No matter whether you are in high school or college, writing papers and assignments will become second nature and there is no escape from that. Interestingly, there are different types, forms, and shapes of essays which allow students to be good in some and poor in others. However, there is nothing in the business of essay writing that cannot be mastered through patience and practice.
In this blog, our focus will be on investigative essays. Many students will be spooked by the word “investigation” or “investigative”. In reality, it is not as exciting as they think. Apart from sharing a complete guide and tips on writing a good investigative essay, we will share 50 topics for the convenience of students.
What Is An Investigative Essay?
Before we move further to the process of writing or the topic ideas, it is necessary to understand what an investigative essay is. Simply put, an investigative essay is a type of writing where writers explore issues or questions deeply, using first-hand sources such as interviews, and come up with plausible answers. Whether you are writing a standard 2-page essay or a 1000 words essay, there is no need to make it look scientific. Apart from the source materials, writers are expected to employ their research and analytical skills to come up with logical solutions to the issues or questions.
As for the subject of choosing a topic for your investigative paper, experts always urge novice writers and students to pick up things that are far from resolved. These include controversial ideas and practices in society, such as abortion. While investigating the matter further, students will get to understand the problems lying around the issue and how they can be resolved at multiple levels.
Defining The Goal of Your Investigative Essay
The purpose behind writing an investigative essay must be clear to the readers. Even when you are going to submit it for evaluation, make sure that the goals are clearly stated. These can take the form of the title or topics that students can pick up to base their essays on. In most cases, instructors assign different topics to students which makes it somehow easier for them to write the essay. When that’s not the case, writers need to make sure that they end up working with an intriguing topic.
Whether you are writing a general investigative paper or a more technical or scientific one, it is necessary to ensure that your topic reflects the need for an impartial, unbiased investigation. It can be something as controversial as abortion or something unsettled in the scientific community as Quantum Theory.
In addition to this, you can also focus your essay for sale on things that are considered to be settled or undisputed for a long time, but they require further scrutiny to be declared so by you.
Structure of Your Investigative Research Essay
The structure of your investigative essay will not be much different from its standard counterpart. Keep in mind that the format of a good investigative essay is to present the information compactly and understandably. There is no need to get stranded in one section when you write a 5-paragraph essay in 1 hour, only to mix up ideas and sources.
Introduction
The opening paragraph will let the readers know about the goal of the essay. Writers need to ease readers into the matter through background information and some context on why that issue is worth investigating. Once it is done, the closing lines of the introduction are the best place to put down a thesis statement. This will not only connect the section with the main body but let readers know what to expect next.
Main Body
The meat and bones of the essay – body paragraphs will go into the details of the sources and how the data revealed by them answer the questions. The best way to write body paragraphs is to set up main arguments or areas of research and then address them one by one. Instead of leaving all the evidence for the end, you can connect that with each point or argument, making it one whole.
Conclusion
The conclusion of your essay is one of the most significant sections. It connects the other two sections, bundles the information in one case, and presents it to the readers. The concluding paragraph starts with the reiteration of the thesis statement before moving to the summary of all the fine points and arguments in the main body. Before signing off, writers can come up with departing thoughts that are in line with the overall subject.
Sources For An Essay On Investigative Journalism
As experts say, an investigative essay is as good as the sources it is based upon. While writing other scientific papers and essays, you can rely on raw logic and reasoning when you cannot find any external source on the matter. But that’s not the case here.
Investigation is based on empirical evidence and logic often falls short for the detractors. Students will find plenty of sources on a given topic, from newspapers, journals, blogs, articles, and so on. Also, they may have to secure first-hand information from organizations and individuals through correspondence and interviews. This includes going physically to places and events and collecting raw information to turn it into data yourself.
Tips For Investigative Essay Examples
No guide can be complete without some inside tips and productive hacks, and this is not the exception to this rule. This section is dedicated to some of the things that are a must for a quality investigation essay. You can write an essay in 1 hour if you manage to follow these!
Value of Investigative Essay Introduction
The introduction can turn many scanners into in-depth readers, as long as it is well-written and hits all the marks. We have already detailed the mechanics and dynamics of opening paragraphs in the relevant section. Students are advised to consult that section.
Verification of Sources
All the things you get from the internet are hardly true. They may pass for gossip but writing an investigation essay requires highly authentic sources. Before using anyone in your essay, make sure to double-check it.
Analysis Through Context
Any source that you choose to add to your essay needs to be analyzed through context. The owner of that source should be taken into account, as well as the other what, where, why, and how. Otherwise, your investigative essay can fall flat and lose the only merit it stands with.
Collect All Data on Personal Investigative Essay Before Getting Started
Instead of writing in sudden bursts and then looking for material, students should collect all the necessary information and then use it to map out the whole essay. This will allow them to write the whole essay in one sitting if they choose to do so, instead of getting interrupted by a lack of information.
20 Best Topics For Investigative Essay About Society
- Exploring the parents and children relationship in modern society
- Conventional nature of people who use online dating sites
- Factors responsible for choosing a line of occupation
- The purpose behind creating fake accounts on social media platforms
- Glamorizing teen pregnancy through “Reality TV”
- What is the impact of celebrities on teenagers as role models
- Understanding the correlations between society, law, and crime
- Assessing the spiritual beliefs in Contemporary America
- Why do students in high schools start smoking?
- Women facing discrimination in Workplaces
- Challenges single parents face while raising their kids
- Role of Instagram in urging people to lead healthy lifestyles
- Why did people protest against the lockdown during COVID-19?
- Being a child-less woman in a family-oriented society
- Reasons behind women’s failure to report rape cases
- Exploring gender inequality in court cases
- Investigating the apathy of European nations toward refugees
- Community-based services are helpful for the elderly and the needy
- The Reaction of fans toward rule violations in Sports
- Role of social media platforms for awareness about Climate change
10 Good Investigative Essay Topics On Healthcare
- Physicians in the pharmaceutical advertisement
- Role of HR in the medical industry
- Opinion of Dietitians on Veganism
- Role of nurses providing care to COVID-19 Patients
- Raising children with food allergies
- Evaluation of school children’s knowledge of hygiene
- Investigating the Pattern of social media addiction in Teenagers
- How do doctors treat patients with deafness?
- Healthy diets and the challenges that diabetic people face
- Parents talking to children about alcohol use
20 Investigative Report Ideas On Business
- Is it alright for applicants to lie on their resumes?
- Benefits for business entities to engage in charity programs
- Exploring Reasons for job switch in Millennials
- Experience or qualifications – which is better?
- Ensuring a healthy working environment in modern spaces
- Measurement of employee retention post-COVID-19
- How did small enterprises survive the quarantine?
- What are the views of employees on working overtime?
- Paying higher prices for branded items
- Balancing work and family while working remotely
- Exploring the reasons why tech companies prefer young workers
- Feminism and the new wave of marketing products to women
- Role of HR professionals in small firms
- How do companies conduct market research before their product development?
- Reasons behind early retirement of people with no other sources of income
- Employers using NDA with employees and chances of foul play
- Is there any value in preparing reports for local enterprises?
- Ensuring diversity in a small company
- Implementation of software in hospitality and leisure industries
- Effects of nepotism in family-run businesses.
Final Thoughts
A personal investigative essay might seem like hard work, and rightly so. Contrary to other essays and papers, it requires in-depth research and collection of data before even getting started on the process of writing. We have not only shared our guide on writing a solid investigative paper but also shed light on some of the topic ideas and questions for the students.
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