by Jonathan Ginsburg

Created on: September 13, 2009   Last Updated: September 14, 2009

In early September, hundreds of thousands of students return to college and university campuses across the world waiting to receive what might as well be a death sentence: the assignment of a research paper. It doesn't matter what course it is, what level of study it's for, or even what major the student has chosen, because the thesis has come to be the ultimate way demonstrate their proficiency. And unfortunately, the

term paper is, at the same time, one of the most dreaded assignments students receive. Well, I am here to tell you that the term paper does not have to be the monster in the closet.

Just as quadratic equations can be solved using a systematic approach, so can term papers be written. Perhaps the most important step is the first: selecting a theme. This might seem like a no-brainer, but in fact a good solid topic is very difficult to come up with. It can be neither too narrow nor too broad, it must reflect the coursework readings and lectures and it should be something in which the student is interested, at least a little bit, so as to sustain motivation in the writing process.

Next, the student needs to conduct research. This is another daunting term that means something quite simple: to look around and determine what materials are out there. By materials, I mean scholarly articles, books, newspaper items, even top-quality websites, even qualified professionals in a given field, anything that contains facts, ideas, and concepts that can be be added together to write the paper. It's critical at this point to stick to the topic. It is all too easy to grab whatever comes up first that's remotely related to the subject, but what that does is leave the student with hundreds of pages of printed materials s/he will have to wade through later, often having nothing at all to do with the chosen topic.

It should probably go without saying, but the next step is for the student to read and take notes on all of the materials s/he has collected for the paper. Once this has been done, an outline should be created to structure the paper. Yes, make an outline! We all hate to do it, but it makes life so much better. Then the writing of the paper is simply a matter of filling in the blanks of the outline. Once the paper has been written, the student needs to go back, put in the proper citations, and of course perform a solid proofreading on the text.

If you are still having trouble, consult a professional writer through an academic writing and research company. They can provide you with an excellent model paper that will help you tremendously.

And that's it! Again, be methodical and follow the steps; after a few papers, you'll wonder why you ever dreaded them!

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