How to Start a Term Paper
Starting a term paper is often the hardest part of writing. Some call it writer’s block but whatever makes the term paper hard to start is a major hurdle towards moving on into the meat of the paper. We can help you start any term paper or research paper with just a few simple tricks that will guarantee you never struggle with that opening sentence again!
First begin by writing down the main points of your term paper. You only need to write two or three main points on a piece of paper. Then look at them and think “why did I choose those points”? “What ties these things together?” For example, if I’m doing a term paper on the civil rights movement, I may write down: Martin Luther King Jr., the 1960’s, and segregation. Obviously I chose these points because they are important to the civil rights movement but why? Ah ha! I get it! A good opening sentence of a term paper starts by catching your attention with previewing what the paper is going to be about.
So in my sample topic of the civil rights movement, I begin my paper by telling the reader why my main topics are important. In my example, the beginning goes something like this:
It took strong leadership (Martin Luther King Jr.), an era of uprising and rebellion (the 1960’s) and the ultimate travisty of dehumanizing men and women (segregation) to incite the civil rights movement in the United States.
And there you go! Three easy steps that take only 5 minutes and you are off to a great start in any paper. 1) Make a list of main points 2) Ask your self why are these important 3) Tell your reader why they are important and how they tie together = Opening sentence that is informative and interesting.
May 6th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
How to Start a Term Paper…
Some call it writer’s block but whatever makes term papers tough to start are major hurdles towards moving on to the meat of the paper. Here are a few tricks that will guarantee you never struggle with your opening sentence again….
June 24th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Hello
I am writing a research paper on Climate Change. I have narrowed it down to write about how overpopulation is effecting climate change. My research supports that overpopulation is effecting forestry, fisheries, water resources etc. which all impact climate change. I am having alot of difficulty writing an introduction and developing a strong thesis statement.
Can you help??
Thankyou
Eryn
June 24th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
Eryn,
We would be glad to help. Overpopulation is a great topic and conducive to an interesting introduction. I would begin by listing some important and shocking statistics to catch the readers attention. Something like the following:
Since 1960, the world population has tripled and the United States population has gone from 200 million to 300 million. These numbers translate into more than just spacial issues and an overcrowded planet, these numbers mean devastation for the environment in the form of climate change. While the United States is not the sole culprit inducing climate change due to overpopulation, Americans consume resources in a manner vastly disproportionate to their population. For an example, an increase in the population of the United States between now and 2050 of 71 million will produce more greenhouse gases than an increase of one billion people in Africa (Brown, Gardner, & Halweil, 1999). The consequences of climate change in an industrial nation such as the United States is devastating on the biodiversity of the world as overpopulation destroys ecosystems, increases pollution rates, threatens the very survival of the planet and leads to massive migration.
Brown, Lester R., Gardner, Gary, & Halweil, Brian. (1999). Beyond Malthus: Nineteen dimensions of the population Challenge. New York: W.W. Norton and Company.