topics for research paper on technology

54 Most Interesting Technology Research Topics for 2023

May 30, 2023

Scrambling to find technology research topics for the assignment that’s due sooner than you thought? Take a scroll down these 54 interesting technology essay topics in 10 different categories, including controversial technology topics, and some example research questions for each.

Social technology research topics

Whether you have active profiles on every social media platform, you’ve taken a social media break, or you generally try to limit your engagement as much as possible, you probably understand how pervasive social technologies have become in today’s culture. Social technology will especially appeal to those looking for widely discussed, mainstream technology essay topics.

How do viewers respond to virtual influencers vs human influencers? Is one more effective or ethical over the other?
Across social media platforms, when and where is mob mentality most prevalent? How do the nuances of mob mentality shift depending on the platform or topic?
Portable devices like cell phones, laptops, and tablets have certainly made daily life easier in some ways. But how have they made daily life more difficult?
How does access to social media affect developing brains? And what about mature brains?
Can dating apps alter how users perceive and interact with people in real life?
Studies have proven “doomscrolling” to negatively impact mental health—could there ever be any positive impacts?

Cryptocurrency and blockchain technology research topics

Following cryptocurrency and blockchain technology has been a rollercoaster the last few years. And since Bitcoin’s conception in 2009, cryptocurrency has consistently showed up on many lists of controversial technology topics.

Is it ethical for celebrities or influential people to promote cryptocurrencies or cryptographic assets like NFTs ?
What are the environmental impacts of mining cryptocurrencies? Could those impacts ever change?
How does cryptocurrency impact financial security and financial health?
Could the privacy cryptocurrency offers ever be worth the added security risks?
How might cryptocurrency regulations and impacts continue to evolve?
Created to enable cryptocurrency, blockchain has since proven useful in several other industries. What new uses could blockchain have?

Artificial intelligence technology research topics

We started 2023 with M3GAN’s box office success, and now we’re fascinated (or horrified) with ChatGPT , voice cloning , and deepfakes . While people have discussed artificial intelligence for ages, recent advances have really pushed this topic to the front of our minds. Those searching for controversial technology topics should pay close attention to this one.

OpenAI –the company behind ChatGPT–has shown commitment to safe, moderated AI tools that they hope will provide positive benefits to society. Sam Altman, their CEO, recently testified before a US Senate He described what AI makes possible and called for more regulation in the industry. But even with companies like OpenAI displaying efforts to produce safe AI and advocating for regulations, can AI ever have a purely positive impact? Are certain pitfalls unavoidable?
In a similar vein, can AI ever actually be ethically or safely produced? Will there always be certain risks?
How might AI tools impact society across future generations?
Countless movies and television shows explore the idea of AI going wrong, going back all the way to 1927’s Metropolis . What has a greater impact on public perception—representations in media or industry developments? And can public perception impact industry developments and their effectiveness?

Beauty and anti-aging technology

Throughout human history, people in many cultures have gone to extreme lengths to capture and maintain a youthful beauty. But technology has taken the pursuit of beauty and youth to another level. For those seeking technology essay topics that are both timely and timeless, this one’s a gold mine.

With augmented reality technology, companies like Perfect allow app users to virtually try on makeup, hair color, hair accessories, and hand or wrist accessories. Could virtual try-ons lead to a somewhat less wasteful beauty industry? What downsides should we consider?
Users of the Perfect app can also receive virtual diagnoses for skin care issues and virtually “beautify” themselves with smoothed skin, erased blemishes, whitened teeth, brightened under-eye circles, and reshaped facial structures. How could advancements in beauty and anti-aging technology affect self-perception and mental health?
What are the best alternatives to animal testing within the beauty and anti-aging industry?
Is anti-aging purely a cosmetic pursuit? Could anti-aging technology provide other benefits?
Could people actually find a “cure” to aging? And could a cure to aging lead to longer lifespans?
How might longer human lifespans affect the Earth?

Geoengineering technology research topics

An umbrella term, geoengineering refers to large-scale technologies that can alter the earth and its climate. Typically, these types of technologies aim to combat climate change. Those searching for controversial technology topics should consider looking into this one.

What benefits can solar geoengineering provide? Can they outweigh the severe risks?
Compare solar geoengineering methods like mirrors in space, stratospheric aerosol injection, marine cloud brightening, and other proposed methods. How have these methods evolved? How might they continue to evolve?
Which direct air capture methods are most sustainable?
How can technology contribute to reforestation efforts?
What are the best uses for biochar? And how can biochar help or harm the earth?
Out of all the carbon geoengineering methods that exist or have been proposed, which should we focus on the most?

Creative and performing arts technology topics

While tensions often arise between artists and technology, they’ve also maintained a symbiotic relationship in many ways. It’s complicated. But of course, that’s what makes it interesting. Here’s another option for those searching for timely and timeless technology essay topics.

How has the relationship between art and technology evolved over time?
How has technology impacted the ways people create art? And how has technology impacted the ways people engage with art?
Technology has made creating and viewing art widely accessible. Does this increased accessibility change the value of art? And do we value physical art more than digital art?
Does technology complement storytelling in the performing arts? Or does technology hinder storytelling in the performing arts?
Which current issues in the creative or performing arts could potentially be solved with technology?

Cellular agriculture technology research topics

And another route for those drawn to controversial technology topics: cellular agriculture. You’ve probably heard about popular plant-based meat options from brands like Impossible and Beyond Meat . While products made with cellular agriculture also don’t require the raising and slaughtering of livestock, they are not plant-based. Cellular agriculture allows for the production of animal-sourced foods and materials made from cultured animal cells.

Many consumers have a proven bias against plant-based meats. Will that same bias extend to cultured meat, despite cultured meat coming from actual animal cells?
Which issues can arise from patenting genes?
Does the animal agriculture industry provide any benefits that cellular agriculture may have trouble replicating?
How might products made with cellular agriculture become more affordable?
Could cellular agriculture conflict with the notion of a “ circular bioeconomy ?” And should we strive for a circular bioeconomy? Can we create a sustainable relationship between technology, capitalism, and the environment, with or without cellular agriculture?

Transportation technology research topics

For decades, we’ve expected flying cars to carry us into a techno-utopia, where everything’s shiny, digital, and easy. We’ve heard promises of super fast trains that can zap us across the country or even across the world. We’ve imagined spring breaks on the moon, jet packs, and teleportation. Who wouldn’t love the option to go anywhere, anytime, super quickly? Transportation technology is another great option for those seeking widely discussed, mainstream technology essay topics.

Once upon a time, Lady Gaga was set to perform in space as a promotion for Virgin Galactic . While Virgin Galactic never actually launched the iconic musician/actor, soon, they hope to launch their first commercial flight full of civilians–who paid $450,000 a pop–on a 90-minute trip into the stars. And if you think that’s pricey, SpaceX launched three businessmen into space for $55 million in April, 2022 (though with meals included, this is actually a total steal). So should we be launching people into space just for fun? What are the impacts of space tourism?
Could technology improve the way hazardous materials get transported?
How can the 5.9 GHz Safety Band affect drivers?
Which might be safer: self-driving cars or self-flying airplanes?
Compare hyperloop and maglev Which is better and why?
Can technology improve safety for cyclists?

Gaming technology topics

A recent study involving over 2000 children found links between video game play and enhanced cognitive abilities. While many different studies have found the impacts of video games to be positive or neutral, we still don’t fully understand the impact of every type of video game on every type of brain. Regardless, most people have opinions on video gaming. So this one’s for those seeking widely discussed, mainstream, and controversial technology topics.

Are different types or genres of video games more cognitively beneficial than others? Or are certain gaming consoles more cognitively beneficial than others?
How do the impacts of video games differ from other types of games, such as board games or puzzles?
What ethical challenges and safety risks come with virtual reality gaming?
How does a player perceive reality during a virtual reality game compared to during other types of video games?
Can neurodivergent brains benefit from video games in different ways than neurotypical brains?

Medical technology

Advancements in healthcare have the power to change and save lives. In the last ten years, countless new medical technologies have been developed, and in the next ten years, countless more will likely emerge. Always relevant and often controversial, this final technology research topic could interest anyone.

Which ethical issues might arise from editing genes using CRISPR-Cas9 technology? And should this technology continue to be illegal in the United States?
How has telemedicine impacted patients and the healthcare they receive?
Can neurotechnology devices potentially affect a user’s agency, identity, privacy, and/or cognitive liberty?
How could the use of medical 3-D printing continue to evolve?
Are patients more likely to skip digital therapeutics than in-person therapeutic methods? And can the increased screen-time required by digital therapeutics impact mental health

What do you do next?

Now that you’ve picked from this list of technology essay topics, you can do a deep dive and immerse yourself in new ideas, new information, and new perspectives. And of course, now that these topics have motivated you to change the world, look into the best computer science schools , the top feeders to tech and Silicon Valley , the best summer programs for STEM students , and the best biomedical engineering schools .

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Mariya holds a BFA in Creative Writing from the Pratt Institute and is currently pursuing an MFA in writing at the University of California Davis. Mariya serves as a teaching assistant in the English department at UC Davis. She previously served as an associate editor at Carve Magazine for two years, where she managed 60 fiction writers. She is the winner of the 2015 Stony Brook Fiction Prize, and her short stories have been published in Mid-American Review , Cutbank , Sonora Review , New Orleans Review , and The Collagist , among other magazines.

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177 of the Finest Technology Research Topics in 2023

We live in a technological era, and you can be sure of being asked to write a technology-oriented paper. Despite the contrary opinion that this is one of the most complicated tasks, students can comfortably develop a professional topic about technology for writing a research paper . In a technology research paper, students are tasked with exploring the various aspects of technology, such as inventions, their impacts, and emerging challenges. Since almost every sphere of life encompasses technology, it is nearly impossible to miss out on a technology topic or two.

High-quality technology research paper topics should: Demonstrate your understanding of various technological concepts Portray your ability to apply these concepts to real-life situations Show how technology impacts society.

The task of coming up with technology topics involves the following stages:

Extensively reading on technology
Identifying distinct technological aspects
Brainstorming on potential technology titles for your paper
Consulting your supervisor

The last step is essential in ensuring that your topic aligns with the academic standards of your institutions. Have a look at the following writing prompts for your inspiration:

Medical laboratory Technology Research Topics

The role of technological innovations in the medical laboratories
Cost-saving technologies in the field of medical laboratory
A comparative analysis of the current techniques in the microbial examination
The role of technology in the isolation and identification of nematodes
The effects of 5G on the study of cancerous cells
Evaluating the concentration of electrolytes using technology
Describe the various parameters used in biochemical reactions
A comparative analysis of the activities of cells under a light microscope
Assess the various technologies used to view microscopic organisms
An evaluation of the role of technology in combating COVID-19

Interesting Information Technology Topics

Challenges facing cloud computing and virtualization
Various Federal information standards that affect information technologies
Discuss the various identity and access management practices for information technologies
Why the male dominates the field of computational science
Analyze the various cybersecurity issues arising
Evaluate the various challenges associated with software research
Why is the field of networking prone to attacks?
Health issues arising from the use of biometrics in companies
Why data entry is attracting a large number of interested parties
The role of the Internet of Things is transforming the world.

Argumentative Technology Topics

Why mobile devices can be both instruments and victims of privacy violations
Why PINs and passwords for mobile devices are a security threat
The impact of downloading malware disguised as a useful application
Reasons why out-of-date operating systems are a threat to your computer’s security
Why it is not advisable to use wireless transmissions that are not always encrypted
Changes in workflow and project management arising from technological advancements
The best method to develop and implement cloud solutions for companies
The cost of having cloud engineers and support professionals
The role of workplace monitoring in interfering with people’s privacy
Why information technology laws vary from one country to another

Hot Research Proposal Topics in Information Technology

Discuss the considerations in developing human augmentation technologies
Will big data analytics survive in the future?
Is it possible to achieve a paper-free world?
Long-term effects of over-dependence on technology
Is technology solving world problems or creating more of them?
What is the impact of children growing up in a technology oriented world?
How was social media responsible for the chaos at the US Capitol?
Is it right for governments to monitor and censor citizen’s access to the internet?
The impact of texting and calling on family relationships
What are the implications of depending on online thesis help?

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Top-notch Research Paper Topics on Technology

The impact of Genetically Modified organisms on the health of a population
Compare and contrast the functioning of the human brain to that of a computer.
The role of video games on a person’s problem-solving skills
Where is technology taking the world in the next ten years?
What digital tools make people less productive?
What censorship mechanisms are needed to control people’s behavior on the internet?
The impact of digital learning on schools
Why is genetic testing essential for couples?
Discuss the ethical implications of mechanical reproduction
Discuss the role of innovations in finding treatment for terminal diseases

Latest Research Topics About technology

The impact of computers in academic research
Why artificial intelligence may not be the best option for our daily lives
Should parents restrict the amount of time spent on the internet by their kids?
What are the legal and moral implications of digital voting?
Is augmented reality the new way of online shopping?
Discuss the challenges that arise from game addiction
Evaluate the safety of VPNs in a global enterprise
Why is streaming becoming the best option for church services?
Discuss the efficiency of working from home versus physically going to the workplace
The effects of computer-generated imagery in films and games

Controversial Technology Topics

Does online communication make the world bigger or smaller?
What is the ethical implication of having ID chips in our brains?
Should families use gene editing for coming up with children of desirable qualities?
Are the cybersecurity laws punitive enough?
Is cryptocurrency turning around the financial industry for the worst?
Are self-driving vehicles safe on our roads?
Is it possible to attain self-awareness using Artificial Intelligence technologies?
The risk of x-rays on a person’s health
Is it possible for robots to live peacefully with humans?
Compare and contrast between machine learning and natural language processing

Impressive Technology Topic Ideas for High School

The impact of developing autonomous cars using computer vision applications
Discuss the interconnection between the internet of things and artificial intelligence
The effects of ultra-violet technologies in the health industry
The impact of communication networks on people’s attitudes
The role of internet technologies on marketing and branding
How has the world of music changed with the emergence of video editing technologies?
Describe the psychology behind video blog communication
Effective ways of maintaining privacy in social media
Is it possible to live without mass media in the world?
The impact of technology on the morality of the world in the 21 st century

Educational Technology Topics

Why is technology relevant in advancing scientific research?
Discuss how computational thinking is shaping critical thinking among students
What is the effect of professional learning for college students?
The role of virtual reality in helping students understand complex concepts
Is global learning through technology watering down education standards?
Discuss various energy sources to support technology use in education
Is the architecture of learning systems inclusive enough?
Discuss the impact of connectivity for schools & learning, esp. in rural environments
The role of data centers in education
Is it possible to develop sufficient national capacities related to science, technology, and innovation?

Updated Technology Related Topics in Agriculture

The role of soil and water sensors in improving crop yields
Why farmers rely on weather tracking technologies for their farming activities
The significant role of satellite imaging in agricultural activities
How do farmers use pervasive automation technologies for their farms?
The effect of mini-chromosomal technologies on agriculture
Why vertical agriculture is the future of agriculture
Conditions necessary for hydroponics in developed nations
The impact of agricultural technologies in ensuring stable food supply
How agricultural technologies can be used to ensure decreased use of water
Using agricultural technologies to enhance worker safety on the farm

Latest Controversial Topics in Technology

Do you think computational thinking affects science?
An overview of the phishing trends in the recent past
How are sensor networks a threat to one’s privacy?
Compare and contrast lithium-ion and lithium-air batteries.
Can hydrogen replace all other energy sources in the future?
Discuss the future of tidal power: Will it persist or become extinct?
Why robots are a threat to the survival of humanity
Analyze the effectiveness of small nuclear reactors in the wake of climatic change
An overview of the different types of renewable energy technologies in the world
Are drones a threat to security or a potential security mechanism?

Hot Topics in Technology

Discuss the impacts of new technologies on food production and security
The effectiveness of 3D printing for medical products
What is the ethical argument behind the production of artificial body organs?
Discuss the role of genetic engineering in medicine
Challenges associated with the development of telemedicine
Conduct a case study analysis on the effectiveness of genome editing
Discuss the role of nanotechnology in cancer treatment
The role of virtual reality in medical schools
Discuss the effectiveness of wireless communication technologies for teenagers
How safe are you when connected to a wireless network?

Science and Technology Topics

Analyze the security threats associated with pharmaceutical technologies
An overview of the chip technology in the practice of medicine
Compare and contrast between electric cars and hybrid cars
Why are personal transportation pods the future of transport
Threats and solutions to cell phone use during driving
Effects of scientific innovations on the world
Are water-fueled cars a future fantasy or reality?
The role of robotics in food packaging
Modern solar system innovations
The role of smart energy in combating global warming

Top-Notch Research Topics on Technology

An overview of the different operating systems
The role of theoretical computer science
Discuss the development of computer graphics
What are the loopholes in block-chain technology?
Why banking systems need extra security measures
What is the future of cyber systems?
Ways of protecting your password from hackers
The role of ICT in new media technologies
How to deal with cyberbullying from Twitter
The future of interpersonal communication with the rise of social media

Researchable Topics About Technology

Factors that lead to viral messages on Twitter
Freedom of speech and social media
Activism in the wake of new media
Discuss the psychology behind advertising techniques
Interactive media technologies
How has the internet changed communication networks?
Role of media during pandemics
Ethics in internet technologies
The persistence of newspapers in the digital age
Impact of technology on lifestyle diseases

Bonus Technology Topic Ideas

Agricultural biotechnology
Gene therapy
Development of vaccines
Genome sequencing
Food processing technologies
Technology and drugs
Recommended systems

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Latest Technology Research Topics

If you want to write about the latest technological inventions, consider technology research paper topics in this category. Here are some of them.

3D algorithms – Discuss their use in computer programming languages and the game video games’ development
Explain the inefficient use of 3D printers in today’s society
Ad Server – Explain technology use in advertising
Explain the evolution of artificial intelligence
Explain the concept of auto text summarization
Explain the process of building energy conservation designs
Compare and contrast online learning and face-to-face learning
Explain how cloud computing has changed how data is processed and stored in servers
How do cell phones make humans depend on one another?
Can the use of cell phones lead to brain cancer?
Can genetic food modification technology be used to solve the world hunger problem?
Discuss the undefined guidelines or rules that are followed in business technology
Discuss the computer-aided control technology
Discuss the computer-aided manufacture and design
Explain how social media technology is helping in the creation of new families
Explain the use of data mining technology in detecting technical theft and fraud
Explain the effectiveness of the use of electronic surveillance to protect properties from possible dangers
Explain how phishing can be stopped completely
Explain how imaginaire has changed how people relate
Why is the use of cell phones when driving risky?

These are just some of the latest technology-related topics. However, students should choose topics they find interesting and then conduct extensive research to find adequate and relevant data.

Amazing Technology Debate Topics

Are you looking for debatable technology essay topics? If yes, here are examples of such topics to consider.

Explain how smart clothes or technology-compatible fashions have become a future wave
Explain how voting fraud is a major problem because voting machines are easy to compromise
How are tech companies overshadowing technology security
Apple versus Samsung – Which company is the technology giant?
Are Apple products designed and built to last?
Android versus Apple – Who makes better devices?
Are plasma televisions on their way out?
How better can robots be in comparison to humans?
Are entrepreneurs spending too much on tech start-ups?
Can this time in history be described as the Age of Hacks?
Why should you prefer Apple products?
Do you like the autoplay feature for Facebook videos?
Are you worried that your email account could be hacked?
Are Firefox and Yahoo going against Google when it comes to diminishing its influence and growth?
Are you worried about having your USB device hacked?
Can you trust anti-surveillance software?
Can books be replaced by technology?
Can cell phones be used as educational tools?
How important is a website for a modern company?
Will consoles every reach the level of personal computers?

Interesting Technology Topics

If looking for hot topics in technology, consider some of the ideas in this category. Here are some of the most interesting research topics on technology that you should consider.

Are medical apps reliable?
How has the internet made outsourcing easier?
Is Bitcoin safe and reliable?
How can technology be used to manage healthcare in the cloud?
Will self-driving cars be safe?
How effective are video surveillance and smart homes?
Are digital voting machines encouraging voter fraud or paving way for the future?
Are children spending excessive time on the internet?
Is gene editing ethical?
What are the Blockchain technology basics?
Why is virtual gaming and reality so popular?
How addictive are video games?
Why are teenagers avoiding some social media platforms?
Are VPN sketchy or safe?
What does a transition from 4G to 5G means?
What is the future of video streaming?
How have technology advances changed IT support?
Explain what companies are doing to beat hackers?
Explain the concept of online shopping and augmented reality
Explain GGI advancements in videogames and movies

These are some of the best computer technology topics to consider if you want to research and write about something interesting. Nevertheless, you should be ready to research extensively to find relevant and factual data to support your argument.

Controversial Technology Topics

Learners have many controversial topics in technology to consider. These are engaging and relatable topics that many people find controversial. Here are examples of such topics:

How dangerous are cell phones?
What are the emerging alternative energy forms?
Are digital tools making humans less or more productive?
How different is the world in which kids under the age of 12 are growing compared to those in colleges?
Is the world having a throw-away society?
Explain the drone warfare
How can technology be used to prevent pregnancy among teens?
Should the internet be censored or controlled?
Digital learning is changing education and schools- Explain
Explain the use of filthy language on the internet
Explain how technology is influencing the education system
Is technology turning humans into zombies?
How can technology be used to regulate the human diet?
Should technological developments be accessed by people across the world equally?
Should identity chips be implanted under the human skin?
How is technology influencing behavior among children?
How have human lives changed because of technology?
How is digital learning changing education and classrooms
Are Smartphones reducing live communication?
What are the negative effects of new technologies?

This category has some of the best educational technology topics. Some of them are also great technology presentation topics. However, students should research them extensively and use reliable sources to find quality data to support their arguments.

Technology Argumentative Essay Topics

Perhaps, you’re looking for technology essays topics that allow you to take a stance. In that case, you should choose the topics in this category. Here are examples of the best topics in this category.

Cell phones are too harmful
Video games are too violent for children
How good are mobile apps for learning
Are the existing technologies making people lonely?
Modern people are technological zombies
Young people are too dependent on Smartphones and computers
Modern teens are over depending on information technologies
Is texting an effective way to communicate?
Spy applications are an invasion of mobile phones privacy
Explain how cyber-bullying can be blocked effectively
Explain how Google has affected society
How people have become anti-social because of technology
Explain the pros and cons of using mobile phones
Explain how technology makes people feel lonely
Some computer games are partly the cause of mass murder

These can also be great technology speech topics. Nevertheless, they also require extensive research to come up with great papers.

Information Technology Topics

In addition to science and technology topics, students can also write on different information technology research topics. Examples of such topics include:

How information technologies will change human life in 20 years
Explain what governments are doing to regulate how people use the internet
Explain the long-term effects of information technology
Does the use of the internet to communicate bring humans closer together?
Compare the human brain function and how computers work

Information technology research paper topics are very common in high schools and colleges. They are also common in social science studies. That’s because they enable learners to evaluate the impact of modern technologies on human behaviors. You can also check our computer science topics .

In addition to these categories, learners can also choose topics in business technology, science and technology topics, as well as, technology security topics. The most important thing is to select a topic you can comfortably research and write about.

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450+ Technology Research Topics & Ideas for Your Paper

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Technology is like a massive puzzle where each piece connects to form the big picture of our modern lives. Be it a classroom, office, or a hospital, technology has drastically changed the way we communicate and do business. But to truly understand its role, we need to explore different technology research topics.

And that's where this blog will be handy! Powered by solid experience, our professional term paper writers gathered multiple technology research paper topics in literally any direction. Whether you're a student looking for an intriguing subject for your project or just a tech enthusiast trying to broaden your understanding, we've got your back. Dive into this collection of tech topics and see how technological progress is shaping our world.

What Are Technology Topics?

Technology is the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes. It's the smartphone in your hand, the electric car on your street, and the spacecraft exploring Mars. It might also be the code that protects your online privacy and the microscope that uncovers mysteries of the human cell.

Technology permeates our lives, revolutionizing the way we communicate, learn, work, and play. But, beyond the gadgets and gizmos, there's a world of diverse technology research topics, ideas, concepts, and challenges.

Technology topics zoom in on these ideas, peeling back the layers of the tech universe. As a researcher, you might study how AI is changing healthcare, explore the ethical implications of robotics, or investigate the latest innovations in renewable energy. Your project should probe into the 'how,' the 'why,' and the 'what next' of the technology that is reshaping our world. So, whether you're dissecting the impact of EdTech on traditional learning or predicting the future of space exploration, research topics in technology are limitless.

Branches of Technology Research Paper Topics

Undoubtedly, the reach of technology is extensive. It's woven its way into almost every corner of our lives. Before we move to technological research topics, let’s first see just where technology has left its mark. So, here are some areas where technology is really shaking things up:

Government services: E-governance, digital IDs, and digital voting are just a few examples of technology's application in government services.
Finance: Fintech innovations include cryptocurrencies, mobile banking, robo-advising, and contactless payments.
Education: Technology is used in a wide variety of educational contexts, from e-learning platforms and digital textbooks to educational games and virtual classrooms.
Communication: Social media, video conferencing, instant messaging, and email are all examples of tech's role in communication.
Healthcare: From electronic medical records and telemedicine to advanced imaging technology and robotic surgery, technology is surely transforming healthcare.
Agriculture: Technological advancements are revolutionizing agriculture through precision farming, automated machinery, drones, and genetic engineering.
Retail: It also influences retail through e-commerce, mobile payments, virtual fitting rooms, and personalized shopping experiences.
Environment: Tech is used in climate modeling, conservation efforts, renewable energy, and pollution control.

These are far from all sectors where technology can be applied. But this list shows how diverse topics in technology can be.

How to Choose a Technology Research Topic?

Before you select any idea, it’s important to understand what a good technology research topic is. In a nutshell, a decent topic should be interesting, relevant, and feasible to research within your available resources and time. Make sure it’s specific enough, but not to narrow so you can find enough credible resources.

Your technology topic sets the course of your research. It influences the type and amount of information you'll search for, the methods you'll use to find it, and the way you'll interpret it. Ultimately, the right topic can make your research process not only more manageable but also more meaningful. But how to get started, you may ask. Don’t worry! Below we are going to share valuable tips from our thesis writers on how to choose a worthy topic about technology.

Make research Study the latest trends and explore relevant technology news. Your task is to come up with something unique that’s not been done before. Try to look for inspiration in existing literature, scientific articles, or in past projects.
Recognize your interests Start with what you are genuinely curious about in the field of technology. Passion can be a great motivator during the research process.
Consider the scope You want a topic that is neither too broad nor too narrow. It should provide enough material to explore without being overwhelming.
Check availability of resources Ensure there are sufficient trustworthy resources available for your chosen topic.
Evaluate the relevance Your technology research idea should be pertinent to your field of study and resonate with current trends. This can make your research more valuable and engaging for your audience.

Good Technology Research Topics

Ready for another batch of inspiration? Get ready to discover great technology topics for a research paper across various disciplines. These ideas are designed to stimulate your creativity and provide substantial information for your research. So, let's explore these exciting themes together!

Impact of nanotechnology on medicine.
Harnessing quantum computing potential.
Augmented reality in tourism.
Can bioinformatics revolutionize disease prediction?
Sustainability in tech product design.
Darknet : A hidden side of the internet.
How does technology influence human behavior?
Assistive technology in special education.
Are smart textiles transforming the fashion industry?
Role of GIS in urban planning.
Space tourism: A reality or fantasy?
Potential of digital twins in engineering.
How is telemedicine shaping healthcare delivery?
Green IT : Addressing environmental issues.
Impact of machine learning on finance.

Interesting Technology Research Paper Topics

For those craving intriguing angles and fresh ideas, we present these interesting topics in technology. This collection is filled with thought-provoking subjects that cover the lesser-known areas of technology. Each topic is concise, clear, and ready to spark a fascinating research journey!

Cyber-physical systems in industry 4.0.
Social implications of deepfake technology.
Can gamification enhance learning outcomes?
Neuromorphic computing: Emulating the human brain.
Li-Fi : Light-based communication technology.
Health risks of prolonged screen time.
Quantum cryptography and secure communication.
Role of technology in sustainable agriculture.
Can we predict earthquakes with AI?
Virtual influencers: A new trend in marketing.
Tech solutions for wildlife conservation.
Role of 3D printing in organ transplantation.
Impact of automation on the job market.
Cloud gaming: A new era in the gaming industry.
Genomic editing: Possibilities and ethical concerns.

New Technology Research Topics

Understanding the fast-paced world of technology requires us to keep up with the latest developments. Hence, we bring you burning technology research paper topics. These ideas reflect the most recent trends and advances in technology, offering fresh perspectives for your research. Let's take a look at these compelling subjects!

Potential of hyper automation in business processes.
How is AI changing digital marketing?
Brain-computer interfaces: The future of communication?
Quantum supremacy : Fact or fiction?
5D data storage: Revolutionizing data preservation.
Rise of voice technology in consumer applications.
Using AI for mental health treatment.
Implications of edge computing for IoT devices.
Personalized learning with AI in education.
Role of technology in reducing food waste.
Digital twin technology in urban development.
Impact of AI on patent law.
Cybersecurity in the era of quantum computing.
Role of VR in disaster management training.
AI in talent recruitment: Pros and cons.

Unique Technology Research Topics

For those wanting to stand out with truly original research, we offer 100% authentic topics about technology. We understand that professors highly value unique perspectives. Below we've meticulously selected these technology paper topics to offer you something different. These are not your everyday technology subjects but rather unexpected gems ready to be explored.

Digital ethics in AI application.
Role of technology in countering climate change.
Is there a digital divide in developing countries?
Role of drones in disaster management.
Quantum internet: Possibilities and challenges.
Digital forensic techniques in cybersecurity.
Impact of technology on traditional art forms.
Biohacking: Can we really upgrade ourselves?
Technology and privacy: An inevitable trade-off?
Developing empathy through virtual reality.
AI and creativity: Can machines be artists?
Technology's impact on urban gardening.
Role of technology in accessible tourism.
Quantum biology: A frontier of science.
Unmanned underwater vehicles: Opportunities and threats.

Informative Research Topics in Technology

If you are seeking comprehensive information on technologies, this selection will definitely provide you with insights. As you may know, every study should be backed up by credible sources. Technology topics for research papers below are very easy to investigate, so you will surely find a bunch of academic resources.

Exploring adaptive learning systems in online education.
Role of technology in modern archaeology.
Impact of immersive technology on journalism.
The rise of telehealth services.
Green data centers: A sustainable solution?
Cybersecurity in mobile banking.
3D bioprinting : A revolution in healthcare?
How technology affects sleep quality.
AI in music production: A new era?
Technology's role in preserving endangered languages.
Smart grids for sustainable energy use.
The future of privacy in a digital world.
Can technology enhance sports performance?
Role of AR in interior design.
How technology is transforming public libraries.

Controversial Research Topics on Technology

Technological field touches upon areas where technology, ethics, and society intersect and often disagree. This has sparked debates and, sometimes, conspiracy theories, primarily because of the profound implications technologies have for our future. Take a look at these ideas, if you are up to a more controversial research topic about technology:

Facial recognition technology: Invasion of privacy?
Tech addiction: Myth or reality?
The ethics of AI in warfare.
Should social media platforms censor content?
Are cryptocurrencies a boon or a bane?
Is technology causing more harm than good to our health?
The bias in machine learning algorithms.
Genetic engineering: Playing God or advancing science?
Will AI replace human jobs?
Net neutrality: Freedom of internet or control?
The risk of AI superintelligence.
Tech companies' monopoly: Beneficial or detrimental?
Are we heading towards a surveillance society?
AI in law enforcement: Safeguard or threat?
Do we rely too much on technology?

Easy Technology Research Paper Topics

Who ever thought the tech field was only for the tech-savvy? Well, it's time to dispel that myth. Here in our collection of simple technology research topics, we've curated subjects that break down complex tech concepts into manageable chunks. We believe that every student should get a chance to run a tech related project without any hurdles.

Impact of social media on interpersonal communication.
Smartphones: A boon or a bane?
How technology improves accessibility for people with disabilities.
E-learning versus traditional learning.
Impact of technology on travel and tourism.
Pros and cons of online shopping.
How has technology changed entertainment?
Technology's role in boosting productivity at work.
Online safety: How to protect ourselves?
Importance of digital literacy in today's world.
How has technology influenced the music industry?
E-books vs printed books: A tech revolution?
Does technology promote loneliness?
Role of technology in shaping modern communication.
The impact of gaming on cognitive abilities.

Technology Research Topics Ideas for Students

As an experienced paper writing service online that helps students all the time, we understand that every learner has unique academic needs. With this in mind, the next section of our blog is designed to cater specifically to different academic levels. Whether you're a high school student just starting to explore technology or a doctoral candidate delving deep into a specialized topic, we've got different technology topics arranged by complexity.

Technology Research Topics for High School Students

High school students are expected to navigate complex topics, fostering critical thinking and promoting in-depth exploration. The proposed research paper topics on technology will help students understand how tech advancements shape various sectors of society and influence human life.

How have smartphones changed our communication?
Does virtual reality in museums enhance visitor experience?
Understanding privacy issues in social media.
How has technology changed the way we listen to music?
Role of technology in promoting fitness and healthy lifestyle.
Advantages and disadvantages of online learning.
Does excessive screen time affect sleep quality?
Do video games affect academic performance?
How do GPS systems work?
How has technology improved animation in films?
Pros and cons of using smart home devices.
Are self-driving cars safe?
Technology's role in modernizing local libraries.
Can technology help us lead more sustainable lifestyles?
Can technology help improve road safety for teenagers?

Technology Research Topics for College Students

Think technology research topics for college are all about rocket science? Think again! Our compilation of college-level tech research topics brings you a bunch of intriguing, conversation-stirring, and head-scratching questions. They're designed to let you sink into the world of technology while also pushing your academic boundaries. Time to dive in, explore, question, and take your own unique stance on hot-button issues.

Biometrics in identity verification: A privacy risk?
Impact of 5G on mobile gaming.
Are wearable fitness devices a true reflection of health?
Can machine learning help predict climate change effects?
Are digital currencies disrupting traditional finance?
Use of drones in search and rescue operations.
Impact of e-learning on academic performance.
Does artificial intelligence have a place in home security?
What are the ethical issues surrounding robotic surgery?
Are e-wallets a safer option for online transactions?
How has technology transformed news dissemination?
AI in language translation: How accurate can it be?
Personalized advertising: Boon or bane for online users?
Are smart classes making learning more interactive?
Influence of technology on homemade crafts and DIY culture.

Technology Research Topics for University Students

Are you browsing for university technology research ideas? We've got you covered. Whether you're about to dig deep into high-tech debates, or just taking your first steps, our list of technology research questions is your treasure chest.

Blockchain applications in ensuring academic integrity.
Impact of quantum computing on data security.
Are brain-computer interfaces a future communication tool?
Does digital currency pose a threat to the global economy?
Use of AI in predicting and managing natural disasters.
Can biometrics replace traditional identification systems?
Role of nanotechnology in waste management.
Machine learning's influence on climate change modeling.
Edge computing: Revolutionizing data processing?
Is virtual reality in psychological therapy a viable option?
Potential of synthetic biology in medical research.
Quantum cryptography: An uncrackable code?
Is space tourism achievable with current technology?
Ethical implications of gene editing technologies.
Artificial intelligence in governance.

Technology Research Paper Topics in Different Areas

In the next section, we've arranged a collection of technology research questions related to different areas like computer science, biotechnology, and medicine. Find an area you are interested in and look through subject-focused ideas and topics for a research paper on technology.

Technology Research Topics on Computer Science

Computer science is a field that has rapidly developed over the past decades. It deals with questions of technology's influence on society, as well as applications of cutting-edge technologies in various industries and sectors. Here are some computer science research topics on technology to get started:

Prospects of machine learning in malware detection.
Influence of cloud computing on business operations.
Quantum computing: potential impacts on cryptography.
Role of big data in personalized marketing.
Can AI models effectively simulate human decision-making?
Future of mobile applications: Towards augmented reality?
Pros and cons of open source software development.
Role of computer science in advancing virtual reality.
Natural language processing: Transforming human-computer interaction?
Developing secure e-commerce platforms: Challenges and solutions.
Green computing : solutions for reducing energy consumption.
Data mining in healthcare: An untapped opportunity?
Understanding cyber threats in the internet of things.
Algorithmic bias: Implications for automated decision-making.
Role of neural networks in image recognition.

Information Technology Research Topics

Information technology is a dynamic field that involves the use of computers and software to manage and process information. It's crucial in today's digital era, influencing a range of industries from healthcare to entertainment. Here are some captivating information technology related topics:

Impact of cloud technology on data management.
Role of information technology in disaster management.
Can artificial intelligence help improve data accuracy?
Cybersecurity measures for protecting personal information.
Evolving role of IT in healthcare administration.
Adaptive learning systems: A revolution in education?
E-governance : Impact on public administration.
Role of IT in modern supply chain management.
Bioinformatics and its role in personalized medicine.
Is data mining an invasion of privacy?
Can virtual reality enhance training and development programs?
Role of IT in facilitating remote work.
Smart devices and data security: A potential risk?
Harnessing IT for sustainable business practices.
How can big data support decision-making processes?

Technology Research Topics on Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence, or AI as we fondly call it, is all about creating machines that mimic human intelligence. It's shaping everything from how we drive our cars to how we manage our calendars. Want to understand the mind of a machine? Choose a topic about technology for a research paper from the list below:

AI's role in detecting fake news.
Chatbots in customer service: Are humans still needed?
Algorithmic trading: AI's impact on financial markets.
AI in agriculture: a step towards sustainable farming?
Facial recognition systems: an AI revolution or privacy threat?
Can AI outperform humans in creative tasks?
Sentiment analysis in social media: how effective is AI?
Siri, Alexa, and the future of AI.
AI in autonomous vehicles: safety concern or necessity?
How AI algorithms are transforming video games.
AI's potential in predicting and mitigating natural disasters.
Role of AI in combating cyber threats.
Influence of AI on job recruitment and HR processes.
Can AI help in advancing climate change research?
Can machines make accurate diagnoses?

Technology Research Topics in Cybersecurity Command

Cybersecurity Command focuses on strengthening digital protection. Its goal is to identify vulnerabilities, and outsmart cyber threats. Ready to crack the code of the cybersecurity command? Check out these technology topics for research designed to take you through the tunnels of cyberspace:

Cybersecurity strategies for a post-quantum world.
Role of AI in identifying cyber threats.
Is cybersecurity command in healthcare a matter of life and death?
Is there any connection between cryptocurrency and cybercrime?
Cyber warfare : The invisible battleground.
Mitigating insider threats in cybersecurity command.
Future of biometric authentication in cybersecurity.
IoT security: command challenges and solutions.
Cybersecurity and cloud technology: A secure match?
Influence of blockchain on cybersecurity command.
Machine learning's role in malware detection.
Cybersecurity protocols for mobile devices.
Ethics in cybersecurity: Hacking back and other dilemmas.
What are some steps to recovery after a breach?
Social engineering: Human factor in cybersecurity.

Technology Research Topics on Biotechnology

Biotechnology is an interdisciplinary field that has been gaining a lot of traction in the past few decades. It involves the application of biological principles to understand and solve various problems. The following research topic ideas for technology explore biotechnology's impact on medicine, environment, agriculture, and other sectors:

Can GMOs solve global hunger issues?
Understanding biotech's role in developing personalized medicine.
Using biotech to fight antibiotic resistance.
Pros and cons of genetically modified animals.
Biofuels – are they really a sustainable energy solution?
Ethical challenges in gene editing.
Role of biotech in combating climate change.
Can biotechnology help conserve biodiversity?
Biotech in beauty: Revolutionizing cosmetics.
Bioluminescence – a natural wonder or a biotech tool?
Applications of microbial biotechnology in waste management.
Human organ farming: Possibility or pipe dream?
Biotech and its role in sustainable agriculture.
Biotech advancements in creating allergy-free foods.
Exploring the future of biotech in disease detection.

>> Read more: Biology Topics to Research

Technology Research Paper Topics on Genetic Engineering

Genetic engineering is an area of science that involves the manipulation of genes to change or enhance biological characteristics. This field has raised tremendous ethical debates while offering promising solutions in medicine and agriculture. Here are some captivating topics for a technology research paper on genetic engineering:

Future of gene editing: Breakthrough or ethical dilemma?
Role of CRISPR technology in combating genetic diseases.
Pros and cons of genetically modified crops.
Impact of genetic engineering on biodiversity.
Can gene therapy provide a cure for cancer?
Genetic engineering and the quest for designer babies.
Legal aspects of genetic engineering.
Use of genetic engineering in organ transplantation.
Genetic modifications: Impact on human lifespan.
Genetically engineered pets: A step too far?
The role of genetic engineering in biofuels production.
Ethics of genetic data privacy.
Genetic engineering and its impact on world hunger.
Genetically modified insects: Solution for disease control?
Genetic engineering: A tool for biological warfare?

Reproduction Technology Research Paper Topics

Reproduction technology is all about the science that aids human procreation. It's a field teeming with innovation, from IVF advancements to genetic screening. Yet, it also stirs up ethical debates and thought-provoking technology topics to write about:

Advances in in Vitro Fertilization (IVF) technology .
The rise of surrogacy: Technological advancements and implications.
Ethical considerations in sperm and egg donation.
Genetic screening of embryos: A step forward or an ethical minefield?
Role of technology in understanding and improving fertility.
Artificial Wombs: Progress and prospects.
Ethical and legal aspects of posthumous reproduction.
Impact of reproductive technology on the LGBTQ+ community.
The promise and challenge of stem cells in reproduction.
Technology's role in preventing genetic diseases in unborn babies.
Social implications of childbearing technology.
The concept of 'designer babies': Ethical issues and future possibilities.
Reproductive cloning: Prospects and controversies.
Technology and the future of contraception.
Role of AI in predicting successful IVF treatment.

Medical Technology Topics for a Research Paper

The healthcare field is undergoing massive transformations thanks to cutting-edge medical technology. From revolutionary diagnostic tools to life-saving treatments, technology is reshaping medicine as we know it. To aid your exploration of this dynamic field, we've compiled medical technology research paper topics:

Role of AI in early disease detection.
Impact of telemedicine on rural healthcare.
Nanotechnology in cancer treatment: Prospects and challenges.
Can wearable technology improve patient outcomes?
Ethical considerations in genome sequencing.
Augmented reality in surgical procedures.
The rise of personalized medicine: Role of technology.
Mental health apps: Revolution or hype?
Technology and the future of prosthetics.
Role of Big Data in healthcare decision making.
Virtual reality as a tool for pain management.
Impact of machine learning on drug discovery.
The promise of medical drones for emergency response.
Technology's role in combating antimicrobial resistance.
Electronic Health Records (EHRs): Blessing or curse?

>> More ideas: Med Research Topics

Health Technology Research Topics

Health technology is driving modern healthcare to new heights. From apps that monitor vital stats to robots assisting in surgeries, technology's touch is truly transformative. Take a look at these topics related to technology applied in healthcare:

Role of mobile apps in managing diabetes.
Impact of health technology on patient privacy.
Wearable tech: Fad or future of personal health monitoring?
How can AI help in battling mental health issues?
Role of digital tools in promoting preventive healthcare.
Smart homes for the elderly: Boon or bane?
Technology and its impact on health insurance.
The effectiveness of virtual therapy sessions.
Can health chatbots replace human doctors?
Technology's role in fighting the obesity epidemic.
The use of blockchain in health data management.
Impact of technology on sleep health.
Social media and its effect on mental health.
Prospects of 3D printing in creating medical equipment.
Tele-rehabilitation: An effective solution for physical therapy?

>> View more: Public Health Topics to Research

Communication Technology Research Topics

With technology at the helm, our ways of communicating are changing at an unprecedented pace. From simple text messages to immersive virtual conferences, technology has rewritten the rules of engagement. So, without further ado, let's explore these communication research ideas for technology that capture the essence of this revolution.

AI chatbots: Re-defining customer service.
The impact of 5G on global communication.
Augmented Reality: The future of digital marketing?
Is 'digital divide' hindering global communication?
Social media's role in shaping public opinion.
Can holographic communication become a reality?
Influence of emojis in digital communication.
The cybersecurity challenges in modern communication.
Future of journalism in the digital age.
How technology is reshaping political communication.
The influence of streaming platforms on viewing habits.
Privacy concerns in the age of instant messaging.
Can technology solve the issue of language barriers?
The rise of podcasting: A digital renaissance.
Role of virtual reality in remote communication.

Research Topics on Technology in Transportation

Technology is the driving force behind the dramatic changes in transportation, making journeys safer, more efficient, and eco-friendly. Whether it's autonomous vehicles or the concept of Hyperloop, there are many transportation technology topics for a research paper to choose from:

Electric vehicles: A step towards sustainable travel.
The role of AI in traffic management.
Pros and cons of autonomous vehicles.
Hyperloop: An ambitious vision of the future?
Drones in goods delivery: Efficiency vs. privacy.
Technology's role in reducing aviation accidents.
Challenges in implementing smart highways.
The implications of blockchain in logistics.
Could vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) vehicles solve traffic problems?
Impact of GPS technology on transportation.
How has technology influenced public transit systems?
Role of 5G in future transportation.
Ethical concerns over self-driving cars.
Technology in maritime safety: Progress and hurdles.
The evolution of bicycle technology: From spokes to e-bikes.

Technology Research Paper Topics on Education

The intersection of technology and education is an exciting frontier with limitless possibilities. From online learning to interactive classrooms, you can explore various technology paper topics about education:

How does e-learning affect student engagement?
VR classrooms: A glimpse into the future?
Can AI tutors revolutionize personalized learning?
Digital textbooks versus traditional textbooks: A comparison.
Gamification in education: Innovation or distraction?
The impact of technology on special education.
How are Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) reshaping higher education?
The role of technology in inclusive education.
Cybersecurity in schools: Measures and challenges.
The potential of Augmented Reality (AR) in classroom learning.
How is technology influencing homeschooling trends?
Balancing technology and traditional methods in early childhood education.
Risks and benefits of student data tracking.
Can coding be the new literacy in the 21st century?
The influence of social media on academic performance.

>> Learn more: Education Research Paper Topics

Relationships and Technology Research Topics

In the digital age, technology also impacts our relationships. It has become an integral part of how we communicate, meet people, and sustain our connections. Discover some thought-provoking angles with these research paper topics about technology:

How do dating apps affect modern relationships?
The influence of social media on interpersonal communication.
Is technology enhancing or hindering long-distance relationships?
The psychology behind online dating: A study.
How do virtual reality environments impact social interaction?
Social media friendships: Genuine or superficial?
How does technology-mediated communication affect family dynamics?
The impact of technology on work-life balance.
The role of technology in sustaining long-term relationships.
How does the 'always connected' culture influence personal boundaries?
Cyberbullying and its effect on teenage relationships.
Can technology predict compatibility in relationships?
The effects of 'ghosting' in digital communication.
How technology assists in maintaining relationships among elderly populations.
Social media: A boon or bane for marital relationships?

Agriculture Technology Research Paper Topics

Modern agriculture is far from just tilling the soil and harvesting crops. Technology has made remarkable strides into the fields, innovating and improving agricultural processes. Take a glance at these technology research paper topic ideas:

Can drone technology transform crop monitoring?
Precision agriculture: Benefits and challenges.
Aquaponics and the future of sustainable farming.
How is artificial intelligence aiding in crop prediction?
Impact of blockchain technology in food traceability.
The role of IoT in smart farming.
Vertical farming : Is it a sustainable solution for urban food supply?
Innovations in irrigation technology for water conservation.
Automated farming: A boon or a threat to employment in agriculture?
How satellite imagery is improving crop disease detection.
Biotechnology in crop improvement: Pros and cons.
Nanotechnology in agriculture: Scope and limitations.
Role of robotics in livestock management.
Agricultural waste management through technology.
Is hydroponics the future of farming?

Technological Research Topics on Environment

Our planet is facing numerous environmental challenges, and technology may hold the key to solving many of these. With innovations ranging from renewable energy sources to waste management systems, the realm of technology offers a plethora of research angles. So, if you're curious about the intersection of technology and environment, this list of research topics is for you:

Innovations in waste management: A technology review.
The role of AI in predicting climate change impacts.
Renewable energy: Advancements in solar technology.
The impact of electric vehicles on carbon emissions.
Can smart agriculture help solve world hunger?
Role of technology in water purification and conservation.
The impact of IoT devices on energy consumption.
Technology solutions for oil spills.
Satellite technology in environmental monitoring.
Technological advances in forest conservation.
Green buildings: Sustainable construction technology.
Bioengineering: A solution to soil erosion?
Impact of nanotechnology on environmental conservation.
Ocean clean-up initiatives: Evaluating existing technology.
How can technology help in reducing air pollution?

>> View more: Environmental Science Research Topics

Energy & Power Technology Topics for Research Paper

Energy and power are two pivotal areas where technology is bringing unprecedented changes. You can investigate renewable energy sources or efficient power transmission. If you're excited about exploring the intricacies of energy and power advancements, here are some engaging technology topics for research papers:

Assessing the efficiency of wind energy technologies.
Power storage: Current and future technology.
Solar panel technology: Recent advancements and future predictions.
Can nuclear fusion be the answer to our energy crisis?
Smart grid technology: A revolution in power distribution.
Evaluating the impact of hydropower on ecosystems.
The role of AI in optimizing power consumption.
Biofuels vs. fossil fuels: A comparative study.
Electric vehicle charging infrastructure: Technological challenges and solutions.
Technology advancements in geothermal power.
How is IoT technology helping in energy conservation?
Harnessing wave and tidal energy: Technological possibilities.
Role of nanotechnology in improving solar cell efficiency.
Power transmission losses: Can technology provide a solution?
Assessing the future of coal technology in the era of renewable energy.

Research Topics about Technology in Finance

The finance sector has seen drastic changes with the rise of technology, which has revolutionized the way financial transactions are conducted and services are offered. Consider these research topics in technology applied in the finance sector:

Rise of cryptocurrency: An evaluation of Bitcoin's impact.
Algorithmic trading: How does it reshape financial markets?
Role of AI and machine learning in financial forecasting.
Technological challenges in implementing digital banking.
How is blockchain technology transforming financial services?
Cybersecurity risks in online banking: Identifying solutions.
FinTech startups: Disrupting traditional finance systems.
Role of technology in financial inclusion.
Assessing the impact of mobile wallets on the banking sector.
Automation in finance: Opportunities and threats.
Role of big data analytics in financial decision making.
AI-based robo-advisors vs. human financial advisors.
The future of insurance technology (InsurTech).
Can technology solve the issue of financial fraud?
Impact of regulatory technology (RegTech) in maintaining compliance.

>> More ideas: Finance Research Topics

War Technology Research Paper Topics

The nature of warfare has transformed significantly with the evolution of technology, shifting the battlegrounds from land, sea, and air to the realms of cyber and space. This transition opens up a range of topics to explore. Here are some research topics in the realm of war technology:

Drones in warfare: Ethical implications.
Cyber warfare: Assessing threats and defense strategies.
Autonomous weapons: A boon or a curse?
Implications of artificial intelligence in modern warfare.
Role of technology in intelligence gathering.
Satellite technology and its role in modern warfare.
The future of naval warfare: Autonomous ships and submarines.
Hypersonic weapons: Changing the dynamics of war.
Impact of nuclear technology in warfare.
Technology and warfare: Exploring the relationship.
Information warfare: The role of social media.
Space warfare: Future possibilities and implications.
Bio-warfare: Understanding technology's role in development and prevention.
Impact of virtual reality on military training.
War technology and international law: A critical examination.

Food Technology Topics for Research Papers

Food technology is a field that deals with the study of food production, preservation, and safety. It involves understanding how various techniques can be applied to increase shelf life and improve nutrition value of foods. Check out our collection of food technology research paper topic ideas:

Lab-grown meats: Sustainable solution or a mere hype?
How AI is enhancing food safety and quality?
Precision agriculture: Revolutionizing farming practices.
GMOs: Assessing benefits and potential risks.
Role of robotics in food manufacturing and packaging.
Smart kitchens: Streamlining cooking through technology.
Nanofood: Tiny technology, big impact.
Sustainable food systems: Role of technology.
Food traceability: Ensuring transparency and accountability.
Food delivery apps: Changing the face of dining out.
The rise of plant-based alternatives and their production technologies.
Virtual and augmented reality in culinary experiences.
Technology in mitigating food waste.
Innovations in food packaging: Impact on freshness and sustainability.
IoT in smart farming: Improving yield and reducing waste.

Entertainment Technology Topics

Entertainment technology is reinventing the ways we experience amusement. This industry is always presenting new angles for research and discussion, be it the rise of virtual reality in movies or the influence of streaming platforms on the music industry. Here's a list of unique research topics related to entertainment technology:

Impact of virtual reality on the movie industry.
Streaming platforms vs traditional media: A comparative study.
Technology in music: Evolution and future prospects.
eSports: Rise of a new form of entertainment.
Augmented reality in theme parks.
The transformation of theater with digital technology.
AI and film editing: Redefining the art.
The role of technology in the rise of independent cinema.
Podcasts: Revolutionizing radio with technology.
Immersive technologies in art exhibitions.
The influence of technology on fashion shows and design.
Livestreaming concerts: A new norm in the music industry?
Drones in entertainment: Applications and ethics.
Social media as an entertainment platform.
The transformation of journalism in the era of digital entertainment.

Technology Research Questions

As we navigate the ever-changing landscape of technology, numerous intriguing questions arise. Below, we present new research questions about technology that can fuel your intellectual pursuit.

What potential does quantum computing hold for resolving complex problems?
How will advancements in AI impact job security across different sectors?
In what ways can blockchain technology reform the existing financial systems?
How is nanotechnology revolutionizing the field of medicine?
What are the ethical implications surrounding the use of facial recognition technology?
How will the introduction of 6G change our communication patterns?
In what ways is green technology contributing to sustainable development?
Can virtual reality transform the way we approach education?
How are biometrics enhancing the security measures in today's digital world?
How is space technology influencing our understanding of the universe?
What role can technology play in solving the global water crisis?
How can technology be leveraged to combat climate change effectively?
How is technology transforming the landscape of modern agriculture?
Can technological advancements lead to a fully renewable energy-dependent world?
How does technology influence the dynamics of modern warfare?

Bottom Line on Research Topics in Technology

Technology is a rapidly evolving field, and there's always something new to explore. Whether you're writing for the computer sciences, information technology or food technology realm, there are endless ideas that you can research on. Pick one of these technology research paper topics and jumpstart your project.

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120 Technology Research Paper Topics

How to choose a topic for a technology research paper:, information technology research paper topics:.

Artificial intelligence in cybersecurity
The impact of blockchain technology on supply chain management
Ethical considerations in the use of big data analytics
The role of cloud computing in enhancing business productivity
Internet of Things (IoT) and its implications for smart cities
Cybersecurity challenges in the era of remote work
The potential of virtual reality in healthcare applications
The impact of social media on consumer behavior and marketing strategies
Data privacy and protection in the age of digital surveillance
The role of machine learning algorithms in predicting and preventing cyber attacks
The use of biometric authentication systems for enhanced security
The future of quantum computing and its potential applications
The ethical implications of facial recognition technology
The role of artificial intelligence in personalized medicine
The impact of 5G technology on the Internet of Things

Technology Management Research Paper Topics:

The impact of artificial intelligence on technology management
Strategies for effective technology adoption and implementation in organizations
The role of technology in enhancing supply chain management
Exploring the challenges and opportunities of digital transformation in businesses
The influence of big data analytics on technology management decision-making
The role of technology in improving project management practices
Investigating the relationship between technology management and innovation
The impact of cybersecurity on technology management in organizations
Exploring the role of technology in enhancing customer relationship management
The challenges and benefits of cloud computing in technology management
The role of technology in improving knowledge management practices
Investigating the impact of technology on organizational change management
The role of technology in improving sustainability and environmental management
Exploring the challenges and opportunities of mobile technology in management
The influence of technology on talent management and human resources practices

Medical Technology Research Paper Topics:

The impact of artificial intelligence in medical diagnostics
The role of wearable devices in monitoring and managing chronic diseases
Advancements in robotic surgery and its implications for patient outcomes
The use of virtual reality in pain management and rehabilitation
The potential of nanotechnology in targeted drug delivery systems
The development of 3D printing in personalized medicine
The ethical considerations of genetic engineering in medical technology
The application of telemedicine in rural and underserved areas
The role of big data analytics in improving healthcare delivery
The use of blockchain technology in securing medical records and data
The impact of mobile health applications on patient engagement and self-care
The potential of gene editing technologies in treating genetic disorders
The development of smart implants for real-time monitoring and treatment
The use of bioinformatics in personalized medicine and precision healthcare
The challenges and opportunities of implementing electronic health records (EHR) systems

Innovating Technology Research Paper Topics:

The impact of artificial intelligence on job automation
Blockchain technology and its potential applications in supply chain management
The role of virtual reality in enhancing medical training and patient care
The future of renewable energy: exploring advancements in solar panel technology
The potential of 3D printing in revolutionizing manufacturing processes
The ethical implications of gene editing technology in human embryos
The use of drones in disaster management and emergency response
Exploring the potential of quantum computing in solving complex problems
The impact of Internet of Things (IoT) on smart cities and urban planning
Augmented reality in education: enhancing learning experiences through interactive technology
The development of self-driving cars and their potential impact on transportation systems
The role of big data analytics in improving healthcare outcomes and patient care
The future of cybersecurity: addressing emerging threats in a hyper-connected world
Exploring the potential of nanotechnology in medicine and drug delivery systems
The use of biometric technology in enhancing security and privacy measures

Computer Technology Research Paper Topics:

Artificial intelligence and its impact on society
Cybersecurity measures and challenges in the digital age
Big data analytics and its role in decision-making processes
Internet of Things (IoT) and its impact on everyday life
Virtual reality and its applications in various industries
The role of blockchain technology in securing digital transactions
Cloud computing and its benefits for businesses and individuals
Ethical considerations in the development and use of autonomous systems
The impact of social media on personal privacy and data security
Augmented reality and its potential in enhancing user experiences
The challenges and opportunities of 5G technology implementation
The impact of automation on the job market and workforce dynamics
The future of wearable technology and its implications for healthcare and fitness

Technology Development Research Paper Topics:

The role of blockchain technology in enhancing cybersecurity
The future of virtual reality in education and training
The potential of 5G technology in revolutionizing communication networks
The ethical implications of gene editing technology
The use of drones in disaster management and relief operations
The development of renewable energy technologies for sustainable power generation
The application of nanotechnology in medicine for targeted drug delivery
The role of big data analytics in improving business decision-making processes
The challenges and opportunities of implementing Internet of Things (IoT) in smart cities
The development of autonomous vehicles and their impact on transportation systems
The potential of quantum computing in solving complex computational problems
The use of biometric technology for enhancing security and privacy
The impact of social media on mental health and well-being
The development of wearable technology for healthcare monitoring and management

Technology and Business Research Paper Topics:

The impact of artificial intelligence on business operations
The role of blockchain technology in supply chain management
Cybersecurity challenges and solutions for small businesses
The adoption of cloud computing in the healthcare industry
The influence of social media on consumer behavior and marketing strategies
The use of big data analytics for business decision-making
The future of e-commerce: Trends and innovations
The role of virtual reality in enhancing customer experiences
The ethical implications of data privacy in the digital age
The integration of Internet of Things (IoT) in smart cities
The potential of 5G technology for transforming industries
The impact of automation and robotics on job displacement and workforce dynamics
The role of technology in sustainable business practices
The challenges and opportunities of implementing digital transformation strategies
The role of technology in enhancing supply chain resilience and agility

Data Technology Research Paper Topics:

The impact of big data analytics on business decision-making
Ethical considerations in data mining and data privacy
Machine learning algorithms for anomaly detection in cybersecurity
The role of data visualization in improving data-driven decision-making
The application of artificial intelligence in healthcare data analysis
Predictive modeling for customer churn in the telecommunications industry
The use of blockchain technology for secure and transparent data sharing
Data-driven approaches for personalized marketing and customer segmentation
The challenges and opportunities of data integration in a multi-cloud environment
The role of data analytics in optimizing supply chain management
Exploring the potential of data-driven approaches in urban planning and smart cities
Data-driven approaches for fraud detection and prevention in financial institutions
The impact of data analytics on improving educational outcomes
The role of data technology in enhancing cybersecurity measures
The ethical implications of using data technology in criminal justice systems

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The Top 10 Most Interesting Technology Research Topics

With technological innovation streamlining processes in businesses at all levels and customers opting for digital interaction, adopting modern technologies have become critical for success in all industries. Technology continues to positively impact organizations , according to Statista, which is why technology research topics have become common among college-level students.

In this article, we have hand-picked the best examples of technology research topics and technology research questions to help you choose a direction to focus your research efforts. These technology research paper topics will inspire you to consider new ways to analyze technology and its evolving role in today’s world.

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What makes a strong technology research topic.

A strong research topic is clear, relevant, and original. It should intrigue readers to learn more about the role of technology through your research paper. A successful research topic meets the requirements of the assignment and isn’t too broad or narrow.

Technology research topics must identify a broad area of research on technologies, so an extremely technical topic can be overwhelming to write. Your technology research paper topic should be suitable for the academic level of your audience.

Tips for Choosing a Technology Research Topic

Make sure it’s clear. Select a research topic with a clear main idea that you can explain in simple language. It should be able to capture the attention of the audience and keep them engaged in your research paper.
Make sure it’s relevant. The technology research paper topic should be relevant to the understanding and academic level of the readers. It should enhance their knowledge of a specific technological topic, instead of simply providing vague, directionless ideas about different types of technologies.
Employ approachable language. Even though you might be choosing a topic from complex technology research topics, the language should be simple. It can be field-specific, but the technical terms used must be basic and easy to understand for the readers.
Discuss innovations. New technologies get introduced frequently, which adds to the variety of technology research paper topics. Your research topic shouldn’t be limited to old or common technologies. Along with the famous technologies, it should include evolving technologies and introduce them to the audience.
Be creative . With the rapid growth of technological development, some technology research topics have become increasingly common. It can be challenging to be creative with a topic that has been exhausted through numerous research papers. Your research topic should provide unique information to the audience, which can attract them to your work.

What’s the Difference Between a Research Topic and a Research Question?

A research topic is a subject or a problem being studied by a researcher. It is the foundation of any research paper that sets the tone of the research. It should be broad with a wide range of information available for conducting research.

On the other hand, a research question is closely related to the research topic and is addressed in the study. The answer is formed through data analysis and interpretation. It is more field-specific and directs the research paper toward a specific aspect of a broad subject.

How to Create Strong Technology Research Questions

Technology research questions should be concise, specific, and original while showing a connection to the technology research paper topic. It should be researchable and answerable through analysis of a problem or issue. Make sure it is easy to understand and write within the given word limit and timeframe of the research paper.

Technology is an emerging field with several areas of study, so a strong research question is based on a specific part of a large technical field. For example, many technologies are used in branches of healthcare such as genetics and DNA. Therefore, a research paper about genetics technology should feature a research question that is exclusive to genetics technology only.

2. Children’s Use of Social Media

Nowadays, parents allow their children to use the Internet from a very young age. A recent poll by C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital reported that 32 percent of parents allow their children aged seven to nine to use social media sites. This can expose them to cyber bullying and age-inappropriate content, as well as increase their dependence on technology.

Kids need to engage in physical activities and explore the world around them. Using social media sites in childhood can be negative for their personalities and brain health. Analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of the use of technology among young children can create an interesting research paper.

3. The Risks of Digital Voting

Digital voting is an easy way of casting and counting votes. It can save the cost and time associated with traveling to the polling station and getting a postal vote. However, it has a different set of security challenges. A research paper can list the major election security risks caused by digital voting.

Voting in an online format can expose your personal information and decisions to a hacker. As no computer device or software is completely unhackable, the voting system can be taken down, or the hacking may even go undetected.

4. Technology’s Impact on Society in 20 Years

Technological development has accelerated in the last decade. Current technology trends in innovation are focusing on artificial intelligence development, machine learning, and the development and implementation of robots.

Climate change has affected both human life and animal life. Climate technology can be used to deal with global warming in the coming years, and digital learning can make education available for everyone. This technology research paper can discuss the positive and negative effects of technology in 20 years.

5. The Reliability of Self-Driving Cars

Self-driving cars are one of the most exciting trends in technology today. It is a major technology of the future and one of the controversial technology topics. It is considered safer than human driving, but there are some risks involved. For example, edge cases are still common to experience while driving.

Edge cases are occasional and unpredictable situations that may lead to accidents and injuries. It includes difficult weather conditions, objects or animals on the road, and blocked roads. Self-driving cars may struggle to respond to edge cases appropriately, requiring the driver to employ common sense to handle the situation.

6. The Impact of Technology on Infertility

Assisted reproductive technology (ART) helps infertile couples get pregnant. It employs infertility techniques such as In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer (GIFT).

Infertility technologies are included in the controversial technology topics because embryonic stem cell research requires extracted human embryos. So, the research can be considered unethical. It is an excellent research topic from the reproductive technology field.

7. Evolution of War Technology

Military technologies have improved throughout history. Modern technologies, such as airplanes, missiles, nuclear reactors, and drones, are essential for war management. Countries experience major innovation in technologies during wars to fulfill their military-specific needs.

Military technologies have controversial ideas and debates linked to them, as some people believe that it plays a role in wars. A research paper on war technology can help evaluate the role of technology in warfare.

8. Using Technology to Create Eco-Friendly Food Packaging

Food technologies and agricultural technologies are trying to manage climate change through eco-friendly food packaging. The materials used are biodegradable, sustainable, and have inbuilt technology that kills microbes harmful to human life.

Research on eco-friendly food packaging can discuss the ineffectiveness of current packaging strategies. The new food technologies used for packaging can be costly, but they are better for preserving foods and the environment.

9. Disease Diagnostics and Therapeutics Through DNA Cloning

Genetic engineering deals with genes and uses them as diagnostics and therapeutics. DNA cloning creates copies of genes or parts of DNA to study different characteristics. The findings are used for diagnosing different types of cancers and even hematological diseases.

Genetic engineering is also used for therapeutic cloning, which clones an embryo for studying diseases and treatments. DNA technology, gene editing, gene therapy, and similar topics are hot topics in technology research papers.

10. Artificial Intelligence in Mental Health Care

Mental health is a widely discussed topic around the world, making it perfect for technology research topics. The mental health care industry has more recently been using artificial intelligence tools and mental health technology like chatbots and virtual assistants to connect with patients.

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Artificial intelligence has the potential to improve the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness. It can help a health care provider with monitoring patient progress and assigning the right therapist based on provided data and information.

Technology Research Questions

Is using technology in college classrooms a good or bad idea?
What are the advantages of cloud technologies for pharmaceutical companies?
Can new technologies help in treating morbid obesity?
How to identify true and false information on social media
Why is machine learning the future?

Choosing the Right Technology Research Topic

Since technology is a diverse field, it can be challenging to choose an interesting technology research topic. It is crucial to select a good research topic for a successful research paper. Any research is centered around the research topic, so it’s important to pick one carefully.

From cell phones to self-driving cars, technological development has completely transformed the world. It offers a wide range of topics to research, resulting in numerous options to choose from. We have compiled technology research topics from a variety of fields. You should select a topic that interests you, as you will be spending weeks researching and writing about it.

Technology Research Topics FAQ

Technology is important in education because it allows people to access educational opportunities globally through mobile technologies and the Internet. Students can enroll in online college degrees , courses, and attend online coding bootcamps . Technology has also made writing research papers easier with the tremendous amount of material available online.

Yes, technology can take over jobs as robotics and automation continue to evolve. However, the management of these technologies will still require human employees with technical backgrounds, such as artificial intelligence specialists, data scientists , and cloud engineers.

Solar panels and wind turbines are two forms of technology that help with climate change, as they convert energy efficiently without emitting greenhouse gases. Electric bikes run on lithium batteries and only take a few hours to charge, which makes them environmentally friendly. Carbon dioxide captures are a way of removing CO 2 from the atmosphere and storing it deep underground.

Technology helps companies manage client and employee data, store and protect important information, and develop strategies to stay ahead of competitors. Marketing technologies, such as Search Engine Optimization (SEO), are great for attracting customers online.

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100+ Top Technology Research Topics for Students

When pursuing their studies, learners are required to write papers and essays on technology research topics. This is a major academic task that influences the final grade that learners graduate with. But, the grades that students score are largely dependent on the technology topics that they opt to write about. Technology is generally a broad study field. As such, choosing research topics on technology is not always easy. If struggling to choose a good technology research topic for your academic paper or essay, here are some of the best ideas to consider.

Trendy Technology Research Topics

Perhaps, you need a prominent research topic about technology. In that case, you should consider prominent technology research paper topics. Here are some of the most trendy topics about technology to consider.

Technology use in education (here is our list of 110 topics in education research )
Space and technology studies (check out our top 30 space research topics )
Current and stunning developments in technology
Shocking inventions in modern technology that most people don’t know yet
What technologies can be considered harmful and destructive?
How does technology affect people’s values and health?
Can humans be replaced by robots completely in the workplace?
How have different countries contributed to modern technology developments
Transport safety and technology
Discuss the scope of the use of nanotechnologies
Discuss the use of technology in medicine
Which technologies can influence human mental health?
Discuss how technology is changing human life
What are the positive effects of technologies on personal safety?
How does technology affect personal safety negatively?
Discuss how modern technology facilitates the improvement of educational processes
How do modern technologies influence users’ mental health?
Why are robots likely to replace humans in the workplace?
How has technology influenced space travel?
Is food preservation technology safe?

This category also includes some of the most controversial technology topics. Nevertheless, each topic should be researched extensively before writing a paper or an essay.

Interesting Information Technology Topics

If pursuing a college or university program in information technology, this category has some of the best options for you. Here are some of the best information technology research topics to consider.

How useful is unlimited data storage?
How can humans manage large amounts of information?
How blurred is the line between the human brain and a computer?
Is entertainment technology something good or bad?
Discuss the differences between digital reading and print reading
How does Google impact the attention span of young people?
How important are traditional research skills in the current era of advanced information technologies?
How credible is the information provided by different platforms on the internet?
Do blogs and books compare?
Should schools and guardians encourage or discourage the use of media by children?
Does Google provide the best information when it prefers its specific brands?
Are humans losing the intelligence developed via conventional reading and research in the current digital age?
How important is learning to how use social media, iPads, and Smart Boards?
Should modern technologies be incorporated into teaching?
How has Google search changed humans?
How is intelligence gauged by humans?
Is online information format making the readers skim rather than digest information?
Is the ease of finding information on the internet something bad or good?
Is technology changing how people read?
Can using information technology make you smarter?

Students have many information technology research paper topics to choose from. However, select a topic that you find interesting to research and write about.

Interesting Science and Technology Topics

Are you looking for a science and technology-related topics? If yes, consider topics in this category. Here are some of the most interesting topic ideas in science and technology.

Discuss the greatest technological and scientific breakthroughs of the 21st century
How significant is number 0 in science and technology?
How important is the first black hole image?
Discuss the unlimited fractals’ perimeter despite their limited area
How can a person perform mental calculations rapidly?
Discuss the fourth dimension
Discuss the math behind the Draft lottery by the NBA
Differentiate non-parametric and parametric statistics
Discuss the concept of something being random or impossible to prove mathematically
Discuss some of the greatest modern age mathematicians
How are the latest automobile technology improvements protecting the environment?
Why are Smartphones resistant to viruses and bugs in comparison to computers?
Discuss the Internet of Things story
What made vector graphics mainstream and not pixels?
Discuss the latest technology advances that relate to medicine
Describe Molten Salt Nuclear Reactors
Is it possible to power everything with solar energy?
Explain why smart electronics get slower with time
Differentiate closed and open systems in technology
Discuss the process of converting old recordings into new formats

This category has amazing topics on technology and science. Select an idea that you find interesting to research and write a paper or essay about.

The Best Computer Technology Topics

If you’re pursuing a program on computer technologies, you will find educational technology topics in this category very interesting. Here are some of the best topics for technology and computers to consider.

How can you describe the Machine Learning future?
Discuss computer science that will be the most important in the future
Discuss how big data and bioinformatics change biology
What is the borderline for hardware and software in cloud computing?
How moving everything to the cloud affects human life?
Can robots become more intelligent and like people with reinforced learning?
How can computer programmers enhance device protection with open-source getting trendier?
Is Google becoming the first machine learning firm?
Explain machine learning in detail
Discuss the importance of machine learning
Which sectors does machine learning affect the most?
How will virtualization change the entertainment industry?
Describe virtualization
Can virtual reality be something bad or good?
How will virtual reality change education?
What can humans expect from the internet?
What improvements can be made on the internet?
How are robots changing the health sector?
Are humans yet to invent any computer language?
What will happen if most tasks that are currently done by humans are taken over by computers?

These are great technology essay topics to consider if pursuing a computer technology program in college or university. They can also be great technology debate topics. Nevertheless, extensive research is required when writing about any of these technology essay topics.

Controversial Topics in Technology for Research Papers and Essays

Are you looking for interesting technology topics that your audience will love to read about? If yes, consider one of these technology controversy topics to research and write about.

Do law enforcement cameras invade privacy?
Does the technology age turn humans into zombies?
Has technology advancement led to a throw-away society?
How has cloud technology changed data storage?
How have Smartphones reduced live communication?
Our modern technologies changing teaching?
How does the use of IT by construction companies lead to under-spending and recession?
Discuss the technologies used by NASA to explore Mars
How dangerous are cell phones?
How does media technology affect child development?
Is the use of technology in planning lessons good or bad?
How does technology influence the educational system?
Discuss the application of green technologies in engineering, architecture, and construction
Can modern technologies like cryptocurrencies help in identity theft prevention?
How can technology be used to enhance energy efficiency?
How are self-driving cars likely to change human life?
How did Steve Jobs and Bill Gates change the world with technology
What is the impact of drone warfare on humans?
Can the actual reality be substituted by virtual reality?
Discuss the use of technologies and smart materials in road building

If looking for hot topics in technology, consider some of the ideas in this category. Nevertheless, you can also find technology persuasive speech topics here. That’s because this category has some of the most debatable topics. If you still don’t find a great idea from this list, consider technology security topics or contact our thesis writers . Remember that extensive research is required to write a great paper or essay regardless of the topic that you opt to write about.

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Research Topics & Ideas: CompSci & IT

50+ Computer Science Research Topic Ideas To Fast-Track Your Project

Finding and choosing a strong research topic is the critical first step when it comes to crafting a high-quality dissertation, thesis or research project. If you’ve landed on this post, chances are you’re looking for a computer science-related research topic , but aren’t sure where to start. Here, we’ll explore a variety of CompSci & IT-related research ideas and topic thought-starters, including algorithms, AI, networking, database systems, UX, information security and software engineering.

NB – This is just the start…

The topic ideation and evaluation process has multiple steps . In this post, we’ll kickstart the process by sharing some research topic ideas within the CompSci domain. This is the starting point, but to develop a well-defined research topic, you’ll need to identify a clear and convincing research gap , along with a well-justified plan of action to fill that gap.

If you’re new to the oftentimes perplexing world of research, or if this is your first time undertaking a formal academic research project, be sure to check out our free dissertation mini-course. In it, we cover the process of writing a dissertation or thesis from start to end. Be sure to also sign up for our free webinar that explores how to find a high-quality research topic.

Overview: CompSci Research Topics

Algorithms & data structures
Artificial intelligence ( AI )
Computer networking
Database systems
Human-computer interaction
Information security (IS)
Software engineering
Examples of CompSci dissertation & theses

Topics/Ideas: Algorithms & Data Structures

An analysis of neural network algorithms’ accuracy for processing consumer purchase patterns
A systematic review of the impact of graph algorithms on data analysis and discovery in social media network analysis
An evaluation of machine learning algorithms used for recommender systems in streaming services
A review of approximation algorithm approaches for solving NP-hard problems
An analysis of parallel algorithms for high-performance computing of genomic data
The influence of data structures on optimal algorithm design and performance in Fintech
A Survey of algorithms applied in internet of things (IoT) systems in supply-chain management
A comparison of streaming algorithm performance for the detection of elephant flows
A systematic review and evaluation of machine learning algorithms used in facial pattern recognition
Exploring the performance of a decision tree-based approach for optimizing stock purchase decisions
Assessing the importance of complete and representative training datasets in Agricultural machine learning based decision making.
A Comparison of Deep learning algorithms performance for structured and unstructured datasets with “rare cases”
A systematic review of noise reduction best practices for machine learning algorithms in geoinformatics.
Exploring the feasibility of applying information theory to feature extraction in retail datasets.
Assessing the use case of neural network algorithms for image analysis in biodiversity assessment

Topics & Ideas: Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Applying deep learning algorithms for speech recognition in speech-impaired children
A review of the impact of artificial intelligence on decision-making processes in stock valuation
An evaluation of reinforcement learning algorithms used in the production of video games
An exploration of key developments in natural language processing and how they impacted the evolution of Chabots.
An analysis of the ethical and social implications of artificial intelligence-based automated marking
The influence of large-scale GIS datasets on artificial intelligence and machine learning developments
An examination of the use of artificial intelligence in orthopaedic surgery
The impact of explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) on transparency and trust in supply chain management
An evaluation of the role of artificial intelligence in financial forecasting and risk management in cryptocurrency
A meta-analysis of deep learning algorithm performance in predicting and cyber attacks in schools

Topics & Ideas: Networking

An analysis of the impact of 5G technology on internet penetration in rural Tanzania
Assessing the role of software-defined networking (SDN) in modern cloud-based computing
A critical analysis of network security and privacy concerns associated with Industry 4.0 investment in healthcare.
Exploring the influence of cloud computing on security risks in fintech.
An examination of the use of network function virtualization (NFV) in telecom networks in Southern America
Assessing the impact of edge computing on network architecture and design in IoT-based manufacturing
An evaluation of the challenges and opportunities in 6G wireless network adoption
The role of network congestion control algorithms in improving network performance on streaming platforms
An analysis of network coding-based approaches for data security
Assessing the impact of network topology on network performance and reliability in IoT-based workspaces

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Topics & Ideas: Database Systems

An analysis of big data management systems and technologies used in B2B marketing
The impact of NoSQL databases on data management and analysis in smart cities
An evaluation of the security and privacy concerns of cloud-based databases in financial organisations
Exploring the role of data warehousing and business intelligence in global consultancies
An analysis of the use of graph databases for data modelling and analysis in recommendation systems
The influence of the Internet of Things (IoT) on database design and management in the retail grocery industry
An examination of the challenges and opportunities of distributed databases in supply chain management
Assessing the impact of data compression algorithms on database performance and scalability in cloud computing
An evaluation of the use of in-memory databases for real-time data processing in patient monitoring
Comparing the effects of database tuning and optimization approaches in improving database performance and efficiency in omnichannel retailing

Topics & Ideas: Human-Computer Interaction

An analysis of the impact of mobile technology on human-computer interaction prevalence in adolescent men
An exploration of how artificial intelligence is changing human-computer interaction patterns in children
An evaluation of the usability and accessibility of web-based systems for CRM in the fast fashion retail sector
Assessing the influence of virtual and augmented reality on consumer purchasing patterns
An examination of the use of gesture-based interfaces in architecture
Exploring the impact of ease of use in wearable technology on geriatric user
Evaluating the ramifications of gamification in the Metaverse
A systematic review of user experience (UX) design advances associated with Augmented Reality
A comparison of natural language processing algorithms automation of customer response Comparing end-user perceptions of natural language processing algorithms for automated customer response
Analysing the impact of voice-based interfaces on purchase practices in the fast food industry

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Topics & Ideas: Information Security

A bibliometric review of current trends in cryptography for secure communication
An analysis of secure multi-party computation protocols and their applications in cloud-based computing
An investigation of the security of blockchain technology in patient health record tracking
A comparative study of symmetric and asymmetric encryption algorithms for instant text messaging
A systematic review of secure data storage solutions used for cloud computing in the fintech industry
An analysis of intrusion detection and prevention systems used in the healthcare sector
Assessing security best practices for IoT devices in political offices
An investigation into the role social media played in shifting regulations related to privacy and the protection of personal data
A comparative study of digital signature schemes adoption in property transfers
An assessment of the security of secure wireless communication systems used in tertiary institutions

Topics & Ideas: Software Engineering

A study of agile software development methodologies and their impact on project success in pharmacology
Investigating the impacts of software refactoring techniques and tools in blockchain-based developments
A study of the impact of DevOps practices on software development and delivery in the healthcare sector
An analysis of software architecture patterns and their impact on the maintainability and scalability of cloud-based offerings
A study of the impact of artificial intelligence and machine learning on software engineering practices in the education sector
An investigation of software testing techniques and methodologies for subscription-based offerings
A review of software security practices and techniques for protecting against phishing attacks from social media
An analysis of the impact of cloud computing on the rate of software development and deployment in the manufacturing sector
Exploring the impact of software development outsourcing on project success in multinational contexts
An investigation into the effect of poor software documentation on app success in the retail sector

CompSci & IT Dissertations/Theses

While the ideas we’ve presented above are a decent starting point for finding a CompSci-related research topic, they are fairly generic and non-specific. So, it helps to look at actual dissertations and theses to see how this all comes together.

Below, we’ve included a selection of research projects from various CompSci-related degree programs to help refine your thinking. These are actual dissertations and theses, written as part of Master’s and PhD-level programs, so they can provide some useful insight as to what a research topic looks like in practice.

An array-based optimization framework for query processing and data analytics (Chen, 2021)
Dynamic Object Partitioning and replication for cooperative cache (Asad, 2021)
Embedding constructural documentation in unit tests (Nassif, 2019)
PLASA | Programming Language for Synchronous Agents (Kilaru, 2019)
Healthcare Data Authentication using Deep Neural Network (Sekar, 2020)
Virtual Reality System for Planetary Surface Visualization and Analysis (Quach, 2019)
Artificial neural networks to predict share prices on the Johannesburg stock exchange (Pyon, 2021)
Predicting household poverty with machine learning methods: the case of Malawi (Chinyama, 2022)
Investigating user experience and bias mitigation of the multi-modal retrieval of historical data (Singh, 2021)
Detection of HTTPS malware traffic without decryption (Nyathi, 2022)
Redefining privacy: case study of smart health applications (Al-Zyoud, 2019)
A state-based approach to context modeling and computing (Yue, 2019)
A Novel Cooperative Intrusion Detection System for Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (Solomon, 2019)
HRSB-Tree for Spatio-Temporal Aggregates over Moving Regions (Paduri, 2019)

Looking at these titles, you can probably pick up that the research topics here are quite specific and narrowly-focused , compared to the generic ones presented earlier. This is an important thing to keep in mind as you develop your own research topic. That is to say, to create a top-notch research topic, you must be precise and target a specific context with specific variables of interest . In other words, you need to identify a clear, well-justified research gap.

Fast-Track Your Research Topic

If you’re still feeling a bit unsure about how to find a research topic for your Computer Science dissertation or research project, check out our Topic Kickstarter service.

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300+ Most Interesting Technology Research Topics

The power of a nation or a country is determined by its technological growth and the position attained through it. All the countries that are considered developed are doing technologically well and hence are at the top of the world; whereas, developing countries are not well enough to attain the top position in the world.

Thus, Technology not just helps in making work easier and faster but also helps a country in getting acknowledgment on the basis of its technological innovations.

Technology refers to the diverse collection of processes and knowledge that people use to extend human abilities and satisfy human wants and needs. It involves the operation of modification, making, and using tools of knowledge and techniques to solve a specific problem easier.

Improvement in technology is a need of an hour. This need is fulfilled only by doing more research and development, as with the passage of time new technology comes and older one fades away or becomes less in use.

Todays’s generation thrives on technology, as they believe in doing smart and efficient work. Students want to profess their new ideas and shape them into new technology that is mind-driven and innovative and want to become problem solvers by finding a long-term solution to a problem.

So here we are to help them in knowing the required areas of research in the field of technology, this will surely help them in researching and developing something new, and unprecedented, and help his/her country in gathering worldwide felicitations.

Different Fields of Technology and Their Related Research Topics

Top 30 healthcare technology research topics.

Few diseases due to lack of technology can not be detected at the beginning stage like cancer, tuberculosis, tumor, etc, and tend to become more hazardous and fatal. Technology can help detect these diseases at an earlier stage and reduce the fatality ratio. Here we are going to suggest to you a useful list of healthcare research topics.

Healthcare education and training.
Healthcare awareness amongst women.
What are the legal aspects of healthcare research?
Increasing mental disabilities in the new generation.
Importance of organ donation.
Research in neurology.
The psychological impact of an accident on a person’s mind.
What is the importance of surgeons?
Ultrasound and the role of technology in its improvement.
Improvement in X-Ray technology.
Public versus private healthcare facilities.
Anorexia nervosa.
How to eradicate breast cancer from the world?
How to procure a donated organ?
Blood cancer and its early symptoms.
How a govt can distribute proper medical facilities in villages?
Risks involved in the treatment of covid-19.
How to protect doctors from disease transference.
Health diseases related to lifestyle.
Role of WHO.
Chronic stress increases the risk of atherosclerosis.
What is stigmatization and how does it affect human health?
Poverty and malnutrition.
Is diabetes a lifestyle disease? Explain.
Alcohol abuse.
Non-medical techniques and strategies to assist patients suffering from depression.
Dementia and the support to their families.
Multi-tablet regime to cure HIV.
Give a systematic view of apical surgery.
Give the difference between horizontal and vertical healthcare strategies.

Top 30 Defense and War Technology Research Topics

Science and technology play an important role in making and binding up the military strength of a country. A country well-versed in defense can resolve any internal and external conflict.

Science and technology help to counter special threats such as terrorism that couldn’t be countered or resolved by conventional warfighting forces, and they improve the intelligence capabilities that are necessary to assess the dangers a nation faces.

So here we are going to suggest to you some good defense and war technology research topics.

The international security program.
Defense-industrial initiatives group.
Project on nuclear issues.
Vostok exercise 2022.
Aerospace security project.
Gray zone project.
Defense budget.
Missiles technology.
Counterterrorism and homeland security.
Weapons of mass destruction.
Undersea warfare.
Submarine the undercover warship.
Global defense market.
Battlefield communications.
Marine corps.
Strategic weapons.
Advanced weapons.
Robots as corps and army personnel.
Chemical weapons.
Chemical weapons conventions.
Comprehensive test ban treaty.
Cyber security concerns in using cryptocurrency.
Defense doctrine.
Space technology and diplomacy.
Nuclear threat initiative.
Fissile material cut off duty.
Coup D’etat.
Use of swarm robots in collecting morphogenetic information.
Impact of hypervelocity and explosion.

Top 30 Computer Science and Robotics Research Topics

Robotics is the branch of computer science and engineering, it involves the design, construction, and operation of robots. Robotic science aims to make machines that can assist humans with high accuracy.

Robots can be used in many situations and for many purposes, they can be used in dangerous environments including inspection of radioactive materials, bomb detection, and deactivation, and in an environment that is unsuitable for humans like space and water.

The technology in robotics is transforming and progressing for the sake of humanity, but still more research and development is mandatorily required here we have a few topics to research on.

Humanoid robotics.
Virtual mannequins.
Differential systems.
Computational human models.
Operator interface.
Mobility or locomotion.
Manipulators, and effectors.
Programming.
Sensing and perception.
Human robots in space.
Semantic identification.
Machine learning.
Detection of Natural resources through remote sensing.
Space exploration and development through robots.
Undersea and sea belt exploration with the help of robots.
Autonomous vehicles.
Robotics in intelligence.
Robotic surgery.
Nano-robotics.
Use of robotics in technical things manufacturing.
Use of robots in dark and dangerous resource mines.
Robots in medical surgeries.
Use of artificial intelligence and robotics in project management.
Robots for accuracy and preciseness.
Human-robot interaction.
Is a robot a good replacement for a human?
Exoskeleton robots.
Rehabilitation robotics.
Robotics in agriculture and forestry.
Intelligent robotic transportation systems.

Top 30 Energy & Power Technologies Research Topics

Energy is defined as the ability to do work. Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, it is convertible and one can convert energy from one form to another.

The power is the rate at which energy transfers. the use of energy and power is increasing with the passage of time. scientists are inventing new technologies through which energy can be converted into different forms in an easier and cheaper way.

Here we have a few technology research topics related to energy and power

Photovoltaics.
Geothermal.
Solar thermal.
Batteries and fuel cells.
Grid-scale storage.
Computing and electronics.
Superconductors.
Thermoelectrics.
Fossil versus nuclear energy.
Durable module materials(DuraMAT) consortium.
Solar generation assets.
S-502 solar generation integration.
How can one make photovoltaic and concentrating solar power advance?
Novel thermochemical materials for high volumetric energy.
Industrial fermentation as energy conversion.
HELVIE energy theory.
Active power filter.
Microsensors.
Power system programming applications that are web-based.
Photo-voltaic grid-connected inverters.
Superconducting magnetic energy storage.
Fuel-cell inverters.
Hybrid filter design.
Net metering.
What is green hydrogen?
Voltage stability of power system.
Optimal power flow problems in a system.
Wireless communication.
Matrix converters.
Electric vehicles and their charging system.

Some Innovative Research Topics in Technology

Human-computer interaction.
Computer-aided learning.
Fourth industrial revolution.
Internet of things.
Embedded systems.
Neuron networks.
Encryption of data.
Search algorithms.
Cloud storage.
Cloud Engineering
Wireless sensor networks.
What is the role of computers in digital forensics?
Cognitive radio networks.
Cryptography.
Online scams.
5G wireless systems.
Biometric systems.
New programming language.
Data clustering.
Technology in meteorology for disaster management.
Language processing.
3-d object modeling.
Facial identification.
Risks involved in digital voting.
Weapons and technology.
New technology for eco-friendly food packaging.
DNA cloning.

The blog was solely dedicated to technology research topics and new research in the different fields of technology. We have mentioned a few topics in every field where technology and improvement in it, are required.

The importance of technology lies in the fact that human survival is difficult without technology. So to carry on living, humans need technology but the technology should be sustainable only then it will be a boon for humanity.

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224 Research Topics on Technology & Computer Science

Are you new to the world of technology? Do you need topics related to technology to write about? No worries, Custom-writing.org experts are here to help! In this article, we offer you a multitude of creative and interesting technology topics from various research areas, including information technology and computer science. So, let’s start!

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🔝 Top 10 Topics

👋 Introduction

💾 Top 10 Computer Science Topics

⚙ Artificial Intelligence

💉 biotechnology, 📡 communications and media.

💻Computer Science & Engineering

🔋 Energy & Power Technologies

🍗 food technology, 😷 medical devices & diagnostics, 💊 pharmaceutical technologies.

🚈 Transportation

✋ Conclusion

🔍 references, 🔝 top 10 technology topics.

The difference between VR and AR
Is genetic engineering ethical?
Can digital books replace print ones?
The impact of virtual reality on education
5 major fields of robotics
The risks and dangers of biometrics
Nanotechnology in medicine
Digital technology’s impact on globalization
Is proprietary software less secure than open-source?
The difference between deep learning and machine learning

Is it a good thing that technologies and computer science are developing so fast? No one knows for sure. There are too many different opinions, and some of them are quite radical! However, we know that technologies have changed our world once and forever. Computer science affects every single area of people’s lives.

Just think about Netflix . Can you imagine that 24 years ago it didn’t exist? How did people live without it? Well, in 2024, the entertainment field has gone so far that you can travel anywhere while sitting in your room. All you would have to do is just order a VR (virtual reality) headset. Moreover, personal computers give an unlimited flow of information, which has changed the entire education system.

Every day, technologies become smarter and smaller. A smartphone in your pocket may be as powerful as your laptop. No doubt, the development of computer science builds our future. It is hard to count how many research areas in technologies and computer science are there. But it is not hard to name the most important of them.

Artificial intelligence tops the charts, of course. However, engineering and biotechnology are not far behind. Communications and media are developing super fast as well. The research is also done in areas that make our lives better and more comfortable. The list of them includes transport, food and energy, medical, and pharmaceutical areas.

So check out our list of 204 most relevant computer science research topics below. Maybe one of them will inspire you to do revolutionary research!

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💾 Top 10 Computer Science Research Topics

💡 technologies & computer science: research ideas.

Many people probably picture robots from the movie “I, Robot” when they hear about artificial intelligence. However, it is far from the truth.

AI is meant to be as close to a rational way of thinking as possible. It uses binary logic (just like computers) to help solve problems in many areas. Applied AI is only aimed at one task. A generalized AI branch is looking into a human-like machine that can learn to do anything.

Applied AI already helps researchers in quantum physics and medicine. You deal with AI every day when online shops suggest some items based on your previous purchases. Siri and self-driving cars are also examples of applied AI.

Generalized AI is supposed to be a copy of multitasking human intelligence. However, it is still in the stage of development. Computer technology has yet to reach the level necessary for its creation.

One of the latest trends in this area is improving healthcare management. It is done through the digitalization of all the information in hospitals and even helping diagnose the patients.

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Also, privacy issues and facial recognition technologies are being researched. For example, some governments collect biometric data to reduce and even predict crime.

Research Topics on Artificial Intelligence Technology

Since AI development is exceptionally relevant nowadays, it would be smart to invest your time and effort into researching it. Here are some ideas on artificial intelligence research topics that you can look into:

What areas of life machine learning are the most influential?
How to choose the right algorithm for machine learning ?
Supervised vs. unsupervised machine learning : compare & contrast
Reinforcement machine learning algorithms
Deep learning as a subset of machine learning
Deep learning & artificial neural networks
How do artificial neural networks work?
A comparison of model-free & model-based reinforcement learning algorithms
Reinforcement learning: single vs. multi-agent
How do social robots interact with humans?
Robotics in NASA
Natural language processing: chatbots
How does natural language processing produce natural language?
Natural language processing vs. machine learning
Artificial intelligence in computer vision
Computer vision application: autonomous vehicles
Recommender systems’ approaches
Recommender systems: content-based recommendation vs. collaborative filtering
Internet of things & artificial intelligence: the interconnection
How much data do the Internet of things devices generate?

Biotechnology uses living organisms to modify different products. Even the simple thing as baking bread is a process of biotechnology. However, nowadays, this area went as far as changing the organisms’ DNA. Genetics and biochemistry are also a part of the biotechnology area.

The development of this area allows people to cure diseases with the help of new medicines. In agriculture, more and more research is done on biological treatment and modifying plants. Biotechnology is even involved in the production of our groceries, household chemicals, and textiles.

There are many exciting trends in biotechnology now that carry the potential of changing our world! For example, scientists are working on creating personalized drugs. This is feasible once they apply computer science to analyze people’s DNA.

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Also, thanks to using new technologies, doctors can collect exact data and provide the patients with correct diagnosis and treatment. Now, you don’t even need to leave your place to get a doctor’s check-up. Just use telehealth!

Data management is developing in the biotechnology area as well. Thanks to that, doctors and scientists can store and access a tremendous amount of information.

The most exciting is the fact that new technology enables specialists to assess genetic information to treat and prevent illnesses! It may solve the problem of some diseases that were considered untreatable before.

Research Topics on Biotechnology

You can use the following examples of research questions on biotechnology for presentation or even a PhD paper! Here is a wide range of topics on biotechnology and its relation to agriculture, nanotechnology, and many more:

Self-sufficient protein supply and biotechnology in farming
Evaporation vs. evapotranspiration
DNA cloning and a southern blot
Pharmacogenetics & personalized drugs
Is cloning “playing God”?
Pharmacogenetics : cancer medicines
How much can we control our genetics, at what point do we cease to be human?
Bio ethics and stem cell research
Genetic engineering: gene therapy
The potential benefits of genetic engineering
Genetic engineering: dangers and opportunities
Mycobacterium tuberculosis : counting the proteins
Plant genetic enhancement: developing resistance to scarcity
Y-chromosome genotyping: the case of South Africa
Agricultural biotechnology: GMO crops
How are new vaccines developed?
Nanotechnology in treating HIV
Allergenic potential & biotechnology
Whole-genome sequencing in biotechnology
Genes in heavy metal tolerance: an overview
Food biotechnology & food-borne illnesses
How to eliminate heat-resistant microorganisms with ultraviolet?
High-throughput screening & biotechnology
How do new food processing technologies affect bacteria related to Aspalathus Linearis?
Is sweet sorghum suitable for the production of bioethanol in Africa?
How can pesticides help to diagnose cancer?
How is embelin used to prevent cancer?

One of the first areas that technologies affected was communications and media. People from the last century couldn’t have imagined how easy it would be to get connected with anyone! Internet connection starts appearing even in the most remote places.

Nowadays, media is used not only for social interaction but for business development and educational purposes as well. You can now start an entirely online business or use special tools to promote the existing one. Also, many leading universities offer online degrees.

In communications and media, AI has been playing the role of enhancement recently. The technology helps create personalized content for always demanding consumers.

Developing media also create numerous job opportunities. For instance, recently, an influencer has become a trending career. Influencers always use the most relevant communication tools available. At the moment, live videos and podcasting are on the top.

Now, you just need to reach your smartphone to access all the opportunities mentioned above! You can apply for a college, find a job, or reach out to all your followers online. It is hard to imagine how far communication and media can go…

Communications and Media Technology Research Topics

There are quite a few simple yet exciting ideas for media and communications technology research topics. Hopefully, you will find THE ONE amongst these Information and Communications Technology (ICT) research proposal topics:

New media: the importance of ethics in the process of communication
The development of computer-based communication over the last decade
How have social media changed communication?
Media during the disasters : increasing panic or helping reduce it?
Authorities’ media representations in different countries: compare & contrast
Do people start preferring newspapers to new media again?
How has the Internet changed media?
Communication networks
The impact of social media on super bowl ads
Communications: technology and personal contact
New content marketing ideas
Media exposure and its influence on adolescents
The impact of mass media on personal socialization
Internet and interactive media as an advertising tool
Music marketing in a digital world
How do people use hype in the media?
Psychology of videoblog communication
Media & the freedom of speech
Is it possible to build trustful relationships in virtual communication?
How to maintain privacy in social media ?
Communication technologies & cyberbullying
How has the interpersonal communication changed with the invention of computers?
The future of the communication technologies
Yellow journalism in new media
How enterprises use ICT to get a competitive advantage?
Healthcare and ICT
Can we live without mass media ?
Mass media and morality in the 21st century

💻 Computer Science & Engineering

If you have ever wondered how computers work, you better ask a professional in computer science and engineering. This major combines two different, yet interconnected, worlds of machines.

Computer science takes care of the computer’s brain. It usually includes areas of study, such as programming languages and algorithms. Scientists also recognize three paradigms in terms of the computer science field.

For the rationalist paradigm, computer science is a part of math. The technocratic paradigm is focused on software engineering, while the scientific one is all about natural sciences. Interestingly enough, the latter can also be found in the area of artificial intelligence!

On the other hand, computer engineering maintains a computer’s body – hardware and software. It relies quite heavily on electrical engineering. And only the combination of computer science and engineering gives a full understanding of the machine.

If talking about trends and innovations, artificial intelligence development is probably the main one in the area of computer science technology. Big data is the field that has been extremely popular in recent years.

Cybersecurity is and will be one of the leading research fields in our Information Age. The latest trend in computer science and engineering is also virtual reality.

Computer Science Research Topics

If you want to find a good idea for your thesis or you are just preparing for a speech, check out this list of research topics in computer science and engineering:

How are virtual reality & human perception connected?
The future of computer-assisted education
Computer science & high-dimensional data modeling
Computer science: imperative vs. declarative languages
The use of blockchain and AI for algorithmic regulations
Banking industry & blockchain technology
How does the machine architecture affect the efficiency of code?
Languages for parallel computing
How is mesh generation used for computational domains?
Ways of persistent data structure optimization
Sensor networks vs. cyber-physical system
The development of computer graphics: non-photorealistic rendering case
The development of the systems programming languages
Game theory & network economics
How can computational thinking affect science?
Theoretical computer science in functional analysis
The most efficient cryptographic protocols
Software security types: an overview
Is it possible to eliminate phishing?
Floating point & programming language

Without energy, no technological progress is possible. Scientists are continually working on improving energy and power technologies. Recently, efforts have been aimed at three main areas.

Developing new batteries and fuel types helps create less expensive ways of storing energy. For example, fuel cells can be used for passenger buses. They need to be connected to a source of fuel to work. However, it guarantees the constant production of electricity as long as they have fuel.

One of the potential trends of the next years is hydrogen energy storage. This method is still in the stage of development. It would allow the use of hydrogen instead of electricity.

A smart grid is another area that uses information technology for the most efficient use of energy. For instance, the first-generation smart grid tracks the movement of electric energy on the go and sends the information back. It is a great way to correct the consumption of energy in real-time. More development is also done on the issue of electricity generation. It aims at technologies that can produce power from the sources that haven’t been used. The trends in this area include second-generation biofuels and photovoltaic glass.

Energy Technologies Research Topics

Since humanity cannot be using fossil fuels forever, the research in the area of energy can be extremely fruitful. The following list of energy and power technology research paper topics can give you an idea of where to dig:

How can fuel cells be used for stationary power generation?
Lithium-ion vs. lithium-air batteries: energy density
Are lithium-air batteries better than gasoline ?
Renewable energy usage: advantages and disadvantages
The nuclear power usage in the UAE
India’s solar installations
Gas price increasing and alternative energy sources
How can methods of energy transformation be applied with hydrogen energy?
Is hydrogen energy our future?
Thermal storage & AC systems
How to load balance using smart grid?
Distributed energy generation to optimize power waste
Is the smart energy network a solution to climate change ?
The future of the tidal power
The possibility of 3D printing of micro stirling engines
How can robots be used to adjust solar panels to weather?
Advanced biofuels & algae
Can photovoltaic glass be fully transparent?
Third-generation biofuels : algae vs. crop-based
Space-based solar power: myth or reality of the future?
Can smaller nuclear reactors be more efficient?
Inertial confinement fusion & creal energy
Renewable energy technologies: an overview
How can thorium change the nuclear power field?

The way we get our food has changed drastically with the technological development. Manufacturers look for ways to feed 7.5 billion people more efficiently. And the demand is growing every year. Now technology is not only used for packaging, but for producing and processing food as well.

Introducing robots into the process of manufacturing brings multiple benefits to the producer. Not only do they make it more cost-efficient, but they also reduce safety problems.

Surprisingly enough, you can print food on the 3D printer now! This technology is applied to produce soft food for people who can’t chew. NASA decided to use it for fun as well and printed a pizza!

Drones now help farmers to keep an eye on crops from above. It helps them see the full picture and analyze the current state of the fields. For example, a drone can spot a starting disease and save the crop.

The newest eco trends push companies to become more environmentally aware. They use technologies to create safer packaging. The issue of food waste is also getting more and more relevant. Consumers want to know that nothing is wasted. Thanks to the new technologies, the excess food is now used more wisely.

Food Technology Research Topics

If you are looking for qualitative research topics about technology in the food industry, here is a list of ideas you don’t want to miss:

What machines are used in the food industry?
How do robots improve safety in butchery?
Food industry & 3D printing
3D printed food – a solution to help people with swallowing disorder?
Drones & precision agriculture
How is robotics used to create eco-friendly food packaging ?
Is micro packaging our future?
The development of edible cling film

Technology & food waste : what are the solutions?
Additives and preservatives & human gut microbiome
The effect of citric acid on the orange juice: physicochemical level
Vegetable oils in mass production: compare & contrast
Time-temperature indicators & food industry
Conventional vs. hydroponic farming
Food safety: a policy issue in agriculture today
How to improve the detection of parasites in food?
What are the newest technologies in the baking industry?
Eliminating byproducts in edible oils production
Cold plasma & biofilms
How good are the antioxidant peptides derived from plants?
Electronic nose in food industry and agriculture
The harm of polyphenols in food

Why does the life expectancy of people get higher and higher every year? One of the main aspects of it is the promotion of innovation in the medical area. For example, the development of equipment helps medical professionals to save many lives.

Thanks to information technology, the work is much more structured now in the medical area. The hospitals use tablets and the method of electronic medical records. It helps them to access and share the data more efficiently.

If talking about medical devices, emerging technologies save more lives than ever! For instance, operations done by robots are getting more and more popular. Don’t worry! Doctors are still in charge; they just control the robots from the other room. It allows operations to be less invasive and precise.

Moreover, science not only helps treat diseases but also prevent them! The medical research aims for the development of vaccines against deadly illnesses like malaria.

Some of the projects even sound more like crazy ideas from the future. But it is all happening right now! Scientists are working on the creation of artificial organs and the best robotic prosthetics.

All the technologies mentioned above are critical for successful healthcare management.

Medical Technology Research Topics

If you feel like saving lives is the purpose of your life, then technological research topics in the medical area are for you! These topics would also suit for your research paper:

How effective are robotic surgeries ?
Smart inhalers as the new solution for asthma treatment
Genetic counseling – a new way of preventing diseases?
The benefits of the electronic medical records
Erythrocytapheresis to treat sickle cell disease
Defibrillator & cardiac resynchronization therapy
Why do drug-eluting stents fail?
Dissolvable brain sensors: an overview
3D printing for medical purposes
How soon will we be able to create artificial organs?
Wearable technologies & healthcare
Precision medicine based on genetics
Virtual reality devices for educational purposes in medical schools
The development of telemedicine
Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats as the way of treating diseases
Nanotechnology & cancer treatment
How safe is genome editing?
The trends in electronic diagnostic tools development
The future of the brain-machine interface
How does wireless communication help medical professionals in hospitals?

In the past years, technologies have been drastically changing the pharmaceutical industry. Now, a lot of processes are optimized with the help of information technology. The ways of prescribing and distributing medications are much more efficient today. Moreover, the production of medicines itself has changed.

For instance, electronic prior authorization is now applied by more than half of the pharmacies. It makes the process of acquiring prior authorization much faster and easier.

The high price of medicines is the number one reason why patients stop using prescriptions. Real-time pharmacy benefit may be the solution! It is a system that gives another perspective for the prescribers. While working with individual patients, they will be able to consider multiple factors with the help of data provided.

The pharmaceutical industry also adopts some new technologies to compete on the international level. They apply advanced data analytics to optimize their work.

Companies try to reduce the cost and boost the effectiveness of the medicines. That is why they look into technologies that help avoid failures in the final clinical trials.

The constant research in the area of pharma is paying off. New specialty drugs and therapies arrive to treat chronic diseases. However, there are still enough opportunities for development.

Pharmaceutical Technologies Research Topics

Following the latest trends in the pharmaceutical area, this list offers a wide range of creative research topics on pharmaceutical technologies:

Electronic prior authorization as a pharmacy technological trend
The effectiveness of medication therapy management
Medication therapy management & health information exchanges
Electronic prescribing of controlled substances as a solution for drug abuse issue
Do prescription drug monitoring programs really work?
How can pharmacists help with meaningful use?
NCPDP script standard for specialty pharmacies
Pharmaceutical technologies & specialty medications
What is the patient’s interest in the real-time pharmacy?
The development of the vaccines for AIDS
Phenotypic screening in pharmaceutical researches
How does cloud ERP help pharmaceutical companies with analytics?
Data security & pharmaceutical technologies
An overview of the DNA-encoded library technology
Pharmaceutical technologies: antibiotics vs. superbugs
Personalized medicine: body-on-a-chip approach
The future of cannabidiol medication in pain management
How is cloud technology beneficial for small pharmaceutical companies?
A new perspective on treatment: medicines from plants
Anticancer nanomedicine: a pharmaceutical hope

🚈 Transportation Technologies

We used to be focused on making transportation more convenient. However, nowadays, the focus is slowly switching to ecological issues.

It doesn’t mean that vehicles can’t be comfortable at the same time. That is why the development of electric and self-driving cars is on the peak.

Transportation technologies also address the issues of safety and traffic jams. There are quite many solutions suggested. However, it would be hard for big cities to switch to the other systems fast.

One of the solutions is using shared vehicle phone applications. It allows reducing the number of private cars on the roads. On the other hand, if more people start preferring private vehicles, it may cause even more traffic issues.

The most innovative cities even start looking for more eco-friendly solutions for public transport. Buses are being replaced by electric ones. At the same time, the latest trend is using private electric vehicles such as scooters and bikes.

So that people use public transport more, it should be more accessible and comfortable. That is why the payment systems are also being updated. Now, all you would need is to download an app and buy a ticket in one click!

Transportation Technologies Research Topics

Here you can find the best information technology research topics related to transportation technologies:

How safe are self-driving cars ?
Electric vs. hybrid cars : compare & contrast
How to save your smart car from being hijacked?
How do next-generation GPS devices adjust the route for traffic?
Transportation technologies: personal transportation pods
High-speed rail networks in Japan
Cell phones during driving: threats and solutions
Transportation: electric cars effects
Teleportation: physics of the impossible
How soon we will see Elon Musk’s Hyperloop?
Gyroscopes as a solution for convenient public transportation
Electric trucks: the effect on logistics
Why were electric scooters banned in some cities in 2018?
Carbon fiber as an optional material for unit load devices
What are the benefits of the advanced transportation management systems?
How to make solar roadways more cost-effective?
How is blockchain applied in the transportation industry
Transportation technologies: an overview of the freight check-in
How do delivery companies use artificial intelligence?
Water-fueled cars: the technology of future or fantasy?
What can monitoring systems be used to manage curb space?
Inclusivity and accessibility in public transport: an overview
The development of the mobility-as-a-service

All in all, this article is a compilation of the 204 most interesting research topics on technology and computer science. It is a perfect source of inspiration for anyone who is interested in doing research in this area.

We have divided the topics by specific areas, which makes it easier for you to find your favorite one. There are 20 topics in each category, along with a short explanation of the most recent trends in the area.

You can choose one topic from artificial intelligence research topics and start working on it right away! There is also a wide selection of questions on biotechnology and engineering that are waiting to be answered.

Since media and communications are present in our everyday life and develop very fast, you should look into this area. But if you want to make a real change, you can’t miss on researching medical and pharmaceutical, food and energy, and transportation areas.

Of course, you are welcome to customize the topic you choose! The more creativity, the better! Maybe your research has the power to change something! Good luck, and have fun!

This might be interesting for you:

280 Good Nursing Research Topics & Questions
226 Research Topics on Criminal Justice & Criminology
178 Best Research Titles about Cookery & Food
497 Interesting History Topics to Research
180 Best Education Research Topics & Ideas
110+ Micro- & Macroeconomics Research Topics
417 Business Research Topics for ABM Students
190+ Research Topics on Psychology & Communication
512 Research Topics on HumSS
281 Best Health & Medical Research Topics
501 Research Questions & Titles about Science
A List of Research Topics for Students. Unique and Interesting
Good Research Topics, Titles and Ideas for Your Paper
Databases for Research & Education: Gale
The Complete Beginners’ Guide to Artificial Intelligence: Forbes
8 Best Topics for Research and Thesis in Artificial Intelligence: GeeksForGeeks
Technology Is Changing Transportation, and Cities Should Adapt: Harvard Business Review
Five Technology Trends: Changing Pharmacy Practice Today and Tomorrow (Pharmacy Times)
Recent papers in Technology: Academia
Research: Michigan Tech
What 126 studies say about education technology: MIT News
Top 5 Topics in Information Technology: King University Online
Research in Technology Education-Some Areas of Need: Virginia Tech
Undergraduate Research Topics: Department of Computer Science, Princeton University
Student topics: QUT Science and Engineering
Developing research questions: Monash University
Biotechnology: Definition, Examples, & Applications (Britannica)
Medical Laboratory Science Student Research Projects: Rush University
Clinical Laboratory Science: Choosing a Research Topic (Library Resource Guide for FGCU Clinical Lab Science students)
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Thanks so much for this! Glad I popped by and I sure did find what I was looking for.

Thanks for your kind words, Sanny! We look forward to seeing you again!

Thank you very for the best topics of research across all science and art projects. The best thing that I am interested to is computer forensics and security specifically for IT students.

Thanks for stopping by!

Hello, glad to hear from you!

Computer science focuses on creating programs and applications, while information technology focuses on using computer systems and networks. What computer science jobs are there. It includes software developers, web developers, software engineers, and data scientists.

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130 Information Technology Research Topics And Quick Writing Prompts

The field of information technology is one of the most recent developments of the 21st century. Scholars argue that we are living in a technological age. Despite this buzz, however, many students still find it challenging to compose an information technology research topic.

Nonetheless, we are here to show you the way and lead you accordingly. Let us explore professional topics in information technology together then.

Quality Information Technology Topics For Research Paper

The effects of Artificial Intelligence on complex and tedious tasks
Discuss the development of computational & synthetic biology in research
What are the limitations to the study of computer architecture in colleges?
Discuss the evolution of animation, computer graphics, and game science
Critically analyze how computing is contributing to the development
What are the emerging fields of study in computer data science?
How to manage data in the age of the 5G technology
The impact of human-computer interaction on innovations
How is machine learning exposing students to more recent opportunities in life?
Evaluate molecular information systems and their role in biotechnology
How information technology has contributed to natural language processing
What are the latest developments in programming languages and software engineering
Analyze emerging opportunities in the field of Robotics

College Research Paper Topics in Information Technology

The rising security and privacy concerns with technological advancements
What are the considerations when setting up systems and networking?
Discuss the theory of computation and its contribution to information technology
Why is ubiquitous computing attracting fewer students?
The role of wireless and sensor systems in making the world a safe place
Reasons, why cloud computing has helped save on space and efficiency
Why are most computer students comprised of the male?
Discuss the essence of amorphous computing in the 21st century
How has biomedical mining impacted the health sector?
Can cyborgs relate well with the man?
How neural networking is making brain surgery a swift process
The role of swarm intelligence in collaboration and brainstorming
How are companies maximizing the use of Big Data?

List of Topics For Research Paper in Information Technology

Discuss how the Internet of Things is transforming how people conduct their activities
Challenges to software-defined networking
How are marketers and promoters taking up software as a service?
The role of augmented reality and virtual reality in healthcare systems
How intelligent apps are making life easier for man
The role of information technology in detecting fake news and malicious viral content
Long term effects of a technologically oriented world
Technological advancements that made it possible for the SpaceX shuttle to land on the International Space Station
How technology is making learning more practical and student-centered
What role has technology played in the spread of world pandemics?
How are governments able to shut down the Internet for their countries during particular events?
Does social media make the world a global village or a divided universe?
Discuss the implications of technological globalization

Unique Information Technology Research Topics

Discuss the areas of life which have been least exploited using technology
What are the considerations for setting up an educational curriculum on computer technology?
Compare and contrast between different computer processing powers
Why is Random Access Memory so crucial to the functioning of a computer?
Should computer as a subject be mandatory for all students in college?
How information technology has helped keep the world together during the quarantine period
Discuss why most hackers manage to break firewalls of banks
Are automated teller machine cards a safe way of keeping your bank details?
Why should every institution incorporate automated systems in its functions?
Who is more intelligent than the other? Man or Computer systems?
How is NASA implementing the use of Information technology to explore space?
The impact of automated message replies on smartphones.
Do mobile phones contain radiations that cause cancer?

IT Research Topics For High School Students

How does natural language processing compare with machine learning?
What is the role of virtual reality in the entertainment industry?
Discuss the application of computer vision technology in autonomous cars
How have CCTVs assisted in keeping the world safe?
Effects of phishing and spying on relationships
Why cyber espionage is on the rise in the face of the 5G technology
Compare and contrast between content-based recommendation vs. collaborative filtering
Evaluate the interconnection between the Internet of things and artificial intelligence
Analyze the amount of data generated from the Internet of things in devices
Ethical and legal implications of various technological practices
How technology has contributed to the formation of Genetically Modified Organisms
Describe in detail the vaccine development process
Why nanotechnology may be the only hope left in treating HIV

Hot Topics in IT

How companies can incorporate information technologies in their policy management systems
The role of IT in enhancing service delivery in customer care centers
How IT has made advertising more appealing and authentic to the consumer
Discuss the innovation of the Next Generation education systems
Why are there fewer Information Technology colleges and universities in developing countries?
Discuss WIFI connectivity in developed countries
What are the considerations when purchasing a Bandwidth Monitor?
How to create an effective Clinic Management System for intensive care
Factors that necessitate the development of an Enterprise Level System Information Management
Is it possible to develop fully functional Intelligent Car Transportation Systems?
Why the world should adopt E-Waste Management systems ASAP
Discuss the impact of weather and climate on internet strength and connectivity
The role of advanced information technologies preserving classified documents

Interesting Information Technology Topics

Human resource information management systems in large organizations
Evaluate the effectiveness of online enterprise resource planning
A critical analysis of object tracking using radial function networks
How has Bluetooth mobile phone technology developed over time?
Ethical challenges arising from new media information technologies
How the computer has developed over the last decade
The role of social media in enhancing communication strategies
Why new media technologies have made physical newspapers obsolete
The impact of the Internet of news sourcing, production, distribution, and sharing
Discuss the structures of various communication structures
How social media is making ads easily accessible
The impact of social networking sites on personal contact
Discuss the latest content marketing ideas in the wake of information technology

Topics Related To Information Technology

The impact of media exposure to adolescents and teenagers
How mass media is slowly but surely taking over the place of personal socialization
How to use the Internet and interactive media as advertising tools
Discuss the trends in music marketing in a digital world
The use of hype in new media technologies
The impact of using YouTube and video blogs in communication messages
Discuss the challenges that are arising as a result of new media technologies
How to build trustful relationships in virtual communication channels
Why it is impossible to maintain privacy in social media
Reasons why cyberbullying continues to persist in various communication technologies
The change in interpersonal communication with the invention of information technology
Is the future of information technologies right?
Discuss how sensationalism is persisting in the wake of new media technologies

Research Proposal Topics in Information Technology

Is it possible to live in a world without social media?
The impact of mass media on morality and decency in the 21st century
Advantages and disadvantages of renewable energy sources
How effective is hydrogen power over others?
An overview of renewable energy technologies
The impact of robots in improving food safety
How are drones useful in keeping large acres of land secure?
The impact of 3D printing on the practice of medicine
The effectiveness of having robots in infectious disease units
The impact of hydroponic farming
How to improve disease control using technology
Eliminating poisonous substances in food using technology
The effectiveness of robotic surgeries

Hot Topics in Computer Science

Distinguish between virtual reality and human perception
How are the inventions in the field of computer science transforming the world
Evaluate the effectiveness of high-dimensional data modeling
Limitations to the field of computer science
Are colleges and universities producing competent computer scientists?
How ethical hacking has turned out to be worse
The essence of having specialized banking systems
What is the most effective security measure: A serial code or fingerprint?
The development of programming languages
The effect of computational thinking on science
Is it possible to eliminate stalking?
Ways of improving patent rights for technological innovations
An overview of the different types of software security

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 113 great research paper topics.

General Education

One of the hardest parts of writing a research paper can be just finding a good topic to write about. Fortunately we've done the hard work for you and have compiled a list of 113 interesting research paper topics. They've been organized into ten categories and cover a wide range of subjects so you can easily find the best topic for you.

In addition to the list of good research topics, we've included advice on what makes a good research paper topic and how you can use your topic to start writing a great paper.

What Makes a Good Research Paper Topic?

Not all research paper topics are created equal, and you want to make sure you choose a great topic before you start writing. Below are the three most important factors to consider to make sure you choose the best research paper topics.

#1: It's Something You're Interested In

A paper is always easier to write if you're interested in the topic, and you'll be more motivated to do in-depth research and write a paper that really covers the entire subject. Even if a certain research paper topic is getting a lot of buzz right now or other people seem interested in writing about it, don't feel tempted to make it your topic unless you genuinely have some sort of interest in it as well.

#2: There's Enough Information to Write a Paper

Even if you come up with the absolute best research paper topic and you're so excited to write about it, you won't be able to produce a good paper if there isn't enough research about the topic. This can happen for very specific or specialized topics, as well as topics that are too new to have enough research done on them at the moment. Easy research paper topics will always be topics with enough information to write a full-length paper.

Trying to write a research paper on a topic that doesn't have much research on it is incredibly hard, so before you decide on a topic, do a bit of preliminary searching and make sure you'll have all the information you need to write your paper.

#3: It Fits Your Teacher's Guidelines

Don't get so carried away looking at lists of research paper topics that you forget any requirements or restrictions your teacher may have put on research topic ideas. If you're writing a research paper on a health-related topic, deciding to write about the impact of rap on the music scene probably won't be allowed, but there may be some sort of leeway. For example, if you're really interested in current events but your teacher wants you to write a research paper on a history topic, you may be able to choose a topic that fits both categories, like exploring the relationship between the US and North Korea. No matter what, always get your research paper topic approved by your teacher first before you begin writing.

113 Good Research Paper Topics

Below are 113 good research topics to help you get you started on your paper. We've organized them into ten categories to make it easier to find the type of research paper topics you're looking for.

Arts/Culture

Discuss the main differences in art from the Italian Renaissance and the Northern Renaissance .
Analyze the impact a famous artist had on the world.
How is sexism portrayed in different types of media (music, film, video games, etc.)? Has the amount/type of sexism changed over the years?
How has the music of slaves brought over from Africa shaped modern American music?
How has rap music evolved in the past decade?
How has the portrayal of minorities in the media changed?

Current Events

What have been the impacts of China's one child policy?
How have the goals of feminists changed over the decades?
How has the Trump presidency changed international relations?
Analyze the history of the relationship between the United States and North Korea.
What factors contributed to the current decline in the rate of unemployment?
What have been the impacts of states which have increased their minimum wage?
How do US immigration laws compare to immigration laws of other countries?
How have the US's immigration laws changed in the past few years/decades?
How has the Black Lives Matter movement affected discussions and view about racism in the US?
What impact has the Affordable Care Act had on healthcare in the US?
What factors contributed to the UK deciding to leave the EU (Brexit)?
What factors contributed to China becoming an economic power?
Discuss the history of Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies (some of which tokenize the S&P 500 Index on the blockchain) .
Do students in schools that eliminate grades do better in college and their careers?
Do students from wealthier backgrounds score higher on standardized tests?
Do students who receive free meals at school get higher grades compared to when they weren't receiving a free meal?
Do students who attend charter schools score higher on standardized tests than students in public schools?
Do students learn better in same-sex classrooms?
How does giving each student access to an iPad or laptop affect their studies?
What are the benefits and drawbacks of the Montessori Method ?
Do children who attend preschool do better in school later on?
What was the impact of the No Child Left Behind act?
How does the US education system compare to education systems in other countries?
What impact does mandatory physical education classes have on students' health?
Which methods are most effective at reducing bullying in schools?
Do homeschoolers who attend college do as well as students who attended traditional schools?
Does offering tenure increase or decrease quality of teaching?
How does college debt affect future life choices of students?
Should graduate students be able to form unions?

What are different ways to lower gun-related deaths in the US?
How and why have divorce rates changed over time?
Is affirmative action still necessary in education and/or the workplace?
Should physician-assisted suicide be legal?
How has stem cell research impacted the medical field?
How can human trafficking be reduced in the United States/world?
Should people be able to donate organs in exchange for money?
Which types of juvenile punishment have proven most effective at preventing future crimes?
Has the increase in US airport security made passengers safer?
Analyze the immigration policies of certain countries and how they are similar and different from one another.
Several states have legalized recreational marijuana. What positive and negative impacts have they experienced as a result?
Do tariffs increase the number of domestic jobs?
Which prison reforms have proven most effective?
Should governments be able to censor certain information on the internet?
Which methods/programs have been most effective at reducing teen pregnancy?
What are the benefits and drawbacks of the Keto diet?
How effective are different exercise regimes for losing weight and maintaining weight loss?
How do the healthcare plans of various countries differ from each other?
What are the most effective ways to treat depression ?
What are the pros and cons of genetically modified foods?
Which methods are most effective for improving memory?
What can be done to lower healthcare costs in the US?
What factors contributed to the current opioid crisis?
Analyze the history and impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic .
Are low-carbohydrate or low-fat diets more effective for weight loss?
How much exercise should the average adult be getting each week?
Which methods are most effective to get parents to vaccinate their children?
What are the pros and cons of clean needle programs?
How does stress affect the body?
Discuss the history of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
What were the causes and effects of the Salem Witch Trials?
Who was responsible for the Iran-Contra situation?
How has New Orleans and the government's response to natural disasters changed since Hurricane Katrina?
What events led to the fall of the Roman Empire?
What were the impacts of British rule in India ?
Was the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki necessary?
What were the successes and failures of the women's suffrage movement in the United States?
What were the causes of the Civil War?
How did Abraham Lincoln's assassination impact the country and reconstruction after the Civil War?
Which factors contributed to the colonies winning the American Revolution?
What caused Hitler's rise to power?
Discuss how a specific invention impacted history.
What led to Cleopatra's fall as ruler of Egypt?
How has Japan changed and evolved over the centuries?
What were the causes of the Rwandan genocide ?

Why did Martin Luther decide to split with the Catholic Church?
Analyze the history and impact of a well-known cult (Jonestown, Manson family, etc.)
How did the sexual abuse scandal impact how people view the Catholic Church?
How has the Catholic church's power changed over the past decades/centuries?
What are the causes behind the rise in atheism/ agnosticism in the United States?
What were the influences in Siddhartha's life resulted in him becoming the Buddha?
How has media portrayal of Islam/Muslims changed since September 11th?

Science/Environment

How has the earth's climate changed in the past few decades?
How has the use and elimination of DDT affected bird populations in the US?
Analyze how the number and severity of natural disasters have increased in the past few decades.
Analyze deforestation rates in a certain area or globally over a period of time.
How have past oil spills changed regulations and cleanup methods?
How has the Flint water crisis changed water regulation safety?
What are the pros and cons of fracking?
What impact has the Paris Climate Agreement had so far?
What have NASA's biggest successes and failures been?
How can we improve access to clean water around the world?
Does ecotourism actually have a positive impact on the environment?
Should the US rely on nuclear energy more?
What can be done to save amphibian species currently at risk of extinction?
What impact has climate change had on coral reefs?
How are black holes created?
Are teens who spend more time on social media more likely to suffer anxiety and/or depression?
How will the loss of net neutrality affect internet users?
Analyze the history and progress of self-driving vehicles.
How has the use of drones changed surveillance and warfare methods?
Has social media made people more or less connected?
What progress has currently been made with artificial intelligence ?
Do smartphones increase or decrease workplace productivity?
What are the most effective ways to use technology in the classroom?
How is Google search affecting our intelligence?
When is the best age for a child to begin owning a smartphone?
Has frequent texting reduced teen literacy rates?

How to Write a Great Research Paper

Even great research paper topics won't give you a great research paper if you don't hone your topic before and during the writing process. Follow these three tips to turn good research paper topics into great papers.

#1: Figure Out Your Thesis Early

Before you start writing a single word of your paper, you first need to know what your thesis will be. Your thesis is a statement that explains what you intend to prove/show in your paper. Every sentence in your research paper will relate back to your thesis, so you don't want to start writing without it!

As some examples, if you're writing a research paper on if students learn better in same-sex classrooms, your thesis might be "Research has shown that elementary-age students in same-sex classrooms score higher on standardized tests and report feeling more comfortable in the classroom."

If you're writing a paper on the causes of the Civil War, your thesis might be "While the dispute between the North and South over slavery is the most well-known cause of the Civil War, other key causes include differences in the economies of the North and South, states' rights, and territorial expansion."

#2: Back Every Statement Up With Research

Remember, this is a research paper you're writing, so you'll need to use lots of research to make your points. Every statement you give must be backed up with research, properly cited the way your teacher requested. You're allowed to include opinions of your own, but they must also be supported by the research you give.

#3: Do Your Research Before You Begin Writing

You don't want to start writing your research paper and then learn that there isn't enough research to back up the points you're making, or, even worse, that the research contradicts the points you're trying to make!

Get most of your research on your good research topics done before you begin writing. Then use the research you've collected to create a rough outline of what your paper will cover and the key points you're going to make. This will help keep your paper clear and organized, and it'll ensure you have enough research to produce a strong paper.

What's Next?

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Want to know the fastest and easiest ways to convert between Fahrenheit and Celsius? We've got you covered! Check out our guide to the best ways to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit (or vice versa).

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

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

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Computer Technology Research Paper Topics

This list of computer technology research paper topics provides the list of 33 potential topics for research papers and an overview article on the history of computer technology.

1. Analog Computers

Paralleling the split between analog and digital computers, in the 1950s the term analog computer was a posteriori projected onto pre-existing classes of mechanical, electrical, and electromechanical computing artifacts, subsuming them under the same category. The concept of analog, like the technical demarcation between analog and digital computer, was absent from the vocabulary of those classifying artifacts for the 1914 Edinburgh Exhibition, the first world’s fair emphasizing computing technology, and this leaves us with an invaluable index of the impressive number of classes of computing artifacts amassed during the few centuries of capitalist modernity. True, from the debate between ‘‘smooth’’ and ‘‘lumpy’’ artificial lines of computing (1910s) to the differentiation between ‘‘continuous’’ and ‘‘cyclic’’ computers (1940s), the subsequent analog–digital split became possible by the multitudinous accumulation of attempts to decontextualize the computer from its socio-historical use alternately to define the ideal computer technically. The fact is, however, that influential classifications of computing technology from the previous decades never provided an encompassing demarcation compared to the analog– digital distinction used since the 1950s. Historians of the digital computer find that the experience of working with software was much closer to art than science, a process that was resistant to mass production; historians of the analog computer find this to have been typical of working with the analog computer throughout all its aspects. The historiography of the progress of digital computing invites us to turn to the software crisis, which perhaps not accidentally, surfaced when the crisis caused by the analog ended. Noticeably, it was not until the process of computing with a digital electronic computer became sufficiently visual by the addition of a special interface—to substitute for the loss of visualization that was previously provided by the analog computer—that the analog computer finally disappeared.

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Get 10% off with 24start discount code, 2. artificial intelligence.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the field of software engineering that builds computer systems and occasionally robots to perform tasks that require intelligence. The term ‘‘artificial intelligence’’ was coined by John McCarthy in 1958, then a graduate student at Princeton, at a summer workshop held at Dartmouth in 1956. This two-month workshop marks the official birth of AI, which brought together young researchers who would nurture the field as it grew over the next several decades: Marvin Minsky, Claude Shannon, Arthur Samuel, Ray Solomonoff, Oliver Selfridge, Allen Newell, and Herbert Simon. It would be difficult to argue that the technologies derived from AI research had a profound effect on our way of life by the beginning of the 21st century. However, AI technologies have been successfully applied in many industrial settings, medicine and health care, and video games. Programming techniques developed in AI research were incorporated into more widespread programming practices, such as high-level programming languages and time-sharing operating systems. While AI did not succeed in constructing a computer which displays the general mental capabilities of a typical human, such as the HAL computer in Arthur C. Clarke and Stanley Kubrick’s film 2001: A Space Odyssey, it has produced programs that perform some apparently intelligent tasks, often at a much greater level of skill and reliability than humans. More than this, AI has provided a powerful and defining image of what computer technology might someday be capable of achieving.

3. Computer and Video Games

Interactive computer and video games were first developed in laboratories as the late-night amusements of computer programmers or independent projects of television engineers. Their formats include computer software; networked, multiplayer games on time-shared systems or servers; arcade consoles; home consoles connected to television sets; and handheld game machines. The first experimental projects grew out of early work in computer graphics, artificial intelligence, television technology, hardware and software interface development, computer-aided education, and microelectronics. Important examples were Willy Higinbotham’s oscilloscope-based ‘‘Tennis for Two’’ at the Brookhaven National Laboratory (1958); ‘‘Spacewar!,’’ by Steve Russell, Alan Kotok, J. Martin Graetz and others at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1962); Ralph Baer’s television-based tennis game for Sanders Associates (1966); several networked games from the PLATO (Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching Operations) Project at the University of Illinois during the early 1970s; and ‘‘Adventure,’’ by Will Crowther of Bolt, Beranek & Newman (1972), extended by Don Woods at Stanford University’s Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (1976). The main lines of development during the 1970s and early 1980s were home video consoles, coin-operated arcade games, and computer software.

4. Computer Displays

The display is an essential part of any general-purpose computer. Its function is to act as an output device to communicate data to humans using the highest bandwidth input system that humans possess—the eyes. Much of the development of computer displays has been about trying to get closer to the limits of human visual perception in terms of color and spatial resolution. Mainframe and minicomputers used ‘‘terminals’’ to display the output. These were fed data from the host computer and processed the data to create screen images using a graphics processor. The display was typically integrated with a keyboard system and some communication hardware as a terminal or video display unit (VDU) following the basic model used for teletypes. Personal computers (PCs) in the late 1970s and early 1980s changed this model by integrating the graphics controller into the computer chassis itself. Early PC displays typically displayed only monochrome text and communicated in character codes such as ASCII. Line-scanning frequencies were typically from 15 to 20 kilohertz—similar to television. CRT displays rapidly developed after the introduction of video graphics array (VGA) technology (640 by 480 pixels in16 colors) in the mid-1980s and scan frequencies rose to 60 kilohertz or more for mainstream displays; 100 kilohertz or more for high-end displays. These displays were capable of displaying formats up to 2048 by 1536 pixels with high color depths. Because the human eye is very quick to respond to visual stimulation, developments in display technology have tended to track the development of semiconductor technology that allows the rapid manipulation of the stored image.

5. Computer Memory for Personal Computers

During the second half of the twentieth century, the two primary methods used for the long-term storage of digital information were magnetic and optical recording. These methods were selected primarily on the basis of cost. Compared to core or transistorized random-access memory (RAM), storage costs for magnetic and optical media were several orders of magnitude cheaper per bit of information and were not volatile; that is, the information did not vanish when electrical power was turned off. However, access to information stored on magnetic and optical recorders was much slower compared to RAM memory. As a result, computer designers used a mix of both types of memory to accomplish computational tasks. Designers of magnetic and optical storage systems have sought meanwhile to increase the speed of access to stored information to increase the overall performance of computer systems, since most digital information is stored magnetically or optically for reasons of cost.

6. Computer Modeling

Computer simulation models have transformed the natural, engineering, and social sciences, becoming crucial tools for disciplines as diverse as ecology, epidemiology, economics, urban planning, aerospace engineering, meteorology, and military operations. Computer models help researchers study systems of extreme complexity, predict the behavior of natural phenomena, and examine the effects of human interventions in natural processes. Engineers use models to design everything from jets and nuclear-waste repositories to diapers and golf clubs. Models enable astrophysicists to simulate supernovas, biochemists to replicate protein folding, geologists to predict volcanic eruptions, and physiologists to identify populations at risk of lead poisoning. Clearly, computer models provide a powerful means of solving problems, both theoretical and applied.

7. Computer Networks

Computers and computer networks have changed the way we do almost everything—the way we teach, learn, do research, access or share information, communicate with each other, and even the way we entertain ourselves. A computer network, in simple terms, consists of two or more computing devices (often called nodes) interconnected by means of some medium capable of transmitting data that allows the computers to communicate with each other in order to provide a variety of services to users.

8. Computer Science

Computer science occupies a unique position among the scientific and technical disciplines. It revolves around a specific artifact—the electronic digital computer—that touches upon a broad and diverse set of fields in its design, operation, and application. As a result, computer science represents a synthesis and extension of many different areas of mathematics, science, engineering, and business.

9. Computer-Aided Control Technology

The story of computer-aided control technology is inextricably entwined with the modern history of automation. Automation in the first half of the twentieth century involved (often analog) processes for continuous automatic measurement and control of hardware by hydraulic, mechanical, or electromechanical means. These processes facilitated the development and refinement of battlefield fire-control systems, feedback amplifiers for use in telephony, electrical grid simulators, numerically controlled milling machines, and dozens of other innovations.

10. Computer-Aided Design and Manufacture

Computer-aided design and manufacture, known by the acronym CAD/CAM, is a process for manufacturing mechanical components, wherein computers are used to link the information needed in and produced by the design process to the information needed to control the machine tools that produce the parts. However, CAD/CAM actually constitutes two separate technologies that developed along similar, but unrelated, lines until they were combined in the 1970s.

11. Computer-User Interface

A computer interface is the point of contact between a person and an electronic computer. Today’s interfaces include a keyboard, mouse, and display screen. Computer user interfaces developed through three distinct stages, which can be identified as batch processing, interactive computing, and the graphical user interface (GUI). Today’s graphical interfaces support additional multimedia features, such as streaming audio and video. In GUI design, every new software feature introduces more icons into the process of computer– user interaction. Presently, the large vocabulary of icons used in GUI design is difficult for users to remember, which creates a complexity problem. As GUIs become more complex, interface designers are adding voice recognition and intelligent agent technologies to make computer user interfaces even easier to operate.

12. Early Computer Memory

Mechanisms to store information were present in early mechanical calculating machines, going back to Charles Babbage’s analytical engine proposed in the 1830s. It introduced the concept of the ‘‘store’’ and, if ever built, would have held 1000 numbers of up to 50 decimal digits. However, the move toward base-2 or binary computing in the 1930s brought about a new paradigm in technology—the digital computer, whose most elementary component was an on–off switch. Information on a digital system is represented using a combination of on and off signals, stored as binary digits (shortened to bits): zeros and ones. Text characters, symbols, or numerical values can all be coded as bits, so that information stored in digital memory is just zeros and ones, regardless of the storage medium. The history of computer memory is closely linked to the history of computers but a distinction should be made between primary (or main) and secondary memory. Computers only need operate on one segment of data at a time, and with memory being a scarce resource, the rest of the data set could be stored in less expensive and more abundant secondary memory.

13. Early Digital Computers

Digital computers were a marked departure from the electrical and mechanical calculating and computing machines in wide use from the early twentieth century. The innovation was of information being represented using only two states (on or off), which came to be known as ‘‘digital.’’ Binary (base 2) arithmetic and logic provided the tools for these machines to perform useful functions. George Boole’s binary system of algebra allowed any mathematical equation to be represented by simply true or false logic statements. By using only two states, engineering was also greatly simplified, and universality and accuracy increased. Further developments from the early purpose-built machines, to ones that were programmable accompanied by many key technological developments, resulted in the well-known success and proliferation of the digital computer.

14. Electronic Control Technology

The advancement of electrical engineering in the twentieth century made a fundamental change in control technology. New electronic devices including vacuum tubes (valves) and transistors were used to replace electromechanical elements in conventional controllers and to develop new types of controllers. In these practices, engineers discovered basic principles of control theory that could be further applied to design electronic control systems.

15. Encryption and Code Breaking

The word cryptography comes from the Greek words for ‘‘hidden’’ (kryptos) and ‘‘to write’’ (graphein)—literally, the science of ‘‘hidden writing.’’ In the twentieth century, cryptography became fundamental to information technology (IT) security generally. Before the invention of the digital computer at mid-century, national governments across the world relied on mechanical and electromechanical cryptanalytic devices to protect their own national secrets and communications, as well as to expose enemy secrets. Code breaking played an important role in both World Wars I and II, and the successful exploits of Polish and British cryptographers and signals intelligence experts in breaking the code of the German Enigma ciphering machine (which had a range of possible transformations between a message and its code of approximately 150 trillion (or 150 million million million) are well documented.

16. Error Checking and Correction

In telecommunications, whether transmission of data or voice signals is over copper, fiber-optic, or wireless links, information coded in the signal transmitted must be decoded by the receiver from a background of noise. Signal errors can be introduced, for example from physical defects in the transmission medium (semiconductor crystal defects, dust or scratches on magnetic memory, bubbles in optical fibers), from electromagnetic interference (natural or manmade) or cosmic rays, or from cross-talk (unwanted coupling) between channels. In digital signal transmission, data is transmitted as ‘‘bits’’ (ones or zeros, corresponding to on or off in electronic circuits). Random bit errors occur singly and in no relation to each other. Burst error is a large, sustained error or loss of data, perhaps caused by transmission problems in the connecting cables, or sudden noise. Analog to digital conversion can also introduce sampling errors.

17. Global Positioning System (GPS)

The NAVSTAR (NAVigation System Timing And Ranging) Global Positioning System (GPS) provides an unlimited number of military and civilian users worldwide with continuous, highly accurate data on their position in four dimensions— latitude, longitude, altitude, and time— through all weather conditions. It includes space, control, and user segments (Figure 6). A constellation of 24 satellites in 10,900 nautical miles, nearly circular orbits—six orbital planes, equally spaced 60 degrees apart, inclined approximately 55 degrees relative to the equator, and each with four equidistant satellites—transmits microwave signals in two different L-band frequencies. From any point on earth, between five and eight satellites are ‘‘visible’’ to the user. Synchronized, extremely precise atomic clocks—rubidium and cesium— aboard the satellites render the constellation semiautonomous by alleviating the need to continuously control the satellites from the ground. The control segment consists of a master facility at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, and a global network of automated stations. It passively tracks the entire constellation and, via an S-band uplink, periodically sends updated orbital and clock data to each satellite to ensure that navigation signals received by users remain accurate. Finally, GPS users—on land, at sea, in the air or space—rely on commercially produced receivers to convert satellite signals into position, time, and velocity estimates.

18. Gyrocompass and Inertial Guidance

Before the twentieth century, navigation at sea employed two complementary methods, astronomical and dead reckoning. The former involved direct measurements of celestial phenomena to ascertain position, while the latter required continuous monitoring of a ship’s course, speed, and distance run. New navigational technology was required not only for iron ships in which traditional compasses required correction, but for aircraft and submarines in which magnetic compasses cannot be used. Owing to their rapid motion, aircraft presented challenges for near instantaneous navigation data collection and reduction. Electronics furnished the exploitation of radio and the adaptation of a gyroscope to direction finding through the invention of the nonmagnetic gyrocompass.

Although the Cold War arms race after World War II led to the development of inertial navigation, German manufacture of the V-2 rocket under the direction of Wernher von Braun during the war involved a proto-inertial system, a two-gimballed gyro with an integrator to determine speed. Inertial guidance combines a gyrocompass with accelerometers installed along orthogonal axes, devices that record all accelerations of the vehicle in which inertial guidance has been installed. With this system, if the initial position of the vehicle is known, then the vehicle’s position at any moment is known because integrators record all directions and accelerations and calculate speeds and distance run. Inertial guidance devices can subtract accelerations due to gravity or other motions of the vehicle. Because inertial guidance does not depend on an outside reference, it is the ultimate dead reckoning system, ideal for the nuclear submarines for which they were invented and for ballistic missiles. Their self-contained nature makes them resistant to electronic countermeasures. Inertial systems were first installed in commercial aircraft during the 1960s. The expense of manufacturing inertial guidance mechanisms (and their necessary management by computer) has limited their application largely to military and some commercial purposes. Inertial systems accumulate errors, so their use at sea (except for submarines) has been as an adjunct to other navigational methods, unlike aircraft applications. Only the development of the global positioning system (GPS) at the end of the century promised to render all previous navigational technologies obsolete. Nevertheless, a range of technologies, some dating to the beginning of the century, remain in use in a variety of commercial and leisure applications.

19. Hybrid Computers

Following the emergence of the analog–digital demarcation in the late 1940s—and the ensuing battle between a speedy analog versus the accurate digital—the term ‘‘hybrid computer’’ surfaced in the early 1960s. The assumptions held by the adherents of the digital computer—regarding the dynamic mechanization of computational labor to accompany the equally dynamic increase in computational work—was becoming a universal ideology. From this perspective, the digital computer justly appeared to be technically superior. In introducing the digital computer to social realities, however, extensive interaction with the experienced analog computer adherents proved indispensable, especially given that the digital proponents’ expectation of progress by employing the available and inexpensive hardware was stymied by the lack of inexpensive software. From this perspective—as historiographically unwanted it may be by those who agree with the essentialist conception of the analog–digital demarcation—the history of the hybrid computer suggests that the computer as we now know it was brought about by linking the analog and the digital, not by separating them. Placing the ideal analog and the ideal digital at the two poles, all computing techniques that combined some features of both fell beneath ‘‘hybrid computation’’; the designators ‘‘balanced’’ or ‘‘true’’ were preserved for those built with appreciable amounts of both. True hybrids fell into the middle spectrum that included: pure analog computers, analog computers using digital-type numerical analysis techniques, analog computers programmed with the aid of digital computers, analog computers using digital control and logic, analog computers using digital subunits, analog computers using digital computers as peripheral equipment, balanced hybrid computer systems, digital computers using analog subroutines, digital computers with analog arithmetic elements, digital computers designed to permit analog-type programming, digital computers with analog-oriented compilers and interpreters, and pure digital computers.

20. Information Theory

Information theory, also known originally as the mathematical theory of communication, was first explicitly formulated during the mid-twentieth century. Almost immediately it became a foundation; first, for the more systematic design and utilization of numerous telecommunication and information technologies; and second, for resolving a paradox in thermodynamics. Finally, information theory has contributed to new interpretations of a wide range of biological and cultural phenomena, from organic physiology and genetics to cognitive behavior, human language, economics, and political decision making. Reflecting the symbiosis between theory and practice typical of twentieth century technology, technical issues in early telegraphy and telephony gave rise to a proto-information theory developed by Harry Nyquist at Bell Labs in 1924 and Ralph Hartley, also at Bell Labs, in 1928. This theory in turn contributed to advances in telecommunications, which stimulated the development of information theory per se by Claude Shannon and Warren Weaver, in their book The Mathematical Theory of Communication published in 1949. As articulated by Claude Shannon, a Bell Labs researcher, the technical concept of information is defined by the probability of a specific message or signal being picked out from a number of possibilities and transmitted from A to B. Information in this sense is mathematically quantifiable. The amount of information, I, conveyed by signal, S, is inversely related to its probability, P. That is, the more improbable a message, the more information it contains. To facilitate the mathematical analysis of messages, the measure is conveniently defined as I ¼ log2 1/P(S), and is named a binary digit or ‘‘bit’’ for short. Thus in the simplest case of a two-state signal (1 or 0, corresponding to on or off in electronic circuits), with equal probability for each state, the transmission of either state as the code for a message would convey one bit of information. The theory of information opened up by this conceptual analysis has become the basis for constructing and analyzing digital computational devices and a whole range of information technologies (i.e., technologies including telecommunications and data processing), from telephones to computer networks.

21. Internet

The Internet is a global computer network of networks whose origins are found in U.S. military efforts. In response to Sputnik and the emerging space race, the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) was formed in 1958 as an agency of the Pentagon. The researchers at ARPA were given a generous mandate to develop innovative technologies such as communications.

In 1962, psychologist J.C.R. Licklider from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lincoln Laboratory joined ARPA to take charge of the Information Processing Techniques Office (IPTO). In 1963 Licklider wrote a memo proposing an interactive network allowing people to communicate via computer. This project did not materialize. In 1966, Bob Taylor, then head of the IPTO, noted that he needed three different computer terminals to connect to three different machines in different locations around the nation. Taylor also recognized that universities working with IPTO needed more computing resources. Instead of the government buying machines for each university, why not share machines? Taylor revitalized Licklider’s idea, securing $1 million in funding, and hired 29-yearold Larry Roberts to direct the creation of ARPAnet.

In 1974, Robert Kahn and Vincent Cerf proposed the first internet-working protocol, a way for datagrams (packets) to be communicated between disparate networks, and they called it an ‘‘internet.’’ Their efforts created transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP). In 1982, TCP/IP replaced NCP on ARPAnet. Other networks adopted TCP/IP and it became the dominant standard for all networking by the late 1990s.

In 1981 the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) created Computer Science Network (CSNET) to provide universities that did not have access to ARPAnet with their own network. In 1986, the NSF sponsored the NSFNET ‘‘backbone’’ to connect five supercomputing centers. The backbone also connected ARPAnet and CSNET together, and the idea of a network of networks became firmly entrenched. The open technical architecture of the Internet allowed numerous innovations to be grafted easily onto the whole. When ARPAnet was dismantled in 1990, the Internet was thriving at universities and technology- oriented companies. The NSF backbone was dismantled in 1995 when the NSF realized that commercial entities could keep the Internet running and growing on their own, without government subsidy. Commercial network providers worked through the Commercial Internet Exchange to manage network traffic.

22. Mainframe Computers

The term ‘‘computer’’ currently refers to a general-purpose, digital, electronic, stored-program calculating machine. The term ‘‘mainframe’’ refers to a large, expensive, multiuser computer, able to handle a wide range of applications. The term was derived from the main frame or cabinet in which the central processing unit (CPU) and main memory of a computer were kept separate from those cabinets that held peripheral devices used for input and output.

Computers are generally classified as supercomputers, mainframes, minicomputers, or microcomputers. This classification is based on factors such as processing capability, cost, and applications, with supercomputers the fastest and most expensive. All computers were called mainframes until the 1960s, including the first supercomputer, the naval ordnance research calculator (NORC), offered by International Business Machines (IBM) in 1954. In 1960, Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) shipped the PDP-1, a computer that was much smaller and cheaper than a mainframe.

Mainframes once each filled a large room, cost millions of dollars, and needed a full maintenance staff, partly in order to repair the damage caused by the heat generated by their vacuum tubes. These machines were characterized by proprietary operating systems and connections through dumb terminals that had no local processing capabilities. As personal computers developed and began to approach mainframes in speed and processing power, however, mainframes have evolved to support a client/server relationship, and to interconnect with open standard-based systems. They have become particularly useful for systems that require reliability, security, and centralized control. Their ability to process large amounts of data quickly make them particularly valuable for storage area networks (SANs). Mainframes today contain multiple CPUs, providing additional speed through multiprocessing operations. They support many hundreds of simultaneously executing programs, as well as numerous input and output processors for multiplexing devices, such as video display terminals and disk drives. Many legacy systems, large applications that have been developed, tested, and used over time, are still running on mainframes.

23. Mineral Prospecting

Twentieth century mineral prospecting draws upon the accumulated knowledge of previous exploration and mining activities, advancing technology, expanding knowledge of geologic processes and deposit models, and mining and processing capabilities to determine where and how to look for minerals of interest. Geologic models have been developed for a wide variety of deposit types; the prospector compares geologic characteristics of potential exploration areas with those of deposit models to determine which areas have similar characteristics and are suitable prospecting locations. Mineral prospecting programs are often team efforts, integrating general and site-specific knowledge of geochemistry, geology, geophysics, and remote sensing to ‘‘discover’’ hidden mineral deposits and ‘‘measure’’ their economic potential with increasing accuracy and reduced environmental disturbance. Once a likely target zone has been identified, multiple exploration tools are used in a coordinated program to characterize the deposit and its economic potential.

24. Packet Switching

Historically the first communications networks were telegraphic—the electrical telegraph replacing the mechanical semaphore stations in the mid-nineteenth century. Telegraph networks were largely eclipsed by the advent of the voice (telephone) network, which first appeared in the late nineteenth century, and provided the immediacy of voice conversation. The Public Switched Telephone Network allows a subscriber to dial a connection to another subscriber, with the connection being a series of telephone lines connected together through switches at the telephone exchanges along the route. This technique is known as circuit switching, as a circuit is set up between the subscribers, and is held until the call is cleared.

One of the disadvantages of circuit switching is the fact that the capacity of the link is often significantly underused due to silences in the conversation, but the spare capacity cannot be shared with other traffic. Another disadvantage is the time it takes to establish the connection before the conversation can begin. One could liken this to sending a railway engine from London to Edinburgh to set the points before returning to pick up the carriages. What is required is a compromise between the immediacy of conversation on an established circuit-switched connection, with the ad hoc delivery of a store-and-forward message system. This is what packet switching is designed to provide.

25. Personal Computers

A personal computer, or PC, is designed for personal use. Its central processing unit (CPU) runs single-user systems and application software, processes input from the user, sending output to a variety of peripheral devices. Programs and data are stored in memory and attached storage devices. Personal computers are generally single-user desktop machines, but the term has been applied to any computer that ‘‘stands alone’’ for a single user, including portable computers.

The technology that enabled the construction of personal computers was the microprocessor, a programmable integrated circuit (or ‘‘chip’’) that acts as the CPU. Intel introduced the first microprocessor in 1971, the 4-bit 4004, which it called a ‘‘microprogrammable computer on a chip.’’ The 4004 was originally developed as a general-purpose chip for a programmable calculator, but Intel introduced it as part of Intel’s Microcomputer System 4-bit, or MCS-4, which also included read-only memory (ROM) and random-access memory (RAM) memory chips and a shift register chip. In August 1972, Intel followed with the 8-bit 8008, then the more powerful 8080 in June 1974. Following Intel’s lead, computers based on the 8080 were usually called microcomputers.

The success of the minicomputer during the 1960s prepared computer engineers and users for ‘‘single person, single CPU’’ computers. Digital Equipment Corporation’s (DEC) widely used PDP-10, for example, was smaller, cheaper, and more accessible than large mainframe computers. Timeshared computers operating under operating systems such as TOPS-10 on the PDP-10— co-developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and DEC in 1972—created the illusion of individual control of computing power by providing rapid access to personal programs and files. By the early 1970s, the accessibility of minicomputers, advances in microelectronics, and component miniaturization created expectations of affordable personal computers.

26. Printers

Printers generally can be categorized as either impact or nonimpact. Like typewriters, impact printers generate output by striking the page with a solid substance. Impact printers include daisy wheel and dot matrix printers. The daisy wheel printer, which was introduced in 1972 by Diablo Systems, operates by spinning the daisy wheel to the correct character whereupon a hammer strikes it, forcing the character through an inked ribbon and onto the paper. Dot matrix printers operate by using a series of small pins to strike a matrix or grid ribbon coated with ink. The strike of the pin forces the ink to transfer to the paper at the point of impact. Unlike daisy wheel printers, dot matrix printers can generate italic and other character types through producing different pin patterns. Nonimpact printers generate images by spraying or fusing ink to paper or other output media. This category includes inkjet printers, laser printers, and thermal printers. Whether they are inkjet or laser, impact or nonimpact, all modern printers incorporate features of dot matrix technology in their design: they operate by generating dots onto paper or other physical media.

27. Processors for Computers

A processor is the part of the computer system that manipulates the data. The first computer processors of the late 1940s and early 1950s performed three main functions and had three main components. They worked in a cycle to gather, decode, and execute instructions. They were made up of the arithmetic and logic unit, the control unit, and some extra storage components or registers. Today, most processors contain these components and perform these same functions, but since the 1960s they have developed different forms, capabilities, and organization. As with computers in general, increasing speed and decreasing size has marked their development.

28. Radionavigation

Astronomical and dead-reckoning techniques furnished the methods of navigating ships until the twentieth century, when exploitation of radio waves, coupled with electronics, met the needs of aircraft with their fast speeds, but also transformed all navigational techniques. The application of radio to dead reckoning has allowed vessels to determine their positions in all-weather by direction finding (known as radio direction finding, or RDF) or by hyperbolic systems. Another use of radio, radar (radio direction and rangefinding), enables vessels to determine their distance to, or their bearing from, objects of known position. Radionavigation complements traditional navigational methods by employing three frames of reference. First, radio enables a vessel to navigate by lines of bearing to shore transmitters (the most common use of radio). This is directly analogous to the use of lighthouses for bearings. Second, shore stations may take radio bearings of craft and relay to them computed positions. Third, radio beacons provide aircraft or ships with signals that function as true compasses.

29. Software Application Programs

At the beginning of the computer age around the late 1940s, inventors of the intelligent machine were not thinking about applications software, or any software other than that needed to run the bare machine to do mathematical calculating. It was only when Maurice Wilkes’ young protégé David Williams crafted a tidy set of initial orders for the EDSAC, an early programmable digital computer, that users could string together standard subroutines to a program and have the execution jump between them. This was the beginning of software as we know it—something that runs on a machine other than an operating system to make it do anything desired. ‘‘Applications’’ are software other than system programs that run the actual hardware. Manufacturers always had this software, and as the 1950s progressed they would ‘‘bundle’’ applications with hardware to make expensive computers more attractive. Some programming departments were even placed in the marketing departments.

30. Software Engineering

Software engineering aims to develop the programs that allow digital computers to do useful work in a systematic, disciplined manner that produces high-quality software on time and on budget. As computers have spread throughout industrialized societies, software has become a multibillion dollar industry. Both the users and developers of software depend a great deal on the effectiveness of the development process.

Software is a concept that didn’t even pertain to the first electronic digital computers. They were ‘‘programmed’’ through switches and patch cables that physically altered the electrical pathways of the machine. It was not until the Manchester Mark I, the first operational stored-program electronic digital computer, was developed in 1948 at the University of Manchester in England that configuring the machine to solve a specific problem became a matter of software rather than hardware. Subsequently, instructions were stored in memory along with data.

31. Supercomputers

Supercomputers are high-performance computing devices that are generally used for numerical calculation, for the study of physical systems either through numerical simulation or the processing of scientific data. Initially, they were large, expensive, mainframe computers, which were usually owned by government research labs. By the end of the twentieth century, they were more often networks of inexpensive small computers. The common element of all of these machines was their ability to perform high-speed floating-point arithmetic— binary arithmetic that approximates decimal numbers with a fixed number of bits—the basis of numerical computation.

With the advent of inexpensive supercomputers, these machines moved beyond the large government labs and into smaller research and engineering facilities. Some were used for the study of social science. A few were employed by business concerns, such as stock brokerages or graphic designers.

32. Systems Programs

The operating systems used in all computers today are a result of the development and organization of early systems programs designed to control and regulate the operations of computer hardware. The early computing machines such as the ENIAC of 1945 were ‘‘programmed’’ manually with connecting cables and setting switches for each new calculation. With the advent of the stored program computer of the late 1940s (the Manchester Mark I, EDVAC, EDSAC (electronic delay storage automatic calculator), the first system programs such as assemblers and compilers were developed and installed. These programs performed oft repeated and basic operations for computer use including converting programs into machine code, storing and retrieving files, managing computer resources and peripherals, and aiding in the compilation of new programs. With the advent of programming languages, and the dissemination of more computers in research centers, universities, and businesses during the late 1950s and 1960s, a large group of users began developing programs, improving usability, and organizing system programs into operating systems.

The 1970s and 1980s saw a turn away from some of the complications of system software, an interweaving of features from different operating systems, and the development of systems programs for the personal computer. In the early 1970s, two programmers from Bell Laboratories, Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie, developed a smaller, simpler operating system called UNIX. Unlike past system software, UNIX was portable and could be run on different computer systems. Due in part to low licensing fees and simplicity of design, UNIX increased in popularity throughout the 1970s. At the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, research during the 1970s led to the development of system software for the Apple Macintosh computer that included a GUI (graphical user interface). This type of system software filtered the user’s interaction with the computer through the use of graphics or icons representing computer processes. In 1985, a year after the release of the Apple Macintosh computer, a GUI was overlaid on Microsoft’s then dominant operating system, MS-DOS, to produce Microsoft Windows. The Microsoft Windows series of operating systems became and remains the dominant operating system on personal computers.

33. World Wide Web

The World Wide Web (Web) is a ‘‘finite but unbounded’’ collection of media-rich digital resources that are connected through high-speed digital networks. It relies upon an Internet protocol suite that supports cross-platform transmission and makes available a wide variety of media types (i.e., multimedia). The cross-platform delivery environment represents an important departure from more traditional network communications protocols such as e-mail, telnet, and file transfer protocols (FTP) because it is content-centric. It is also to be distinguished from earlier document acquisition systems such as Gopher, which was designed in 1991, originally as a mainframe program but quickly implemented over networks, and wide area information systems (WAIS), also released in 1991. WAIS accommodated a narrower range of media formats and failed to include hyperlinks within their navigation protocols. Following the success of Gopher on the Internet, the Web quickly extended and enriched the metaphor of integrated browsing and navigation. This made it possible to navigate and peruse a wide variety of media types effortlessly on the Web, which in turn led to the Web’s hegemony as an Internet protocol.

History of Computer Technology

The modern computer—the (electronic) digital computer in which the stored program concept is realized and hence self-modifying programs are possible—was only invented in the 1940s. Nevertheless, the history of computing (interpreted as the usage of modern computers) is only understandable against the background of the many forms of information processing as well as mechanical computing devices that solved mathematical problems in the first half of the twentieth century. The part these several predecessors played in the invention and early history of the computer may be interpreted from two different perspectives: on the one hand it can be argued that these machines prepared the way for the modern digital computer, on the other hand it can be argued that the computer, which was invented as a mathematical instrument, was reconstructed to be a data-processing machine, a control mechanism, and a communication tool.

The invention and early history of the digital computer has its roots in two different kinds of developments: first, information processing in business and government bureaucracies; and second, the use and the search for mathematical instruments and methods that could solve mathematical problems arising in the sciences and in engineering.

Origins in Mechanical Office Equipment

The development of information processing in business and government bureaucracies had its origins in the late nineteenth century, which was not just an era of industrialization and mass production but also a time of continuous growth in administrative work. The economic precondition for this development was the creation of a global economy, which caused growth in production of goods and trade. This brought with it an immense increase in correspondence, as well as monitoring and accounting activities—corporate bureaucracies began to collect and process data in increasing quantities. Almost at the same time, government organizations became more and more interested in collating data on population and demographic changes (e.g., expanding tax revenues, social security, and wide-ranging planning and monitoring functions) and analyzing this data statistically.

Bureaucracies in the U.S. and in Europe reacted in a different way to these changes. While in Europe for the most part neither office machines nor telephones entered offices until 1900, in the U.S. in the last quarter of the nineteenth century the information-handling techniques in bureaucracies were radically changed because of the introduction of mechanical devices for writing, copying, and counting data. The rise of big business in the U.S. had caused a growing demand for management control tools, which was fulfilled by a new ideology of systematic management together with the products of the rising office machines industry. Because of a later start in industrialization, the government and businesses in the U.S. were not forced to reorganize their bureaucracies when they introduced office machines. This, together with an ideological preference for modern office equipment, was the cause of a market for office machines and of a far-reaching mechanization of office work in the U.S. In the 1880s typewriters and cash registers became very widespread, followed by adding machines and book-keeping machines in the 1890s. From 1880 onward, the makers of office machines in the U.S. underwent a period of enormous growth, and in 1920 the office machine industry annually generated about $200 million in revenue. In Europe, by comparison, mechanization of office work emerged about two decades later than in the U.S.—both Germany and Britain adopted the American system of office organization and extensive use of office machines for the most part no earlier than the 1920s.

During the same period the rise of a new office machine technology began. Punched card systems, initially invented by Herman Hollerith to analyze the U.S. census in 1890, were introduced. By 1911 Hollerith’s company had only about 100 customers, but after it had been merged in the same year with two other companies to become the Computing- Tabulating-Recording Company (CTR), it began a tremendous ascent to become the world leader in the office machine industry. CTR’s general manager, Thomas J. Watson, understood the extraordinary potential of these punched-card accounting devices, which enabled their users to process enormous amounts of data largely automatically, in a rapid way and at an adequate level of cost and effort. Due to Watson’s insights and his extraordinary management abilities, the company (which had since been renamed to International Business Machines (IBM)) became the fourth largest office machine supplier in the world by 1928—topped only by Remington Rand, National Cash Register (NCR), and the Burroughs Adding Machine Company.

Origin of Calculating Devices and Analog Instruments

Compared with the fundamental changes in the world of corporate and government bureaucracies caused by office machinery during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, calculating machines and instruments seemed to have only a minor influence in the world of science and engineering. Scientists and engineers had always been confronted with mathematical problems and had over the centuries developed techniques such as mathematical tables. However, many new mathematical instruments emerged in the nineteenth century and increasingly began to change the world of science and engineering. Apart from the slide rule, which came into popular use in Europe from the early nineteenth century onwards (and became the symbol of the engineer for decades), calculating machines and instruments were only produced on a large scale in the middle of the nineteenth century.

In the 1850s the production of calculating machines as well as that of planimeters (used to measure the area of closed curves, a typical problem in land surveying) started on different scales. Worldwide, less than 2,000 calculating machines were produced before 1880, but more than 10,000 planimeters were produced by the early 1880s. Also, various types of specialized mathematical analog instruments were produced on a very small scale in the late nineteenth century; among them were integraphs for the graphical solution of special types of differential equations, harmonic analyzers for the determination of Fourier coefficients of a periodic function, and tide predictors that could calculate the time and height of the ebb and flood tides.

Nonetheless, in 1900 only geodesists and astronomers (as well as part of the engineering community) made extensive use of mathematical instruments. In addition, the establishment of applied mathematics as a new discipline took place at German universities on a small scale and the use of apparatus and machines as well as graphical and numerical methods began to flourish during this time. After World War I, the development of engineering sciences and of technical physics gave a tremendous boost to applied mathematics in Germany and Britain. In general, scientists and engineers became more aware of the capabilities of calculating machines and a change of the calculating culture—from the use of tables to the use of calculating machines—took place.

One particular problem that was increasingly encountered by mechanical and electrical engineers in the 1920s was the solution of several types of differential equations, which were not solvable by analytic solutions. As one important result of this development, a new type of analog instrument— the so called ‘‘differential analyzer’’—was invented in 1931 by the engineer Vannevar Bush at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In contrast to its predecessors—several types of integraphs—this machine (which was later called an analog computer) could be used not only to solve a special class of differential equation, but a more general class of differential equations associated with engineering problems. Before the digital computer was invented in the 1940s there was an intensive use of analog instruments (similar to Bush’s differential analyzer) and a number of machines were constructed in the U.S. and in Europe after the model of Bush’s machine before and during World War II. Analog instruments also became increasingly important in several fields such as the firing control of artillery on warships or the control of rockets. It is worth mentioning here that only for a limited class of scientific and engineering problems was it possible to construct an analog computer— weather forecasting and the problem of shock waves produced by an atomic bomb, for example, required the solution of partial differential equations, for which a digital computer was needed.

The Invention of the Computer

The invention of the electronic digital stored-program computer is directly connected with the development of numerical calculation tools for the solution of mathematical problems in the sciences and in engineering. The ideas that led to the invention of the computer were developed simultaneously by scientists and engineers in Germany, Britain, and the U.S. in the 1930s and 1940s. The first freely programmable program-controlled automatic calculator was developed by the civil engineering student Konrad Zuse in Germany. Zuse started development work on program-controlled computing machines in the 1930s, when he had to deal with extensive calculations in static, and in 1941 his Z3, which was based on electromechanical relay technology, became operational.

Several similar developments in the U.S. were in progress at the same time. In 1937 Howard Aiken, a physics student at Harvard University, approached IBM to build a program-controlled calculator— later called the ‘‘Harvard Mark I.’’ On the basis of a concept Aiken had developed because of his experiences with the numerical solution of partial differential equations, the machine was built and became operational in 1944. At almost the same time a series of important relay computers was built at the Bell Laboratories in New York following a suggestion by George R. Stibitz. All these developments in the U.S. were spurred by the outbreak of World War II. The first large-scale programmable electronic computer called the Colossus was built in complete secrecy in 1943 to 1944 at Bletchley Park in Britain in order to help break the German Enigma machine ciphers.

However, it was neither these relay calculators nor the Colossus that were decisive for the development of the universal computer, but the ENIAC (electronic numerical integrator and computer), which was developed at the Moore School of Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. Extensive ballistic calculations were carried out there for the U.S. Army during World War II with the aid of the Bush ‘‘differential analyzer’’ and more than a hundred women (‘‘computors’’) working on mechanical desk calculators. Observing that capacity was barely sufficient to compute the artillery firing tables, the physicist John W. Mauchly and the electronic engineer John Presper Eckert started developing the ENIAC, a digital version of the differential analyzer, in 1943 with funding from the U.S. Army.

In 1944 the mathematician John von Neumann turned his attention to the ENIAC because of his mathematical work on the Manhattan Project (on the implosion of the hydrogen bomb). While the ENIAC was being built, Neumann and the ENIAC team drew up plans for a successor to the ENIAC in order to improve the shortcomings of the ENIAC concept, such as the very small memory and the time-consuming reprogramming (actually rewiring) required to change the setup for a new calculation. In these meetings the idea of a stored-program, universal machine evolved. Memory was to be used to store the program in addition to data. This would enable the machine to execute conditional branches and change the flow of the program. The concept of a computer in the modern sense of the word was born and in 1945 von Neumann wrote the important ‘‘First Draft of a Report on the EDVAC,’’ which described the stored-program, universal computer. The logical structure that was presented in this draft report is now referred to as the ‘‘von Neumann architecture.’’ This EDVAC report was originally intended for internal use but once made freely available it became the ‘‘bible’’ for computer pioneers throughout the world in the 1940s and 1950s. The first computer featuring the von Neumann architecture operated at Cambridge University in the U.K.; in June 1949 the EDSAC (electronic delay storage automatic computer) computer built by Maurice Wilkes—designed according to the EDVAC principles—became operational.

The Computer as a Scientific Instrument

As soon as the computer was invented, a growing demand for computers by scientists and engineers evolved, and numerous American and European universities started their own computer projects in the 1940s and 1950s. After the technical difficulties of building an electronic computer were solved, scientists grasped the opportunity to use the new scientific instrument for their research. For example, at the University of Gottingen in Germany, the early computers were used for the initial value problems of partial differential equations associated with hydrodynamic problems from atomic physics and aerodynamics. Another striking example was the application of von Neumann’s computer at the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) in Princeton to numerical weather forecasts in 1950. As a result, numerical weather forecasts could be made on a regular basis from the mid-1950s onwards.

Mathematical methods have always been of a certain importance for science and engineering sciences, but only the use of the electronic digital computer (as an enabling technology) made it possible to broaden the application of mathematical methods to such a degree that research in science, medicine, and engineering without computer- based mathematical methods has become virtually inconceivable at the end of the twentieth century. A number of additional computer-based techniques, such as scientific visualization, medical imaging, computerized tomography, pattern recognition, image processing, and statistical applications, have become of the utmost significance for science, medicine, engineering, and social sciences. In addition, the computer changed the way engineers construct technical artifacts fundamentally because of the use of computer-based methods such as computer-aided design (CAD), computer-aided manufacture (CAM), computer-aided engineering, control applications, and finite-element methods. However, the most striking example seems to be the development of scientific computing and computer modeling, which became accepted as a third mode of scientific research that complements experimentation and theoretical analysis. Scientific computing and computer modeling are based on supercomputers as the enabling technology, which became important tools for modern science routinely used to simulate physical and chemical phenomena. These high-speed computers became equated with the machines developed by Seymour Cray, who built the fastest computers in the world for many years. The supercomputers he launched such as the legendary CRAY I from 1976 were the basis for computer modeling of real world systems, and helped, for example, the defense industry in the U.S. to build weapons systems and the oil industry to create geological models that show potential oil deposits.

Growth of Digital Computers in Business and Information Processing

When the digital computer was invented as a mathematical instrument in the 1940s, it could not have been foreseen that this new artifact would ever be of a certain importance in the business world. About 50 firms entered the computer business worldwide in the late 1940s and the early 1950s, and the computer was reconstructed to be a type of electronic data-processing machine that took the place of punched-card technology as well as other office machine technology. It is interesting to consider that there were mainly three types of companies building computers in the 1950s and 1960s: newly created computer firms (such as the company founded by the ENIAC inventors Eckert and Mauchly), electronics and control equipments firms (such as RCA and General Electric), and office appliance companies (such as Burroughs and NCR). Despite the fact that the first digital computers were put on the market by a German and a British company, U.S. firms dominated the world market from the 1950s onward, as these firms had the biggest market as well as financial support from the government.

Generally speaking, the Cold War exerted an enormous influence on the development of computer technology. Until the early 1960s the U.S. military and the defense industry were the central drivers of the digital computer expansion, serving as the main market for computer technology and shaping and speeding up the formation of the rising computer industry. Because of the U.S. military’s role as the ‘‘tester’’ for prototype hard- and software, it had a direct and lasting influence on technological developments; in addition, it has to be noted that the spread of computer technology was partly hindered by military secrecy. Even after the emergence of a large civilian computer market in the 1960s, the U.S. military maintained its influence by investing a great deal in computer in hard- and software and in computer research projects.

From the middle of the 1950s onwards the world computer market was dominated by IBM, which accounted for more than 70 percent of the computer industry revenues until the mid-1970s. The reasons for IBM’s overwhelming success were diverse, but the company had a unique combination of technical and organizational capabilities at its disposal that prepared it perfectly for the mainframe computer market. In addition, IBM benefited from enormous government contracts, which helped to develop excellence in computer technology and design. However, the greatest advantage of IBM was by no doubt its marketing organization and its reputation as a service-oriented firm, which was used to working closely with customers to adapt machinery to address specific problems, and this key difference between IBM and its competitors persisted right into the computer age.

During the late 1950s and early 1960s, the computer market—consisting of IBM and seven other companies called the ‘‘seven dwarves’’—was dominated by IBM, with its 650 and 1401 computers. By 1960 the market for computers was still small. Only about 7,000 computers had been delivered by the computer industry, and at this time even IBM was primarily a punched-card machine supplier, which was still the major source of its income. Only in 1960 did a boom in demand for computers start, and by 1970 the number of computers installed worldwide had increased to more than 100,000. The computer industry was on the track to become one of the world’s major industries, and was totally dominated by IBM.

The outstanding computer system of this period was IBM’s System/360. It was announced in 1964 as a compatible family of the same computer architecture, and employed interchangeable peripheral devices in order to solve IBM’s problems with a hotchpotch of incompatible product lines (which had evoked large problems in the development and maintenance of a great deal of different hardware and software products). Despite the fact that neither the technology used nor the systems programming were of a high-tech technology at the time, the System/360 established a new standard for mainframe computers for decades. Various computer firms in the U.S., Europe, Japan and even Russia, concentrated on copying components, peripherals for System/360 or tried to build System/360-compatible computers.

The growth of the computer market during the 1960s was accompanied by market shakeouts: two of the ‘‘seven dwarves’’ left the computer business after the first computer recession in the early 1970s, and afterwards the computer market was controlled by IBM and BUNCH (Burroughs, UNIVAC, NCR, Control Data, and Honeywell). At the same time, an internationalization of the computer market took place—U.S. companies controlled the world market for computers— which caused considerable fears over loss of national independence in European and Japanese national governments, and these subsequently stirred up national computing programs. While the European attempts to create national champions as well as the more general attempt to create a European-wide market for mainframe computers failed in the end, Japan’s attempt to found a national computer industry has been successful: Until today Japan is the only nation able to compete with the U.S. in a wide array of high-tech computer-related products.

Real-Time and Time-Sharing

Until the 1960s almost all computers in government and business were running batch-processing applications (i.e., the computers were only used in the same way as the punched-card accounting machines they had replaced). In the early 1950s, however, the computer industry introduced a new mode of computing named ‘‘real-time’’ in the business sector for the first time, which was originally developed for military purposes in MIT’s Whirlwind project. This project was initially started in World War II with the aim of designing an aircraft simulator by analog methods, and later became a part of a research and development program for the gigantic, computerized anti-aircraft defense system SAGE (semi-automatic ground environment) built up by IBM in the 1950s.

The demand for this new mode of computing was created by cultural and structural changes in economy. The increasing number of financial transactions in banks and insurance companies as well as increasing airline traveling activities made necessary new computer-based information systems that led finally to new forms of business evolution through information technology.

The case of the first computerized airline reservation system SABRE, developed for American Airlines by IBM in the 1950s and finally implemented in the early 1960s, serves to thoroughly illustrate these structural and structural changes in economy. Until the early 1950s, airline reservations had been made manually without any problems, but by 1953 this system was in crisis because increased air traffic and growing flight plan complexity had made reservation costs insupportable. SABRE became a complete success, demonstrating the potential of centralized real-time computing systems connected via a network. The system enabled flight agents throughout the U.S., who were equipped with desktop terminals, to gain a direct, real-time access to the central reservation system based on central IBM mainframe computers, while the airline was able to assign appropriate resources in response. Therefore, an effective combination of advantages was offered by SABRE—a better utilization of resources and a much higher customer convenience.

Very soon this new mode of computing spread around the business and government world and became commonplace throughout the service and distribution sectors of the economy; for example, bank tellers and insurance account representatives increasingly worked at terminals. On the one hand structural information problems led managers to go this way, and on the other hand the increasing use of computers as information handling machines in government and business had brought about the idea of computer-based accessible data retrieval. In the end, more and more IBM customers wanted to link dozens of operators directly to central computers by using terminal keyboards and display screens.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s—at the same time that IBM and American Airlines had begun the development of the SABRE airline reservation system—a group of brilliant computer scientists had a new idea for computer usage named ‘‘time sharing.’’ Instead of dedicating a multi-terminal system solely to a single application, they had the computer utility vision of organizing a mainframe computer so that several users could interact with it simultaneously. This vision was to change the nature of computing profoundly, because computing was no longer provided to naive users by programmers and systems analysts, and by the late 1960s time-sharing computers became widespread in the U.S.

Particularly important for this development had been the work of J.C.R. Licklider of the Advanced Research Project Agency (ARPA) of the U.S. Department of Defense. In 1960 Licklider had published a now-classic paper ‘‘Man–Computer Symbiosis’’ proposing the use of computers to augment human intellect and creating the vision of interactive computing. Licklider was very successful in translating his idea of a network allowing people on different computers to communicate into action, and convinced ARPA to start an enormous research program in 1962. Its budget surpassed that of all other sources of U.S. public research funding for computers combined. The ARPA research programs resulted in a series of fundamental moves forward in computer technology in areas such as computer graphics, artificial intelligence, and operating systems. For example, even the most influential current operating system, the general-purpose time-sharing system Unix, developed in the early 1970s at the Bell Laboratories, was a spin-off of an ambitious operating system project, Multics, funded by ARPA. The designers of Unix successfully attempted to keep away from complexity by using a clear, minimalist design approach to software design, and created a multitasking, multiuser operating system, which became the standard operating system in the 1980s.

Electronic Component Revolution

While the nature of business computing was changed by the new paradigms such as real time and time sharing, advances in solid-state components increasingly became a driving force for fundamental changes in the computer industry, and led to a dynamic interplay between new computer designs and new programming techniques that resulted in a remarkable series of technical developments. The technical progress of the mainframe computer had always run parallel to conversions in the electronics components. During the period from 1945 to 1965, two fundamental transformations in the electronics industry took place that were marked by the invention of the transistor in 1947 and the integrated circuit in 1957 to 1958. While the first generation of computers—lasting until about 1960—was characterized by vacuum tubes (valves) for switching elements, the second generation used the much smaller and more reliable transistors, which could be produced at a lower price. A new phase was inaugurated when an entire integrated circuit on a chip of silicon was produced in 1961, and when the first integrated circuits were produced for the military in 1962. A remarkable pace of progress in semiconductor innovations, known as the ‘‘revolution in miniature,’’ began to speed up the computer industry. The third generation of computers characterized by the use of integrated circuits began with the announcement of the IBM System/360 in 1964 (although this computer system did not use true integrated circuits). The most important effect of the introduction of integrated circuits was not to strengthen the leading mainframe computer systems, but to destroy Grosch’s Law, which stated that computing power increases as the square of its costs. In fact, the cost of computer power dramatically reduced during the next ten years.

This became clear with the introduction of the first computer to use integrated circuits on a full scale in 1965: the Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) offered its PDP-8 computer for just $18,000, creating a new class of computers called minicomputers—small in size and low in cost—as well as opening up the market to new customers. Minicomputers were mainly used in areas other than general-purpose computing such as industrial applications and interactive graphics systems. The PDP-8 became the first widely successful minicomputer with over 50,000 items sold, demonstrating that there was a market for smaller computers. This success of DEC (by 1970 it had become the world’s third largest computer manufacturer) was supported by dramatic advances in solid-state technology. During the 1960s the number of transistors on a chip doubled every two years, and as a result minicomputers became continuously more powerful and more inexpensive at an inconceivable speed.

Personal Computing

The most striking aspect of the consequences of the exponential increase of the number of transistors on a chip during the 1960s—as stated by ‘‘Moore’s Law’’: the number of transistors on a chip doubled every two years—was not the lowering of the costs of mainframe computer and minicomputer processing and storage, but the introduction of the first consumer products based on chip technology such as hand-held calculators and digital watches in about 1970. More specifically, the market acts in these industries were changed overnight by the shift from mechanical to chip technology, which led to an enormous deterioration in prices as well as a dramatic industry shakeout. These episodes only marked the beginning of wide-ranging changes in economy and society during the last quarter of the twentieth century leading to a new situation where chips played an essential role in almost every part of business and modern life.

The case of the invention of the personal computer serves to illustrate that it was not sufficient to develop the microprocessor as the enabling technology in order to create a new invention, but how much new technologies can be socially constructed by cultural factors and commercial interests. When the microprocessor, a single-chip integrated circuit implementation of a CPU, was launched by the semiconductor company Intel in 1971, there was no hindrance to producing a reasonably priced microcomputer, but it took six years until the consumer product PC emerged. None of the traditional mainframe and minicomputer companies were involved in creating the early personal computer. Instead, a group of computer hobbyists as well as the ‘‘computer liberation’’ movement in the U.S. became the driving force behind the invention of the PC. These two groups were desperately keen on a low-priced type of minicomputer for use at home for leisure activities such as computer games; or rather they had the counterculture vision of an unreservedly available and personal access to an inexpensive computer utility provided with rich information. When in 1975 the Altair 8800, an Intel 8080 microprocessor-based computer, was offered as an electronic hobbyist kit for less than $400, these two groups began to realize their vision of a ‘‘personal computer.’’ Very soon dozens of computer clubs and computer magazines were founded around the U.S., and these computer enthusiasts created the personal computer by combining the Altair with keyboards, disk drives, and monitors as well as by developing standard software for it. Consequently, in only two years, a more or less useless hobbyist kit had been changed into a computer that could easily be transformed in a consumer product.

The computer hobbyist period ended in 1977, when the first standard machines for an emerging consumer product mass market were sold. These included products such as the Commodore Pet and the Apple II, which included its own monitor, disk drive, and keyboard, and was provided with several basic software packages. Over next three years, spreadsheet, word processing, and database software were developed, and an immense market for games software evolved. As a result, personal computers became more and more a consumer product for ordinary people, and Apple’s revenues shot to more than $500 million in 1982. By 1980, the personal computer had transformed into a business machine, and IBM decided to develop its own personal computer, which was introduced as the IBM PC in 1981. It became an overwhelming success and set a new industry standard.

Apple tried to compete by launching their new Macintosh computer in 1984 provided with a revolutionary graphical user interface (GUI), which set a new standard for a user-friendly human–computer interaction. It was based on technology created by computer scientists at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center in California, who had picked up on ideas about human– computer interaction developed at the Stanford Research Institute and at the University of Utah. Despite the fact that the Macintosh’s GUI was far superior to the MS-DOS operating system of the IBM-compatible PCs, Apple failed to win the business market and remained a niche player with a market share of about 10 percent. The PC main branch was determined by the companies IBM had chosen as its original suppliers in 1981 for the design of the microprocessor (Intel) and the operating system (Microsoft). While IBM failed to seize power in the operating system software market for PCs in a software war with Microsoft, Microsoft achieved dominance not only of the key market for PC operating systems, but also the key market of office applications during the first half of the 1990s.

In the early 1990s computing again underwent further fundamental changes with the appearance of the Internet, and for the most computer users, networking became an integral part of what it means to have a computer. Furthermore, the rise of the Internet indicated the impending arrival of a new ‘‘information infrastructure’’ as well as of a ‘‘digital convergence,’’ as the coupling of computers and communications networks was often called.

In addition, the 1990s were a period of an information technology boom, which was mainly based on the Internet hype. For many years previously, it seemed to a great deal of managers and journalists that the Internet would become not just an indispensable business tool, but also a miracle cure for economic growth and prosperity. In addition, computer scientists and sociologists started a discussion predicting the beginning of a new ‘‘information age’’ based on the Internet as a ‘‘technological revolution’’ and reshaping the ‘‘material basis’’ of industrial societies.

The Internet was the outcome of an unusual collaboration of a military–industrial–academic complex that promoted the development of this extraordinary innovation. It grew out of a military network called the ARPAnet, a project established and funded by ARPA in the 1960s. The ARPAnet was initially devoted to support of data communications for defense research projects and was only used by a small number of researchers in the 1970s. Its further development was primarily promoted by unintentional forms of network usage. The users of the ARPAnet became very much attracted by the opportunity for communicating through electronic mail, which rapidly surpassed all other forms of network activities. Another unplanned spin-off of the ARPAnet was the Usenet (Unix User Network), which started in 1979 as a link between two universities and enabled its users to subscribe to newsgroups. Electronic mail became a driving force for the creation of a large number of new proprietary networks funded by the existing computer services industry or by organizations such as the NSF (NSFnet). Because networks users’ desire for email to be able to cross network boundaries, an ARPA project on ‘‘internetworking’’ became the origin for the ‘‘Internet’’—a network of networks linked by several layers of protocols such as TCP/IP (transmission control protocol/internet protocol), which quickly developed into the actual standard.

Only after the government funding had solved many of the most essential technical issues and had shaped a number of the most characteristic features of the Internet, did private sector entrepreneurs start Internet-related ventures and quickly developed user-oriented enhancements. Nevertheless, the Internet did not make a promising start and it took more than ten years before significant numbers of networks were connected. In 1980, the Internet had less than two hundred hosts, and during the next four years the number of hosts went up only to 1000. Only when the Internet reached the educational and business community of PC users in the late 1980s, did it start to become an important economic and social phenomenon. The number of hosts began an explosive growth in the late 1980s—by 1988 there were over 50,000 hosts. An important and unforeseen side effect of this development became the creation of the Internet into a new electronic publishing medium. The electronic publishing development that excited most interest in the Internet was the World Wide Web, originally developed at the CERN High Energy Physics Laboratory in Geneva in 1989. Soon there were millions of documents on the Internet, and private PC users became excited by the joys of surfing the Internet. A number of firms such as AOL soon provided low-cost network access and a range of consumer-oriented information services. The Internet boom was also helped by the Clinton–Gore presidential election campaign on the ‘‘information superhighway’’ and by the amazing news reporting on the national information infrastructure in the early 1990s. Nevertheless, for many observers it was astounding how fast the number of hosts on the Internet increased during the next few years—from more than 1 million in 1992 to 72 million in 1999.

The overwhelming success of the PC and of the Internet tends to hide the fact that its arrival marked only a branching in computer history and not a sequence. (Take, for example, the case of mainframe computers, which still continue to run, being of great importance to government facilities and the private sector (such as banks and insurance companies), or the case of supercomputers, being of the utmost significance for modern science and engineering.) Furthermore, it should be noted that only a small part of the computer applications performed today is easily observable—98 percent of programmable CPUs are used in embedded systems such as automobiles, medical devices, washing machines and mobile telephones.

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A growing number of tools enable users to make online data representations, like charts, that are accessible for people who are blind or have low vision. However, most tools require an existing visual chart that can then be converted into an accessible format.

This creates barriers that prevent blind and low-vision users from building their own custom data representations, and it can limit their ability to explore and analyze important information.

A team of researchers from MIT and University College London (UCL) wants to change the way people think about accessible data representations.

They created a software system called Umwelt (which means “environment” in German) that can enable blind and low-vision users to build customized, multimodal data representations without needing an initial visual chart.

Umwelt, an authoring environment designed for screen-reader users, incorporates an editor that allows someone to upload a dataset and create a customized representation, such as a scatterplot, that can include three modalities: visualization, textual description, and sonification. Sonification involves converting data into nonspeech audio.

The system, which can represent a variety of data types, includes a viewer that enables a blind or low-vision user to interactively explore a data representation, seamlessly switching between each modality to interact with data in a different way.

The researchers conducted a study with five expert screen-reader users who found Umwelt to be useful and easy to learn. In addition to offering an interface that empowered them to create data representations — something they said was sorely lacking — the users said Umwelt could facilitate communication between people who rely on different senses.

“We have to remember that blind and low-vision people aren’t isolated. They exist in these contexts where they want to talk to other people about data,” says Jonathan Zong, an electrical engineering and computer science (EECS) graduate student and lead author of a paper introducing Umwelt . “I am hopeful that Umwelt helps shift the way that researchers think about accessible data analysis. Enabling the full participation of blind and low-vision people in data analysis involves seeing visualization as just one piece of this bigger, multisensory puzzle.”

Joining Zong on the paper are fellow EECS graduate students Isabella Pedraza Pineros and Mengzhu “Katie” Chen; Daniel Hajas, a UCL researcher who works with the Global Disability Innovation Hub; and senior author Arvind Satyanarayan, associate professor of computer science at MIT who leads the Visualization Group in the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. The paper will be presented at the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing.

De-centering visualization

The researchers previously developed interactive interfaces that provide a richer experience for screen reader users as they explore accessible data representations . Through that work, they realized most tools for creating such representations involve converting existing visual charts.

Aiming to decenter visual representations in data analysis, Zong and Hajas, who lost his sight at age 16, began co-designing Umwelt more than a year ago.

At the outset, they realized they would need to rethink how to represent the same data using visual, auditory, and textual forms.

“We had to put a common denominator behind the three modalities. By creating this new language for representations, and making the output and input accessible, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” says Hajas.

To build Umwelt, they first considered what is unique about the way people use each sense.

For instance, a sighted user can see the overall pattern of a scatterplot and, at the same time, move their eyes to focus on different data points. But for someone listening to a sonification, the experience is linear since data are converted into tones that must be played back one at a time.

“If you are only thinking about directly translating visual features into nonvisual features, then you miss out on the unique strengths and weaknesses of each modality,” Zong adds.

They designed Umwelt to offer flexibility, enabling a user to switch between modalities easily when one would better suit their task at a given time.

To use the editor, one uploads a dataset to Umwelt, which employs heuristics to automatically creates default representations in each modality.

If the dataset contains stock prices for companies, Umwelt might generate a multiseries line chart, a textual structure that groups data by ticker symbol and date, and a sonification that uses tone length to represent the price for each date, arranged by ticker symbol.

The default heuristics are intended to help the user get started.

“In any kind of creative tool, you have a blank-slate effect where it is hard to know how to begin. That is compounded in a multimodal tool because you have to specify things in three different representations,” Zong says.

The editor links interactions across modalities, so if a user changes the textual description, that information is adjusted in the corresponding sonification. Someone could utilize the editor to build a multimodal representation, switch to the viewer for an initial exploration, then return to the editor to make adjustments.

Helping users communicate about data

To test Umwelt, they created a diverse set of multimodal representations, from scatterplots to multiview charts, to ensure the system could effectively represent different data types. Then they put the tool in the hands of five expert screen reader users.

Study participants mostly found Umwelt to be useful for creating, exploring, and discussing data representations. One user said Umwelt was like an “enabler” that decreased the time it took them to analyze data. The users agreed that Umwelt could help them communicate about data more easily with sighted colleagues.

“What stands out about Umwelt is its core philosophy of de-emphasizing the visual in favor of a balanced, multisensory data experience. Often, nonvisual data representations are relegated to the status of secondary considerations, mere add-ons to their visual counterparts. However, visualization is merely one aspect of data representation. I appreciate their efforts in shifting this perception and embracing a more inclusive approach to data science,” says JooYoung Seo, an assistant professor in the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne, who was not involved with this work.

Moving forward, the researchers plan to create an open-source version of Umwelt that others can build upon. They also want to integrate tactile sensing into the software system as an additional modality, enabling the use of tools like refreshable tactile graphics displays.

“In addition to its impact on end users, I am hoping that Umwelt can be a platform for asking scientific questions around how people use and perceive multimodal representations, and how we can improve the design beyond this initial step,” says Zong.

This work was supported, in part, by the National Science Foundation and the MIT Morningside Academy for Design Fellowship.

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Improving accessibility of online graphics for blind users

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Making data visualization more accessible for blind and low-vision individuals

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Making data visualizations more accessible

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