How to Write a Term Paper

How to Write a Term Paper


The keys to writing a research paper, or term paper as it is sometimes called, include:

 1. Mastering research strategies: defining and refining interesting questions and developing and refining search strategies.





The keys to good writing include:

  1. Proper grammar, spelling and punctuation.
  2. Precise and accurate vocabulary.
  3. Strong and active writing style.




The more like a research report your own research paper is, the more important it is to focus narrowly. Few people can read, let alone write about, everything that is known about “paper”. However, a topic such as the rise of inexpensive commercial paper and its use in education likely has a more manageable amount of information available. Regardless of the topic, it will likely be necessary to find some sources that are more general--paper and how it is made, for our example--and some that are very specific--the influence of inexpensive commercial paper production on the number of research papers assigned.

College research papers, which are often called term papers, usually require more technical research from professional journals in the field and fewer books than middle school or high school research papers. When writing a term paper, the students are expected to demonstrate a level of understanding of the material (facts, statistics, theories, controversies, etc.) within the field and methods for researching, analyzing, and discussing that material. In addition, college students are typically expected to ‘take sides” when discussing a debatable question with which some people in the field might disagree.

College research papers and term papers are not just simple reports. Rather, the student takes the role of a knowledgeable person in the field and uses the research to provide supporting evidence and to develop thoughtful arguments. The more advanced the course, the more advanced the arguments and research will need to be.

College professors want papers that are free of errors. They want to read without having to struggle to understand what they are reading. Make sure to proofread your writing several times either manually or via an English writing tool.

For real help on writing a research paper, it might help to ask another basic question: What is “research”? Why "re" rather than "search"? “Research”, in the sense of writing a research paper, means finding information. However, a common mistake students make is stopping there. They don't go further to ask: what kind of information? Generally, it is not information limited to points of view with which you agree. Good research begins with uncertainty. 

Often, for a report, the type of information is a broad question (or topic), such as what is the life-cycle of the octopus? However, a great college research paper will typically ask a focused question, such as: what is the effect of increased levels of mercury on the life-cycle of the octopus along New England Coasts? This question remains open, and the student writer therefore will have to take a position on the topic that not everyone in the field would agree with. Research answers a specific question, usually narrowly defined. The researcher allows for the fact that the answer might be something other than what first came to mind. This is the uncertainty necessary for good research.

In order to find a research topic, one could continue with inquiries about the word “write” (or “writing”). Writing involves a process. Within the general process, research writing has its own steps that are typically followed. Remember, though, as with many complex processes, often you will return to a step you already did and either re-do it because of changes along the way, or do it again from another point in the research. It is not really linear.


Here are some steps to writing a research paper:

 1. Find an interesting question to research. Don’t think that research is all about finding evidence for a position you’re taking. Rather, think about a question you can’t answer. The research will be more interesting this way, especially if the answer is of interest to you. How? Look through notes, readings, a few articles, and find where you're confused (and don't want to be), curious, frustrated, or where you otherwise stopped for a moment to think. What question does this moment of thought suggest to you? What would you like to know? Consider other areas of your life where you have passions--outside of school, other courses you've taken, politics, hobbies, etc. What questions do your other areas of interests suggest? Start doing this the moment you have the assignment--don't wait until the last moment, or you won't have time for the research or the writing.


3. Read material more specifically related to your question. If you find too much material available, use this reading to narrow down your topic. On the other hand, if it is difficult to find any material on your topic, you may want to do some reading to open up your question a bit. It is important to start this process early on, both to refine your question and to locate and obtain relevant source material within the appointed time frame.



6. After you’ve arrived at a tentative thesis, though still while researching (which might require you to modify or even change your thesis), begin going through your notes, annotations and writing journals. Start brainstorming ways to communicate what you've learned so that readers will understand why you think the tentative thesis is the answer. You could use an outline here, if you wish, or concept maps or free-writing or any number of strategies to help you start organizing your material for writing. Some people talk about it to a friend. Others simply start writing and see where it goes from there.




10.  As you revise, continue your research. Now the research will take on a narrower focus – this is so that you can fill in the gaps, answer questions you still have about the topic or support evidence, etc.






Whether writing student research papers or scientific research, it is always important that you writing is correct. Always proofread and re-read the end result to make sure that you are conveying the message that you want to convey. After all, your writing is your image.