Term Paper Format and Outline
If you are required to submit a term paper at the end of this semester, worry not. The following guide will explain the basic term paper format and outline that should be used. It will also expound on what content to include in the various parts of the outline.
A term paper is a research-based writing assignment that students are supposed to submit at the end of the term. A student is expected to comprehensively elaborate on a topic that could be a concept, argument, or even a case study. There is no definite length of a term paper, and the tutor often specifies this.
Difference between a term paper and research paper
While many people think that term papers and research papers are more or less the same, they have significant differences. For instance, the purpose of a term paper is to assess the level of knowledge that a student has on a particular topic. The essay affects the overall grades of a student and must be taken seriously. However, a research paper aims at solving a specific problem and improving the research skills of a student. Their formats are slightly different as well.
Additionally, a research paper has a hypothesis, and students reject or accept it based on available data at the end of the essay. On the contrary, a term paper is more straightforward and mostly tries to support a thesis. That is the reason why research papers are more prolonged than term papers. Also, term papers are submitted at the end of a semester, while research papers take longer.
The basic term paper format and outline
The format of your paper dictates how you arrange your ideas and the flow of the entire write-up. Hence, it needs to be a solid outline so that readers can grasp your concepts. The formats differ depending on the field of study. However, all term papers have a basic format. The significant parts of the outline are the introduction, body, and conclusion. The following is a simple term paper layout that you should follow when writing your essay.
- Cover page: It should contain your name, course name and number, tutor’s name and submission date. These contents should be aligned at the center of the page.
- Abstract: It is usually a few paragraphs long and describes your paper. It informs the reader about your aims and why your issue or topic is worth writing.
- Introduction: It should be exciting and should explain the significance of your problem or topic and how you plan to discuss or solve the issue.
- Body: It should have the main arguments from your research. Give a brief history of the problem, the impact and effects of the issues, and possible solutions. Exhaust all your points and back them up with citations to convince your reader. Include an analysis of your research and expound on various positions regarding your topic.
- Results and discussion: The findings of your research should be explained here. Additionally, you should discuss how your research findings affect your view on the topic and conclude your work with the support of measurable results.
- Recommendations: Here, include suggestions that could improve on the work in the future
- Reference list: Include all your sources here. Arrange them in Alphabetical order and use the correct citation style. The most common formats are APA and MLA. You should confirm what method to use from your paper guidelines. You can use citation creators to make your work easier.
Writing a term paper following the right outline
Once you have the right topic and outline, it becomes easy to arrange the ideas of your research. Ensure that you include your thoughts in the right segments. Also, avoid plagiarism and use the specified fonts, spacing, and citation styles. Use simple and clear language for your readers to understand easily.
Once done, you need to proofread and get a peer to review your paper. Then, send the first draft to your tutor for corrections. Finally, write the final essay and submit it.
Now you know the basic term paper format and outline thanks to this article. You can use it to write term papers on any subject. However, remember to include any other segment that your tutor specifies.