How to Choose a Research Topic in High School

Choosing a research topic is the most important—and often most paralyzing—step of any research project.

Pick the wrong topic, and you'll waste months on something unfeasible. Pick a topic too broad, and you'll never finish. Pick something you don't care about, and you'll quit before publishing.

This guide walks you through a proven process to find the right research topic—one that's original, feasible, and genuinely interesting to you.

The Three Requirements of a Good Research Topic

Before diving into brainstorming, understand what makes a topic "good":

1. Original

Your topic must add something new to existing knowledge. This doesn't mean inventing a new field—it means:

• Applying an existing method to a new problem
• Studying a population that hasn't been studied
• Combining two fields in a novel way
• Answering a question that hasn't been answered

2. Feasible

You must be able to actually complete the research. Consider:

• Can you access the data or equipment needed?
• Do you have (or can you learn) the required skills?
• Can you finish in your available time (typically 8-12 weeks)?
• Are there ethical or practical barriers?

3. Interesting (to You)

Research requires persistence through frustrating moments. If you're not genuinely curious about your topic, you'll quit when things get hard.

Step 1: Start with Your Interests

Don't start with "what topic will impress colleges." Start with genuine curiosity.

Questions to Ask Yourself

• What problems do I notice in my daily life?
• What topics do I find myself reading about for fun?
• What classes have I found most engaging?
• What issues do I care about changing?
• What conversations do I get excited about?

Interest Mapping Exercise

Create a list of 10+ interests, then look for intersections:

Example:

• Interest 1: Machine learning
• Interest 2: Healthcare
• Interest 3: Accessibility
• Intersection: Using ML to improve healthcare accessibility (e.g., diagnostic tools for underserved communities)

Example:

• Interest 1: Environmental science
• Interest 2: Data analysis
• Interest 3: Local community
• Intersection: Analyzing environmental data in your local area (e.g., air quality, water quality, urban heat islands)

Step 2: Explore the Literature

Once you have interest areas, see what research already exists.

Where to Search

• Google Scholar — Academic papers across all fields
• PubMed — Biomedical and life sciences
• arXiv — Physics, math, computer science, quantitative biology
• SSRN — Social sciences, economics, law

What to Look For

1. Review articles: Summaries of a field that identify gaps and future directions
2. Recent papers: What are researchers currently working on?
3. "Future work" sections: Authors often suggest next steps they didn't pursue
4. Methodology: What techniques are being used that you could apply elsewhere?

Reading Strategy

You don't need to understand every paper completely. Focus on:

• Abstracts: Get the main point in 2 minutes
• Introduction: Understand the problem and why it matters
• Discussion/Conclusion: See what was found and what remains unknown

Step 3: Find the Gap

Great research fills a gap in existing knowledge. Here's how to find gaps:

Types of Gaps

1. Unstudied Population

• A study was done on adults—what about teenagers?
• Research exists for the US—what about your country/region?
• Data exists for one demographic—what about another?

2. Unstudied Variable

• A relationship was studied between A and B—what about A and C?
• A factor was identified—but what causes that factor?

3. New Method

• A problem was studied with traditional statistics—what about machine learning?
• An analysis was done manually—could it be automated?

4. New Data

• A study used old data—what happens with updated data?
• Research used one dataset—what about combining multiple sources?

5. Real-World Application

• A theoretical model exists—does it work in practice?
• A solution was proposed—can it be implemented?

Gap-Finding Questions

Ask these about any paper you read:

• What didn't this paper study?
• What assumptions did they make?
• What populations were excluded?
• What methods could be improved?
• What would happen if you changed one variable?

Step 4: Narrow Your Question

A common mistake: topics that are too broad.

From Broad to Specific

Too broad: "Climate change and health" Better: "The relationship between urban heat islands and emergency room visits in Phoenix, Arizona"

Too broad: "AI in medicine" Better: "Using convolutional neural networks to detect diabetic retinopathy in retinal images"

Too broad: "Social media and mental health" Better: "The correlation between Instagram usage patterns and anxiety symptoms in high school students"

The Specificity Test

Your topic should be specific enough that you can imagine:

1. Exactly what data you would collect
2. Exactly what analysis you would do
3. Exactly what your results might look like
4. How long it would take to complete

If any of these are vague, narrow further.

Step 5: Test Feasibility

Before committing, verify you can actually do this research.

Feasibility Checklist

Data Access

• I know where to get my data
• The data exists and is accessible
• I have permission to use it (if needed)
• The data is in a usable format

Skills

• I have the technical skills needed (or can learn them quickly)
• I understand the methodology basics
• I know what tools/software I'll use

Time

• I can complete this in 8-12 weeks
• The scope is realistic for my available hours
• I have buffer time for unexpected problems

Resources

• I have access to required equipment (if any)
• I have computational resources needed
• I have mentor support available

Ethics

• My research doesn't require IRB approval I can't get
• I'm not studying vulnerable populations inappropriately
• Data privacy is not a barrier

Red Flags

Reconsider your topic if:

• You need data that doesn't exist or isn't accessible
• You need equipment you don't have
• The timeline is unrealistic
• You need skills that would take months to learn
• Ethical barriers are significant

Step 6: Validate with an Expert

Before investing months, get feedback from someone who knows the field.

Why Expert Validation Matters

• They know if your idea is truly original
• They can spot feasibility issues you missed
• They can suggest refinements that strengthen your project
• They may become your mentor

How to Get Feedback

Option 1: Cold email a professor

• Find researchers in your area of interest
• Send a brief, professional email with your idea
• Ask for 15 minutes of feedback

Option 2: Ask your science teacher

• They may know local researchers
• They can give initial feedback on feasibility

Option 3: Join a structured program

• Programs like the YRI Fellowship match you with PhD mentors who help refine your topic
• Expert guidance from day one prevents wasted effort

Research Topic Ideas by Field

Need inspiration? Here are proven topic areas for high school research:

Computer Science / AI

• Machine learning for medical image analysis
• Natural language processing for sentiment analysis
• Computer vision applications (object detection, classification)
• Algorithmic bias detection and mitigation
• Predictive modeling with public datasets

Biology / Biomedical

• Computational drug discovery
• Genomics and gene expression analysis
• Epidemiological studies using public health data
• Microbiome research
• Disease prediction models

Environmental Science

• Urban heat island analysis
• Air/water quality monitoring
• Climate data analysis
• Biodiversity studies
• Renewable energy optimization

Psychology / Social Science

• Survey-based behavioral studies
• Social media content analysis
• Educational intervention effectiveness
• Decision-making research
• Cognitive bias studies

Economics / Public Policy

• Economic indicator analysis
• Policy impact evaluation
• Market behavior studies
• Inequality research
• Public health economics

Physics / Engineering

• Simulation and modeling
• Materials analysis
• Energy efficiency studies
• Acoustic or optical research
• Robotics and automation

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Choosing Based on Impressiveness

Don't pick a topic because it sounds impressive. Pick one you'll actually enjoy working on for months.

2. Going Too Broad

Narrow, deep research beats shallow, broad research. You can always expand later.

3. Ignoring Feasibility

A brilliant idea you can't execute is worthless. Be realistic about constraints.

4. Skipping Literature Review

Don't assume your idea is original without checking. Someone may have already done it.

5. Working in Isolation

Get feedback early. A mentor can save you months of wasted effort.

Your Topic Selection Checklist

Before committing to a topic, confirm:

• Original: I've checked the literature and this adds something new
• Feasible: I have data, skills, time, and resources
• Interesting: I'm genuinely curious about this question
• Specific: I can describe exactly what I'll do
• Validated: An expert has given feedback
• Publishable: This could lead to a real paper

Getting Help with Topic Selection

Choosing a topic is hard—but you don't have to do it alone.

The YRI Fellowship provides:

• 1:1 PhD mentorship from experts in your field
• Topic refinement to ensure originality and feasibility
• Literature review guidance to find the right gap
• Ongoing support through the entire research process

YRI mentors have helped students develop topics that led to published papers and science fair wins. Learn more: How YRI Works

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if my research topic is original? Search Google Scholar and relevant databases for similar studies. If you find exact matches, you need a new angle. Look for gaps: different population, method, variable, or context.

What if I can't access the data I need? Pivot to publicly available data. Many high-quality datasets are free: government data, academic repositories, Kaggle, etc. Your mentor can help identify alternatives.

How long should it take to choose a topic? Ideally 1-2 weeks of focused exploration. Don't rush, but don't get stuck in analysis paralysis. Better to start and refine than to never begin.

Can I change my topic after starting? Yes, but it's costly. Pivoting early is fine; pivoting after weeks of work is painful. Validate thoroughly before committing.

What makes a topic good for science fairs? Science fair judges look for originality, rigor, and real-world impact. Topics with clear applications and novel approaches tend to win. See our ISEF Guide for more.

Should I choose a topic in my intended college major? Not necessarily. Genuine interest matters more than strategic alignment. Admissions officers appreciate depth and passion in any field.

Next Steps

1. Complete the interest mapping exercise from Step 1
2. Spend 2-3 hours exploring literature in your interest areas
3. Identify 3-5 potential gaps you could investigate
4. Narrow to one specific question using the specificity test
5. Validate with an expert before committing

Ready for expert guidance? Apply to YRI Fellowship →

Related guides:

• How to Do Research in High School
• How to Find a Research Mentor
• How to Publish Research as a High School Student