guide
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A literature review surveys prior research published in books, scholarly articles, and any other sources relevant to a particular issue, area of research, or theory, and by so doing, provides a description, summary, and critical evaluation of these works in relation to the research problem being investigated. Literature reviews are designed to provide an overview of sources you have used in researching a particular topic and to demonstrate to your readers how your research fits within existing scholarship about the topic.

Fink, Arlene. Conducting Research Literature Reviews: From the Internet to Paper . Fourth edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE, 2014.

Importance of a Good Literature Review

A literature review may consist of simply a summary of key sources, but in the social sciences, a literature review usually has an organizational pattern and combines both summary and synthesis, often within specific conceptual categories . A summary is a recap of the important information of the source, but a synthesis is a re-organization, or a reshuffling, of that information in a way that informs how you are planning to investigate a research problem. The analytical features of a literature review might:

• Give a new interpretation of old material or combine new with old interpretations,
• Trace the intellectual progression of the field, including major debates,
• Depending on the situation, evaluate the sources and advise the reader on the most pertinent or relevant research, or
• Usually in the conclusion of a literature review, identify where gaps exist in how a problem has been researched to date.

Given this, the purpose of a literature review is to:

• Place each work in the context of its contribution to understanding the research problem being studied.
• Describe the relationship of each work to the others under consideration.
• Identify new ways to interpret prior research.
• Reveal any gaps that exist in the literature.
• Resolve conflicts amongst seemingly contradictory previous studies.
• Identify areas of prior scholarship to prevent duplication of effort.
• Point the way in fulfilling a need for additional research.
• Locate your own research within the context of existing literature [very important].

Fink, Arlene. Conducting Research Literature Reviews: From the Internet to Paper. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2005; Hart, Chris. Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1998; Jesson, Jill. Doing Your Literature Review: Traditional and Systematic Techniques . Los Angeles, CA: SAGE, 2011; Knopf, Jeffrey W. "Doing a Literature Review." PS: Political Science and Politics 39 (January 2006): 127-132; Ridley, Diana. The Literature Review: A Step-by-Step Guide for Students . 2nd ed. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE, 2012.

Types of Literature Reviews

It is important to think of knowledge in a given field as consisting of three layers. First, there are the primary studies that researchers conduct and publish. Second are the reviews of those studies that summarize and offer new interpretations built from and often extending beyond the primary studies. Third, there are the perceptions, conclusions, opinion, and interpretations that are shared informally among scholars that become part of the body of epistemological traditions within the field.

In composing a literature review, it is important to note that it is often this third layer of knowledge that is cited as "true" even though it often has only a loose relationship to the primary studies and secondary literature reviews. Given this, while literature reviews are designed to provide an overview and synthesis of pertinent sources you have explored, there are a number of approaches you could adopt depending upon the type of analysis underpinning your study.

Argumentative Review This form examines literature selectively in order to support or refute an argument, deeply embedded assumption, or philosophical problem already established in the literature. The purpose is to develop a body of literature that establishes a contrarian viewpoint. Given the value-laden nature of some social science research [e.g., educational reform; immigration control], argumentative approaches to analyzing the literature can be a legitimate and important form of discourse. However, note that they can also introduce problems of bias when they are used to make summary claims of the sort found in systematic reviews [see below].

Integrative Review Considered a form of research that reviews, critiques, and synthesizes representative literature on a topic in an integrated way such that new frameworks and perspectives on the topic are generated. The body of literature includes all studies that address related or identical hypotheses or research problems. A well-done integrative review meets the same standards as primary research in regard to clarity, rigor, and replication. This is the most common form of review in the social sciences.

Historical Review Few things rest in isolation from historical precedent. Historical literature reviews focus on examining research throughout a period of time, often starting with the first time an issue, concept, theory, phenomena emerged in the literature, then tracing its evolution within the scholarship of a discipline. The purpose is to place research in a historical context to show familiarity with state-of-the-art developments and to identify the likely directions for future research.

Methodological Review A review does not always focus on what someone said [findings], but how they came about saying what they say [method of analysis]. Reviewing methods of analysis provides a framework of understanding at different levels [i.e. those of theory, substantive fields, research approaches, and data collection and analysis techniques], how researchers draw upon a wide variety of knowledge ranging from the conceptual level to practical documents for use in fieldwork in the areas of ontological and epistemological consideration, quantitative and qualitative integration, sampling, interviewing, data collection, and data analysis. This approach helps highlight ethical issues which you should be aware of and consider as you go through your own study.

Systematic Review This form consists of an overview of existing evidence pertinent to a clearly formulated research question, which uses pre-specified and standardized methods to identify and critically appraise relevant research, and to collect, report, and analyze data from the studies that are included in the review. The goal is to deliberately document, critically evaluate, and summarize scientifically all of the research about a clearly defined research problem . Typically it focuses on a very specific empirical question, often posed in a cause-and-effect form, such as "To what extent does A contribute to B?" This type of literature review is primarily applied to examining prior research studies in clinical medicine and allied health fields, but it is increasingly being used in the social sciences.

Theoretical Review The purpose of this form is to examine the corpus of theory that has accumulated in regard to an issue, concept, theory, phenomena. The theoretical literature review helps to establish what theories already exist, the relationships between them, to what degree the existing theories have been investigated, and to develop new hypotheses to be tested. Often this form is used to help establish a lack of appropriate theories or reveal that current theories are inadequate for explaining new or emerging research problems. The unit of analysis can focus on a theoretical concept or a whole theory or framework.

NOTE : Most often the literature review will incorporate some combination of types. For example, a review that examines literature supporting or refuting an argument, assumption, or philosophical problem related to the research problem will also need to include writing supported by sources that establish the history of these arguments in the literature.

Baumeister, Roy F. and Mark R. Leary. "Writing Narrative Literature Reviews."  Review of General Psychology 1 (September 1997): 311-320; Mark R. Fink, Arlene. Conducting Research Literature Reviews: From the Internet to Paper . 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2005; Hart, Chris. Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1998; Kennedy, Mary M. "Defining a Literature." Educational Researcher 36 (April 2007): 139-147; Petticrew, Mark and Helen Roberts. Systematic Reviews in the Social Sciences: A Practical Guide . Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 2006; Torracro, Richard. "Writing Integrative Literature Reviews: Guidelines and Examples." Human Resource Development Review 4 (September 2005): 356-367; Rocco, Tonette S. and Maria S. Plakhotnik. "Literature Reviews, Conceptual Frameworks, and Theoretical Frameworks: Terms, Functions, and Distinctions." Human Ressource Development Review 8 (March 2008): 120-130; Sutton, Anthea. Systematic Approaches to a Successful Literature Review . Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications, 2016.

Structure and Writing Style

I.  Thinking About Your Literature Review

The structure of a literature review should include the following in support of understanding the research problem :

• An overview of the subject, issue, or theory under consideration, along with the objectives of the literature review,
• Division of works under review into themes or categories [e.g. works that support a particular position, those against, and those offering alternative approaches entirely],
• An explanation of how each work is similar to and how it varies from the others,
• Conclusions as to which pieces are best considered in their argument, are most convincing of their opinions, and make the greatest contribution to the understanding and development of their area of research.

The critical evaluation of each work should consider :

• Provenance -- what are the author's credentials? Are the author's arguments supported by evidence [e.g. primary historical material, case studies, narratives, statistics, recent scientific findings]?
• Methodology -- were the techniques used to identify, gather, and analyze the data appropriate to addressing the research problem? Was the sample size appropriate? Were the results effectively interpreted and reported?
• Objectivity -- is the author's perspective even-handed or prejudicial? Is contrary data considered or is certain pertinent information ignored to prove the author's point?
• Persuasiveness -- which of the author's theses are most convincing or least convincing?
• Validity -- are the author's arguments and conclusions convincing? Does the work ultimately contribute in any significant way to an understanding of the subject?

II.  Development of the Literature Review

Four Basic Stages of Writing 1.  Problem formulation -- which topic or field is being examined and what are its component issues? 2.  Literature search -- finding materials relevant to the subject being explored. 3.  Data evaluation -- determining which literature makes a significant contribution to the understanding of the topic. 4.  Analysis and interpretation -- discussing the findings and conclusions of pertinent literature.

Consider the following issues before writing the literature review: Clarify If your assignment is not specific about what form your literature review should take, seek clarification from your professor by asking these questions: 1.  Roughly how many sources would be appropriate to include? 2.  What types of sources should I review (books, journal articles, websites; scholarly versus popular sources)? 3.  Should I summarize, synthesize, or critique sources by discussing a common theme or issue? 4.  Should I evaluate the sources in any way beyond evaluating how they relate to understanding the research problem? 5.  Should I provide subheadings and other background information, such as definitions and/or a history? Find Models Use the exercise of reviewing the literature to examine how authors in your discipline or area of interest have composed their literature review sections. Read them to get a sense of the types of themes you might want to look for in your own research or to identify ways to organize your final review. The bibliography or reference section of sources you've already read, such as required readings in the course syllabus, are also excellent entry points into your own research. Narrow the Topic The narrower your topic, the easier it will be to limit the number of sources you need to read in order to obtain a good survey of relevant resources. Your professor will probably not expect you to read everything that's available about the topic, but you'll make the act of reviewing easier if you first limit scope of the research problem. A good strategy is to begin by searching the USC Libraries Catalog for recent books about the topic and review the table of contents for chapters that focuses on specific issues. You can also review the indexes of books to find references to specific issues that can serve as the focus of your research. For example, a book surveying the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict may include a chapter on the role Egypt has played in mediating the conflict, or look in the index for the pages where Egypt is mentioned in the text. Consider Whether Your Sources are Current Some disciplines require that you use information that is as current as possible. This is particularly true in disciplines in medicine and the sciences where research conducted becomes obsolete very quickly as new discoveries are made. However, when writing a review in the social sciences, a survey of the history of the literature may be required. In other words, a complete understanding the research problem requires you to deliberately examine how knowledge and perspectives have changed over time. Sort through other current bibliographies or literature reviews in the field to get a sense of what your discipline expects. You can also use this method to explore what is considered by scholars to be a "hot topic" and what is not.

III.  Ways to Organize Your Literature Review

Chronology of Events If your review follows the chronological method, you could write about the materials according to when they were published. This approach should only be followed if a clear path of research building on previous research can be identified and that these trends follow a clear chronological order of development. For example, a literature review that focuses on continuing research about the emergence of German economic power after the fall of the Soviet Union. By Publication Order your sources by publication chronology, then, only if the order demonstrates a more important trend. For instance, you could order a review of literature on environmental studies of brown fields if the progression revealed, for example, a change in the soil collection practices of the researchers who wrote and/or conducted the studies. Thematic [“conceptual categories”] A thematic literature review is the most common approach to summarizing prior research in the social and behavioral sciences. Thematic reviews are organized around a topic or issue, rather than the progression of time, although the progression of time may still be incorporated into a thematic review. For example, a review of the Internet’s impact on American presidential politics could focus on the development of online political satire. While the study focuses on one topic, the Internet’s impact on American presidential politics, it would still be organized chronologically reflecting technological developments in media. The difference in this example between a "chronological" and a "thematic" approach is what is emphasized the most: themes related to the role of the Internet in presidential politics. Note that more authentic thematic reviews tend to break away from chronological order. A review organized in this manner would shift between time periods within each section according to the point being made. Methodological A methodological approach focuses on the methods utilized by the researcher. For the Internet in American presidential politics project, one methodological approach would be to look at cultural differences between the portrayal of American presidents on American, British, and French websites. Or the review might focus on the fundraising impact of the Internet on a particular political party. A methodological scope will influence either the types of documents in the review or the way in which these documents are discussed.

Other Sections of Your Literature Review Once you've decided on the organizational method for your literature review, the sections you need to include in the paper should be easy to figure out because they arise from your organizational strategy. In other words, a chronological review would have subsections for each vital time period; a thematic review would have subtopics based upon factors that relate to the theme or issue. However, sometimes you may need to add additional sections that are necessary for your study, but do not fit in the organizational strategy of the body. What other sections you include in the body is up to you. However, only include what is necessary for the reader to locate your study within the larger scholarship about the research problem.

Here are examples of other sections, usually in the form of a single paragraph, you may need to include depending on the type of review you write:

• Current Situation : Information necessary to understand the current topic or focus of the literature review.
• Sources Used : Describes the methods and resources [e.g., databases] you used to identify the literature you reviewed.
• History : The chronological progression of the field, the research literature, or an idea that is necessary to understand the literature review, if the body of the literature review is not already a chronology.
• Selection Methods : Criteria you used to select (and perhaps exclude) sources in your literature review. For instance, you might explain that your review includes only peer-reviewed [i.e., scholarly] sources.
• Standards : Description of the way in which you present your information.
• Questions for Further Research : What questions about the field has the review sparked? How will you further your research as a result of the review?

IV.  Writing Your Literature Review

Once you've settled on how to organize your literature review, you're ready to write each section. When writing your review, keep in mind these issues.

Use Evidence A literature review section is, in this sense, just like any other academic research paper. Your interpretation of the available sources must be backed up with evidence [citations] that demonstrates that what you are saying is valid. Be Selective Select only the most important points in each source to highlight in the review. The type of information you choose to mention should relate directly to the research problem, whether it is thematic, methodological, or chronological. Related items that provide additional information, but that are not key to understanding the research problem, can be included in a list of further readings . Use Quotes Sparingly Some short quotes are appropriate if you want to emphasize a point, or if what an author stated cannot be easily paraphrased. Sometimes you may need to quote certain terminology that was coined by the author, is not common knowledge, or taken directly from the study. Do not use extensive quotes as a substitute for using your own words in reviewing the literature. Summarize and Synthesize Remember to summarize and synthesize your sources within each thematic paragraph as well as throughout the review. Recapitulate important features of a research study, but then synthesize it by rephrasing the study's significance and relating it to your own work and the work of others. Keep Your Own Voice While the literature review presents others' ideas, your voice [the writer's] should remain front and center. For example, weave references to other sources into what you are writing but maintain your own voice by starting and ending the paragraph with your own ideas and wording. Use Caution When Paraphrasing When paraphrasing a source that is not your own, be sure to represent the author's information or opinions accurately and in your own words. Even when paraphrasing an author’s work, you still must provide a citation to that work.

V.  Common Mistakes to Avoid

These are the most common mistakes made in reviewing social science research literature.

• Sources in your literature review do not clearly relate to the research problem;
• You do not take sufficient time to define and identify the most relevant sources to use in the literature review related to the research problem;
• Relies exclusively on secondary analytical sources rather than including relevant primary research studies or data;
• Uncritically accepts another researcher's findings and interpretations as valid, rather than examining critically all aspects of the research design and analysis;
• Does not describe the search procedures that were used in identifying the literature to review;
• Reports isolated statistical results rather than synthesizing them in chi-squared or meta-analytic methods; and,
• Only includes research that validates assumptions and does not consider contrary findings and alternative interpretations found in the literature.

Cook, Kathleen E. and Elise Murowchick. “Do Literature Review Skills Transfer from One Course to Another?” Psychology Learning and Teaching 13 (March 2014): 3-11; Fink, Arlene. Conducting Research Literature Reviews: From the Internet to Paper . 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2005; Hart, Chris. Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1998; Jesson, Jill. Doing Your Literature Review: Traditional and Systematic Techniques . London: SAGE, 2011; Literature Review Handout. Online Writing Center. Liberty University; Literature Reviews. The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J. and Rebecca Frels. Seven Steps to a Comprehensive Literature Review: A Multimodal and Cultural Approach . Los Angeles, CA: SAGE, 2016; Ridley, Diana. The Literature Review: A Step-by-Step Guide for Students . 2nd ed. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE, 2012; Randolph, Justus J. “A Guide to Writing the Dissertation Literature Review." Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation. vol. 14, June 2009; Sutton, Anthea. Systematic Approaches to a Successful Literature Review . Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications, 2016; Taylor, Dena. The Literature Review: A Few Tips On Conducting It. University College Writing Centre. University of Toronto; Writing a Literature Review. Academic Skills Centre. University of Canberra.

Writing Tip

Break Out of Your Disciplinary Box!

Thinking interdisciplinarily about a research problem can be a rewarding exercise in applying new ideas, theories, or concepts to an old problem. For example, what might cultural anthropologists say about the continuing conflict in the Middle East? In what ways might geographers view the need for better distribution of social service agencies in large cities than how social workers might study the issue? You don’t want to substitute a thorough review of core research literature in your discipline for studies conducted in other fields of study. However, particularly in the social sciences, thinking about research problems from multiple vectors is a key strategy for finding new solutions to a problem or gaining a new perspective. Consult with a librarian about identifying research databases in other disciplines; almost every field of study has at least one comprehensive database devoted to indexing its research literature.

Frodeman, Robert. The Oxford Handbook of Interdisciplinarity . New York: Oxford University Press, 2010.

Another Writing Tip

Don't Just Review for Content!

While conducting a review of the literature, maximize the time you devote to writing this part of your paper by thinking broadly about what you should be looking for and evaluating. Review not just what scholars are saying, but how are they saying it. Some questions to ask:

• How are they organizing their ideas?
• What methods have they used to study the problem?
• What theories have been used to explain, predict, or understand their research problem?
• What sources have they cited to support their conclusions?
• How have they used non-textual elements [e.g., charts, graphs, figures, etc.] to illustrate key points?

When you begin to write your literature review section, you'll be glad you dug deeper into how the research was designed and constructed because it establishes a means for developing more substantial analysis and interpretation of the research problem.

Hart, Chris. Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1 998.

Yet Another Writing Tip

When Do I Know I Can Stop Looking and Move On?

Here are several strategies you can utilize to assess whether you've thoroughly reviewed the literature:

• Look for repeating patterns in the research findings . If the same thing is being said, just by different people, then this likely demonstrates that the research problem has hit a conceptual dead end. At this point consider: Does your study extend current research?  Does it forge a new path? Or, does is merely add more of the same thing being said?
• Look at sources the authors cite to in their work . If you begin to see the same researchers cited again and again, then this is often an indication that no new ideas have been generated to address the research problem.
• Search Google Scholar to identify who has subsequently cited leading scholars already identified in your literature review [see next sub-tab]. This is called citation tracking and there are a number of sources that can help you identify who has cited whom, particularly scholars from outside of your discipline. Here again, if the same authors are being cited again and again, this may indicate no new literature has been written on the topic.

Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J. and Rebecca Frels. Seven Steps to a Comprehensive Literature Review: A Multimodal and Cultural Approach . Los Angeles, CA: Sage, 2016; Sutton, Anthea. Systematic Approaches to a Successful Literature Review . Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications, 2016.

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What is a literature review?

A literature review is an integrated analysis -- not just a summary-- of scholarly writings and other relevant evidence related directly to your research question.  That is, it represents a synthesis of the evidence that provides background information on your topic and shows a association between the evidence and your research question.

A literature review may be a stand alone work or the introduction to a larger research paper, depending on the assignment.  Rely heavily on the guidelines your instructor has given you.

Why is it important?

A literature review is important because it:

• Explains the background of research on a topic.
• Demonstrates why a topic is significant to a subject area.
• Discovers relationships between research studies/ideas.
• Identifies major themes, concepts, and researchers on a topic.
• Identifies critical gaps and points of disagreement.
• Discusses further research questions that logically come out of the previous studies.

APA7 Style resources

APA Style Blog - for those harder to find answers

1. Choose a topic. Define your research question.

Your literature review should be guided by your central research question.  The literature represents background and research developments related to a specific research question, interpreted and analyzed by you in a synthesized way.

• Make sure your research question is not too broad or too narrow.  Is it manageable?
• Begin writing down terms that are related to your question. These will be useful for searches later.
• If you have the opportunity, discuss your topic with your professor and your class mates.

2. Decide on the scope of your review

How many studies do you need to look at? How comprehensive should it be? How many years should it cover? 

• This may depend on your assignment.  How many sources does the assignment require?

3. Select the databases you will use to conduct your searches.

Make a list of the databases you will search. 

Where to find databases:

• use the tabs on this guide
• Find other databases in the Nursing Information Resources web page
• More on the Medical Library web page
• ... and more on the Yale University Library web page

4. Conduct your searches to find the evidence. Keep track of your searches.

• Use the key words in your question, as well as synonyms for those words, as terms in your search. Use the database tutorials for help.
• Save the searches in the databases. This saves time when you want to redo, or modify, the searches. It is also helpful to use as a guide is the searches are not finding any useful results.
• Review the abstracts of research studies carefully. This will save you time.
• Use the bibliographies and references of research studies you find to locate others.
• Check with your professor, or a subject expert in the field, if you are missing any key works in the field.
• Ask your librarian for help at any time.
• Use a citation manager, such as EndNote as the repository for your citations. See the EndNote tutorials for help.

Review the literature

Some questions to help you analyze the research:

• What was the research question of the study you are reviewing? What were the authors trying to discover?
• Was the research funded by a source that could influence the findings?
• What were the research methodologies? Analyze its literature review, the samples and variables used, the results, and the conclusions.
• Does the research seem to be complete? Could it have been conducted more soundly? What further questions does it raise?
• If there are conflicting studies, why do you think that is?
• How are the authors viewed in the field? Has this study been cited? If so, how has it been analyzed?

Tips: 

• Review the abstracts carefully.  
• Keep careful notes so that you may track your thought processes during the research process.
• Create a matrix of the studies for easy analysis, and synthesis, across all of the studies.
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• Add your research question to the Padlet here!
• Salem Literature This link opens in a new window Salem Literature is a searchable database providing full-text access to literary analysis and overviews of the lives and works of important writers.
• Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new window Contains the texts of more than 250 reference titles published by Oxford University Press from all subject areas.
• Credo Reference Online This link opens in a new window Online reference library providing access to a large number of encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri and other reference books. Subjects covered include art, biography, history, literature, music, religion, science, and technology.

Wofford OneSearch is a single search platform that contains books, ebooks, journal articles, magazines, newspapers, audio, video, and reference materials. It is a great place to explore your topic and find scholarly resources, but it can sometimes be overwhelming due to the amount of information a normal search will pull up. Think of it like shopping on Amazon: you should tell OneSearch exactly what you're looking for using keywords and choosing the best limiters in the left column of your search results.

A good beginning search is the name of the author and the story with quotation marks surrounding each name.

Our initial search for "Edgar Allan Poe" and "The Cask of Amontillado" found 557 results, including books and articles.

One way to narrow down our results is to limit to only scholarly or peer reviewed journal articles.

Now we have 180 results instead of more than 500.

To access an article, click on its title, then scroll down to the "View Online" section to find the link to the full text of the article.

You can either download the article or save it to your OneSearch account by using the pushpin icon next to the article title in the results list.

To narrow your results further, try adding an additional keyword that touches on the story's theme or plot to the search box at the top of the page.

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Literature Topics and Research

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What kinds of topics are good ones?

The best topics are ones that originate out of your own reading of a work of literature, but here are some common approaches to consider:

• A discussion of a work's characters: are they realistic, symbolic, historically-based?
• A comparison/contrast of the choices different authors or characters make in a work
• A reading of a work based on an outside philosophical perspective (Ex. how would a Freudian read Hamlet ?)
• A study of the sources or historical events that occasioned a particular work (Ex. comparing G.B. Shaw's Pygmalion with the original Greek myth of Pygmalion)
• An analysis of a specific image occurring in several works (Ex. the use of moon imagery in certain plays, poems, novels)
• A "deconstruction" of a particular work (Ex. unfolding an underlying racist worldview in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness )
• A reading from a political perspective (Ex. how would a Marxist read William Blake's "London"?)
• A study of the social, political, or economic context in which a work was written — how does the context influence the work?

How do I start research?

Once you have decided on an interesting topic and work (or works), the best place to start is probably the Internet. Here you can usually find basic biographical data on authors, brief summaries of works, possibly some rudimentary analyses, and even bibliographies of sources related to your topic.

The Internet, however, rarely offers serious direct scholarship; you will have to use sources found in the library, sources like journal articles and scholarly books, to get information that you can use to build your own scholarship-your literary paper. Consult the library's on-line catalog and the MLA Periodical Index. Avoid citing dictionary or encyclopedic sources in your final paper.

How do I use the information I find?

The secondary sources you find are only to be used as an aid. Your thoughts should make up most of the essay. As you develop your thesis, you will bring in the ideas of the scholars to back up what you have already said.

For example, say you are arguing that Huck Finn is a Christ figure ; that's your basic thesis. You give evidence from the novel that allows this reading, and then, at the right place, you might say the following, a paraphrase:

According to Susan Thomas, Huck sacrifices himself because he wants to set Jim free (129).

If the scholar states an important idea in a memorable way, use a direct quote.

"Huck's altruism and feelings of compassion for Jim force him to surrender to the danger" (Thomas 129).

Either way, you will then link that idea to your thesis.

Literature Thesis Topics

This page provides a comprehensive list of literature thesis topics , offering a valuable resource for students tasked with writing a thesis in the field of literature. Designed to cater to a wide array of literary interests and academic inquiries, the topics are organized into 25 diverse categories, ranging from African American Literature to Young Adult Literature. Each category includes 40 distinct topics, making a total of 1000 topics. This structure not only facilitates easy navigation but also aids in the identification of precise research areas that resonate with students’ interests and academic goals. The purpose of this page is to inspire students by presenting a breadth of possibilities, helping them to formulate a thesis that is both original and aligned with current literary discussions.

1000 Literature Thesis Topics and Ideas

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Get 10% off with 24start discount code, browse literature thesis topics, african american literature thesis topics, american literature thesis topics, children’s literature thesis topics, comparative literature thesis topics, contemporary literature thesis topics, diaspora literature thesis topics, english literature thesis topics, feminist literature thesis topics, gothic literature thesis topics, indigenous literature thesis topics, literary theory thesis topics, literature and film studies thesis topics, literature and history thesis topics, literature and philosophy thesis topics, literature and psychology thesis topics, medieval literature thesis topics, modernist literature thesis topics, postcolonial literature thesis topics, postmodern literature thesis topics, renaissance literature thesis topics, romantic literature thesis topics, science fiction and fantasy literature thesis topics, victorian literature thesis topics, world literature thesis topics, young adult literature thesis topics.

• The evolution of African American narrative forms from slave narratives to contemporary fiction.
• An analysis of the Harlem Renaissance: Artistic explosion and its impact on African American identity.
• The role of music and oral tradition in African American literature.
• A study of code-switching in African American literature and its effects on cultural and linguistic identity.
• Gender and sexuality in African American women’s literature.
• The portrayal of race and racism in the works of Toni Morrison.
• The influence of African spirituality and religion in African American literature.
• Exploring Afrofuturism through the works of Octavia Butler and N.K. Jemisin.
• The representation of the family in African American literature post-1960s.
• The use of southern settings in African American literature: A study of place and identity.
• Intersectionality in the writings of Audre Lorde and Angela Davis.
• The depiction of African American men in literature and media: Stereotypes vs. reality.
• The impact of the Black Arts Movement on contemporary African American culture.
• Literary responses to the Civil Rights Movement in African American literature.
• The role of education in African American autobiographical writing.
• The portrayal of historical trauma and memory in African American literature.
• Analyzing black masculinity through the works of Richard Wright and James Baldwin.
• The treatment of racial ambiguity and colorism in African American fiction.
• The influence of hip-hop and rap on contemporary African American poetry.
• The narrative strategies used in African American science fiction.
• Postcolonial readings of African American literature: Transnational perspectives.
• The evolution of black feminism reflected in literature.
• The significance of folk motifs in the works of Zora Neale Hurston.
• The impact of the Great Migration on literary depictions of African American life.
• Urbanism and its influence on African American literary forms.
• The legacy of Langston Hughes and his influence on modern African American poetry.
• Comparing the racial politics in African American literature from the 20th to the 21st century.
• The role of African American literature in shaping public opinion on social justice issues.
• Mental health and trauma in African American literature.
• The literary critique of the American Dream in African American literature.
• Environmental racism and its representation in African American literature.
• The adaptation of African American literary works into films and its cultural implications.
• Analyzing class struggle through African American literary works.
• The portrayal of African Americans in graphic novels and comics.
• Exploring the African diaspora through literature: Connections and divergences.
• The influence of Barack Obama’s presidency on African American literature.
• Representation of African American LGBTQ+ voices in modern literature.
• The use of speculative elements to explore social issues in African American literature.
• The role of the church and religion in African American literary narratives.
• Literary examinations of police brutality and racial profiling in African American communities.
• The evolution of the American Dream in 20th-century American literature.
• An analysis of naturalism and realism in the works of Mark Twain and Henry James.
• The depiction of the frontier in American literature and its impact on national identity.
• Exploring postmodern techniques in the novels of Thomas Pynchon and Don DeLillo.
• The influence of immigration on American narrative forms and themes.
• The role of the Beat Generation in shaping American counter-culture literature.
• Feminist themes in the novels of Sylvia Plath and Toni Morrison.
• Ecocriticism and the portrayal of nature in American literature from Thoreau to contemporary authors.
• The depiction of war and its aftermath in American literature: From the Civil War to the Iraq War.
• The treatment of race and ethnicity in the novels of John Steinbeck.
• The role of technology and media in contemporary American fiction.
• The impact of the Great Depression on American literary works.
• An examination of gothic elements in early American literature.
• The influence of transcendentalism in the works of Emerson and Whitman.
• Modernist expressions in the poetry of Wallace Stevens and Ezra Pound.
• The depiction of suburban life in mid-20th-century American literature.
• The cultural significance of the Harlem Renaissance in the development of American literature.
• Identity and self-exploration in the essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson.
• Analyzing the concept of alienation in the works of Edward Albee and Arthur Miller.
• The role of political activism in the plays of August Wilson.
• The portrayal of children and adolescence in American literature.
• The use of satire and humor in the novels of Kurt Vonnegut.
• Exploring the American South through the literature of Flannery O’Connor and William Faulkner.
• The representation of LGBTQ+ characters in American novels from the 1960s to present.
• Consumer culture and its critique in American post-war fiction.
• The legacy of slavery in American literature and its contemporary implications.
• The motif of the journey in American literature as a metaphor for personal and collective discovery.
• The role of the wilderness in shaping American environmental literature.
• An analysis of dystopian themes in American science fiction from Philip K. Dick to Octavia Butler.
• The representation of Native American culture and history in American literature.
• The treatment of mental health in the short stories of Edgar Allan Poe.
• American expatriate writers in Paris during the 1920s: Lost Generation narratives.
• The influence of jazz music on the narrative structure of American literature.
• The intersection of law and morality in the novels of Herman Melville.
• Post-9/11 themes in contemporary American literature.
• The evolution of feminist literature in America from the 19th century to modern times.
• Examining consumerism and its discontents in the novels of Bret Easton Ellis.
• The portrayal of American cities in 20th-century literature.
• The impact of the civil rights movement on American literary production.
• The use of magical realism in the works of contemporary American authors.
• The role of fairy tales in the development of child psychology.
• Representation of family structures in modern children’s literature.
• Gender roles in classic vs. contemporary children’s books.
• The evolution of the hero’s journey in children’s literature.
• Moral lessons and their conveyance through children’s stories.
• The impact of fantasy literature on children’s imaginative development.
• Depictions of cultural diversity in children’s books.
• The use of animals as characters and their symbolic meanings in children’s stories.
• The portrayal of disability in children’s literature and its impact on inclusivity.
• The influence of children’s literature on early reading skills.
• Analysis of cross-generational appeal in children’s literature.
• The role of illustrations in enhancing narrative in children’s books.
• Censorship and controversial topics in children’s literature.
• Adaptations of children’s literature into films and their impact on the stories’ reception.
• The representation of historical events in children’s literature.
• Exploring the educational value of non-fiction children’s books.
• The treatment of death and loss in children’s literature.
• The role of magic and the supernatural in shaping values through children’s books.
• Psychological impacts of children’s horror literature.
• The significance of award-winning children’s books in educational contexts.
• The influence of digital media on children’s book publishing.
• Parental figures in children’s literature: From authoritarian to nurturing roles.
• Narrative strategies used in children’s literature to discuss social issues.
• Environmental themes in children’s literature and their role in fostering eco-consciousness.
• The adaptation of classic children’s literature in the modern era.
• The portrayal of bullying in children’s books and its implications for social learning.
• The use of humor in children’s literature and its effects on engagement and learning.
• Comparative analysis of children’s book series and their educational impacts.
• Development of identity and self-concept through children’s literature.
• The effectiveness of bilingual children’s books in language teaching.
• The role of rhyme and rhythm in early literacy development through children’s poetry.
• Sociopolitical themes in children’s literature and their relevance to contemporary issues.
• The portrayal of technology and its use in children’s science fiction.
• The representation of religious themes in children’s books.
• The impact of children’s literature on adult readership.
• The influence of children’s literature on children’s attitudes towards animals and nature.
• How children’s literature can be used to support emotional intelligence and resilience.
• The evolution of adventure themes in children’s literature.
• Gender representation in children’s graphic novels.
• Analyzing the narrative structure of children’s picture books.
• Cross-cultural influences in the modernist movements of Europe and Japan.
• The depiction of the Other in Western and Eastern literature.
• Comparative analysis of postcolonial narratives in African and South Asian literatures.
• The concept of the tragic hero in Greek and Shakespearean drama.
• The treatment of love and marriage in 19th-century French and Russian novels.
• The portrayal of nature in American transcendentalism vs. British romanticism.
• Influence of Persian poetry on 19th-century European poets.
• Modern reinterpretations of classical myths in Latin American and Southern European literature.
• The role of dystopian themes in Soviet vs. American cold war literature.
• Magic realism in Latin American and Sub-Saharan African literature.
• Comparative study of feminist waves in American and Middle Eastern literature.
• The depiction of urban life in 20th-century Brazilian and Indian novels.
• The theme of exile in Jewish literature and Palestinian narratives.
• Comparative analysis of existential themes in French and Japanese literature.
• Themes of isolation and alienation in Scandinavian and Canadian literature.
• The influence of colonialism on narrative structures in Irish and Indian English literature.
• Analysis of folk tales adaptation in German and Korean children’s literature.
• The portrayal of historical trauma in Armenian and Jewish literature.
• The use of allegory in Medieval European and Classical Arabic literature.
• Representation of indigenous cultures in Australian and North American novels.
• The role of censorship in Soviet literature compared to Francoist Spain.
• Themes of redemption in African-American and South African literature.
• Narrative techniques in stream of consciousness: Virginia Woolf and Clarice Lispector.
• The intersection of poetry and politics in Latin American and Middle Eastern literature.
• The evolution of the epistolary novel in 18th-century England and France.
• Comparative study of the Beat Generation and the Angolan writers of the 1960s.
• The depiction of spiritual journeys in Indian and Native American literatures.
• Cross-cultural examinations of humor and satire in British and Russian literatures.
• Comparative analysis of modern dystopias in American and Chinese literature.
• The impact of globalization on contemporary European and Asian novelists.
• Postmodern identity crisis in Japanese and Italian literature.
• Comparative study of the concept of heroism in ancient Greek and Indian epics.
• Ecocriticism in British and Brazilian literature.
• The influence of the French Revolution on English and French literature.
• Representation of mental illness in 20th-century American and Norwegian plays.
• Themes of migration in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean literatures.
• Gender and sexuality in contemporary African and Southeast Asian short stories.
• The literary portrayal of technological advances in German and American literature.
• Comparative study of children’s fantasy literature in the British and Egyptian traditions.
• The role of the supernatural in Japanese and Celtic folklore narratives.
• The impact of digital culture on narrative forms in contemporary literature.
• Representation of the global financial crisis in 21st-century novels.
• Analysis of identity and self in the age of social media as depicted in contemporary literature.
• The role of dystopian themes in reflecting contemporary societal fears.
• Post-9/11 political and cultural narratives in American literature.
• The influence of migration on shaping multicultural identities in contemporary novels.
• Gender fluidity and queer identities in contemporary literary works.
• Environmental concerns and ecocriticism in 21st-century fiction.
• The resurgence of the epistolary novel form in the digital age.
• The depiction of mental health in contemporary young adult literature.
• The role of indigenous voices in contemporary world literature.
• Neo-colonialism and its representation in contemporary African literature.
• The intersection of film and literature in contemporary storytelling.
• Analysis of consumerism and its critique in modern literary works.
• The rise of autobiographical novels in contemporary literature and their impact on narrative authenticity.
• Technological dystopias and human identity in contemporary science fiction.
• The representation of terrorism and its impacts in contemporary literature.
• Examination of contemporary feminist literature and the evolution of feminist theory.
• The literary treatment of historical memory and trauma in post-Soviet literature.
• The changing face of heroism in 21st-century literature.
• Contemporary plays addressing the challenges of modern relationships and family dynamics.
• The use of supernatural elements in modern literary fiction.
• The influence of Eastern philosophies on Western contemporary literature.
• The portrayal of aging and death in contemporary novels.
• The dynamics of power and corruption in new political thrillers.
• The evolution of narrative voice and perspective in contemporary literature.
• Representation of refugees and asylum seekers in modern fiction.
• The impact of pandemics on literary themes and settings.
• Postmodern approaches to myth and folklore in contemporary writing.
• The critique of nationalism and patriotism in 21st-century literature.
• The use of satire and irony to critique contemporary political climates.
• Emerging forms of literature, such as interactive and visual novels, in the digital era.
• The representation of class struggle in contemporary urban narratives.
• Changes in the portrayal of romance and intimacy in new adult fiction.
• The challenge of ethical dilemmas in contemporary medical dramas.
• Examination of space and place in the new landscape of contemporary poetry.
• Contemporary reimaginings of classical literature characters in modern settings.
• The role of privacy, surveillance, and paranoia in contemporary narratives.
• The blending of genres in contemporary literature: The rise of hybrid forms.
• The portrayal of artificial intelligence and its implications for humanity in contemporary works.
• The role of memory and nostalgia in the literature of the Jewish diaspora.
• Narratives of displacement and identity in the African diaspora.
• The portrayal of the Indian diaspora in contemporary literature.
• Cross-cultural conflicts and identity negotiations in Korean diaspora literature.
• The influence of colonial legacies on Caribbean diaspora writers.
• The concept of “home” and “belonging” in Palestinian diaspora literature.
• Exploring the Irish diaspora through literary expressions of exile and return.
• The impact of migration on gender roles within Middle Eastern diaspora communities.
• Representation of the Vietnamese diaspora in American literature.
• Transnationalism and its effects on language and narrative in Chicano/Chicana literature.
• Dual identities and the search for authenticity in Italian-American diaspora writing.
• The evolution of cultural identity in second-generation diaspora authors.
• Comparative analysis of diaspora literature from former Yugoslav countries.
• The depiction of generational conflicts in Chinese-American diaspora literature.
• The use of folklore and mythology in reconnecting with cultural roots in Filipino diaspora literature.
• The representation of trauma and recovery in the literature of the Armenian diaspora.
• Intersectionality and feminism in African diaspora literature.
• The role of culinary culture in narratives of the Indian diaspora.
• Identity politics and the struggle for cultural preservation in diaspora literature from Latin America.
• The portrayal of exile and diaspora in modern Jewish Russian literature.
• The impact of globalization on diaspora identities as reflected in literature.
• Language hybridity and innovation in Anglophone Caribbean diaspora literature.
• Literary portrayals of the challenges faced by refugees in European diaspora communities.
• The influence of remittances and transnational ties on Filipino diaspora literature.
• The use of magical realism to express diasporic experiences in Latin American literature.
• The effects of assimilation and cultural retention in Greek diaspora literature.
• The role of digital media in shaping the narratives of contemporary diasporas.
• The depiction of the African American return diaspora in literature.
• Challenges of integration and discrimination in Muslim diaspora literature in Western countries.
• The portrayal of Soviet diaspora communities in post-Cold War literature.
• The narratives of return and reintegration in post-colonial diaspora literatures.
• The influence of historical events on the literature of the Korean War diaspora.
• The role of diaspora literature in shaping national policies on immigration.
• Identity crisis and cultural negotiation in French-Algerian diaspora literature.
• The impact of diaspora on the evolution of national literatures.
• Literary exploration of transracial adoption in American diaspora literature.
• The exploration of queer identities in global diaspora communities.
• The influence of the digital age on the literary expression of diaspora experiences.
• Themes of loss and alienation in Canadian diaspora literature.
• The role of literature in documenting the experiences of the Syrian diaspora.
• The role of the supernatural in the works of Shakespeare.
• The portrayal of women in Victorian novels.
• The influence of the Romantic poets on modern environmental literature.
• The depiction of poverty and social class in Charles Dickens’ novels.
• The evolution of the narrative form in British novels from the 18th to the 20th century.
• Themes of war and peace in post-World War II British poetry.
• The impact of colonialism on British literature during the Empire.
• The role of the Byronic hero in Lord Byron’s works and its influence on subsequent literature.
• The critique of human rights in the plays of Harold Pinter.
• The representation of race and ethnicity in post-colonial British literature.
• The influence of Gothic elements in the novels of the Brontë sisters.
• Modernism and its discontents in the works of Virginia Woolf and T.S. Eliot.
• The treatment of love and marriage in Jane Austen’s novels.
• The use of irony and satire in Jonathan Swift’s writings.
• The evolution of the tragic hero from Shakespeare to modern plays.
• Literary depictions of the British countryside in poetry and prose.
• The rise of feminist literature in England from Mary Wollstonecraft to the present.
• The portrayal of children and childhood in Lewis Carroll’s works.
• Analyzing the quest motif in British Arthurian literature.
• The influence of the Industrial Revolution on English literature.
• Themes of alienation and isolation in the novels of D.H. Lawrence.
• The representation of religious doubt and faith in the poetry of John Donne and George Herbert.
• The role of espionage and national identity in British spy novels.
• Literary responses to the Irish Troubles in 20th-century British literature.
• The evolution of comic and satirical plays in British theatre from Ben Jonson to Tom Stoppard.
• The treatment of death and mourning in the works of Emily Dickinson and Christina Rossetti.
• Comparative study of myth and mythology in the works of William Blake and Ted Hughes.
• The depiction of the British Empire and its legacies in contemporary British literature.
• The role of landscape and environment in shaping the novels of Thomas Hardy.
• The influence of music and poetry on the lyrical ballads of Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
• The impact of technology on society as depicted in the novels of Aldous Huxley.
• The critique of societal norms and manners in Oscar Wilde’s plays.
• Literary explorations of mental illness in the early 20th century.
• The intersection of literature and science in the works of H.G. Wells.
• The role of the sea in British literature: From Shakespeare’s tempests to Joseph Conrad’s voyages.
• The impact of Brexit on contemporary British literature.
• Themes of exile and displacement in the poetry of W.H. Auden.
• The influence of American culture on post-war British literature.
• The role of the detective novel in British literature, from Sherlock Holmes to contemporary works.
• The portrayal of the “New Woman” in late 19th-century English literature.
• The evolution of feminist thought in literature from the 19th century to the present.
• Analysis of the portrayal of women in dystopian literature.
• Intersectionality and its representation in contemporary feminist texts.
• The role of women in shaping modernist literature.
• Feminist critique of traditional gender roles in fairy tales and folklore.
• The portrayal of female agency in graphic novels and comics.
• The influence of second-wave feminism on literature of the 1960s and 1970s.
• Postcolonial feminism in the works of authors from Africa and the Caribbean.
• The depiction of motherhood in feminist literature across cultures.
• The impact of feminist theory on the analysis of classical literature.
• Ecofeminism: exploring the link between ecology and gender in literature.
• Feminist perspectives on sexuality and desire in literature.
• The intersection of feminism and disability in literary texts.
• The role of the female gothic in understanding women’s oppression and empowerment.
• Representation of transgender and non-binary characters in feminist literature.
• Feminism and the critique of capitalism in literary works.
• The representation of women in science fiction and fantasy genres.
• Analysis of domesticity and the private sphere in 19th-century literature.
• Feminist reinterpretations of mythological figures and stories.
• The role of women in revolutionary narratives and political literature.
• Feminist analysis of the body and corporeality in literature.
• The portrayal of female friendships and solidarity in novels.
• The influence of feminist literature on contemporary pop culture.
• Gender and power dynamics in the works of Shakespeare from a feminist perspective.
• The impact of digital media on feminist literary criticism.
• Feminist literary responses to global crises and conflicts.
• Queer feminism and literature: Exploring texts that intersect gender, sexuality, and feminist theory.
• The portrayal of women in wartime literature from a feminist viewpoint.
• Feminist poetry movements and their contribution to literary history.
• The influence of feminist literary theory on teaching literature in academic settings.
• Feminist analysis of women’s voices in oral narratives and storytelling traditions.
• Representation of women in the detective and mystery genres.
• The use of satire and humor in feminist literature to challenge societal norms.
• Feminist perspectives on religious texts and their interpretations.
• The critique of marriage and relationships in feminist novels.
• Women’s narratives in the digital age: Blogs, social media, and literature.
• Feminist literature as a tool for social change and activism.
• The influence of feminist literature on legal and social policy reforms.
• Gender roles in children’s literature: A feminist critique.
• The role of feminist literature in redefining beauty standards and body image.
• The evolution of the Gothic novel from the 18th century to contemporary Gothic fiction.
• The representation of the sublime and the terrifying in Gothic literature.
• The role of haunted landscapes in Gothic narratives.
• Psychological horror vs. supernatural horror in Gothic literature.
• The portrayal of madness in classic Gothic novels.
• The influence of Gothic literature on modern horror films.
• Themes of isolation and alienation in Gothic fiction.
• The use of architecture as a symbol of psychological state in Gothic literature.
• Gender roles and the portrayal of women in Victorian Gothic novels.
• The revival of Gothic elements in 21st-century young adult literature.
• The depiction of villains and anti-heroes in Gothic stories.
• Comparative analysis of European and American Gothic literature.
• The intersection of Gothic literature and romanticism.
• The influence of religious symbolism and themes in Gothic narratives.
• Gothic elements in the works of contemporary authors like Stephen King and Anne Rice.
• The role of curses and prophecies in Gothic storytelling.
• Gothic literature as social and cultural critique.
• The representation of death and the afterlife in Gothic novels.
• The use of dual personalities in Gothic literature.
• The impact of Gothic literature on fashion and visual arts.
• The role of secrecy and suspense in creating the Gothic atmosphere.
• The depiction of the monstrous and the grotesque in Gothic texts.
• Exploring the Gothic in graphic novels and comics.
• The motif of the journey in Gothic literature.
• The portrayal of science and experimentation in Gothic stories.
• Gothic elements in children’s literature.
• The role of nature and the natural world in Gothic narratives.
• Themes of inheritance and the burden of the past in Gothic novels.
• The influence of Gothic literature on the development of detective and mystery genres.
• The portrayal of patriarchal society and its discontents in Gothic fiction.
• The Gothic and its relation to postcolonial literature.
• The use of folklore and myth in Gothic narratives.
• The narrative structure and techniques in Gothic literature.
• The role of the supernatural in defining the Gothic genre.
• Gothic literature as a reflection of societal anxieties during different historical periods.
• The motif of entrapment and escape in Gothic stories.
• Comparative study of Gothic literature and dark romanticism.
• The use of setting as a character in Gothic narratives.
• The evolution of the ghost story within Gothic literature.
• The function of mirrors and doubling in Gothic texts.
• The portrayal of traditional spiritual beliefs in Indigenous literature.
• The impact of colonization on Indigenous narratives and storytelling.
• Analysis of language revitalization efforts through Indigenous literature.
• Indigenous feminist perspectives in contemporary literature.
• The role of land and environment in Indigenous storytelling.
• Depictions of family and community in Indigenous novels.
• The intersection of Indigenous literature and modernist themes.
• The representation of cultural trauma and resilience in Indigenous poetry.
• The use of oral traditions in modern Indigenous writing.
• Indigenous perspectives on sovereignty and autonomy in literary texts.
• The role of Indigenous literature in national reconciliation processes.
• Contemporary Indigenous literature as a form of political activism.
• The influence of Indigenous languages on narrative structure and poetics.
• The depiction of urban Indigenous experiences in literature.
• Analysis of Indigenous science fiction and speculative fiction.
• The portrayal of intergenerational trauma and healing in Indigenous stories.
• The role of mythology and folklore in contemporary Indigenous literature.
• Indigenous authors and the global literary market.
• The use of non-linear narratives in Indigenous storytelling.
• Comparative study of Indigenous literatures from different continents.
• The portrayal of Indigenous identities in children’s and young adult literature.
• Representation of gender and sexuality in Indigenous literature.
• The role of art and imagery in Indigenous narratives.
• The influence of non-Indigenous readerships on the publication of Indigenous texts.
• Environmental justice themes in Indigenous literature.
• The depiction of historical events and their impacts in Indigenous novels.
• Indigenous literature as a tool for education and cultural preservation.
• The dynamics of translation in bringing Indigenous stories to a wider audience.
• The treatment of non-human entities and their personification in Indigenous stories.
• The influence of Indigenous storytelling techniques on contemporary cinema.
• Indigenous authorship and intellectual property rights.
• The impact of awards and recognitions on Indigenous literary careers.
• Analysis of Indigenous autobiographies and memoirs.
• The role of mentorship and community support in the development of Indigenous writers.
• Comparative analysis of traditional and contemporary forms of Indigenous poetry.
• The effect of digital media on the dissemination of Indigenous stories.
• Indigenous resistance and survival narratives in the face of cultural assimilation.
• The role of Indigenous literature in shaping cultural policies.
• Exploring hybrid identities through Indigenous literature.
• The representation of Indigenous spiritual practices in modern novels.
• The application of deconstruction in contemporary literary analysis.
• The impact of feminist theory on the interpretation of classic literature.
• Marxism and its influence on the critique of 21st-century novels.
• The role of psychoanalytic theory in understanding character motivations and narrative structures.
• Postcolonial theory and its application to modern diaspora literature.
• The relevance of structuralism in today’s literary studies.
• The intersection of queer theory and literature.
• The use of ecocriticism to interpret environmental themes in literature.
• Reader-response theory and its implications for understanding audience engagement.
• The influence of New Historicism on the interpretation of historical novels.
• The application of critical race theory in analyzing literature by authors of color.
• The role of biographical criticism in studying authorial intent.
• The impact of digital humanities on literary studies.
• The application of narrative theory in the study of non-linear storytelling.
• The critique of capitalism using cultural materialism in contemporary literature.
• The evolution of feminist literary criticism from the second wave to the present.
• Hermeneutics and the philosophy of interpretation in literature.
• The study of semiotics in graphic novels and visual literature.
• The role of myth criticism in understanding modern reinterpretations of ancient stories.
• Comparative literature and the challenges of cross-cultural interpretations.
• The impact of globalization on postcolonial literary theories.
• The application of disability studies in literary analysis.
• Memory studies and its influence on the interpretation of narrative time.
• The influence of phenomenology on character analysis in novels.
• The role of orientalism in the depiction of the East in Western literature.
• The relevance of Bakhtin’s theories on dialogism and the carnivalesque in contemporary media.
• The implications of translation studies for interpreting multilingual texts.
• The use of animal studies in literature to critique human-animal relationships.
• The role of affect theory in understanding emotional responses to literature.
• The critique of imperialism and nationalism in literature using postcolonial theories.
• The implications of intersectionality in feminist literary criticism.
• The application of Freudian concepts to the analysis of horror and Gothic literature.
• The use of genre theory in classifying emerging forms of digital literature.
• The critique of linguistic imperialism in postcolonial literature.
• The use of performance theory in the study of drama and poetry readings.
• The relevance of Antonio Gramsci’s theory of cultural hegemony in literary studies.
• The examination of space and place in urban literature using spatial theory.
• The impact of surveillance culture on contemporary narrative forms.
• The application of chaos theory to the analysis of complex narrative structures.
• The role of allegory in political and religious texts through historical and contemporary lenses.
• Adaptation theory and the translation of literary narratives into film.
• The role of the director as an interpreter of literary texts in cinema.
• Comparative analysis of narrative techniques in novels and their film adaptations.
• The impact of film adaptations on the reception of classic literature.
• The portrayal of historical events in literature and film.
• The influence of screenplay structure on literary narrative forms.
• The representation of gender roles in book-to-film adaptations.
• The intertextuality between film scripts and their source novels.
• The use of visual symbolism in films adapted from literary works.
• The portrayal of psychological depth in characters from literature to film.
• The adaptation of non-fiction literature into documentary filmmaking.
• The impact of the author’s biographical elements on film adaptations.
• The role of music and sound in enhancing narrative elements from literature in films.
• The evolution of the horror genre from literature to film.
• The representation of science fiction themes in literature and their adaptation to cinema.
• The influence of fan culture on the adaptation process.
• The depiction of dystopian societies in books and their cinematic counterparts.
• The challenges of translating poetry into visual narrative.
• The portrayal of magical realism in literature and film.
• The depiction of race and ethnicity in adaptations of multicultural literature.
• The role of the viewer’s perspective in literature vs. film.
• The effectiveness of dialogue adaptation from literary dialogues to film scripts.
• The impact of setting and locale in film adaptations of regional literature.
• The transformation of the mystery genre from page to screen.
• The adaptation of children’s literature into family films.
• The narrative construction of heroism in literary epics and their film adaptations.
• The influence of graphic novels on visual storytelling in films.
• The adaptation of classical mythology in modern cinema.
• The ethics of adapting real-life events and biographies into film.
• The role of cinematic techniques in depicting internal monologues from novels.
• The comparison of thematic depth in short stories and their film adaptations.
• The portrayal of alienation in modern literature and independent films.
• The adaptation of stage plays into feature films.
• The challenges of adapting experimental literature into conventional film formats.
• The representation of time and memory in literature and film.
• The adaptation of young adult novels into film franchises.
• The role of directorial vision in reinterpreting a literary work for the screen.
• The cultural impact of blockbuster adaptations of fantasy novels.
• The influence of cinematic adaptations on contemporary novel writing.
• The role of censorship in the adaptation of controversial literary works to film.
• The portrayal of the American Revolution in contemporary historical novels.
• The impact of the World Wars on European literary expression.
• The depiction of the Victorian era in British novels.
• Literary responses to the Great Depression in American literature.
• The representation of the Russian Revolution in 20th-century literature.
• The influence of the Harlem Renaissance on African American literature.
• The role of literature in documenting the Civil Rights Movement in the United States.
• The depiction of colonialism and its aftermath in African literature.
• The influence of historical events on the development of national literatures.
• The role of literary works in shaping public memory of historical tragedies.
• The portrayal of the Holocaust in European and American literature.
• The use of allegory to critique political regimes in 20th-century literature.
• The depiction of indigenous histories and resistances in literature.
• The representation of the French Revolution in romantic literature.
• Literature as a tool for national identity construction in postcolonial states.
• The portrayal of historical figures in biographical novels.
• The influence of the Cold War on spy novels and political thrillers.
• The impact of migration and diaspora on historical narratives in literature.
• The role of the ancient world in shaping modern historical novels.
• The depiction of the Industrial Revolution and its impacts in literature.
• The role of women in historical novels from the feminist perspective.
• The representation of religious conflicts and their historical impacts in literature.
• The influence of myth and folklore on historical narrative constructions.
• The depiction of the American West in literature and its historical inaccuracies.
• The role of literature in the preservation of endangered languages and cultures.
• The impact of digital archives on the study of literature and history.
• The use of literature to explore counterfactual histories.
• The portrayal of piracy and maritime history in adventure novels.
• Literary depictions of the fall of empires and their historical contexts.
• The impact of archaeological discoveries on historical fiction.
• The influence of the Spanish Civil War on global literary movements.
• The depiction of social upheavals and their impacts on literary production.
• The role of literature in documenting the environmental history of regions.
• The portrayal of non-Western historical narratives in global literature.
• The impact of historical laws and policies on the lives of characters in novels.
• The influence of public health crises and pandemics on literature.
• The representation of trade routes and their historical significance in literature.
• The depiction of revolutions and uprisings in Latin American literature.
• The role of historical texts in the reimagining of genre literature.
• The influence of postmodernism on the interpretation of historical narratives in literature.
• The exploration of existential themes in modern literature.
• The representation of Platonic ideals in Renaissance literature.
• Nietzschean perspectives in the works of postmodern authors.
• The influence of Stoicism on characters’ development in classical literature.
• The portrayal of ethical dilemmas in war novels.
• The philosophical underpinnings of utopian and dystopian literature.
• The role of absurdism in the narratives of 20th-century plays.
• The concept of ‘the Other’ in literature, from a phenomenological viewpoint.
• The depiction of free will and determinism in science fiction.
• The influence of feminist philosophy on contemporary literature.
• The exploration of Socratic dialogue within literary texts.
• The reflection of Cartesian dualism in Gothic novels.
• Buddhist philosophy in the works of Eastern and Western authors.
• The impact of existentialism on the characterization in novels by Camus and Sartre.
• The use of allegory to explore philosophical concepts in medieval literature.
• The portrayal of hedonism and asceticism in biographical fiction.
• The exploration of phenomenology in autobiographical narratives.
• Literary critiques of capitalism through Marxist philosophy.
• The relationship between language and reality in post-structuralist texts.
• The depiction of nihilism in Russian literature.
• The intersection of Confucian philosophy and traditional Asian narratives.
• The exploration of human nature in literature from a Hobbesian perspective.
• The influence of pragmatism on American literary realism.
• The portrayal of justice and injustice in novels centered on legal dilemmas.
• The exploration of existential risk and future ethics in speculative fiction.
• The philosophical examination of memory and identity in memoirs and autobiographies.
• The role of ethics in the portrayal of artificial intelligence in literature.
• The literary interpretation of Schopenhauer’s philosophy of pessimism.
• The reflection of Epicurean philosophy in modern travel literature.
• The influence of Kantian ethics on the narratives of moral conflict.
• The representation of libertarian philosophies in dystopian literature.
• The philosophical discourse on beauty and aesthetics in literature.
• The exploration of virtue ethics through historical biographical novels.
• The philosophical implications of transhumanism in cyberpunk literature.
• The use of literature to explore the philosophical concept of the sublime.
• The narrative structures of temporality and eternity in philosophical novels.
• The impact of neo-Platonism on the symbolism in Renaissance poetry.
• The portrayal of existential isolation in urban contemporary novels.
• The reflection of utilitarianism in social and political novels.
• The exploration of ethical ambiguity in spy and thriller genres.
• The portrayal of psychological disorders in modernist literature.
• Exploration of trauma and its narrative representation in post-war novels.
• The use of stream of consciousness as a method to explore cognitive processes in literature.
• The psychological impact of isolation in dystopian literature.
• The depiction of childhood and development in coming-of-age novels.
• Psychological manipulation in the narrative structure of mystery and thriller novels.
• The role of psychological resilience in characters surviving extreme conditions.
• The influence of Freudian theory on the interpretation of dreams in literature.
• The use of psychological archetypes in the development of mythological storytelling.
• The portrayal of psychological therapy and its impacts in contemporary fiction.
• Analysis of cognitive dissonance through characters’ internal conflicts in novels.
• The exploration of the Jungian shadow in villain characters.
• Psychological profiling of protagonists in crime fiction.
• The impact of societal expectations on mental health in historical novels.
• The role of psychology in understanding unreliable narrators.
• The depiction of addiction and recovery in autobiographical works.
• The exploration of grief and mourning in poetry.
• Psychological theories of love as depicted in romantic literature.
• The narrative portrayal of dissociative identity disorder in literature.
• The use of psychological suspense in Gothic literature.
• The representation of anxiety and depression in young adult fiction.
• Psychological effects of war on soldiers as depicted in military fiction.
• The role of psychoanalysis in interpreting symbolic content in fairy tales.
• The psychological impact of technological change as seen in science fiction.
• The exploration of existential crises in philosophical novels.
• The depiction of social psychology principles in literature about cults and mass movements.
• Psychological aspects of racial and gender identity in contemporary literature.
• The representation of the subconscious in surreal and absurd literature.
• The application of psychological resilience theories in survival literature.
• The portrayal of parental influence on child development in family sagas.
• Psychological theories of aging as explored in literature about the elderly.
• The depiction of sensory processing disorders in fictional characters.
• Psychological effects of immigration and cultural assimilation in diaspora literature.
• The role of narrative therapy in autobiographical writing and memoirs.
• The portrayal of obsessive-compulsive disorder in narrative fiction.
• Psychological implications of virtual realities in cyberpunk literature.
• The representation of psychopathy in anti-hero characters.
• The exploration of group dynamics and leadership in epic tales.
• Psychological interpretations of magical realism as a reflection of cultural psyche.
• The use of literature in the therapeutic practice and understanding of mental health issues.
• The influence of Christian theology on medieval epic poems.
• The role of allegory in interpreting medieval morality plays.
• The depiction of chivalry and courtly love in Arthurian legends.
• Comparative analysis of the heroic ideals in Beowulf and the Song of Roland.
• The impact of the Black Death on the themes of medieval poetry and prose.
• The portrayal of women in medieval romances.
• The use of dreams as a narrative device in medieval literature.
• The representation of the otherworldly and supernatural in medieval texts.
• The function of medieval bestiaries in literature and their symbolic meanings.
• The influence of the Crusades on medieval literature across Europe.
• The evolution of the troubadour and trouvère traditions in medieval France.
• The depiction of feudalism and social hierarchy in medieval narratives.
• The role of satire and humor in the Canterbury Tales.
• The impact of monastic life on medieval literary production.
• The use of vernacular languages in medieval literature versus Latin texts.
• The portrayal of sin and redemption in Dante’s Divine Comedy.
• The literary responses to the Mongol invasions in medieval Eurasian literature.
• The development of allegorical interpretation in medieval biblical exegesis.
• The influence of Islamic culture on medieval European literature.
• The representation of Jewish communities in medieval Christian literature.
• The concept of kingship and rule in Anglo-Saxon literature.
• The use of landscape and nature in medieval Celtic stories.
• The role of pilgrimage in shaping medieval narrative structures.
• The depiction of witchcraft and magic in medieval texts.
• Gender roles and their subversion in Middle English literature.
• The literary legacy of Charlemagne in medieval European epics.
• The portrayal of disability and disease in medieval literature.
• The use of relics and iconography in medieval religious writings.
• The medieval origins of modern fantasy literature tropes.
• The use of cryptography and secret messages in medieval romance literature.
• The influence of medieval astronomy and cosmology on literary works.
• The role of manuscript culture in preserving medieval literary texts.
• The depiction of Vikings in medieval English and Scandinavian literature.
• Medieval literary depictions of Byzantine and Ottoman interactions.
• The representation of sermons and homilies in medieval literature.
• The literary forms and functions of medieval liturgical drama.
• The influence of classical antiquity on medieval literary forms.
• The use of irony and parody in medieval fabliaux.
• The role of the troubadour poetry in the development of lyrical music traditions.
• The impact of medieval legal texts on contemporary narrative forms.
• The influence of urbanization on narrative form in Modernist literature.
• Stream of consciousness technique in the works of Virginia Woolf and James Joyce.
• The role of symbolism and imagery in T.S. Eliot’s poetry.
• The depiction of the World War I experience in Modernist novels.
• The impact of Freudian psychology on Modernist character development.
• The intersection of visual arts and narrative structure in Modernist poetry.
• The critique of imperialism and colonialism in Modernist texts.
• The representation of gender and sexuality in Modernist literature.
• The influence of technology and industrialization on Modernist themes.
• The use of fragmentation and non-linear narratives in Modernist fiction.
• The evolution of the novel form in Modernist literature.
• The role of existential philosophy in shaping Modernist themes.
• The critique of traditional values and societal norms in Modernist works.
• The portrayal of alienation and isolation in the Modernist era.
• The impact of Jazz music on the rhythm and structure of Modernist poetry.
• The role of expatriate writers in the development of Modernist literature.
• The influence of Russian literature on Modernist authors.
• The exploration of time and memory in Modernist narrative techniques.
• The depiction of urban alienation and anonymity in Modernist literature.
• The role of patronage and literary salons in the promotion of Modernist art.
• The impact of cinema on Modernist narrative techniques.
• The representation of religious doubt and spiritual crisis in Modernist texts.
• The influence of Cubism on the form and structure of Modernist poetry.
• The use of irony and satire in the critiques of Modernist society.
• The interplay between Modernist literature and the emerging psychoanalytic discourse.
• The depiction of the breakdown of language and communication in Modernist works.
• The role of the anti-hero in Modernist novels.
• The impact of existential despair on the themes of Modernist literature.
• The representation of the New Woman in Modernist fiction.
• The influence of Eastern philosophies on Modernist thought and writings.
• The critique of materialism and consumer culture in Modernist literature.
• The role of myth and narrative reconfiguration in Modernist poetry.
• The depiction of war trauma and its aftermath in Modernist literature.
• The representation of racial and ethnic identities in Modernist works.
• The impact of avant-garde movements on Modernist literary forms.
• The influence of European intellectual movements on American Modernist writers.
• The role of the flâneur in Modernist literature and urban exploration.
• The exploration of linguistic innovation in the works of Gertrude Stein.
• The critique of historical progress in Modernist narratives.
• The impact of existentialism on the depiction of the absurd in Modernist theatre.
• The representation of colonial impact on identity in postcolonial narratives.
• The role of language and power in postcolonial literature.
• The portrayal of gender and resistance in postcolonial women’s writings.
• The depiction of hybridity and cultural syncretism in postcolonial texts.
• The influence of native folklore and mythology in postcolonial storytelling.
• The critique of neocolonialism and globalization in contemporary postcolonial literature.
• The exploration of diaspora and migration in postcolonial narratives.
• The role of the subaltern voice in postcolonial literature.
• The impact of postcolonial theory on Western literary criticism.
• The representation of landscapes and spaces in postcolonial works.
• The portrayal of historical trauma and memory in postcolonial fiction.
• The exploration of identity and belonging in postcolonial children’s literature.
• The use of magical realism as a political tool in postcolonial literature.
• The depiction of urbanization and its effects in postcolonial cities.
• The role of religion in shaping postcolonial identities.
• The impact of apartheid and its aftermath in South African literature.
• The representation of indigenous knowledge systems in postcolonial texts.
• The critique of patriarchy in postcolonial narratives.
• The exploration of linguistic decolonization in postcolonial writing.
• The portrayal of conflict and reconciliation in postcolonial societies.
• The depiction of postcolonial resistance strategies in literature.
• The representation of climate change and environmental issues in postcolonial contexts.
• The role of education in postcolonial literature.
• The impact of tourism and exoticism on postcolonial identities.
• The exploration of economic disparities in postcolonial narratives.
• The representation of refugees and asylum seekers in postcolonial literature.
• The portrayal of political corruption and governance in postcolonial works.
• The depiction of cultural preservation and loss in postcolonial societies.
• The role of oral traditions in contemporary postcolonial literature.
• The portrayal of transnational identities in postcolonial fiction.
• The exploration of gender fluidity and sexuality in postcolonial texts.
• The depiction of labor migration and its effects in postcolonial literature.
• The role of the media in shaping postcolonial discourses.
• The impact of Western pop culture on postcolonial societies.
• The portrayal of intergenerational conflict in postcolonial families.
• The depiction of mental health issues in postcolonial contexts.
• The exploration of postcolonial futurism in African speculative fiction.
• The representation of native resistance against colonial forces in historical novels.
• The critique of linguistic imperialism in postcolonial education.
• The depiction of decolonization movements in postcolonial literature.
• The use of metafiction and narrative self-awareness in postmodern literature.
• The role of irony and playfulness in postmodern texts.
• The exploration of fragmented identities in postmodern novels.
• The deconstruction of traditional narrative structures in postmodern works.
• The representation of hyperreality and the simulation of reality in postmodern fiction.
• The critique of consumer culture and its influence on postmodern characters.
• The exploration of historiographic metafiction and the reinterpretation of history.
• The role of pastiche and intertextuality in postmodern literature.
• The depiction of paranoia and conspiracy in postmodern narratives.
• The portrayal of cultural relativism and the challenge to universal truths.
• The use of multimedia and digital influences in postmodern writing.
• The exploration of existential uncertainty in postmodern philosophy and literature.
• The role of gender and identity politics in postmodern texts.
• The depiction of postmodern urban landscapes and architecture in literature.
• The representation of globalization and its effects in postmodern novels.
• The portrayal of ecological crises and environmental concerns in postmodern fiction.
• The critique of scientific rationalism and technology in postmodern literature.
• The exploration of linguistic experimentation and its impact on narrative.
• The role of the anti-hero and flawed protagonists in postmodern stories.
• The depiction of social fragmentation and alienation in postmodern works.
• The representation of non-linear time and its effect on narrative perspective.
• The portrayal of the dissolution of boundaries between high and low culture.
• The use of parody and satire to critique political and social norms.
• The exploration of subjectivity and the breakdown of the authorial voice.
• The role of performance and spectacle in postmodern drama.
• The depiction of marginalization and minority voices in postmodern literature.
• The representation of the interplay between virtual and physical realities.
• The portrayal of ephemeral and transient experiences in postmodern texts.
• The critique of capitalism and neoliberal economics in postmodern narratives.
• The exploration of human relationships in the context of media saturation.
• The depiction of dystopian societies and their critiques of contemporary issues.
• The role of surreal and absurd elements in postmodern storytelling.
• The portrayal of cultural pastiches and their implications for identity formation.
• The exploration of narrative unreliability and ambiguous truths.
• The depiction of multiple realities and parallel universes in postmodern fiction.
• The representation of anarchism and resistance in postmodern literature.
• The critique of colonial narratives and their postmodern reevaluations.
• The exploration of therapeutic narratives in postmodern psychology and literature.
• The role of chance and randomness in the structure of postmodern plots.
• The portrayal of artistic and cultural decadence in postmodern settings.
• The impact of humanism on the themes and forms of Renaissance poetry.
• The influence of Renaissance art on the literature of the period.
• The role of court patronage in the development of literary forms during the Renaissance.
• The depiction of love and courtship in Shakespeare’s comedies.
• The use of classical myths in Renaissance drama.
• The portrayal of political power in the plays of Christopher Marlowe.
• The evolution of the sonnet form from Petrarch to Shakespeare.
• The representation of women in Renaissance literature and the role of gender.
• The impact of the Reformation on English literature during the Renaissance.
• The development of narrative prose during the Renaissance.
• The influence of Italian literature on English Renaissance writers.
• The role of allegory in Spenser’s The Faerie Queene .
• The depiction of the supernatural in Renaissance drama.
• The exploration of identity and self in Renaissance autobiographical writings.
• The rise of satire and its development during the English Renaissance.
• The concept of the tragic hero in Renaissance tragedy.
• The role of travel and exploration narratives in shaping Renaissance literature.
• The influence of Machiavellian philosophy on Renaissance literary characters.
• The representation of religious conflicts and sectarianism in Renaissance texts.
• The depiction of colonialism and its early impacts in Renaissance literature.
• The portrayal of the city and urban life in Renaissance literature.
• The use of rhetoric and persuasion in the sermons and speeches of the Renaissance.
• The depiction of friendship and societal bonds in Renaissance literature.
• The influence of Renaissance music on the poetic forms of the time.
• The role of magic and science in the literature of the Renaissance.
• The treatment of classical philosophy in Renaissance humanist literature.
• The representation of nature and the environment in pastoral literature.
• The depiction of courtly and peasant life in Renaissance drama.
• The influence of Renaissance literature on later literary movements.
• The portrayal of villains and their motivations in Renaissance plays.
• The development of printing technology and its impact on Renaissance literature.
• The role of language and dialect in the literature of the English Renaissance.
• The depiction of the New World in Renaissance travel literature.
• The exploration of moral and ethical issues in Renaissance philosophical writings.
• The impact of Spanish literature on the Renaissance literary scene.
• The role of soliloquies in deepening character development in Renaissance drama.
• The treatment of death and mortality in Renaissance poetry.
• The representation of court politics and intrigue in Renaissance historical plays.
• The development of comedic elements in Renaissance literature.
• The exploration of Renaissance literary criticism and its approaches to interpretation.
• The exploration of nature and the sublime in Romantic poetry.
• The role of the individual and personal emotion in Romantic literature.
• The impact of the French Revolution on Romantic literary themes.
• The representation of the Byronic hero in Romantic novels.
• The influence of Gothic elements on Romantic literature.
• The depiction of women and femininity in the works of Romantic poets.
• The role of imagination and creativity in Romantic theories of art and literature.
• The portrayal of childhood and innocence in Romantic literature.
• The influence of Eastern cultures on Romantic poetry and prose.
• The interplay between science and religion in Romantic texts.
• The Romantic fascination with death and the macabre.
• The depiction of landscapes and rural life in Romantic poetry.
• The role of folklore and mythology in shaping Romantic narratives.
• The impact of Romanticism on national identities across Europe.
• The exploration of exile and alienation in Romantic literature.
• The critique of industrialization and its social impacts in Romantic writing.
• The development of the historical novel in Romantic literature.
• The role of letters and correspondence in Romantic literary culture.
• The representation of revolutionary ideals and their disillusionment in Romantic texts.
• The exploration of human rights and liberty in Romantic works.
• The portrayal of artistic genius and its torments in Romantic literature.
• The depiction of friendship and romantic love in Romantic poetry.
• The influence of Romantic literature on the development of modern environmentalism.
• The role of music and its inspiration on Romantic poetry.
• The exploration of time and memory in Romantic literary works.
• The depiction of urban versus rural dichotomies in Romantic texts.
• The impact of Romanticism on later literary movements such as Symbolism and Decadence.
• The role of melancholy and introspection in Romantic poetry.
• The representation of dreams and visions in Romantic literature.
• The depiction of storms and natural disasters as metaphors in Romantic writing.
• The exploration of political reform and radicalism in Romantic works.
• The portrayal of the supernatural and its role in Romantic narratives.
• The influence of Romantic literature on the visual arts.
• The depiction of heroism and adventure in Romantic epics.
• The role of solitude and contemplation in Romantic poetry.
• The exploration of national folklore in the Romantic movement across different cultures.
• The critique of reason and rationality in favor of emotional intuition.
• The depiction of the quest for immortality and eternal youth in Romantic literature.
• The role of the pastoral and the picturesque in Romantic aesthetics.
• The exploration of spiritual and transcendental experiences in Romantic texts.
• The role of dystopian worlds in critiquing contemporary social issues.
• The portrayal of artificial intelligence and its ethical implications in science fiction.
• The evolution of space opera within science fiction literature.
• The depiction of alternate histories in fantasy literature and their cultural significance.
• The use of magic systems in fantasy novels as metaphors for real-world power dynamics.
• The representation of gender and sexuality in speculative fiction.
• The influence of scientific advancements on the development of science fiction themes.
• Environmentalism and ecocriticism in science fiction and fantasy narratives.
• The role of the hero’s journey in modern fantasy literature.
• The portrayal of utopias and their transformation into dystopias.
• The impact of post-apocalyptic settings on character development and moral choices.
• The exploration of virtual reality in science fiction and its implications for the future of society.
• The representation of alien cultures in science fiction and the critique of human ethnocentrism.
• The use of mythology and folklore in building fantasy worlds.
• The influence of cyberpunk culture on contemporary science fiction.
• The depiction of time travel and its impact on narrative structure and theme.
• The role of military science fiction in exploring warfare and peace.
• The portrayal of religious themes in science fiction and fantasy.
• The impact of fan fiction and its contributions to the science fiction and fantasy genres.
• The exploration of psychological themes through science fiction and fantasy narratives.
• The role of colonization in science fiction narratives.
• The impact of science fiction and fantasy literature on technological innovation.
• The depiction of societal collapse and reconstruction in speculative fiction.
• The role of language and linguistics in science fiction, such as in creating alien languages.
• The portrayal of non-human characters in fantasy literature and what they reveal about human nature.
• The use of science fiction in exploring philosophical concepts such as identity and consciousness.
• The representation of disabled characters in science fiction and fantasy.
• The influence of historical events on the development of fantasy literature.
• The critique of capitalism and corporate governance in dystopian science fiction.
• The role of political allegory in science fiction during the Cold War.
• The representation of indigenous peoples in fantasy settings.
• The impact of climate change on the settings and themes of speculative fiction.
• The exploration of bioethics and genetic modification in science fiction.
• The impact of globalization as seen through science fiction narratives.
• The role of women authors in shaping modern science fiction and fantasy.
• The exploration of sentient machines and the definition of life in science fiction.
• The use of archetypes in fantasy literature and their psychological implications.
• The narrative strategies used to build suspense and mystery in fantasy series.
• The influence of Eastern philosophies on Western science fiction.
• The portrayal of family and community in post-apocalyptic environments.
• The representation of the British Empire and colonialism in Victorian novels.
• The impact of the Industrial Revolution on the social landscape in Victorian literature.
• The depiction of gender roles and the domestic sphere in Victorian novels.
• The influence of Darwinian thought on Victorian characters and themes.
• The role of the Gothic tradition in Victorian literature.
• The portrayal of morality and ethics in the works of Charles Dickens.
• The exploration of class disparity and social mobility in Victorian fiction.
• The depiction of urban life and its challenges in Victorian literature.
• The role of realism in Victorian novels and its impact on literary form.
• The representation of mental illness and psychology in Victorian fiction.
• The critique of materialism and consumer culture in Victorian literature.
• The portrayal of children and childhood in Victorian narratives.
• The exploration of romanticism versus realism in Victorian poetry.
• The depiction of religious doubt and spiritual crises in Victorian texts.
• The role of women writers in the Victorian literary scene.
• The portrayal of the “New Woman” in late Victorian literature.
• The exploration of scientific progress and its ethical implications in Victorian works.
• The depiction of crime and punishment in Victorian detective fiction.
• The influence of aestheticism and decadence in late Victorian literature.
• The representation of imperial anxieties and racial theories in Victorian novels.
• The role of sensation novels in shaping Victorian popular culture.
• The portrayal of marriage and its discontents in Victorian literature.
• The depiction of rural life versus urbanization in Victorian narratives.
• The exploration of philanthropy and social reform in Victorian texts.
• The role of the supernatural and the occult in Victorian fiction.
• The portrayal of art and artists in Victorian literature.
• The representation of travel and exploration in Victorian novels.
• The depiction of the aristocracy and their decline in Victorian literature.
• The influence of newspapers and media on Victorian literary culture.
• The role of patriotism and national identity in Victorian writings.
• The exploration of the Victorian underworld in literature.
• The depiction of legal and judicial systems in Victorian fiction.
• The portrayal of addiction and vice in Victorian texts.
• The role of foreign settings in Victorian novels.
• The depiction of technological advancements in transportation in Victorian literature.
• The influence of French and Russian literary movements on Victorian authors.
• The role of epistolary form in Victorian novels.
• The portrayal of altruism and self-sacrifice in Victorian narratives.
• The depiction of servants and their roles in Victorian households.
• The exploration of colonial and postcolonial readings of Victorian texts.
• The role of translation in shaping the global reception of classic literary works.
• The impact of globalization on the development of contemporary world literature.
• Comparative analysis of national myths in literature across different cultures.
• The influence of postcolonial theory on the interpretation of world literature.
• The depiction of cross-cultural encounters and their implications in world novels.
• The role of exile and migration in shaping the themes of world literature.
• The representation of indigenous narratives in the global literary marketplace.
• The portrayal of urbanization in world literature and its impact on societal norms.
• The exploration of feminist themes across different cultural contexts in literature.
• The depiction of historical trauma and memory in literature from post-conflict societies.
• The role of magical realism in expressing political and social realities in Latin American literature.
• The exploration of identity and hybridity in diaspora literature from around the world.
• The impact of censorship and political repression on literary production in authoritarian regimes.
• Comparative study of the Gothic tradition in European and Latin American literature.
• The influence of religious texts on narrative structures and themes in world literature.
• The role of nature and the environment in shaping narrative forms in world literature.
• The exploration of time and memory in post-Soviet literature.
• The portrayal of love and marriage across different cultural contexts in world novels.
• The impact of technological changes on narrative forms and themes in world literature.
• The exploration of human rights issues through world literature.
• The depiction of war and peace in Middle Eastern literature.
• Comparative analysis of the tragic hero in Greek tragedy and Japanese Noh theater.
• The role of traditional folk stories in contemporary world literature.
• The influence of African oral traditions on modern African literature.
• The exploration of social justice and activism in world literature.
• The portrayal of children and childhood in world literature.
• The depiction of the supernatural and the uncanny in world literary traditions.
• The impact of colonial histories on contemporary literature in former colonies.
• The exploration of gender and sexuality in Scandinavian literature.
• The portrayal of disability and mental health in world literature.
• The role of food and cuisine in cultural identity as depicted in world literature.
• Comparative study of poetry from the Middle Eastern and Western traditions.
• The exploration of death and the afterlife in world religious texts and their literary influences.
• The portrayal of the artist and the creative process in world literature.
• The impact of economic crises on characters and plot development in world novels.
• The exploration of architectural spaces and their symbolism in world literature.
• The role of multilingualism and code-switching in narrative development in world literature.
• The depiction of aging and intergenerational relationships in world novels.
• The influence of classical Chinese literature on East Asian modern narratives.
• The role of the sea and maritime culture in world literary traditions.
• The portrayal of identity and self-discovery in YA literature.
• The representation of mental health issues in YA novels.
• The evolution of the coming-of-age narrative in modern YA fiction.
• The role of dystopian settings in YA literature as metaphors for adolescent struggles.
• The depiction of family dynamics and their impact on young protagonists.
• The treatment of romance and relationships in YA fiction.
• The exploration of LGBTQ+ themes and characters in YA literature.
• The impact of social media and technology on character development in YA novels.
• The portrayal of bullying and social exclusion in YA fiction.
• The representation of racial and cultural diversity in YA literature.
• The use of fantasy and supernatural elements to explore real-world issues in YA fiction.
• The role of friendship in character development and plot progression in YA novels.
• The depiction of resilience and personal growth in YA protagonists.
• The influence of YA literature on young readers’ attitudes towards social issues.
• The portrayal of disability and inclusivity in YA narratives.
• The role of sports and extracurricular activities in shaping YA characters.
• The exploration of historical events through YA historical fiction.
• The impact of war and conflict on young characters in YA literature.
• The depiction of academic pressure and its consequences in YA novels.
• The portrayal of artistic expression as a form of coping and identity in YA literature.
• The use of alternate realities and time travel in YA fiction to explore complex themes.
• The role of villainy and moral ambiguity in YA narratives.
• The exploration of environmental and ecological issues in YA literature.
• The portrayal of heroism and leadership in YA novels.
• The impact of grief and loss on YA characters and their journey.
• The depiction of addiction and recovery narratives in YA literature.
• The portrayal of economic disparities and their effects on young characters.
• The representation of non-traditional family structures in YA novels.
• The exploration of self-empowerment and activism in YA literature.
• The depiction of crime and justice in YA mystery and thriller genres.
• The role of mythology and folklore in crafting YA fantasy narratives.
• The portrayal of exile and migration in YA fiction.
• The impact of YA literature in promoting literacy and reading habits among teens.
• The exploration of gender roles and expectations in YA novels.
• The depiction of peer pressure and its influence on YA characters.
• The portrayal of escapism and adventure in YA fiction.
• The role of magical realism in conveying psychological and emotional truths in YA literature.
• The exploration of ethical dilemmas and moral choices in YA narratives.
• The depiction of the future and speculative technology in YA science fiction.
• The portrayal of societal norms and rebellion in YA dystopian novels.

We hope this comprehensive list of literature thesis topics empowers you to narrow down your choices and sparks your curiosity in a specific area of literary studies. With 1000 unique topics spread across 25 categories, from traditional to emerging fields, there is something here for every literary scholar. The diversity of topics not only reflects the dynamic nature of literature but also encompasses a range of perspectives and cultural backgrounds, ensuring that every student can find a topic that resonates deeply with their scholarly interests and personal passions. Utilize this resource to embark on a thought-provoking and intellectually rewarding thesis writing journey.

Literature and Thesis Topic Potential

Literature encompasses a vast and vibrant spectrum of themes and narrative techniques that mirror, critique, and reshape the complex world we live in. For students embarking on the challenging yet rewarding journey of thesis writing, delving into the multitude of literature thesis topics can unlock profound insights and present significant scholarly opportunities. This exploration is not merely an academic exercise; it is a deep dive into the human experience, offering a unique lens through which to view history, culture, and society. Engaging with literature in this way not only enhances one’s understanding of various literary genres and historical periods but also sharpens analytical, critical, and creative thinking skills.

Current Issues in Literature

One prevailing issue in contemporary literary studies is the exploration of identity and representation within literature. This includes examining how narratives portray race, gender, sexuality, and disability. The rise of identity politics has encouraged a reevaluation of canonical texts and a push to broaden the literary canon to include more diverse voices. Such studies challenge traditional narratives and open up discussions on power dynamics within literature.

Another significant issue is the impact of digital technology on literature. The digital age has introduced new forms of literature, such as hypertext fiction and digital poetry, which utilize the interactive capabilities of digital devices to create multifaceted narratives. This shift has led to new interpretations of authorship and readership, as the boundaries between the two blur in interactive media. Thesis topics might explore how these technological innovations have transformed narrative structures and themes or how they affect the psychological engagement of the reader.

Environmental literature has also emerged as a poignant area of study, especially in the context of growing global concerns about climate change and sustainability. This trend in literature reflects an urgent need to address the relationship between humanity and the natural world. Theses in this area could examine narratives that focus on ecological disasters, the anthropocene, or the role of non-human actors in literature, providing new insights into environmental ethics and awareness.

Recent Trends in Literature

The recent trend towards blending genres within literature has led to innovative narrative forms that defy conventional genre classifications. Works that fuse elements of science fiction, fantasy, and historical fiction challenge readers to engage with literature in new and complex ways. These hybrid genres often address contemporary issues through the lens of speculative or fantastical settings, offering fresh perspectives on familiar problems. Thesis topics in this area could explore how these blended genres comment on societal issues or how they represent historical narratives through a fantastical lens.

Another noteworthy trend is the increasing prominence of autobiographical and memoir writing, which highlights personal narratives and individual experiences. This shift towards personal storytelling reflects a broader societal interest in authentic and individualized narratives, often exploring themes of identity, trauma, and resilience. Students could develop thesis topics that analyze how these works serve as both personal catharsis and a social commentary, or how they use narrative techniques to blur the lines between fiction and non-fiction.

Global literature, written in or translated into English, has expanded the geographical boundaries of literary analysis and introduced a plethora of voices and stories from around the world. This trend not only diversifies the range of literary works available but also introduces new themes and narrative strategies influenced by different cultural backgrounds. Thesis research could investigate how global literature addresses universal themes through culturally specific contexts, or how it challenges Western literary paradigms.

Future Directions in Literature

As literature continues to evolve, one of the exciting future directions is the potential integration of literary studies with emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning. These technologies could lead to new forms of literary creation and analysis, where AI-generated literature becomes a field of study, or where machine learning is used to uncover patterns in large volumes of text. Thesis topics might explore the ethical implications of AI in literature, the authenticity of AI-authored texts, or how AI can be used to interpret complex literary theories.

Another future direction is the increasing intersection between literature and other disciplines such as neuroscience, psychology, and anthropology. This interdisciplinary approach can deepen understanding of how literature affects the human brain, influences behavior, or reflects cultural evolution. Students could develop theses that examine the neurocognitive impacts of reading fiction, or how literary studies can contribute to our understanding of human culture and societal development.

Finally, the role of literature in addressing and influencing social and political issues is likely to increase. As global challenges like migration, inequality, and climate change persist, literature that addresses these issues not only provides commentary but also raises awareness and fosters empathy. Future thesis topics could focus on how literature serves as a tool for social justice, how it influences public policy, or how it helps shape collective memory and identity in times of crisis.

The exploration of literature thesis topics offers students a panorama of possibilities for deep academic inquiry and personal growth. By engaging deeply with literature, students not only fulfill their academic objectives but also gain insights that transcend scholarly pursuits. This exploration enriches personal perspectives and fosters a profound appreciation for the power of words and stories. The pursuit of literature thesis topics is thus not merely academic—it is a journey into the heart of human experience, offering endless opportunities for discovery and impact.

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• v.53(4); 2010 Aug

Research questions, hypotheses and objectives

Patricia farrugia.

* Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, the

Bradley A. Petrisor

† Division of Orthopaedic Surgery and the

Forough Farrokhyar

‡ Departments of Surgery and

§ Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont

Mohit Bhandari

There is an increasing familiarity with the principles of evidence-based medicine in the surgical community. As surgeons become more aware of the hierarchy of evidence, grades of recommendations and the principles of critical appraisal, they develop an increasing familiarity with research design. Surgeons and clinicians are looking more and more to the literature and clinical trials to guide their practice; as such, it is becoming a responsibility of the clinical research community to attempt to answer questions that are not only well thought out but also clinically relevant. The development of the research question, including a supportive hypothesis and objectives, is a necessary key step in producing clinically relevant results to be used in evidence-based practice. A well-defined and specific research question is more likely to help guide us in making decisions about study design and population and subsequently what data will be collected and analyzed. 1

Objectives of this article

In this article, we discuss important considerations in the development of a research question and hypothesis and in defining objectives for research. By the end of this article, the reader will be able to appreciate the significance of constructing a good research question and developing hypotheses and research objectives for the successful design of a research study. The following article is divided into 3 sections: research question, research hypothesis and research objectives.

Research question

Interest in a particular topic usually begins the research process, but it is the familiarity with the subject that helps define an appropriate research question for a study. 1 Questions then arise out of a perceived knowledge deficit within a subject area or field of study. 2 Indeed, Haynes suggests that it is important to know “where the boundary between current knowledge and ignorance lies.” 1 The challenge in developing an appropriate research question is in determining which clinical uncertainties could or should be studied and also rationalizing the need for their investigation.

Increasing one’s knowledge about the subject of interest can be accomplished in many ways. Appropriate methods include systematically searching the literature, in-depth interviews and focus groups with patients (and proxies) and interviews with experts in the field. In addition, awareness of current trends and technological advances can assist with the development of research questions. 2 It is imperative to understand what has been studied about a topic to date in order to further the knowledge that has been previously gathered on a topic. Indeed, some granting institutions (e.g., Canadian Institute for Health Research) encourage applicants to conduct a systematic review of the available evidence if a recent review does not already exist and preferably a pilot or feasibility study before applying for a grant for a full trial.

In-depth knowledge about a subject may generate a number of questions. It then becomes necessary to ask whether these questions can be answered through one study or if more than one study needed. 1 Additional research questions can be developed, but several basic principles should be taken into consideration. 1 All questions, primary and secondary, should be developed at the beginning and planning stages of a study. Any additional questions should never compromise the primary question because it is the primary research question that forms the basis of the hypothesis and study objectives. It must be kept in mind that within the scope of one study, the presence of a number of research questions will affect and potentially increase the complexity of both the study design and subsequent statistical analyses, not to mention the actual feasibility of answering every question. 1 A sensible strategy is to establish a single primary research question around which to focus the study plan. 3 In a study, the primary research question should be clearly stated at the end of the introduction of the grant proposal, and it usually specifies the population to be studied, the intervention to be implemented and other circumstantial factors. 4

Hulley and colleagues 2 have suggested the use of the FINER criteria in the development of a good research question ( Box 1 ). The FINER criteria highlight useful points that may increase the chances of developing a successful research project. A good research question should specify the population of interest, be of interest to the scientific community and potentially to the public, have clinical relevance and further current knowledge in the field (and of course be compliant with the standards of ethical boards and national research standards).

FINER criteria for a good research question

Adapted with permission from Wolters Kluwer Health. 2

Whereas the FINER criteria outline the important aspects of the question in general, a useful format to use in the development of a specific research question is the PICO format — consider the population (P) of interest, the intervention (I) being studied, the comparison (C) group (or to what is the intervention being compared) and the outcome of interest (O). 3 , 5 , 6 Often timing (T) is added to PICO ( Box 2 ) — that is, “Over what time frame will the study take place?” 1 The PICOT approach helps generate a question that aids in constructing the framework of the study and subsequently in protocol development by alluding to the inclusion and exclusion criteria and identifying the groups of patients to be included. Knowing the specific population of interest, intervention (and comparator) and outcome of interest may also help the researcher identify an appropriate outcome measurement tool. 7 The more defined the population of interest, and thus the more stringent the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the greater the effect on the interpretation and subsequent applicability and generalizability of the research findings. 1 , 2 A restricted study population (and exclusion criteria) may limit bias and increase the internal validity of the study; however, this approach will limit external validity of the study and, thus, the generalizability of the findings to the practical clinical setting. Conversely, a broadly defined study population and inclusion criteria may be representative of practical clinical practice but may increase bias and reduce the internal validity of the study.

PICOT criteria 1

A poorly devised research question may affect the choice of study design, potentially lead to futile situations and, thus, hamper the chance of determining anything of clinical significance, which will then affect the potential for publication. Without devoting appropriate resources to developing the research question, the quality of the study and subsequent results may be compromised. During the initial stages of any research study, it is therefore imperative to formulate a research question that is both clinically relevant and answerable.

Research hypothesis

The primary research question should be driven by the hypothesis rather than the data. 1 , 2 That is, the research question and hypothesis should be developed before the start of the study. This sounds intuitive; however, if we take, for example, a database of information, it is potentially possible to perform multiple statistical comparisons of groups within the database to find a statistically significant association. This could then lead one to work backward from the data and develop the “question.” This is counterintuitive to the process because the question is asked specifically to then find the answer, thus collecting data along the way (i.e., in a prospective manner). Multiple statistical testing of associations from data previously collected could potentially lead to spuriously positive findings of association through chance alone. 2 Therefore, a good hypothesis must be based on a good research question at the start of a trial and, indeed, drive data collection for the study.

The research or clinical hypothesis is developed from the research question and then the main elements of the study — sampling strategy, intervention (if applicable), comparison and outcome variables — are summarized in a form that establishes the basis for testing, statistical and ultimately clinical significance. 3 For example, in a research study comparing computer-assisted acetabular component insertion versus freehand acetabular component placement in patients in need of total hip arthroplasty, the experimental group would be computer-assisted insertion and the control/conventional group would be free-hand placement. The investigative team would first state a research hypothesis. This could be expressed as a single outcome (e.g., computer-assisted acetabular component placement leads to improved functional outcome) or potentially as a complex/composite outcome; that is, more than one outcome (e.g., computer-assisted acetabular component placement leads to both improved radiographic cup placement and improved functional outcome).

However, when formally testing statistical significance, the hypothesis should be stated as a “null” hypothesis. 2 The purpose of hypothesis testing is to make an inference about the population of interest on the basis of a random sample taken from that population. The null hypothesis for the preceding research hypothesis then would be that there is no difference in mean functional outcome between the computer-assisted insertion and free-hand placement techniques. After forming the null hypothesis, the researchers would form an alternate hypothesis stating the nature of the difference, if it should appear. The alternate hypothesis would be that there is a difference in mean functional outcome between these techniques. At the end of the study, the null hypothesis is then tested statistically. If the findings of the study are not statistically significant (i.e., there is no difference in functional outcome between the groups in a statistical sense), we cannot reject the null hypothesis, whereas if the findings were significant, we can reject the null hypothesis and accept the alternate hypothesis (i.e., there is a difference in mean functional outcome between the study groups), errors in testing notwithstanding. In other words, hypothesis testing confirms or refutes the statement that the observed findings did not occur by chance alone but rather occurred because there was a true difference in outcomes between these surgical procedures. The concept of statistical hypothesis testing is complex, and the details are beyond the scope of this article.

Another important concept inherent in hypothesis testing is whether the hypotheses will be 1-sided or 2-sided. A 2-sided hypothesis states that there is a difference between the experimental group and the control group, but it does not specify in advance the expected direction of the difference. For example, we asked whether there is there an improvement in outcomes with computer-assisted surgery or whether the outcomes worse with computer-assisted surgery. We presented a 2-sided test in the above example because we did not specify the direction of the difference. A 1-sided hypothesis states a specific direction (e.g., there is an improvement in outcomes with computer-assisted surgery). A 2-sided hypothesis should be used unless there is a good justification for using a 1-sided hypothesis. As Bland and Atlman 8 stated, “One-sided hypothesis testing should never be used as a device to make a conventionally nonsignificant difference significant.”

The research hypothesis should be stated at the beginning of the study to guide the objectives for research. Whereas the investigators may state the hypothesis as being 1-sided (there is an improvement with treatment), the study and investigators must adhere to the concept of clinical equipoise. According to this principle, a clinical (or surgical) trial is ethical only if the expert community is uncertain about the relative therapeutic merits of the experimental and control groups being evaluated. 9 It means there must exist an honest and professional disagreement among expert clinicians about the preferred treatment. 9

Designing a research hypothesis is supported by a good research question and will influence the type of research design for the study. Acting on the principles of appropriate hypothesis development, the study can then confidently proceed to the development of the research objective.

Research objective

The primary objective should be coupled with the hypothesis of the study. Study objectives define the specific aims of the study and should be clearly stated in the introduction of the research protocol. 7 From our previous example and using the investigative hypothesis that there is a difference in functional outcomes between computer-assisted acetabular component placement and free-hand placement, the primary objective can be stated as follows: this study will compare the functional outcomes of computer-assisted acetabular component insertion versus free-hand placement in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty. Note that the study objective is an active statement about how the study is going to answer the specific research question. Objectives can (and often do) state exactly which outcome measures are going to be used within their statements. They are important because they not only help guide the development of the protocol and design of study but also play a role in sample size calculations and determining the power of the study. 7 These concepts will be discussed in other articles in this series.

From the surgeon’s point of view, it is important for the study objectives to be focused on outcomes that are important to patients and clinically relevant. For example, the most methodologically sound randomized controlled trial comparing 2 techniques of distal radial fixation would have little or no clinical impact if the primary objective was to determine the effect of treatment A as compared to treatment B on intraoperative fluoroscopy time. However, if the objective was to determine the effect of treatment A as compared to treatment B on patient functional outcome at 1 year, this would have a much more significant impact on clinical decision-making. Second, more meaningful surgeon–patient discussions could ensue, incorporating patient values and preferences with the results from this study. 6 , 7 It is the precise objective and what the investigator is trying to measure that is of clinical relevance in the practical setting.

The following is an example from the literature about the relation between the research question, hypothesis and study objectives:

Study: Warden SJ, Metcalf BR, Kiss ZS, et al. Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound for chronic patellar tendinopathy: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Rheumatology 2008;47:467–71.

Research question: How does low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) compare with a placebo device in managing the symptoms of skeletally mature patients with patellar tendinopathy?

Research hypothesis: Pain levels are reduced in patients who receive daily active-LIPUS (treatment) for 12 weeks compared with individuals who receive inactive-LIPUS (placebo).

Objective: To investigate the clinical efficacy of LIPUS in the management of patellar tendinopathy symptoms.

The development of the research question is the most important aspect of a research project. A research project can fail if the objectives and hypothesis are poorly focused and underdeveloped. Useful tips for surgical researchers are provided in Box 3 . Designing and developing an appropriate and relevant research question, hypothesis and objectives can be a difficult task. The critical appraisal of the research question used in a study is vital to the application of the findings to clinical practice. Focusing resources, time and dedication to these 3 very important tasks will help to guide a successful research project, influence interpretation of the results and affect future publication efforts.

Tips for developing research questions, hypotheses and objectives for research studies

• Perform a systematic literature review (if one has not been done) to increase knowledge and familiarity with the topic and to assist with research development.
• Learn about current trends and technological advances on the topic.
• Seek careful input from experts, mentors, colleagues and collaborators to refine your research question as this will aid in developing the research question and guide the research study.
• Use the FINER criteria in the development of the research question.
• Ensure that the research question follows PICOT format.
• Develop a research hypothesis from the research question.
• Develop clear and well-defined primary and secondary (if needed) objectives.
• Ensure that the research question and objectives are answerable, feasible and clinically relevant.

FINER = feasible, interesting, novel, ethical, relevant; PICOT = population (patients), intervention (for intervention studies only), comparison group, outcome of interest, time.

Competing interests: No funding was received in preparation of this paper. Dr. Bhandari was funded, in part, by a Canada Research Chair, McMaster University.

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100 Best Literature Research Paper Topics For Students

Literary research paper topics are among the most interesting to write about. Books are the best teachers for most learners. And, students love reading interesting literature books. But, when asked to write research papers, most students have difficulties choosing their topics. That’s because many issues can be investigated and written about.

For instance, literary topics can be about characters’ personalities in certain works. They can also be about particular characteristics of specific literary genres. Learners can also choose literary analysis topics that focus on the life story of famous writers or poets. But, regardless of what a learner opts to write about, they should choose interesting topics.

What are Interesting Literary Research Paper Topics?

Several factors make a topic interesting to write about. A topic for a research paper or a graduate thesis should generally be definite, specific, and innovative. Also, it should be interesting to research and write about. Here’s how to select interesting literature topics:

Think about something. Explore the idea to select a topic for which you can find sufficient research data from credible sources. Narrow down your subject if you find it too broad.

English literature topics can be classified into different categories. Here some of these categories and topics can be considered in each category.

Great World Literature Research Topics

Perhaps, you’ve been asked to write a literature research paper with a global perspective. Here are some of the literary analysis research paper topics that you can consider.

• Explain how the supernatural and spirituality help in furthering the development of the plot in the Latin American literature of the early 20th century.
• What themes are common in the Japanese poems of the early 20th century? How do they differ from those of the early 19th century?
• Compare the early Chinese literary works and European literary works of the middle ages. How different or alike are they?
• How were European literary works in the early 20th century shaped by the revolutionary works of Engels and Marx? What examples can demonstrate this influence?
• Explain how the Muslim philosophers’ work of the 15th century led to new ideas and inventions across the globe.
• Compare and contrast different anti-British works that originated in India in the 19th century with pro-colonialist works that came from England at the same time.
• How did the nightmarish utopian future ideas of Aldous Huxley influence modern-day science fiction writers across the world?
• Explain how the Antigone play by Sophocles deals with the conflict between the central characters while relating to the state laws and individual conscience.
• How are the sentiments of the authors reflected in Animal Farm by George Orwell and concerns about the October Revolution?
• Explain some of the examples of literary fiction pieces that have shaped cultures in the world. Have historic, societal, and cultural factors played some roles in shaping these literature pieces?
• Being a prolific writer in the early and mid-19th century, Charles Dickens’s works were published in serialized forms. How and why has this approach become less fashionable?
• Compare and contrast the early Japanese literature works and the early Chinese literature works. How do they differ in terms of values and culture?
• Explain how comedy differs in literature across cultures. What comedy appeared in the early theatrical performances and it’s still present in modern literature?
• Analyze chivalry and honor critically in the Green Knight and Sir Gawain. What are the qualities of these works from a similar period?
• Compare and contrast the Odyssey and Iliad by Homer the Ancient Greek. Explain how cultures across the world have adapted the themes presented in the poem.

Top Literary topics for Research Paper

Some topics for literary analysis stand out among students. These are topics that educators recommend for students across the study levels.

• How is literature an aspect of modern culture?
• Explain how feminism has influenced modern literature
• How is psychology utilized in literature?
• Explain the major social issues that have been exposed by literary works
• Explain the philosophical tradition of Daoism in the Chinese literature
• Explain the roles played by death and honor in Japanese literature in the 20th century
• Explain how the European culture influences the Mid-West literature
• How has European culture affected modern literature?
• Analyze the personality of Don Quixote
• Explain how literature differs between countries.
• Discuss poetry in the innovative ear of the 21st century
• Examine racism in the novels of the 1960s and 1970s
• Explain the exile’s perception in literature
• Literature and culture? Which one affects the other?
• How has literature addressed homosexuality?

These can also be great literary debate topics. That’s because learners can have varying opinions about them.

British Literature Research Paper Topics

Students have many topics to choose from when it comes to British literature essay topics. Here are some of the best literature topics from the works of British authors.

• Discuss Victorian England’s picture with the works of Charles Dickens in mind
• Discuss the theme of Orphans with the Oliver Twist character in mind
• Explain how British Literature has influenced different cultures
• Explain how British literature has addressed gender issues
• Explain how King Lear highlights the differences between anti-heroes and villains
• Explain William Shakespeare’s personality- Highlight facts and myths
• Choose two famous British novels and then compare the characters in them
• Explain the viewpoint of different writers about the Utopian civilization idea
• With Harry Potter books in mind, explain why some literature books are considered classics
• Explain how love and romantic love are presented in Charlotte Bronte’s works
• Explain how modern literary works have been affected by the Victorian period works
• Discuss the adultery theme in Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
• Who are the main characters in Lake Poets’ works?
• Explain how violent imagery was used in World War I poetry
• Explain talent as a theme in Milton’s on His Blindness
• Explain innocence loss in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies
• Explain the theme of individualism versus collectivism in Oliver Twist
• Explain why the popularity of detective novels increased in the XIX century
• What role did the supernatural play in Macbeth: a case study of three witches
• Class demarcation in XVII century- The vengeance theme

American Literature Topics

Some teachers ask students to choose American literature research topics for certain reasons. If asked to write on such topics, here are some of the American literature research paper topics to consider.

• Analyze key aspects of American ideology, particularly in the literature written before the 20th century.
• Determine thematic concerns and literary styles of the major historical period of American literature between the colonial period and post-modernism.
• Show the American identity uniqueness of texts
• Propose connections between the American literature concerns and themes in the larger historical development and social issues that face the present world
• Examine major concerns and themes that reappear across the American literature
• Highlight the major themes in Absalom, Absalom by William Faulkner
• Explain the African American Experience with female authors like Alice Walker, Zora Neal Hurston, and Toni Morrison
• Explain the predominant theme in The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
• Explain how Jonathan Edwards epitomizes Puritan definitions in his sermons
• Explain the use of historical personalities and events by Washington Irving as the background for his works
• The Crucible demonstrates how a community can be torn apart by hysteria. Explain
• Explain how Sylvia Plath demonstrates the social pressure faced by women in the 1960s in the Bell Jar.
• Explain how John Knowles demonstrates the impact of war on everyone
• Explain the strong belief in the education power by Maya Angelou as depicted in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
• Explain how Thornton Wilder conveys life as a gift in Our Town
• Discuss the themes of anger and pity in the Grapes of Wrath
• Explain how Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck portrays the Great Depression struggles
• Discuss the portrayal of the unconquerable spirit in Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway.
• Plays by Eugene O’Neil are tragically realistic. Explain
• God is humanized in The Creation poem by James Weldon Johnson. Explain

Some of the ideas here are great poetry topics. Nevertheless, they require careful research and analysis to write about.

High School Literary Essay Topics

Some topics in literature are ideal for high school essays. Here are examples of literary analysis paper topics for high school students.

• Compare and contrast the major characters in your preferred book
• Choose your favorite character in a book and explain your reasons for liking it
• Please explain why the quality of a literature book is not determined by its length
• Highlight the similarities of your favorite books
• Discuss the top 4 authors in horror books
• Explain why reading some books is more difficult than reading others
• Explain what it takes to write a high-quality poem
• Who is your favorite poet and why?
• Explain what makes your favorite book interesting
• Who is your favorite character in literary works and why?
• What makes some literature books difficult to read?
• Who are your favorite top 5 authors and why?
• Should the age of readers be restricted to some books?
• What is your favorite literary genre?
• Explain why the author determines the quality of a book more than the story
• Discuss the literary works of your favorite authors
• Why is it important to captivate readers with the introductory chapter of a book?
• Which book genre makes great movies?
• Why is the work of Harry Potter so popular?
• Explain why your favorite horror book is scary

Unique Research Topics in English Literature

Some literature research topics are unique and can be written about by learners at different study levels. Here are examples of such topics.

• Analyze the use of literary devices in novels
• Discuss the author’s autobiography
• Analyze literary genres and the role played by an artist in them
• Compare the works of a similar genre
• Highlight the gender roles of characters in literary works
• Social stratification and Harry Potter- Discuss
• With Charles Dickens’ work in mind, explain the peculiarity of the bildungsroman genre.
• Explain how The Lord of the Rings uses artificial language
• Explain how the Sherlock Holmes image influences the world of detective fiction
• Explain the war theme in the world literature

These are also great literary journalism topics. Nevertheless, they require extensive research to write about.

In a nutshell, students have many literary argument topics to consider. The most important thing is to choose an interesting topic that you can find sufficient data to write about. Also, don’t hesitate to check our history topics .

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Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

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• Black Americans Have a Clear Vision for Reducing Racism but Little Hope It Will Happen

Many say key U.S. institutions should be rebuilt to ensure fair treatment

Table of contents.

• Black Americans see little improvement in their lives despite increased national attention to racial issues
• Few Black adults expect equality for Black people in the U.S.
• Black adults say racism and police brutality are extremely big problems for Black people in the U.S.
• Personal experiences with discrimination are widespread among Black Americans
• Black adults see voting as the most effective strategy for moving toward equality in the U.S.
• Some Black adults see Black businesses and communities as effective remedies for inequality
• Black Americans say race matters little when choosing political allies
• The legacy of slavery affects Black Americans today
• Most Black adults agree the descendants of enslaved people should be repaid
• The types of repayment Black adults think would be most helpful
• Responsibility for reparations and the likelihood repayment will occur
• Black adults say the criminal justice system needs to be completely rebuilt
• Black adults say political, economic and health care systems need major changes to ensure fair treatment
• Most Black adults say funding for police departments should stay the same or increase
• Acknowledgments
• Appendix: Supplemental tables
• The American Trends Panel survey methodology

Pew Research Center conducted this analysis to understand the nuances among Black people on issues of racial inequality and social change in the United States. This in-depth survey explores differences among Black Americans in their views on the social status of the Black population in the U.S.; their assessments of racial inequality; their visions for institutional and social change; and their outlook on the chances that these improvements will be made. The analysis is the latest in the Center’s series of in-depth surveys of public opinion among Black Americans (read the first, “ Faith Among Black Americans ” and “ Race Is Central to Identity for Black Americans and Affects How They Connect With Each Other ”).

The online survey of 3,912 Black U.S. adults was conducted Oct. 4-17, 2021. Black U.S. adults include those who are single-race, non-Hispanic Black Americans; multiracial non-Hispanic Black Americans; and adults who indicate they are Black and Hispanic. The survey includes 1,025 Black adults on Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP) and 2,887 Black adults on Ipsos’ KnowledgePanel. Respondents on both panels are recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses.

Recruiting panelists by phone or mail ensures that nearly all U.S. Black adults have a chance of selection. This gives us confidence that any sample can represent the whole population (see our Methods 101 explainer on random sampling). Here are the questions used for the survey of Black adults, along with its responses and methodology .

The terms “Black Americans,” “Black people” and “Black adults” are used interchangeably throughout this report to refer to U.S. adults who self-identify as Black, either alone or in combination with other races or Hispanic identity.

Throughout this report, “Black, non-Hispanic” respondents are those who identify as single-race Black and say they have no Hispanic background. “Black Hispanic” respondents are those who identify as Black and say they have Hispanic background. We use the terms “Black Hispanic” and “Hispanic Black” interchangeably. “Multiracial” respondents are those who indicate two or more racial backgrounds (one of which is Black) and say they are not Hispanic.

Respondents were asked a question about how important being Black was to how they think about themselves. In this report, we use the term “being Black” when referencing responses to this question.

In this report, “immigrant” refers to people who were not U.S. citizens at birth – in other words, those born outside the U.S., Puerto Rico or other U.S. territories to parents who were not U.S. citizens. We use the terms “immigrant,” “born abroad” and “foreign-born” interchangeably.

Throughout this report, “Democrats and Democratic leaners” and just “Democrats” both refer to respondents who identify politically with the Democratic Party or who are independent or some other party but lean toward the Democratic Party. “Republicans and Republican leaners” and just “Republicans” both refer to respondents who identify politically with the Republican Party or are independent or some other party but lean toward the Republican Party.

Respondents were asked a question about their voter registration status. In this report, respondents are considered registered to vote if they self-report being absolutely certain they are registered at their current address. Respondents are considered not registered to vote if they report not being registered or express uncertainty about their registration.

To create the upper-, middle- and lower-income tiers, respondents’ 2020 family incomes were adjusted for differences in purchasing power by geographic region and household size. Respondents were then placed into income tiers: “Middle income” is defined as two-thirds to double the median annual income for the entire survey sample. “Lower income” falls below that range, and “upper income” lies above it. For more information about how the income tiers were created, read the methodology .

More than a year after the murder of George Floyd and the national protests, debate and political promises that ensued, 65% of Black Americans say the increased national attention on racial inequality has not led to changes that improved their lives. 1 And 44% say equality for Black people in the United States is not likely to be achieved, according to newly released findings from an October 2021 survey of Black Americans by Pew Research Center.

This is somewhat of a reversal in views from September 2020, when half of Black adults said the increased national focus on issues of race would lead to major policy changes to address racial inequality in the country and 56% expected changes that would make their lives better.

At the same time, many Black Americans are concerned about racial discrimination and its impact. Roughly eight-in-ten say they have personally experienced discrimination because of their race or ethnicity (79%), and most also say discrimination is the main reason many Black people cannot get ahead (68%).  

Even so, Black Americans have a clear vision for how to achieve change when it comes to racial inequality. This includes support for significant reforms to or complete overhauls of several U.S. institutions to ensure fair treatment, particularly the criminal justice system; political engagement, primarily in the form of voting; support for Black businesses to advance Black communities; and reparations in the forms of educational, business and homeownership assistance. Yet alongside their assessments of inequality and ideas about progress exists pessimism about whether U.S. society and its institutions will change in ways that would reduce racism.

These findings emerge from an extensive Pew Research Center survey of 3,912 Black Americans conducted online Oct. 4-17, 2021. The survey explores how Black Americans assess their position in U.S. society and their ideas about social change. Overall, Black Americans are clear on what they think the problems are facing the country and how to remedy them. However, they are skeptical that meaningful changes will take place in their lifetime.

Black Americans see racism in our laws as a big problem and discrimination as a roadblock to progress

Black adults were asked in the survey to assess the current nature of racism in the United States and whether structural or individual sources of this racism are a bigger problem for Black people. About half of Black adults (52%) say racism in our laws is a bigger problem than racism by individual people, while four-in-ten (43%) say acts of racism committed by individual people is the bigger problem. Only 3% of Black adults say that Black people do not experience discrimination in the U.S. today.

In assessing the magnitude of problems that they face, the majority of Black Americans say racism (63%), police brutality (60%) and economic inequality (54%) are extremely or very big problems for Black people living in the U.S. Slightly smaller shares say the same about the affordability of health care (47%), limitations on voting (46%), and the quality of K-12 schools (40%).

Aside from their critiques of U.S. institutions, Black adults also feel the impact of racial inequality personally. Most Black adults say they occasionally or frequently experience unfair treatment because of their race or ethnicity (79%), and two-thirds (68%) cite racial discrimination as the main reason many Black people cannot get ahead today.

Black Americans’ views on reducing racial inequality

Black Americans are clear on the challenges they face because of racism. They are also clear on the solutions. These range from overhauls of policing practices and the criminal justice system to civic engagement and reparations to descendants of people enslaved in the United States.

Changing U.S. institutions such as policing, courts and prison systems

About nine-in-ten Black adults say multiple aspects of the criminal justice system need some kind of change (minor, major or a complete overhaul) to ensure fair treatment, with nearly all saying so about policing (95%), the courts and judicial process (95%), and the prison system (94%).

Roughly half of Black adults say policing (49%), the courts and judicial process (48%), and the prison system (54%) need to be completely rebuilt for Black people to be treated fairly. Smaller shares say the same about the political system (42%), the economic system (37%) and the health care system (34%), according to the October survey.

While Black Americans are in favor of significant changes to policing, most want spending on police departments in their communities to stay the same (39%) or increase (35%). A little more than one-in-five (23%) think spending on police departments in their area should be decreased.

Black adults who favor decreases in police spending are most likely to name medical, mental health and social services (40%) as the top priority for those reappropriated funds. Smaller shares say K-12 schools (25%), roads, water systems and other infrastructure (12%), and reducing taxes (13%) should be the top priority.

Voting and ‘buying Black’ viewed as important strategies for Black community advancement

Black Americans also have clear views on the types of political and civic engagement they believe will move Black communities forward. About six-in-ten Black adults say voting (63%) and supporting Black businesses or “buying Black” (58%) are extremely or very effective strategies for moving Black people toward equality in the U.S. Smaller though still significant shares say the same about volunteering with organizations dedicated to Black equality (48%), protesting (42%) and contacting elected officials (40%).

Black adults were also asked about the effectiveness of Black economic and political independence in moving them toward equality. About four-in-ten (39%) say Black ownership of all businesses in Black neighborhoods would be an extremely or very effective strategy for moving toward racial equality, while roughly three-in-ten (31%) say the same about establishing a national Black political party. And about a quarter of Black adults (27%) say having Black neighborhoods governed entirely by Black elected officials would be extremely or very effective in moving Black people toward equality.

Most Black Americans support repayment for slavery

Discussions about atonement for slavery predate the founding of the United States. As early as 1672 , Quaker abolitionists advocated for enslaved people to be paid for their labor once they were free. And in recent years, some U.S. cities and institutions have implemented reparations policies to do just that.

Most Black Americans say the legacy of slavery affects the position of Black people in the U.S. either a great deal (55%) or a fair amount (30%), according to the survey. And roughly three-quarters (77%) say descendants of people enslaved in the U.S. should be repaid in some way.

Black adults who say descendants of the enslaved should be repaid support doing so in different ways. About eight-in-ten say repayment in the forms of educational scholarships (80%), financial assistance for starting or improving a business (77%), and financial assistance for buying or remodeling a home (76%) would be extremely or very helpful. A slightly smaller share (69%) say cash payments would be extremely or very helpful forms of repayment for the descendants of enslaved people.

Where the responsibility for repayment lies is also clear for Black Americans. Among those who say the descendants of enslaved people should be repaid, 81% say the U.S. federal government should have all or most of the responsibility for repayment. About three-quarters (76%) say businesses and banks that profited from slavery should bear all or most of the responsibility for repayment. And roughly six-in-ten say the same about colleges and universities that benefited from slavery (63%) and descendants of families who engaged in the slave trade (60%).

Black Americans are skeptical change will happen

Even though Black Americans’ visions for social change are clear, very few expect them to be implemented. Overall, 44% of Black adults say equality for Black people in the U.S. is a little or not at all likely. A little over a third (38%) say it is somewhat likely and only 13% say it is extremely or very likely.

They also do not think specific institutions will change. Two-thirds of Black adults say changes to the prison system (67%) and the courts and judicial process (65%) that would ensure fair treatment for Black people are a little or not at all likely in their lifetime. About six-in-ten (58%) say the same about policing. Only about one-in-ten say changes to policing (13%), the courts and judicial process (12%), and the prison system (11%) are extremely or very likely.

This pessimism is not only about the criminal justice system. The majority of Black adults say the political (63%), economic (62%) and health care (51%) systems are also unlikely to change in their lifetime.

Black Americans’ vision for social change includes reparations. However, much like their pessimism about institutional change, very few think they will see reparations in their lifetime. Among Black adults who say the descendants of people enslaved in the U.S. should be repaid, 82% say reparations for slavery are unlikely to occur in their lifetime. About one-in-ten (11%) say repayment is somewhat likely, while only 7% say repayment is extremely or very likely to happen in their lifetime.

Black Democrats, Republicans differ on assessments of inequality and visions for social change

Party affiliation is one key point of difference among Black Americans in their assessments of racial inequality and their visions for social change. Black Republicans and Republican leaners are more likely than Black Democrats and Democratic leaners to focus on the acts of individuals. For example, when summarizing the nature of racism against Black people in the U.S., the majority of Black Republicans (59%) say racist acts committed by individual people is a bigger problem for Black people than racism in our laws. Black Democrats (41%) are less likely to hold this view.

Black Republicans (45%) are also more likely than Black Democrats (21%) to say that Black people who cannot get ahead in the U.S. are mostly responsible for their own condition. And while similar shares of Black Republicans (79%) and Democrats (80%) say they experience racial discrimination on a regular basis, Republicans (64%) are more likely than Democrats (36%) to say that most Black people who want to get ahead can make it if they are willing to work hard.

On the other hand, Black Democrats are more likely than Black Republicans to focus on the impact that racial inequality has on Black Americans. Seven-in-ten Black Democrats (73%) say racial discrimination is the main reason many Black people cannot get ahead in the U.S, while about four-in-ten Black Republicans (44%) say the same. And Black Democrats are more likely than Black Republicans to say racism (67% vs. 46%) and police brutality (65% vs. 44%) are extremely big problems for Black people today.

Black Democrats are also more critical of U.S. institutions than Black Republicans are. For example, Black Democrats are more likely than Black Republicans to say the prison system (57% vs. 35%), policing (52% vs. 29%) and the courts and judicial process (50% vs. 35%) should be completely rebuilt for Black people to be treated fairly.

While the share of Black Democrats who want to see large-scale changes to the criminal justice system exceeds that of Black Republicans, they share similar views on police funding. Four-in-ten each of Black Democrats and Black Republicans say funding for police departments in their communities should remain the same, while around a third of each partisan coalition (36% and 37%, respectively) says funding should increase. Only about one-in-four Black Democrats (24%) and one-in-five Black Republicans (21%) say funding for police departments in their communities should decrease.

Among the survey’s other findings:

Black adults differ by age in their views on political strategies. Black adults ages 65 and older (77%) are most likely to say voting is an extremely or very effective strategy for moving Black people toward equality. They are significantly more likely than Black adults ages 18 to 29 (48%) and 30 to 49 (60%) to say this. Black adults 65 and older (48%) are also more likely than those ages 30 to 49 (38%) and 50 to 64 (42%) to say protesting is an extremely or very effective strategy. Roughly four-in-ten Black adults ages 18 to 29 say this (44%).

Gender plays a role in how Black adults view policing. Though majorities of Black women (65%) and men (56%) say police brutality is an extremely big problem for Black people living in the U.S. today, Black women are more likely than Black men to hold this view. When it comes to criminal justice, Black women (56%) and men (51%) are about equally likely to share the view that the prison system should be completely rebuilt to ensure fair treatment of Black people. However, Black women (52%) are slightly more likely than Black men (45%) to say this about policing. On the matter of police funding, Black women (39%) are slightly more likely than Black men (31%) to say police funding in their communities should be increased. On the other hand, Black men are more likely than Black women to prefer that funding stay the same (44% vs. 36%). Smaller shares of both Black men (23%) and women (22%) would like to see police funding decreased.

Income impacts Black adults’ views on reparations. Roughly eight-in-ten Black adults with lower (78%), middle (77%) and upper incomes (79%) say the descendants of people enslaved in the U.S. should receive reparations. Among those who support reparations, Black adults with upper and middle incomes (both 84%) are more likely than those with lower incomes (75%) to say educational scholarships would be an extremely or very helpful form of repayment. However, of those who support reparations, Black adults with lower (72%) and middle incomes (68%) are more likely than those with higher incomes (57%) to say cash payments would be an extremely or very helpful form of repayment for slavery.

• Black adults in the September 2020 survey only include those who say their race is Black alone and are non-Hispanic. The same is true only for the questions of improvements to Black people’s lives and equality in the United States in the October 2021 survey. Throughout the rest of this report, Black adults include those who say their race is Black alone and non-Hispanic; those who say their race is Black and at least one other race and non-Hispanic; or Black and Hispanic, unless otherwise noted. ↩

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