Struggling with ideas for an upcoming term paper, speech, presentation, etc.?
Use the broad categories provided to browse through a variety of key words and phrases associated with them.
Explore the ideas and devise a more specific topic.
ChatGPT can be a powerful tool for jumpstarting your writing process. Whether you're stuck at the beginning of an assignment or looking to explore a topic from a new angle, ChatGPT can help you:
Generate topic ideas based on your interests or assignment guidelines
Refine a broad topic into a manageable research question
Explore different perspectives or subtopics
Create outlines or concept maps to organize your ideas
Tips for Using ChatGPT Effectively
Be specific. The more context you provide, the better the suggestions. Include your course topic, assignment type, and any requirements.
Treat it as a conversation. You can refine results by asking follow-up questions or asking ChatGPT to elaborate or reframe.
Verify and fact-check. While ChatGPT is great for idea generation, always verify information with reliable academic sources.
Example Prompts to Try
Here are some sample prompts you can copy, paste, and adjust to fit your needs:
Topic Generation
“I need to write a research paper for my environmental science class. Can you suggest 5 possible topics related to climate change and policy?”
“What are some interesting angles I could explore in a paper about Frankenstein and artificial intelligence?”
Narrowing Down a Topic
“I want to write about social media, but I’m not sure what specific aspect to focus on. Can you help me narrow it down into a research question?”
“I’m interested in food insecurity. Can you suggest subtopics or populations I could focus on for a public health paper?”
Exploring Multiple Perspectives
“I’m writing an argumentative paper on genetic editing. What are some ethical, scientific, and societal perspectives I could include?”
“What are some opposing viewpoints on banning single-use plastics that I should be aware of for a balanced paper?”
Feel free to copy these prompts into ChatGPT and adjust them based on your assignment needs. And don’t forget—your librarians are here to help you find credible sources and develop your ideas further!
The "Idea Generator" was first created by Cynthia Wright Swaine in 1994 as a Web-based tool to help students at ODU, both on and off campus, select topics for papers or other assignments. It quickly caught on and was used by students everywhere. "Idea generator" has become a generic term.