The Fundamentals of the Five Paragraph Term Paper

August 26th, 2008

The five paragraph term paper is a common one in college courses.  It is a very disciplined style of writing because, being only five paragraphs, naturally it has to be quite process.  The key to writing this type of paper, then, is to set it up properly.  Truly, these term papers represent the simplest type of term paper format.  You just have to know exactly what you are going to do, exactly what elements you need.

The first paragraph of the five paragraph term paper requires a solid introduction, including your thesis statement – this needs to describe what you intend to prove in your paper.  Your thesis needs to be precise, concise, and well structured.  As you well know, the thesis statement is one of the core components in any type of term paper writing.  If it is not strong, your paper will be weak.  If, however, you form a structurally and factually sound thesis, then you can practically guarantee yourself an A.

The body of your five paragraph term paper will consist of three paragraphs.  This is where you present the evidence which backs up your thesis statement.  This, too, needs to be extremely concise.  Your information needs to be impeccably tied into the subject matter or else the entire paper will fall apart.  This is where the appropriate term paper ideas really come together.  The body is an essential part of your term paper format.  Like the information presented in your introduction, if this section is weak, your paper will not amount to much at all.

Finally, the last paragraph is dedicated to the conclusion.  In your conclusion, you need to restate your thesis statement in such a way that it ties in with the information presented in the body of your essay.  If you have proven your thesis statement, then reiterate the points that brought you to the conclusion.  If you have not, simply explain why you think that is and what you could have done differently.

You might be thinking that you will not have a lot of term paper ideas at your disposal with this type of paper, since you are limited to five paragraphs.  That is not true at all, you simply need to choose a sharp, narrow, very concise topic.  For instance, rather than discussing genetics as a whole, you could discuss the logistics of what type of children a brown haired, blue eyed man and a green eyed, blond hair woman would have.  You could also simply write an expository term paper – most of those relegated to five paragraphs, as a matter of fact!  So, fear not — it is entirely possible to write a descriptive term paper, even when you are limited to a set number of paragraphs.  Plus, there is no saying how long a particular paragraph can be, right?

As started, the five paragraph term paper is extremely easy.  If anything, it truly is the easiest type of term paper writing you will ever do.  The format for this type of term paper may be strict but this is a good thing for you if you are not all that experienced with academic writing.  Sometimes, having such tight restrictions can actually help us get our ideas down better.

The Elements of an Expository Term Paper

August 24th, 2008

As a student, you can count on having to write at least one expository term paper during your academic career.  The good news is that these are some of the easiest term papers you will ever write.  Not only that, but learning how to write expository papers will also help you in many other areas of academic writing.  Basically, “expository” is a fancy, college way of saying that, when you write these papers, you are going to offer an explanation on some topic.  You are basically just presenting information to your reader.  So really, all you need to know is the appropriate term paper format.

The first step of writing an expository term paper is selecting your subject.  Quite often, your teachers or professors will give you a topic so you really do not have to make a decision.  However, as you continue on through school, and especially when you are in college, either your professors will provide you with a very broad topic, so you can choose sub subjects, or they will simply allow you free reign – as long as your topic applies to something you have covered in class, of course.  The point is, you will definitely be able to consider your own term paper ideas.  The best topics to choose for these types of term papers involve experiences you yourself have gone through.  For example, your subject might be based on your chosen field of study and later career, your personal history and background, or something you think needs to be researched.  If you are taking an literature class focusing on the early 20th century, you might choose to write a paper on The Great Gatsby or on F. Scott Fitzgerald himself.

Next, you need to create a solid thesis statement for your expository term paper.  This will describe what you intend to discuss, argue, prove, or explain.  For short term papers, it pays to have a narrow, concise thesis statement and topic.  Naturally, you can expand when you write larger ones.  The length of your paper is generally provided as well, but the scope is usually broad.  Plan the length you want to get by how much time you have and how quickly you need to work.

That brings us to the best part!  Well, perhaps not, but researching is definitely a necessary part.  Of course, how much research you do really depends on your knowledge of your topic.  For instance, you might have chosen to write on something you know about already.  You can always choose to write about something you want to learn more about as well.  However, learning how to research properly is an invaluable skill, and an expository term paper can really help you polish that skill.  Learning how to research quickly but concisely, to seek out good sources, et cetera, is going to help you during the entire course of your college career.  Your professor may require certain sources – many of them do, though it does depend on the class.  Early on, in your first and second years, literature teachers in particular will usually require one academic essay from a reputable journal (think JSTOR, students!), references from certain texts, et cetera.  Those all make good sources in general, as does published material, news interviews, news papers, journal articles, films, and any number of other things.

The next thing you need to do is decide what developmental style you are going to present – which basically means, how are you going to craft your paper?  It is another form of necessary term paper format, as well as term paper writing.

Lastly, you have to decide how to structure your expository term paper.  For instance, do you want to craft a five paragraph essay?  These are the most common, consisting of an introduction (one paragraph), the body (three paragraphs), and the conclusion (one paragraph).  You can check out a term paper example depicting possible structures to help you make this decision.

An Assortment of Ideas for an Ethics Term Paper

August 23rd, 2008

As a college student, it is guaranteed that, at one point or another, you will likely have to write an ethics term paper.  Truthfully, no matter what your major, ethics come into question at some point.  You may encounter the subject in a true blue philosophy class.  You may be taking a course on professional ethics, which is generally a requirement for those majoring in business, pre law, pre medicine, et cetera.

Ethical behavior and philosophy is important in every possible area or occupation.  That is what makes the ethics term paper so very vital.  Ethics can sometimes be pretty shaky.  Your opinions may differ from your professor’s, the text, and even a lot of your peers’ and classmates’.  Honestly this is a good thing.  It keeps things extremely interesting.  As we all know, the key to crafting an excellent college term paper is to keep it interesting while making sure that it is both informative and thought provoking.

There are several possible term paper ideas for these types of term papers.  Honestly, there is an endless amount of potential topics, it all depends on the exact nature of your class.  Nietzsche is a very popular source for an ethics term paper – though to be honest, Nietzsche and his works have been done to death, so if you choose to go with his ideals, make sure you can put a new spin on an old question.  Any time you can present new information or even a new perspective on an old topic, it is a very good thing.

Personal ethics provide enough information for a really good term paper.  More importantly, the topic and all the sub topics therein are extremely relevant to just about any field you can possibly imagine.  When writing term papers on personal ethics, you get to give your own interpretation and opinion, which some students greatly prefer.  Remember, however, that these are not just opinion based term papers.  As mentioned, the core of the college term paper involves presenting factual information.  So, for instance, you cannot simply write a paper about how you think abortion is wrong, without providing sources that back up your opinion.  However, if you are a pre med student, a good term paper could involve your feelings on abortion and how you would deal with a patient who wanted one from you.

The theories presented in the many works by Kant are also popular fodder for the ethics term paper.  In generally, if you are taking any type of professional ethics course, Kant will definitely be on your reading list.  Quite often, your professors will provide popular topics relevant to your particular class as well, which can make the entire term paper writing process a bit easier.  Just remember, a good term paper depends on relevant content and a thought provoking thesis.  For ethics term papers in particular, you will need to do a lot of delving into and analyzing of the material at hand.  If you need help, ask for it, especially if you are confused about how much of your own personal opinion needs to be included.

The Ins and Outs of an Education Term Paper

August 22nd, 2008

Going into the educational field is a noble decision; we need good educators, which is part of the reason why you need to take extra pains any time you are writing an education term paper.  How well you will do in your field depends quite a lot on the quality of the term papers you write.  This is particularly true when your topic is specifically rooted in your chosen field of study.

Every education major is different.  Every educator is different.  Naturally, then, every education term paper is different is well.  Big surprise, right?  Honestly, though, every education student and actual educator has a different teaching philosophy, a different teaching style, different goals, et cetera.  However, there are certain similarities, certain rules which much be followed, and that is how it is with educational papers.

Your tutor is extremely important to the entire term paper writing process.  His or her presence is invaluable.  Depending on your university, it may not be referred to as a “tutor.”  You may have an adviser.  You may have a mentor.  Whatever the case and whatever the term, he or she needs to be with you every step of the way – tutors know that, of course, and will be more than happy to offer every bit of assistance they possibly can.

Your tutor – or adviser – will, for instance, help you go through possible term paper ideas for your education term paper.  Because writing your term paper is designed to be a learning process, choosing a topic is very important.  Do you want to discuss something in which you are interested but about which you know little?  Or would you prefer to write your paper on a subject connected to the particular field or genre you hope to teach?  For instance, if you are interested in teaching grade school children, you could choose term paper ideas revolving around possible learning tools and visual aids for children in the age group you want to teach – children ages six to eight, for example.

Your tutor, adviser, mentor, what have you, is can also help you sketch out the correct term paper format.  Educational papers can often be very intensive and in depth.  This in turn can lead to them running quite long.  There is nothing wrong with that whatsoever, but following the right format in terms of pertinent sections can make the whole process a lot easier.  Of course, he or she will help you as far as technical format goes as well – that is, when it comes to citing sources in the appropriate style.

Lastly, as with all term papers but especially with an education term paper, proofreading is incredibly vital.  Your tutor can also help a lot when it comes to term paper editing.  More than that, he or she can help keep you on track, so you do not leave your term paper writing to the last minute.  As well, he or she can help you prepare your defense, when you come up against the department.

Applying History Research Paper Topics to Term Papers

August 20th, 2008

You are probably wondering what history research paper topics have to do with term papers.  That is a legitimate thought.  At the onset, one has nothing to do with the other except that both are forms of academic writing.  In truth however one affects the other very much.

A college term paper is not so different from a research paper.  Generally speaking, once in college, the papers you write are rarely called “research papers,” at least in the author’s own experience.  Term papers are where it’s at in college; research papers are more traditionally seen in high school classes.  The history research topics your teachers there give you are their way of grooming you for term paper writing in college.

You have likely noticed, for example, that you usually have a lot of time to write your research papers in high school.  It takes time to do research, it is not really something you can do in a week.  As you get up into your junior and senior years, you start being able to choose your own history research paper topics.  Back in ninth and tenth grade, teachers either give you a small group of possible topics or they let you choose your own – as long as they approve it.  As you continue on in your high school career, more and more often, the choice of paper topics is left up to you.  You craft them, you decide if they are good enough, in depth enough, et cetera.  Even in that aspect, your teachers are getting you ready for writing a good term paper in college.  Your professors are not going to be looking over your shoulder, guiding you at every single turn.  They will help you, certainly, but it is up to you to do the work.

Furthermore, history research paper topics have a dramatic effect on the way you come up with term paper ideas.  In fact, the ideas you have for any course in college, not just in history courses, can be rooted in the topics you were familiar with in high school.  You see, your teachers there are preparing you for crafting good term paper ideas yourself.  Only once you have a good idea can you craft a good term paper.

One could almost say, even, that term papers and research papers are not so different.  Certainly, the things you learn about researching and such in high school will certainly help you with term paper writing later on in your academic career.  This is invaluable, as is being able to create good, sound term paper ideas.  By paying attention to and retaining what you learned in high school, you can make those writing intensive courses a lot easier.

Although the connection may be fuzzy, history research paper topics – any research paper topics really – can honestly help you with term paper writing.  You acquire sound foundations in everything from picking topic and ideas to editing and structure.

The Correlation between GED Essay Topics and Term Papers

August 19th, 2008

GED essay topics are an integral part of achieving your general education degree. They can also be integral to the way you write throughout the remainder of your academic career. Although it may seem difficult to believe, the studying you do for and the things you learn by getting your GED can help you later, with term paper writing, as well.

Before understanding how GED essay topics can be beneficial when you write term papers, it is important to first understand what exactly is so important about them. Think about this. You usually only have a set amount of time to write an essay on the topic you are given. It generally amounts to forty five minutes or so. The people evaluating the essay will want to see several elements in your paper. They will be used to score the quality of the finished product. The main things they will be looking for include a sense of organization, the way you have developed your ideas and arguments, and your knowledge and use of grammar, spelling, punctuation, vocabulary, and the way you structure your sentences.

Your topic will be given to you so you will not necessarily know what it is. Commonly used GED essay topics include asking you to talk about the best period of your life and to explain why it was so good. Many of them also ask you to discuss any regrets you have and why you have them. A lot of GED topics also want to you about your favorite hobby, why it is your favorite, and if you benefit from it in any way. Some of them also want you to talk about someone important in your life.

How does that help with term paper writing? Well, especially if you study for your GED beforehand and spent a lot of time on the essays (always recommended; it is one of the most difficult parts of the test), then it will teach you about how to structure a topic. In fact, it will teach you how to structure a good college term paper. You will learn what kinds of questions you should ask in your term papers, which can also help in creating topics.

Given that, they can also help you come up with great term paper ideas. Like say, you will know exactly the style of questions you will need to answer, the kinds of issues you should address, et cetera. A good term paper is dependent on interesting content. The aforementioned examples were just that – examples. There are plenty of other GED topics that you can practice with, and some of them get down right controversial.

GED essay topics will also teach you how to write quickly. You have a limited amount of time to get down a lot of information. This can be extremely value in term paper writing. It is not that you will really need to write quickly, but it can help you organize your ideas very quickly, which can be tremendously helpful.

How Middle School Essay Topics Can Benefit Your Writing

August 17th, 2008

As a student enters the six grade, certainly he or she is much more concerned with middle school essay topics than term papers. In fact, he or she has probably not given the slightest thought to term paper writing. This is normal, even expected. But, trust, if you are a student currently in middle school, your teachers definitely are thinking about the academic writing you will be doing later on in life. That is precisely why they like to give you essay topics and things about which to write.

The purpose of this article, as you might have guessed, is to discuss the correlation between middle school essay topics and term papers – and, more specifically, how they can later help you come up with term paper ideas of your own. If you are a middle school student, or if you are the parent or guardian of one, looking for some help, thinking about possible prompts can really help you. They will give you an idea of what to expect, especially as it applies to term papers and the other writing assignments coming your way.

Your teachers start grooming you to know how to craft good term paper ideas as early as the sixth grade. Narrative essays are popular at that level. A narrative essay quite simply allows you to be the narrator. You are describing the experience, you are guiding the essay. Narrative essays that require you to take the reader from point A to point B are very useful. For example, you might be given a prompt such as “Pacific Ocean,” wherein you are told to write a story that begins with you sitting at home and ends with you out in the ocean. It is up to you to decide how you happened to get there and what you are doing out in the sea. These are both ideal for preparing you for later assignments, especially personal experience papers .

Other middle school essay topics include compare and contrast exercises. For instance, you may be asked to describe the differences between reading a book and seeing the movie on which it is based, text messaging versus talking, or writing a letter and sending an email.

Topics that require description in the essay are also popular. Your teacher might ask you to picture a very cold day, to imagine that you are cold. You can go on to describe how you intend to get warm and how you ultimately go about doing so. Vibrant details and descriptions are required for these. In turn, they can prepare you for devising a very descriptive term paper later on in your academic career.

Essays which revolve around a process are also an excellent base for later term paper writing. In this case, your teacher might has you to write and illustrate some kind of guide or instruction manual, such as describing to younger students the correct way to line up in the class room or something similar.

In addition, writing about the middle school essay topics you are given will also teach you a lot about term paper format, which is exceptionally invaluable. Formatting is what gives a lot of students the hardest time as they continue on to high school and college. Learning the proper format is as important as crafting strong term paper ideas, and you begin learning how to do both in middle school.

Using High School Research Paper Topics to Help with Term Papers

August 16th, 2008

It is never too early to start preparing for college, and that is where high school research paper topics really become helpful. Research papers in high school probably seem like a tedious drag to you right now, but trust, your high school teachers are giving you these assignments for a reason.

You are going to do a lot of researching during your scholastic career – a lot. Term papers, essays, dissertations – you will have to research to get the material for all of them. High school research paper topics do prepare you for that. You learn how to seek out a good source, how to take excellent notes, and how to form an excellent thesis. These are all key components in term paper writing.

Writing a good term paper is dependent on all of these skills – and they have to be perfect. Can you imagine sitting in your very first college English class, being told that your biggest assignment of the semester will be a comprehensive term paper, and drawing a complete blank because you never took your high school research paper topics seriously? That is rather akin to those nightmares where you do not study for a test or somehow manage to skip a class all semester without even realizing it.

Your ultimate skills in term paper editing stem from research papers written in high school as well. You see, that is the last time when your teacher will actually be able to sit down and show you step by step all the revisions you need to do – and, more importantly, why you need to do them. It will be the last time you are pretty much guaranteed the opportunity to fix those mistakes and turn in the paper again.

Writing research papers in high school will also later help you come up with your own term paper ideas. You will learn how to cultivate your own topics and craft a strong thesis statement around those topics. You may wonder how, especially if your teacher is in the habit of supplying you with ideas. Trust, this will change. Even as the school year goes on, your teachers will start broadening the topics they give you, until you are left to devise your own within the scope of that particular class. That is generally what you will have to do in terms of term paper ideas. Your professors may offer you broad topics as a possibility. It will be up to you to hone them down and tweak them into something about which you will be interested to write.

Rather than a burden, you should view high school research paper topics as an opportunity. It may seem like your teachers are punishing you, or like they want to make class boring, but in truth they are trying to prepare you for all the term paper writing you will be doing in college. They are prepping you so that you will know all the key elements necessary to craft a good term paper. And trust, by the end of that first semester of college, you will be very glad they did.

3 Possible Essay Prompts

August 15th, 2008

Essay prompts are a great way to prepare yourself for more intensive writing, be it term papers, research papers, dissertations, or theses.  Looking up prompts and writing about them on your own is a sure way to hone your writing skills.  That way, by the time you reach college and beyond, you will already be quite skilled at something you will be doing a lot of – writing and researching.

Your term papers, in particular, will benefit from all the essay prompts with which you practice.  Furthermore, doing them on your own will help you tremendously on those occasions when your teacher or professor drops one in your lap with no notice whatsoever!  Term paper writing in general can be greatly helped when you get used to writing something informative, descriptive, and well structured in a very quick period of time.

So, with that being said, let us discuss a few examples of good essay prompts.  You can find these anywhere on the Internet.  The ones used for this essay were found on a page associated with a well known and quite prestigious university in the United States.  Pages like those can help you with term paper writing in general, as most of them offer step by step instructions.  More importantly, to this end, prompts can help recognize the components which go into a really fantastic, descriptive term paper.

Example 1: As society evolves, so do the ways we raise our children – and the way we think children should be raised in general.  Craft an comparison essay revolving around the way you think children should be raised and the techniques your parents used to raise you.  If you like, put it in letter form; pretend you are writing into a parenting magazine, a pediatric journal, or to a teenager you know.

Example 2: Parents who work generally recognize the link which exists between the state of the economy and the lives of individual families.  Meaning, they are accustomed to needing babysitters, nannies, et cetera, to watch their children during working hours.  Some parents and experts thinks this negative affects children, some do not.  How do you feel about this?  Did you experience it as a child?  Discuss how it affected you.

Example 3: It is well known that colleges consider extracurricular activities as well as grades when considering an applicant.  Do you agree with this or disagree?  Should extracurricular activities be considered more important than academic achievements?  What should the ratio be between them?  Which is more important in terms of preparing for the future?

These are just a few sample essay prompts, but they offer an idea of what you can be writing about to prepare yourself for future term papers and writing intensive assignments.  Prompts can ultimately also help you when it comes to term paper format and term paper editing.  You get familiar with the whole writing process, which can really prepare you for college classes that rely heavily on written assignments and lengthy papers.

Argumentative Topics and Ideas for Term Papers

August 14th, 2008

There are a virtual wealth of argumentative topics out there, any one of which are perfect for essays or term papers.  You can also use them as prompts to hone your writing skills.  This is actually an excellent idea, as it will give you a good basis for later argumentative papers.

Naturally, good argumentative topics have to present a good basis for an argument – otherwise, what is the point?  Your own opinion on the subject naturally plays a large part, but you have to back up your opinion with sound evidence and references.  Otherwise, rather than being argumentative, your paper will be more akin to an opinion piece.  Supporting your argument and your opinion are key factors when writing a good term paper based on an argument.

In quite a few ways, writing argumentative term papers is rather like debating – of course, rather than the spoken word, you are writing down your points.  As well, you do not have to necessarily argue both sides of the issue – however, you do have to be prepared to defend your views and your opinions.  Actually, by anticipating opposition, you can work your defenses into your paper.  All that means is that, during the term paper writing process, you should consider differing opinions and deal with them accordingly.  Discuss why you do not agree with them and why; why you do not hold those opinions, why your stance is what it is, et cetera.

Crafting a solid argument is a primary part of term paper writing in general – at least, of course, if you are trying to build a really good term paper.  It is even more important in argumentative essays, naturally.  However, the crux of your argument is likewise important.  Meaning, you have to be extremely careful when considering argumentative topics.  You cannot always choose something simply because you are itching to argue that point.  You have to go into the process with an open mind because, as mentioned, you have too be able to anticipate any possible opposition.  You have to consider the opposite opinion as well, or else you will not be able to prove your own argument worth a fig.  Being informed about your side is not enough.  In order to be truly informed and truly fair minded, you need to approach the argument from both sides in your research.

To get an example of what this means, first consider these possible argumentative term paper ideas:

•    Is domestic violence a problem which should be dealt with more strictly, or is it a personal issue among the people involved?

•    Is it humane for animals to be used in various forms of testing?

•    Should sexual education in school be mandatory?  Should it be regulated to a class or just random assemblies?

•    Should gay marriage be legal?  Should it be mandated by state government or federal government?

•    Should abortion remain legal?  Should it be restricted?  What about women who use it as a form of birth control?

Mind you, these are just examples of argumentative topics, but as you can see, you have the opportunity to write very controversial term papers, if that is your fancy.  To help you in this, you may also find it beneficial to find a good term paper example on an argumentative topic.  That way, you will see best how to approach a controversial, highly debated issue, as in the case of the latter two samples.