How to Write a Term Paper on Any Topic
Term paper writing can and should be easy. In order to make it this way, you need to understand that one must follow the same pattern when writing any kind of essay. Different topics and types of papers only influence your choice of materials and internal essay structure. The very process of writing, however, remains unchanged.
If you need to create a good term paper on any subject, you will need to take the following steps:
- Research and topic selection.
- Writing an outline.
- Writing the first draft.
- Editing and proofreading.
You should always start by doing some research of the general topic. This will allow you to understand the subject better, and determine the issues that will have the strongest impact on your audience. Make a list of them and see whether they can be connected in some way. Keep focusing the questions until you develop a topic for your paper. Remember that it must be narrow enough for you to cover it completely, but wide enough to make sure that every part of your paper is informative and interesting.
At this point, you will need to make your research more focused on the topic. It will be easier to do because you already know what kinds of materials you should choose. Take detailed notes when studying them. Be sure to keep all your notes well organized. Color coding will be a great help in this case.
Once you’ve covered enough material to determine what exactly should be included in the paper, you need to outline it. An outline is the detailed plan of an essay. It must have a separate point for every paragraph. Remember, the more detailed your outline is, the easier it will be to expand it into a larger paper. In fact, creating a good outline will save you a great deal of time, and will make writing the first draft an easy task.
Use the outline as a guide to write every separate paragraph. Add the evidence you gathered during the research to support every argument you make.
Reread the first draft, and edit it in order to make all the paragraphs fit together and form a cohesive paper. Check the content and structure of every paragraph and the paper as a whole. Once you are satisfied with the results, proofread the essay and fix all grammar and spelling mistakes.
Put aside the paper and reread it again in a few days. A fresh look will help you catch any mistakes you might have missed.