Parts of the Term Paper Explained

Executive Summary

This report will discuss in detail the five primary elements of the term paper:
(1) Introduction;
(2) Body;
(3) Conclusion;
(4) Bibliography;
(5) Style/Format.

Introduction

This is the opening section of the term paper. In most term papers of 10 pages or less, the Introduction should be only a single paragraph of approximately a half to three-quarters of a page in length. Any longer and you will usually seem to be rambling; never a good sign at the opening of the term paper.

The opening sentence of the Introduction is critical. This is the sentence that hooks the attention of your reader: the professor/instructor who will be grading your work. It should pack a punch, and get to the point of your term paper immediately. For example, for a paper on the health care system:

Dull, Rambling Introductory Sentence:
“Health is a subject of concern for everyone today, and therefore many people are interested in the state of our health care system.”

Stronger Introductory Sentence:
“The contemporary health care system is widely acknowledged to be in a state of crisis.”

The Introduction should also briefly outline what the term paper will say, and how it will say it. For example, again for a paper on the health care system:
“This paper will discuss, with reference to both scholarly and public policy debates, the history of modern health care and the elements that informed the structural design of our contemporary health care system.”

Finally, the Introduction must contain the Thesis Statement, which is the argument that the paper will be making or supporting. This is NOT simply what the term paper is about, but rather the case you are making in the paper. For example, in a term paper ABOUT the health care system, a Thesis Statement could be:
“This paper will argue that the contemporary health care system is in a state of crisis due primarily to inadequate public funding.”

For the average term paper, the Introduction should conclude swiftly after the Thesis Statement. Many term paper Introductions suffer the common errors of rambling and lack of clarity. A successful Introduction is, invariably, brief, clear and concise.

Body

The body of a term paper will comprise most of the text of the document. As a rule of thumb, in a term paper 10 pages in length, the Introduction and Conclusion should be half to three-quarters of a page each, and the Body about eight to nine pages.

A common problem in the Body of the average student term paper is digression. This is often the case in longer term papers where, in the course of writing many pages, a student may lose track of the original argument. A solution to this problem can be found in the use of the Topic Sentence. This is the opening sentence of a paragraph that not only introduces what will be talked about in the paragraph, but also somehow references the thesis. For example, in a paper arguing the thesis that the health care system is in a state of crisis due to lack of funding:

Opening Sentence of Average Paragraph:
“One of the major problems of the contemporary health care system is overworked medical staff.”

A Stronger Topic Sentence:
“One of the major problems of the contemporary health care system is how low levels of funding have resulted in overworked medical staff.”

In the Topic Sentence above, the sentence not only introduces what will be talked about in the paragraph – the issue of overworked staff – but also how this issue relates to the term paper’s thesis regarding the lack of funding of the health care system.

It should be noted that the use of the Topic Sentence at the beginning of each paragraph is a general rule, and that some “A” term papers will ignore it. You will find, however, that these papers refer repeatedly to the thesis throughout the Body of each paper, and usually in the first sentence at the beginning of each section and/or immediately following a subheading. The important thing to bear in mind in writing the Body of a term paper is to never lose track of the thesis.

Conclusion

In essence, the Conclusion is a reiteration of the Introduction, which references what your paper has argued and some of the points that have been made. A quality term paper ends with a strong, declarative note, referencing how the paper has successfully achieved x, y and z. Essentially, you are pulling the threads of the supporting arguments of the term paper together, and reminding your reader what you have done. A strong Conclusion increases the likelihood of your term paper receiving a good mark.

Bibliography

The Bibliography – also known, depending upon the style sheet the term paper must follow, as the Works Cited, Works Consulted, or References section – is a list of all the sources you have consulted in researching your term paper. These are invariably arranged in alphabetical order according to the last name of the author (or first author) of a work. As a general rule, the more scholarly sources – academic texts and journal articles – the better.

Style/Format

The style or format that must be followed in writing a term paper depends upon the discipline within which one is writing. The style refers not to how a term paper is written but rather to the manner in which scholarly source material is documented in the paper. As most points that you will make in the paper must be supported by some outside, and usually scholarly, source, the citation style (parenthetical or in footnotes/endnotes) and the documentation style (the way in which entries are listed in the Bibliography/Works Cited/References) are important elements of your term paper.

For example, most papers in Arts and the Humanities will follow the Modern Language Association (MLA) style, while those in the Social Sciences will often follow the American Psychological Association (APA) style. Other common styles include Chicago Style-Turabian, American Sociological Association (ASA) and CBE/CSE (Scientific). Usually your professor will indicate which style is to be followed. If not, then you should ask, or else risk losing marks for using an improper style.

It is important to note that style guides/formats are akin to academic fashion: they change regularly, sometimes annually, and many professors can be brutally picky in demanding that the current style in their discipline be followed. As such, it is wise to consult the latest online guide for that style (Google search) for examples of how to cite and document your sources.