Tips For Successful Term Paper Writing
A term paper is usually an academic research paper that is written by undergraduates on a academic term paper, accounting for a good portion of the final grade. It should present the student’s argument and research in a clear and concise way. The term papers are typically required to be submitted as part of a portfolio in order to receive graduation or any other form of academic or professional achievement recognition. Merriam Webster defines it as a “a short note, usually less than one page, typically containing an idea or a specifics of a particular term paper”.
The term papers are divided into two major categories which are: basic and advanced. A standard assignment typically includes a paragraph that introduces the subject and outlines the research and reasoning techniques employed to support it. Academic writing and argumentation skills are employed in this type of essay. Advance term papers, on the other hand, are typically a three to four-paragraph essay that covers the subject in depth, but do not have to contain strong academic arguments.
For those writing on their own, the most important element of the term paper will be the title page. The title page should give students an idea of the length of the assignment and what they can expect from the final outcome. Students will typically be required to write about a certain topic from a particular point of view, and the title page should provide this information to the reader. Some examples include essays on history, art literature, philosophy, and political science. The title page for the research paper, project document, or dissertation should be different.
The next step when writing term papers is to choose appropriate research sources. There are numerous reliable sources to consider when writing the term papers; they include primary research, secondary research and secondary sources. Primary research is the actual study of the topic and secondary research is a part of the author’s own research. Thirdly secondary sources include any additional information, facts or information that a researcher might find while reading sources that are not originally sourced. It is always an excellent idea to gather multiple secondary sources prior to you write your main research paper.
The introduction is most likely the most important section of the term paper because it is the first paragraph which will include the primary point of the paper. This will let students know where the paper is heading. Many students do not bother with the introduction, believing that it isn’t necessary. However, a good introduction will provide detailed details about the major point of the paper and should be written in simple and concise English.
A good way to start before writing the term paper is to outline the main ideas in the introduction. Once you have a rough draft, edit the introduction and revise it using the concepts from the outline. This will help the paper adhere to the outline you worked on previously. It is a good idea to ask someone to review your term paper prior to submitting it. This is especially important in the event that multiple people are evaluating the assignment.
Another thing to do prior to writing your term paper is to identify the chosen topic and read several other similar papers to ensure that your topic is unique. If the topic is similar to one that was discussed in another paper, it is okay to borrow portions of that paper. The borrowing of information from a article on marketing strategies pertaining to the subject you are interested in might be acceptable. However, borrowing whole paragraphs or pages of information is not acceptable because this will constitute plagiarism.
Don’t use paragraphs throughout the term paper. Students usually use between four and five paragraphs per page and that is good enough. However, it is recommended for students to use 12 to 24 paragraphs instead of the traditional four to five. Make sure you include proper footnotes on each page’s bottom.
