What is a term paper? In simple words, this notion can be defined as an academic written assignment in which students should manifest their knowledge of the studying materials obtained during the course of learning. In the most cases, college undergraduates are assigned to complete a research paper on a particular topic that is relevant to these course materials.
Generally speaking, the majority of the modern students has significant experience in writing term papers. However, unfortunately, a great number of college undergraduates has particular challenges in understanding how to write a term paper. This article includes a step-by-step guide needed for the effective writing process. Apart from that, using this publication, students that do not know how to do a term paper, will get some recommendations related to this issue.
First Step: Select a Broad Topic and Make It a Narrow One
The first and foremost thing that should be mentioned is the fact that, for students, the process of selecting a topic of a term paper may be challenging as well. In fact, every student might face two possible situations regarding selecting a topic of a term paper. Firstly, the educators may provide the college undergraduates with particular topics that cannot be changed or replaced by the other ones. Secondly, students have a chance to choose some issues they would like to discuss in the papers on their own. So, how to create a term paper on an interesting and effective topic.?
If you a given a great opportunity to choose a topic on your own, you should take advantage of this particular situation. In fact, a good choice of a topic for your research may have a significant impact on the entire working process. When you have already found a specific topic, ask yourself some questions related to its accuracy. A list of the important questions includes the following: Are you interested in the topic you have chosen? Will it be useful for you in the future? Does it fit the format of the research?
Several tips would help you choose a topic of a term paper:
- First of all, attempt to brainstorm the ideas that would cause your interest.
- Do not forget about the importance of doing preliminary research on a chosen topic. In this case, it is recommended to search for some additional materials, primary, and secondary sources of information.
- After choosing a general field of the research, you have to narrow a topic of this academic writing.
Second Step: Do a Research and Find Some Credible Sources
After a topic of the research is already chosen, you have to research in order to understand how to write your term paper. It would be a great idea to search the similar research papers in the attempt to have a sketch plan of your assignment. In addition, it is required to have a particular background knowledge regarding your topic as well as the materials that would help you create a term paper.
The good idea is to think of keywords that will be useful for your research and make some notes from different solid sources of information as well. While writing this type of academic assignment, students are required to use only credible and reliable sources of information. In this case, such sources may include books, journal articles, governmental publications, and so on.
Third Step: Think of an Effective Thesis Statement and Organize a Paper
How to Create a Term Paper’s Thesis Statement
First of all, an effective thesis statement is one of the key elements that provide a general framework for a term paper. What is more important, all the arguments that the writer will mention in body paragraphs should be related to the paper’s thesis statement. In simple words, it is the main idea of the research, and you will have to defend it in the further parts of a paper.
How to Make a Term Paper – Structure and Organization
In general, similarly to the other academic writings, a general structure of a term paper implies its division into three main parts. Usually, these parts of a research paper include an introduction, at least three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Apart from that, you should remember about the title page, table of contents, and a list of references as well. Sometimes, the initial instructions of an academic assignment require a list of figures, a list of abbreviations, an outline, and an abstract.
⇰ Introduction
This section is considered to be an opening part of a term paper. It should provide the readers with a particular issue discussed in the paper. Additionally, it is required to add some background information related to the topic. Needless to say, that a key element of this section is a thesis statement.
⇰ Body Paragraphs
As it was mentioned above, any academic writing should include at least three body paragraphs. It is a well-known fact that each body paragraph should start with a topic sentence. In this case, each topic sentence implies a particular argument that supports or denies your thesis statement. Hence, all the arguments presented in the main body should have a relation to the main idea of a paper. Apart from that, they should be interconnected with one another.
⇰ Conclusion
In this section, all the main ideas mentioned in the paper should be summarized. In addition, it is required to restate a thesis statement and relate all the arguments to the main idea of the research.
Fourth Step: Proofreading and Editing
If you have particular doubts regarding your writing and still do not understand how to do make a term paper on a specific topic, you should remember that proofreading and editing are the last two processes that are important for your term paper.
Below, you can find some tips that will help you write a high-quality term paper:
- Have another read of the completed paper and try to analyze whether the essence of your idea is captured.
- Use some plagiarism checkers to be certain regarding the uniqueness and originality of your term paper.
- Using different online grammar and proofreading checkers, you will have a great opportunity to detect small errors related to the spelling, punctuation, and vocabulary.
- Look through the final paper and pay attention to the organization of its paragraphs.
- Do not forget to organize a term paper according to a particular style mentioned in the initial instructions (MLA, APA, Chicago, Harvard).
Common Mistakes that Need to Be Avoided
- Lack of research before writing a thesis statement.
- Lack of an effective thesis statement.
- Lack of connection between a thesis statement and supporting arguments.
- Lack of relevant data and credible sources.
- Failure to cite sources according to the rules.
