TERM PAPER GUIDELINES

Definition of a Term Paper

A term paper is a research document that you write after a semester or year of work.
This assignment helps you determine your understanding of the course content and the

aspects required by the curriculum.

Writing a term paper has other purposes as well. Working on your task, you delve
deeper into the discipline, get acquainted with its main problems and challenges. It also

improves your analytical, critical thinking, and writing skills, which are useful both during
your studies and after university.

Your professor can assign you a specific topic, depending on the material being studied.
Sometimes the choice is up to you, or you can choose a narrower theme from a broader
list of options.

Regardless of the title, it would help if you delved in. We’ve prepared some actionable
tips to come up with outstanding writing.
How Long Is a Term Paper?

There is no universal standard for the volume you should adhere to. It depends on the

requirements of your institution. If you search for this information on the Internet, you
will see that different sources offer different data. One website claims that you need to
submit a 10-page document, while another writes about 45 pages. This is why it is

important to read your professor's requirements carefully.

The volume determines which approach you take to writing. For example, if your paper

is short, you need to state your thoughts concisely and clearly, going straight to
the point. If it is long, do not fill the pages with hot air, but try to do thorough research

and look at the issue from different angles.

Can I Ignore the Length Requirements?

You may write about 10% less or more, but overall try to adhere to the particular

number of pages or words. All students are in identical conditions, so your article should
be standardized. If you don’t know what to write about, ask your professor about

additional instructions. It would also be a great idea to read some examples written by
other students or professional authors. Filter out the documents with the same volume
as you need and pay notice to the paper writer's structure.

Goals

When you work on a research paper, you need to work through the problem and find a
viable solution. You are dealing with a hypothesis that needs to be confirmed or refuted.

The term papers have the task of reflecting your knowledge of the discipline. It is
more straightforward but influences the final score much more.
Parts of Term Paper

Each student paper has its structure you should strictly adhere to. It is useful to organize

your thoughts and to provide your readers with a clear and understandable text. Here is
the list of the main parts you should include in your term assignment.

Cover Page

The cover or title page is necessary to introduce your paper and provide the basic
information about it, including your data, professor’s name, topic, etc. More detailed

requirements depend on the particular formatting style, so read your instructions

Abstract

This part is something like a short introduction to your paper. It lets your readers
understand the overall direction, the issue you explore, and why you have decided to

choose this particular theme. If you have additional comments that may be interesting
for your audience, provide them here as well.

Introduction

Start your paper with an exciting and engaging statement. The main thing you
should know about the thesis is that it is a pivot point of your writing. You build all body
paragraphs and the primary research around it.
Body

The body consists of the main paragraphs. The traditional essay structure

includes 3 of them; however, if you’re writing a 10-pages or even 40-pages paper, you
should change your structure according to requirements.

You should develop your findings, ideas, or arguments, considering the final goal.
For example, if your task is to analyze some issues and perceive readers to accept your
point of view, you should provide compelling evidence-based arguments. If you need to
explore the theme, write down, and develop the main ideas it covers. Make sure each
paragraph is devoted to one aspect only.

Results

This part is of great significance because you should show particular progress.

Have you accepted certain things about your topic? Have you changed your view from
the moment you started working on the piece? Any insights you’ve gained you should
describe in the Results section. If you’re not satisfied with them, you can explain the

reasons here as well.

Discussion

It is a conclusion chapter where you can wrap up. You should analyze your text
and provide readers with the next steps one should follow to continue one’s research on
the subject you’re working through. As an unusual essay conclusion, the discussion

doesn’t contain any new information.

Make Sure You Have Enough Time

Do not hope that you will complete this task in a day or an hour. Some students make
the mistake of starting paper right away. This is a beginner's mistake. You may think that
if you have already written a few lines, this indicates significant progress. But these

proposals will be weak, meaningless.

Any work takes time. Think of it as a project with specific goals. You can split a task into

multiple milestones and set a deadline for each one.

Start by Creating an Outline

So, you've gathered enough information. We understand if you don't know what to do

next and what your first step should be.

Get a sense of control with a paper outline. This is your plan that describes all stages of

the process. It also helps you organize your time and information.

In the end, you can come back to this plan again to check how the final version matches

your initial expectations. If you have developed a high-quality outline, you can quickly
determine which aspects of the document are needed and which are just filling the
space.
Use a Strong Tongue

You should write the term paper competently. You have done the research, collected

enough information, analyzed it. Any of your doubts will indicate a lack of
professionalism.

This is why you need to keep an eye on your writing style. Formal academic writing
involves an active voice, professional vocabulary, and no fluffy words. You don't need
to write something that doesn't make any sense for the main task.

Don't Forget about Proofreading

Remember, we said that writing a term paper is long and complicated? Most students
hate this. They spent a lot of time writing all sections of the article and do not feel like

proofreading the entire text.

But if you have not yet encountered academic writing, you may not imagine how many
mistakes a text can contain. Even if you are a very literate person, you may not notice
some typos and occasional flaws. Of course, this does not make you incompetent, but
readers can lose confidence in your paper.

Proofread the piece very thoroughly and carefully. Wait a few days before doing this;
your brain should not be tired.
 How to Make a Term Paper Outline

An outline is the part of the writing process that deserves a little more attention. Use it
as the guiding map that is always ready to point you in the right direction if you get
confused.

There are several ways to design an outline, and you can download different templates
from the Internet.

Some methods are suitable for people who like to organize all information in a
coherent plan. But if you are a creative person, you can also choose a suitable template

for yourself. For example, a mind map.

An outline is not something that your professor will check, so you don't have to worry
about the exact format and details. The main thing is to make sure that you fully

understand the content and use it for your writing.

How to Write a Term Paper Proposal

Even before you start researching a topic and writing, you need to prepare a college
term paper proposal. This is a document that will help you defend your idea in front of
the professor. Even before starting the main work, you will submit this proposal to get

approval.

You need to show the importance of this theme by including recent data with correct

links. Why do you think your piece will correlate with the course syllabus? How is it
useful for you and your fellow students?
Set goals for your college assignment and organize your ideas into one article. This will
let the professor know that you have understood the assignment correctly.

It's okay if you fail at this stage. It is needed just so that the professor checks whether
you are on the same wavelength and can provide you with any further instructions.

How to Start a Term Paper

So, you received confirmation from your professor, came up with a topic, conducted
initial research, and made an outline. What's next?

1. Try to narrow down your topic. You need a learning perspective that allows you
to organize and structure your thoughts.

2. Create bait for your readers. Have a brainstorming session and write down
different ideas: rhetorical questions, anecdotes, statistical facts, etc

3. Come up with a thesis statement. If you cannot summarize your article's main
idea in 1-2 sentences, you need to return to the first step and think about
narrowing the topic.

4. Check out the style requirements. Your piece must be in a standardized format.
Below you will learn more about APA format and others.

5. Do more research. You can go deeper because now you know your goals better.
Use quality and trusted sources only.
6. Write the first sentence. If you worry too much, just start. You may delete the first

sentences later, but don’t look for a perfect moment: start as soon as you have
enough information.
How to Finish a Term Paper

You may think that the conclusion chapter is not so important because it doesn’t

provide your readers with any new information. However, each section has its tasks and
goals, so don't relax too early.

The last paragraphs should provide an answer to a fundamental question. This question
is “So what?”. Just imagine your regular reader who finishes the text and doesn’t
understand what is next. Was your text just a pleasant evening reading? Is it one more

piece to improve academic performance? Or is it something more that was created to

If you don’t have strict instructions from your professor, you can decide on your own.
Think about questions your work creates, and provide the audience with steps to follow.
 Term Paper Format
All college and university papers must be standardized. The requirements are the same

for all students regardless of their educational institutions. If you plan to pursue a
scientific career, you’ll deal with these standards all the time.

Formatting is not the most straightforward task because you need always be
concentrated on some details that seem to be useless for you. It is clear why you should
develop a unique thesis statement, but some students can’t get why they should use the
particular font type or double-spacing.

That’s why formatting is one of the most popular writing services. While you’re working

on tasks you like, the professional author and editor provide you with quality formatting.

Several styles are typical for the modern scientific society. Let’s look at them to get a

basic understanding.

Term Paper APA Formatting

If you are studying psychology or other social sciences, the APA format is your choice.
Here's a shortlist of the main things to consider:

• White A4 sheet 8.5 x 11 inches.

• Times New Roman or other easily readable 12 point font.

• Indent the paragraph by 1/2 inch.

page number.
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