Architecture Research Papers: How to Find a Topic and Organize Research

Architecture Research Papers: How to Find a Topic and Organize Research

At a glance, writing an architecture term paper or research paper is similar to writing papers on any other subject. Yet, if everything would be that easy, you would not be here, right?!

In this article, we want to present you some strategies on how to select a topic for architecture research or term papers and organize research. So, let us begin.

Coming up with topic ideas for architecture papers

Architecture is an enormously broad field. Topics for architecture research papers/term papers vary from architecture of Ancient Rome and Greece to some current tendencies.

Do not try to come up with a specific topic for your architecture paper straight away. What we advise you to do is start with more general issues and narrow them down step by step. Let us give you an example.

Say, you are interested in Asian architecture and want it to be the main idea of your architecture research paper/term paper. First, think about a certain country within the Asian region whose architecture is famous and the most interesting to you. Let it be Japan.

By choosing Japanese architecture, you narrow the scope of your architecture research paper/term paper a little, but it is not enough. Go on narrowing down. What specific issues within Japanese architecture interest you? Traditions of Japanese architecture? Materials used in Japanese architecture? Current trends in Japanese architecture?

At this stage, you are almost ready to formulate a specific topic for your architecture research paper/term paper.

Organizing research

Basically, there are two types of research used in architecture: visual analysis and research in books. Visual analysis boils down to analyzing photos, plans of architecture. For your architecture paper, you may use either one type of research or both of them.

You can read our article about a research paper on Italy or find interesting details in the article about an art research paper.