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Term papers are usually to be completed during one semester. They require
reading on a particular subject, analyzing, evaluating, interpreting and
summarizing information. This is followed by an arrangement of the information
into an organized form, the paper. Term papers often require a lot of work and
commitment. Outlined here are the steps/stages in that process.
Step 1. Topic Search Every term paper begins with picking a subject to write on. The topic should
be of some interest to you. After all you will have to live with it for quite
some weeks. Good sources for topics may be (unless the topics are provided by
your professor): class notes, syllabus, chapter headings found in textbooks,
suggestions by other teachers, or something of interest to you that can be
researched further.
Step 2. Getting Started
Any systematic search must begin with some background reading on the selected
topic. Encyclopedias, textbooks and handbooks provide condensed material
suitable for such a purpose. They also introduce the new researcher to the basic
literature and major authors in a given discipline, supply the vocabulary and
jargon, indicate limitations, spell out aspects of the area of study, and
indicate relationships to other fields.
Step 3. Narrowing Your Topic
A work well done during Step 2 should prepare you for this stage. Consider
these basic questions as helpful aids when limiting to one aspect of a topic:
who, what, when, where, why and how? Once you are done identifying exactly what
aspect of a subject you want to focus on, obtain your professor's approval for
your specific and limited topic.
Step 4. Doing the Research
You have chosen your topic and obtained your professor's approval to proceed
with it. Now comes the detailed investigation. You are at the research stage.
However, before you can proceed effectively you need to formulate a thesis
statement. That will establish the specific focus of your inquiry and
justify any materials selected or approaches elected. Modern research usually
requires a towering approach in the development of a library research strategy.
This is because there are two main channels for scholarly communication: books
and periodicals. You will need both. Therefore: 1. Books. Find books on the topic. Books provide in-depth
information and are often more comprehensive and exhaustive than periodical
articles. But they are not as current. This may be a major problem with research
that requires the most recent information. When looking for books for a term
paper start with the library catalog. At CSI this will mean starting with the CUNY+ online public access
catalog (OPAC), available on any computer terminals in the library or from any
off-campus terminal with internet access. Browsing in the stacks is a time
consuming exercise and an inefficient way to search for materials. Take the
easier and proven path: searching the library's OPAC. Do not forget to write the
following information for every chosen item in the catalog: author's name
(personal or corporate); full title of the book; place, publisher and date of
publication; call number. These (with the exception of the call number)
constitute the required elements of a book citation. Citations make it possible
for any reader to go back and find any materials referred to in your paper. Look
for books you can borrow from the library (from the circulating collection) so
that you can also do some of your work at home. Take some time to check the
table of contents (and index) of any book you select to make sure the book
delivers on its promise and does what the title suggests it will do. 2. Articles. Having found the books you need, now you have to
find articles in periodicals. Just as the catalog helps you select books, an
index provides the basic information for finding articles in periodicals. An
index is a guide to items or concepts in a book, article, report, review, or any
body of work. The terms indexed are often arranged alphabetically (ABC),
chronologically (according to date) or numerically. An index always serves as a
tool that leads the information seeker to the source of the needed information.
Periodical indexes are available electronically (through the use of a computer)
or may be in print format. You may need to consult guides prepared by your
university library and available in the reference area to aid you with the use
of indexes. They explain how to use the various tools in the library.
Whether searching in print or electronic indexes, you will always need to copy
all the information that will help you retrieve the article. For periodical
articles, a citation should contain the following elements: name of author,
title of article, full name of journal, and the volume, date and pages
containing the article. 3. Internet Resources. The use of Internet resources is fast
becoming an acceptable part of research. However, not all professors accept
items from this medium and even when accepted it is worthwhile being more
vigilant in the evaluation of what is selected. The dependability and
acceptability o f internet resources always evokes the issue of quality. With no
other medium is critical thinking more inescapable and downright fundamental
than the resources that the new media provides at the fingertips of the
researcher. The evaluation
of internet resources has become an integral part of the research process.
 You have selected some books and periodical articles. You have checked out
some circulating material (i.e. materials you are allowed to borrow from the
library). Now, waste no time. Procrastination dampens enthusiasm and slows down
momentum. Go straight to work. Read the books. Consult the table of contents so
that you can move on to the needed materials. You don't always have to read a
whole book to find what you need. Together with the materials obtained from
books you should also read the periodical articles you retrieved during your
search. Take notes on anything you consider useful for the paper and be sure you
have the source of the notes. Keep on reading, taking notes and writing down
your sources until you are ready with enough information to begin organizing.
Step 6. Organizing the Paper
You have come a long way. You have read all your material and taken notes.
You will now have to reread the notes and begin to assign keywords to each note.
As you group these notes you will discern a pattern that conforms to the natural
progression of your ideas as they evolved in the course of exploring your topic.
You are now ready to organize and present those ideas. Remember: honesty and
ethics mandate that any writer document sources of information used in a work.
Step 7. Writing the Paper
Your final paper, the product of your library research, your analysis,
evaluation and possible synthesis will usually contain four distinct parts: an
introduction, a body, a conclusion and a bibliography or works cited section. Introduction There is a great temptation to search frantically for that one great sentence
that sums up the essence of your whole paper and is elegant enough to be
memorable. Well, that can be a daunting though unnecessary task. The intentions
of a paper can be presented in a straightforward and simple manner and still be
effective and captivating. That's all you are actually required to do in an
introduction: tell your reader what you intend to do in the paper. You may
elaborate on that in a paragraph or two, explain your basic idea and define your
basic terms. Body This is where your findings are fully, clearly and coherently presented. Your
thoughts should be presented in the logical progression with which they evolved.
You are now addressing an audience, your readership. It is not enough to know
something. You must now communicate that idea, thought or position in a way that
makes it as understandable and logical to the reader as it appears in your own
mind. All borrowed ideas must be well documented. To ensure a more fluid and
consistent style you may want to paraphrase (put the ideas in your own words)
rather than fill your paper with endless quotes. Credit must always be given to
the origin of a quoted or paraphrased idea. Conclusion No matter how long your paper, no matter how many pages, no matter what the
page limitation may be on the assignment, you must always end your paper with a
conclusion. The conclusion wraps up your ideas. Omitting it greatly degrades the
quality of your paper. It is an indispensable and integral part of a paper and
should be treated as such. Bibliography (works cited) This is the place where you list every material you used to put together your
paper. Your professor will often determine the acceptable citation style for
your paper. Different professors as well as different publishers have varying
preferences when it comes to citation styles. Copies of the respective style manuals are
available in the reference department of CSI's Library. Ask a reference
librarian for it. Pay attention to detail and remember that someone may just
want to read a work you cited. Do not make it impossible for anyone to find
material cited in you paper.
You have worked hard. Do not let any petty carelessness ruin the result of
that labor. Try as much as possible to be careful when editing your paper. Use a
dictionary and thesaurus as aids to polish and vary language. This is time for
fine-tuning. Be proud of your work and do a good job polishing its content and
appearance.
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