Academic Series: Term Paper Writing 101

Sooner or later students rack their brains on how to write a term paper. For the majority of them writing term papers becomes an obstacle that slows down their progress in studies.

Teachers claim that looking for ideas for term papers, choosing term paper topics and organizing a clear format for term papers are the main problems students face while preparing their term papers.

Here you will find simple solutions that will assist you in tackling all these problems and will answer the most disturbing question: how to write a term paper? A bunch of useful tips on choosing term paper topics, detailed information on the format for term papers will help you write a paper that will meet the most demanding requirements of your professor.

What is a Term Paper?

A term paper is one of the most common writing assignments for the upper-division courses, which requires students to synthesize genuine knowledge acquired on a certain topic and apply it to a new situation. Its length varies, but the preferred length is 10-15 typewritten pages.

Term papers usually count for a significant part of your final grade. Therefore, it is crucial to present your thoughts cogently and coherently to persuade your professors that you are armed with sound knowledge on the subject and deserve to get an excellent grade. Bear in mind that good grades depend on good papers.

Begin With Careful Planning

The work on your term paper should begin with a careful planning. This important assignment should not be completed with last-minute preparations. Using careful planning, you will avoid such notorious problems, as your computer going mad, closed libraries, or broken printer. Sticking to a definite plan and allocating your time wisely, you will keep track of events and submit your term paper on time.

First of all, you should opt for one of good term paper topics. When you first set off to research term paper topics, do not be intimidated by having no clear idea of what you will discover along the way. The best advice is to go ahead and gather all information that you can while researching.

Be sure to jot down any interesting and intriguing titbit that you will come across, even if at first glance it seems off-topic. Often, we do not know for sure how the information fits into an overall term paper until we have collected quite a bit of information.

Remember that preliminary research on the chosen term paper topics can be really helpful in writing a term paper, because it gives you truly insightful ideas for term papers and guides you in the right direction. The sources of information that can be really useful for preparation of your paper are:

  • Books and articles that report original research.

  • Books and articles that survey research from a scholarly point of view.

  • A popular account designed for audiences other than working researchers.

Do not allow yourself to become overwhelmed by the mounds of research. Before you try to create a term paper outline, you might want to consider organizing it at the most basic level. Sort the gathered information into piles and start selecting good term paper topics.

Choose Thrilling Term Paper Topics

Choosing good term paper topics is the first step in the pursuit of a well-crafted thesis. Therefore, you ought to approach the selection of term paper topics with special prudence.

You will succeed in choosing the best term paper topics, if:

  • Term paper topics are to your liking.

  • These term paper topics are narrow and specific.

  • Term paper length is appropriate to your topic.

  • It is possible to find enough information on the chosen term paper topics.


Take these crucial points into consideration, because they are vitally important in selection of good
term paper topics.