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How to Write the Best Term Paper ever ?

Learn how to write the best term paper ever with these easy and simple Tips.

Write the Best Term Paper
The transition from high school to college sure isn't easy. This includes writing assignments also. If you were getting an A for your papers in high school it doesn’t mean this trend will continue in college if you keep the same writing skills quality. In fact, you’ll probably get no more than C. The difference is in the expectations college professors have when compared to your high school teachers. An essay with perfect spelling, grammar, punctuation and structure is mandatory in college, and in addition to these expectations professors also look at how well you've analyzed the included materials, unlike high school teachers who may only be concerned with your ability to summarize the information.



So here’s what you need to know to be able to consistently write great term papers:


Always follow the professor’s instructions.

Always follow the professor’s instructions
Every professor has a different opinion about what an A term paper should include and they usually provide their students with a rubrics sheet at the beginning of the semester to let them know what they expect and want their students to use in terms of reference sources, citation style, in-text citation requirements, etc. This sheet is your best guide to an A term paper.

Know the kind of term paper you are supposed to write.

Know the kind of term paper you are supposed to write
In college you are expected to write different types of term papers – informative, argumentative, research, analytical, interpretive, persuasive, or synthesis. Each one has its own research and structure requirements that you must meet in order to get a passing grade. Make sure you fully understand these requirements and, again, follow the instructions your professor has provided.

Choose a topic for your paper.

Choose a topic for your paper
Once you know your professor’s specific instructions and the type of term paper you need to write, you can select the topic. Be careful to choose topic that is general enough for you to be able to find enough information on, yet specific enough for you to fully develop it within the page limit provided by your professor or by the type of paper you are writing. If you only have 3 to 5 pages to cover the selected topic, you can’t choose something as broad as “The Bush Administration’s policies are bad” – you can’t fully develop the story, and it will lack a focus in the end. Instead, you should focus the topic to only one issue and apply it to those affected by it; for example: “The Bush Administration’s Social policy positively (negatively) affects almost every American".

Researching or finding sources for your paper.

Researching or finding sources for your paper
This is the stage where most students get into trouble. To make sure you aren't one of them refer back to your professor’s rubrics sheet and follow the instructions for appropriate forms of resource materials (books, professional journals, magazines, Internet), and minimum number of used sources. Have in mind that Internet sources refer to personal or professional websites, not to online databases or libraries where previously published material is stored in digital format. It’s best for you to start with a variety of reputable source types like books and professional journals, and then move on to the Internet where you can look for one or two personal websites that share your personal and/or group opinion on the selected topic.

Before you start researching make a list of keywords and specific information related to your topic that will later help you better guide your search process and stay organized. This list contains the beginning information you need to look for. Start your research at the university, or any public library where you can find great academic references like textbooks and professional journals. With the development of the online databases you don’t have to actually go there, but you can search for it from your home.

When conducting an online research, it is very important to make sure the sources you are about to use are reputable. The information you usually find on personal websites isn't as reliable as professional websites content, hence they should be avoided. But though you can’t include these personal websites as sources in your paper, you can use them to locate keywords and other reputable sources that you can. Just check their bibliography or references cited lists.

Since you’ll need to include all used sources in your term paper it is recommended to either note the article’s author, title, the web address associated with the source, the date the material was published and retrieved, and the organization or publication title, or to print out the whole source pages and keep all that information at once. The second method is obviously easier, but also safer, because you can’t be certain if some website updates or site maintenance may prevent your professor from accessing them during the source authenticity check.

Organize your term paper.

Organize your term paper
When you've finished your initial research outline your paper and set up your initial bibliography. At this point you can again use your professor’s instructions about the required elements, specific sections, citation style, etc. If you have to add a title page, also include the title of the essay, your name, the class name and code, university name and date. In the main body of the paper you can include a header that provides a page number and either the title of the paper, or your last name.

Always revise.

Always revise
Once you develop the outline for your term paper, you can insert the resources you've noted according to the MLA or APA standards, as required by your college professor. At this point you don’t have to worry too much about flow, transitions and wording, since for the first draft you just want to organize your information and put it down in your own words. Afterwards you can reorganize it so the supporting information builds up an understanding of the topic covered in your term paper in a more logical manner.

To easier find grammar and spelling mistakes, as well as word flow problems, you can read your paper out loud and make notes of the errors and information flow problems you encounter, so you can later go back and correct them. Revisions are very important to make sure that nothing will sabotage your hard work, so you better repeat this step several times, until the paper seems reasonably perfected.

When all this is done, you can take out your rubrics sheet and use it as a checklist to make sure your term paper meets the standards outlined by your professor. If you can find a friend to also check the paper before you turn it in, he/she may have additional suggestions for the finals revision to make your term paper a top notch.

Prepare and hand in the paper.

Prepare and hand in the paper
If your term paper passed all previous tests and revisions, you can print it out and bound it according to your professor’s requirements. And the final step to getting an A on your term paper is turning it in on time as respecting deadlines is always appreciated.

These simple to follow guidelines will help any college student improve his or her academic writing skills and hopefully always get the highest grades.

Submitted by : This article is contributed by Alex Petryck, who is a student at Wisconsin International University. He dedicated his life to help other students enhance their writing skills. One of the writers at Best Essays.


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