How to Write a Term Paper

Published 15 Jun 2018

Generally, it is a written assignment of reasonable length in which it is necessary to analyze and interpret the obtained information concerning a specific topic. In real life, it is a stressful and troublesome process, especially for dummies. Every semester college and high school students are required to prepare term papers on a research topic relevant to the subject covered in the class. Writing a concise text is the aim for many students as mediocre results cannot bring academic success. Want to take your term paper to the head of the class? Follow the simple steps of our guide and learn the peculiarities of preparation and creation introduction, body, and conclusion::

Step1 Selection of a Topic

There are two possible situations: a professor gives you a topic or you have the opportunity to choose it on your own. Be specific. On the one hand, you may visit the school library and begin finding the sources. In the latter case, you have to brainstorm the ideas and take over the responsibility for choosing the proper theme. Take advantage of the situation in any situation. It is the most common problem to find a suitable topic as the decision may influence the whole working process. If you ignore this part of the assignment, the absence of the needed materials and inspiration will spoil the whole quality of your college term paper.Just ask yourself several questions:

  • Am I interested in the subject?

  • Which topic may be useful for me in future?

  • Does the topic fit the format?

  • Is the subject likely to be covered in articles and books?

Have you answered “YES” to at least three questions? It is proved that if a student is interested in the theme, the process flows quicker and the knowledge absorbs better.

Step 2 Research Process

Once you have chosen the topic, it is high time to start the research. Every academic text should be organized according to the needed formatting style. Check the available samples of the similar papers on the Web and sit down to your work with a clear plan in your mind. Make a list of keywords that will be helpful for both online and offline searches and read fluently every article, journal or book related to the subject and take special notes from solid references. Look for information on your topic in the library, the major department, and other sources appropriate for it.
Grab all the materials and get down to work in a quiet place where nothing can disturb you. Scholarly books contain information that is more specific while books are for a more general audience. Additionally, use reviews as they contain helpful references and leads to primary sources. Write out the page where the passage you intend to quote takes place, note important statistics, proper names, and definitions.

Write out the page where the passage you intend to quote takes place, note important statistics, proper names, and definitions.

Step 3 Structure

How to draw up an assignment? It is needed to follow the simple structure that includes:

  • Title page
  • Contents
  • List of abbreviations
  • List of figures
  • Intro
  • Body
  • Conclusion
  • References
  • Abstract

Talk to your instructor in order to know the exact text length for your assignment. Generally, it doesn’t exceed 3500 words or 8 – 10 pages. Indicate the name of your school, the name of the lecturer, title of your term paper, year/semester and contacts on the title page. What do you want to write about?
Write a statement outlining the main peculiarities of the prospectus. The guiding question and the argument why it is interesting should be presented in the introduction. Argue your points or answer the central question by providing with the needed evidence in the main section that can be subdivided into subchapters. The conclusion is the type of summary where you may support your point and answer the central question. Sometimes the question remains open and suggests points which deserve further research.

Step 4 Write a Term Paper!

Organize the information you have gathered according to your outline and check it for reliability, currency, and accuracy. Don’t waste any minute and proceed to the writing process! Information that is not relevant to your topic or hard to your understanding should be removed. Be able to communicate your ideas, insights, and thoughts in your first draft. In this case, you can write fast without paying attention to the grammatical correctness of the text. Prepare everything for writing your well-organized term paper exactly as outlined.

Step 5 Edit and Write

Doesn’t matter if you are working on the term paper in History or Engineering, the most pleasant and the most critical part of the whole process is writing a final draft. Read your rough draft written previously and analyze whether it captures the essence of your idea. Plagiarism is out of the question. If you followed the previous steps, your text must be unique. You should detect any content errors personally and with the help of special online grammar and proofreading checkers and reorganize your outline if necessary. Final paper with proper spelling, punctuation, and structure makes your term paper attractive and meet the requirements specified by your lecturer. Finally, before submitting your assignment ask yourself: “Is this the best version of the term paper that I can do?” If you are not satisfied with the result, you can always ask our term paper writing service for academic assistance.

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