Term Paper Resources

The most substantial part of term papers and research papers is the body, that portion which follows the introduction and precedes the conclusion. Just as the body can vary among human beings, the body can vary in term papers and in research papers, not only in terms of size but content as well. The body of a term paper contains what some people refer to as “the meat” of the paper but that are otherwise known as the paragraphs.

While this might sound elementary, there are actually many students who don’t know the elements of a proper paragraph. The paragraphs that make up the body of your term papers or research papers help your reader to understand the purpose of your paper, which we have seen is explained in the Introduction.

Paragraphs should contain a topic sentence that includes the important concept or idea that will be addressed in the paragraph as well as the information necessary to support that idea.

Paragraphs can be as long as necessary to get a specific point across however there may be some cases where only one or two sentences are more than sufficient, especially if they make a strong statement about what your term paper or research paper is about. Strong statements are an important segue to the Conclusion, which we will address in our next post.

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The task of writing a term paper, research paper, essay or book report can actually get easier over time, especially when you approach it from the perspective of following a simple formula:

Introduction + Body + Conclusion

Although the size of your term paper or research paper will dictate how simple or complex each of these three components of your paper will be, beginning with this simple formula in mind will make the task of writing much easier.

The Introduction

The introduction is one of the most important parts of any paper however it is often one of the most difficult to write. The primary purpose of the introduction is to get the attention of your readers. When formulating a term paper or research paper, begin with a sketch or rough draft of your introduction that tells the reader what your paper is about. You might be surprised to find out that you actually do the finalizing and polishing of your introduction after you’ve completed your paper. In “Shortcuts for the Student Writer”, Silverman, Hughes and Wienbroer suggest several approaches to creating your introduction such as:

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Today, students are no longer bound to the traditional library when it comes to finding sources for their term papers and research papers, thanks to the incredible growth of online or virtual libraries. Virtual libraries can be an invaluable source of research material when you are unable to get to your school or public library on a regular basis or when you do much of your research after hours. Students can find plenty of free electronic versions of classic texts in the public domain offered by these online libraries. The majority offer literature in html format, which makes for easy searching and bookmarking using a Web browser.

The following are some ideal examples of the free virtual libraries available on the web:

• The Online Medieval & Classical Library, where you can search for texts by author or title.
• The Online Books Page, which lists over 30,000 free books, essays and documents.
• The Project Gutenberg, which offers access to over 25,000 free books and a total of more than 100,000 titles through its partners and affiliates.

Virtual libraries like these are often associated with universities, literary associations or other groups interested in the distribution of texts in the public domain. When choosing to use one of these libraries, you should make every effort to establish its validity as a source of authentic, scholarly and public domain works.

Commercial virtual libraries like Questia and Ebrary offer students access to hundreds of thousands of books, journals, magazines and newspaper articles written on a wide array of subjects that can be used in research papers, term papers, essays as well as book reports. And these aren’t just texts in the public domain. On the contrary, students can find copyrighted material in a number of categories including religion, sociology, history, philosophy, economics, political science, psychology and more.

The most popular of these commercial online libraries is Questia. Although Questia offers different subscription rates, a $19.95 monthly fee gets students access to more than 1,500,000 books in all of the categories offered. Text is easily searchable and can be cut and pasted in a word processor for quoting sources in an essay or other type of research paper. Questia even generates citations and bibliographic information for users in APA, MLA and other referencing styles that are most frequently used in term papers and research papers.

Ebrary is another commercial online library, owned in part by the McGraw-Hill Companies. All of the published material provided by Ebrary can be viewed for a minimum $5 set-up fee. There is no charge to view the books, journals and magazines offered by Ebrary however there is a cost of $.25 each time text from any page is cut/copied, pasted and appropriately used and cited in a term paper. While a growing number of colleges and universities now offer their students free access to the Ebrary online library, the company presents its commercial site as an ideal alternative for students who do not have this free access.

Although they may never completely replace the traditional public or school library, free and commercial online libraries can definitely make your term paper and research paper tasks much easier as well as much faster…and who doesn’t like that?

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One of the most confusing and misunderstood aspects of writing a term paper is source material. What constitutes a quality Internet source and what is not a valid academic web reference for a research paper is sometimes not made clear by your professor. However, the criterion for a valid Internet reference or resource is easy to remember. There are 3 basic things to remember when you browse the Internet looking for sources for your research papers.

No Wikipedia in Research Papers

Do NOT use Wikipedia in Research PapersFirst let me clear up a few common misconceptions immediately – 1) Wikipedia should NEVER be used as a source or citation in your research paper. Between the “good”, the “bad” and the “ugly”, Wikipedia is the UGLIEST! Wikipedia has great information but none of it is verified or validated by anyone before it is posted to the web. 2) A professor’s website is NOT a valid academic source. Professor’s have opinions and bias just like anyone else. Remember, anyone can put up a website and claim anything they wish as valid.

So how do you tell a good source from a bad source from the ugliest source of all (Wikipedia)? The three questions you should ask yourself are this: 1) Is this a primary source? 2) Is this a .gov or .org website? 3) Is this a peer reviewed source from an academic journal? If you can’t answer “yes” to one of these three questions, then don’t use the source. Within the next few weeks, we will be posting definitions and examples of these three types of Internet sources that are viable for use in an academic research paper.

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If you are a student, you have done an all-nighter! One of the most common all-nighters for the student is the dreaded term paper that was put off until the last minute. The all-nighter for a term paper is unavoidable sometimes but we have a few great tips to help you make the all-nighter go a little easier and faster!

OK, so you may not have prepared very well up to this point but before you begin writing your term paper, take a half an hour and get yourself ready for your all-nighter. Assuming it is a term paper you are doing, first begin by making your space comfortable. Include something enjoyable in your space, like put on your favorite XM radio station or put in a great CD to study to. Make sure the music is upbeat – Don’t put in downer tunes like Death Cab for Cutie’s new CD, far too depressing! Choose something like REM’s Accelerate – Fantastic, upbeat tunes to motivate your mind and keep you awake and focused.

Term Paper All-Nighter

Munchies and drink are vital to have for proper all night fuel. Stock up before you begin your term paper so that you don’t have to lose your train of thought when hunger strikes. There are many energy drinks out on the market that help boost you up with caffeine when its crunch time. Of course, they are not recommended for daily consumption but in a crunch and with a term paper due, you have to do what is necessary to perform.

Next, organize your research for your term paper in front of you. Have your source material and articles open on your computer, any book references beside you and class notes handy in case you need to refer to them for formatting or syllabus instructions. Plan at least 1 break every hour but make sure you don’t take more than 10 minutes for the break from your term paper. The break should include getting up and walking somewhere, even if its 5 feet across your dorm room, move your body!

Keep up-beat! Try not to worry about the time and know that if you do these steps, the term paper will turn out great because you are focused, prepared and ready to spend all night on it.

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Everyone has run into at least one or two professors that scare the living s__t out of them. Like the professor that gives to most impossible tests or the professor that thinks his class is the only one you have so surely you have time to read 100 pages a night. When it comes to term papers, professors can ruin your life with their expectations. However, never fear! We have been dealing with tens of thousands of professor term paper requests for over 10 years and Paper Masters knows a few secrets that will help you get a grip on the most impossible of professors. Read more…

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What’s the big deal? Term paper, research paper, a paper is a paper right? Absolutely Wrong…and your professor’s know the difference so you should too! A term paper is very different from a research paper and needs to be approached with a broad goal in mind. On the other hand, a research paper is a narrow endeavor that requires a focused approached. A definition of each will help elucidate the differences clearly. Read more…

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