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The “Formula”

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:

  • Boldly stating your position
  • Starting with the opposing position
  • Conveying a brief story
  • “Using the news lead”, i.e. the who, what, when, where and how (p. 73).
  • The last sentence of the introduction should lead the reader into the next section of your term paper, research paper, essay or book report, - The Body - which we will discuss in our next post.

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    Karen Research Paper Tips

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    1. May 28th, 2008 at 12:49 | #1