How to Choose a Review Topic

Choosing a review topic is one of the most important steps in writing a scientific or academic review paper. A well-chosen topic not only makes your writing process smoother but also increases your chances of publication. Many students and early researchers struggle at this stage, either they pick a topic that’s too broad, too narrow, or already over-researched.

This guide will help you understand how to select a unique, relevant, and publishable review topic, along with practical examples from different disciplines. 

1. Understand What a Review Paper Is

Before deciding on a topic, it’s important to understand what a review paper actually does. A review paper summarises, analyses, and synthesises existing research on a particular subject to identify trends, gaps, and future directions. Unlike a research paper, it doesn’t involve original experiments but focuses on what others have already discovered.

There are two main types of reviews:

• Narrative Reviews: Broad overviews of a topic, often used in the humanities or social sciences.
• Systematic Reviews / Meta-Analyses: Structured and data-driven reviews commonly used in medicine, environmental science, and social sciences.

The topic you choose should allow you to summarise enough studies but also narrow down to a specific, meaningful angle.

2. Identify Your Area of Interest

Start by choosing a broad field. Writing a review can take weeks or even months, so it’s easier to stay motivated when the topic aligns with your interests or career goals.

For example:

• A biotechnology student might explore enzyme-based biosensors or CRISPR applications in agriculture.
• A psychology student could choose emotional regulation in adolescents or the impact of social media on mental health.
• A management researcher might explore remote work productivity or AI-driven marketing personalisation.

Make sure your chosen field is something you can discuss confidently and stay curious about throughout the research process.

3. Read Recent Research and Identify Trends

Go through recent papers (from the last 5 years) in reputed journals within your field. Review their abstracts to see what topics are trending or frequently discussed.

You can use databases like:

• ScienceDirect
• Scopus
• Google Scholar
• PubMed
• Web of Science

Look for keywords that frequently appear in titles, such as “emerging,” “advances,” “current trends,” or “challenges.”

For instance:

• In environmental science, current trends include nanomaterials for wastewater treatment or climate-smart agriculture.
• In medical science, novel topics include AI in diagnostics or stem cell therapy for neurodegenerative diseases.
• In education, emerging areas include digital learning post-pandemic or AI tools in classroom assessment.

4. Narrow Down a Broad Area 

Once you have a general area, narrow it to a specific, focused topic. A review topic that’s too broad will make it hard to organize and analyse the literature.

For example:

• Too broad: “Climate Change Impacts on Agriculture.”
• Specific and Impactful topic : “Effects of Climate Change on Rice Production in Southeast Asia.”
• Too broad: “Artificial Intelligence in Medicine.”
• Specific and effective topic: “Applications of AI in Early Cancer Detection.”
• Too broad: “Online Education Systems.”
• Impactful topic: “Impact of Gamification on Online Learning Engagement Among College Students.”

A specific topic ensures your paper is deep and insightful, not just descriptive.

5. Check the Availability of Literature

A review requires enough published material to analyse. Before finalizing your topic, check if there are at least 20–30 recent papers available in academic databases.

Steps to check:

1. Search your topic on Google Scholar or Scopus.
2. Note how many results appear.
3. See if there are multiple papers from different years and authors.

If there are very few results, your topic might be too new or too narrow. If there are thousands, you might need to refine it further.

For example, if you start with “Plant-based meat substitutes”, you might narrow it to “Nutritional challenges of plant-based meat substitutes in human diets.”

6. Look for Gaps and Unanswered Questions

Good review topics often arise from research gaps in areas where scientists or scholars haven’t yet agreed or where evidence is limited.

To find gaps, read recent papers’ “Future Research” or “Conclusion” sections. Authors often mention areas that still need exploration.

For example:

• In biotechnology, there’s ongoing debate about the ethical implications of gene editing.
• In education, gaps remain in long-term effects of online learning on children’s social development.
• In marketing, researchers still explore the impact of influencer marketing on consumer trust.

7. Align with Journal Scope and Audience

Before finalizing your topic, consider where you plan to publish. Different journals have different aims and scopes. A topic suitable for one journal may not fit another.

For instance:

• A paper on “Nanoparticles in Drug Delivery” might fit journals in pharmaceutical sciences.
• “E-learning tools in high school education” suits education technology journals.
• “Impact of Sustainable Packaging on Consumer Behavior” fits marketing or environmental management journals.

Read the “Aims and Scope” section of potential journals and ensure your topic aligns with their focus.

8. Make Sure It’s Unique and Publishable

Your topic should be original, not something that’s been reviewed extensively already. You can check this by typing “review” along with your keywords in databases.

Example:
Search “review artificial intelligence in education”– if you find 10 recent review papers on that exact topic, it’s too common.

But if you find only a few or none, that’s a good sign of originality.

Try combining two or more ideas for novelty, like:

• “AI and Emotional Learning in Education”
• “Blockchain Applications in Sustainable Supply Chains”
• “Plant-based Diets and Mental Health Outcomes”

Interdisciplinary combinations often result in fresh and high-impact review topics.

9. Check Feasibility and Personal Resources

Finally, make sure your topic is feasible for the time, tools, and knowledge you have. Ask yourself:

• Do I understand the key concepts and terminology?
• Do I have access to the needed databases and journals?
• Can I realistically review the required number of papers in time?

For example, if you’re an undergraduate student without access to paid databases, avoid highly technical topics requiring complex datasets. Instead, focus on freely available areas like educational trends, health awareness, or renewable energy developments