How to Write

TERM PAPER
 What is a Term Paper?

• A term paper is a research paper discussing a definite topic in detail

and written by a student over an academic term. It is a lengthy
research paper students submit at the end of an academic term.
• A term paper can be done in various styles, such as: ‘literature
review’, ‘scientific report’, ‘research paper’, or a combination
of two or more.
 TERM PAPER FORMAT

• All papers consist of three cardinal segments: an introductory

part, a main/body part and a concluding part.
• The introductory part will put your reader in the know
regarding where you’re headed with this paper.
• This is the place to announce what you wish to accomplish.
• The introductory part is somewhat like a road map. It will
allow the reader to comprehend better where he/she’s heading
when reading your paper.
• Be short and clear about what you’re saying and how you’re
saying it:
• This is the subject of the paper…
• This is what I hope to find out…
• This is how I will deal with it…
• The main/body part is the largest fragment of the paper.
• It must be organized logically.

• If it is very long, you will do good dividing it into smaller

sections under headings and subheadings.
• Just like any other text, your paper will be much more readable,
aka user-friendly, when broken into chunks of information
gathered under a common heading.
• The body part is a direct continuation of your previously
presented introduction;

• It will be divided into different arguments which you want to

support by facts and evidence.

• To allow the reader an easy flow, you should have a smooth

transition between points.
• Make sure to give enough space for your strongest points; you
have outlined them previously and now can properly expand on
each one of them.

• Coherency is the key here; you want your arguments to follow

the guidelines outlaid in the introduction and lead your reader
right to the conclusion.

• Remember, your reader is intelligent but doesn’t know what

you know.
• The concluding part may be at times the toughest one to get
through.

• Knowing how to write a sum-up for a paper is an important

skill. It is only human to want to round things up and bring
them to a closure.
There are a few ways to write a conclusion;
you could:
• Return to the introduction
• Summarize your main points in an interesting, non-listing way
• Mention the all-embracing importance of what you’ve talked about in
your paper; offer a statement which takes your discussed topic to a deeper
meaning
• Restate your findings, acknowledge the fact that there is more to be
inquired on the matter and briefly relate to these lingering issues
• The type of conclusion will really depend on the kind of the term paper
you are writing.
 How to Write a Term Paper: Great Tips

• Starting early will give you a meaningful head start.

• Choose your subject well. Don’t have it too wide.
• Invest in your outline. This will be your faithful guide along
the term paper writing journey. Put some time and effort in it
and later you will be glad you did so.
• Proofread, rewrite and edit. It benefits you significantly if the
paper is free of grammatical errors and is fluently readable. To
be able to do so, look again at the first tip.
 The Dos and Don’ts of Term Paper Writing

• Write concisely.
- Communication is the key.
- Be clear about what and how you’re saying it.
• Illuminate the ideas and methodologies used.
- Justify your research.
• Present accurate and correct data.

• Remember that your paper might be used by somebody else in

the future for their own term paper research.

• Use diverse sources for the research and give out trustworthy
and up-to-date data.
• Provide sufficient evidence and support to back-up
your findings.

• Maintain a track of used bibliography and references

used.

• Be able to relate specific facts to a certain source.

Don’t:

• Don’t misrepresent the facts.

• Don’t include information irrelevant to the point in a
discussion.
• Don’t have your paper long without a reason.
• Don’t cite Internet blogs and sites. Have proper and
reliable sources for your citations.
• Don’t plagiarize. It is okay to get inspired and to quote
but it isn’t okay to simply steal others’ materials.