How to Write a Term Paper – Complete Guide + Free Term Paper Example

I. What is a Term Paper?

Term papers are one of the most common academic requirements that every student face during their years of learning. Most courses, whether in the Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, or Humanities, would require a form of a research paper as a final academic requirement for their students. Yet still, one of the questions that students usually ask is, “what is a term paper?”

Whether in high school or the University, teachers would usually have students write their term papers, which must be passed before or at the end of the semester. Term papers may be defined and distinguished from other kinds of written requirements by their characteristics.

Accordingly, some of the most common differences between a term paper and other types of paper are their (1) purpose and (2) form.

A. Purpose

First, term papers are usually aimed at reinforcing and testing students’ grasp of what they have learned throughout the semester. This is why term papers usually require the student to consolidate the various theories, concepts, and learnings they have throughout the semester to support the particular topics they are working on.

In contrast, research papers would usually focus only on a specific topic. Notably, the teacher would usually require researching a specific set of topics and using specific (or theories) that could be used to explain the research question.

In other words, term papers allow the student to utilize a holistic approach to explore a topic based on all (or most) of their learnings throughout the semester.

Thus, for anyone looking for help with term papers, it is usually good practice to provide a syllabus or course outline since the theories and topics would usually revolve around those that their professor lists.

B. Form

In general, term papers have a similar form to research papers. Despite their difference in purpose, research papers are also considered term papers when the scope of evidentiary support is broadened to a point where it requires the use of several theories, ideas, or topics listed in your course outline.

Thus, even though instructor requirements on how to write term paper could differ vastly, some of the most common parts of a term paper are the following:

Note how this enumeration is just a simplified version of how research papers are. Thus, having a solid grasp of the skills and knowledge of how to write research papers would surely help you in this academic requirement.

However, if you are a beginner and are not even familiar with the important contents and the term paper outline, you can check our vast collection of term papers below.

Let me discuss the following sections in specific detail so that you would have an idea about how to write one.

 II. Common Parts of a Term Paper

As stated earlier, writing a term paper requires a basic grasp of its contents. While your form and content could vary depending on the instructions, here are some of the most common parts that you should include in your term paper outline and even your final output.

A. Abstract

Similar to any other paper, term papers should have an Abstract Section. Since the abstract section is the concise and simplified version of your paper, the following sections should be present.

However, since you are writing a term paper, it is also advisable that you provide a short description of how the study relates to the Course Objectives in the subject you are taking.

The below shows an excellent example of a Term Paper Abstract written by one of our AOS Essay associates.

You can practice writing an abstract for your term paper by downloading our free term paper examples on our page and then trying to summarize the contents and the details of such paper.

B. Introduction

The Introduction is one essential part of your term paper. Without an introductory portion, your readers would find it hard, if not impossible, to determine the problem that you are trying to address in your term paper.

As such, the Introduction would usually guide the reader about which question or topic would be answered (i.e., Course Learning Objective), the goals of the term paper, and, more importantly, the thesis statement.

In writing the introductory portion of your term paper, one important thing is to give a brief overview of the course-related topics or concepts that you would discuss. This would make it easier for your intended reader (i.e., professor) to know what to expect and to give the impression that you have a good grasp of your topic.

C. Main Part / Analysis

The central part of your term paper should include sections such as the Review of Related Literature, Methodology, and Analysis.

This section’s form, content, and angle would vary depending on the specific instructions in writing a term paper. For example, the methodology section might not be needed when you are mainly asked to conduct a synthesis paper of the various course concepts that were discussed throughout the semester.

Thus, for anyone looking for term paper help, it would be best to check whether your writer is knowledgeable about the specific method (i.e., quantitative or qualitative) and topic that your professor requires.

Here in AOS Essays, we usually ask for all the requirements, attachments, and other clarifications to ascertain whether our associates are the best fit for your requirements.

D. Conclusion

The Conclusion section is simply the culmination of your whole term paper. Similar to other kinds of paper, this section reiterates and summarizes everything that has been discussed in the previous sections. This must also unify what was provided in the introductory portion with the findings in the main part of your paper.

However, since term papers have the primary purpose of ascertaining the knowledge of the student, it then it is advisable that the writer ties the conclusion with a specific learning objective or topic that is found in his syllabus.

For example, he can add a side note during the discussion of the findings of another learning objective that is enumerated explicitly in the class syllabus. This would give the impression that he knows what he is talking about and that he was attentive to class discussions.

To make it even more interesting for the reader, you can also add a Recommendation section (or paragraph) to highlight the depth of your knowledge about the topic and create a call-to-action (CTA) that encourages the reader to inquire further.

If you are unsure how to utilize your conclusion and recommendation sections to your advantage, you can either ask us how to write a term paper or check our free essay examples to use as a guide for writing it yourself. Our expert associates can help you brainstorm and plan your approach on how to write term paper for free. 

III. Term Paper Topics

Just as I have mentioned before, term paper topics would highly differ based on (1) your subject, (2) the instruction of your professors, and (3) the content angle that you are trying to use, among others.

In other words, it would not be easy to provide a list of the various examples for your term paper. Thus, even before you ask how to write a term paper, it would be best if you try to find out your topic first. Nonetheless, our Term Paper Topic Guide could help you find the best and easiest topic with our step-by-step method.

Consider using this guide to know whether you should write it on your own or seek term papers to help to determine whether your time and resources would allow you to write a paper on your own.

A. Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Term Paper Topic

The following would guide how to narrow down the topics based on the instructions given to you by your professor.

1. Consider your Course Subject

The first thing anyone should consider in finding their term paper topic is the Course Subject. This would also be the logical thing to do since it would be impractical to think of any topic outside of what you discuss in class.

For example, if your Course Subject is Organic Chemistry and you are asked to relate it to “Arts,” then there is no need to think about topics on Humanities and Arts unless your topic is about the chemical composition of paintings.

By doing this alone, you could already reduce the topics you have by more than a significant margin from where you began.

This is also why in AOS Essays, we usually ask the subject as early as possible so that we can work efficiently and quickly by reducing the possible topics whenever we provide term papers help.

2. Sift through the Instructions

After considering the course subject, the next thing to do is look at the instructions. Of course, the instructions would provide the specific details and limitations in the topics you can choose.

For example, suppose we choose the topic Harmful Chemical Compounds in Watercolor Paints and their Molecular Composition above, and the instruction says to focus on Specific Organic Compounds. In that case, you can immediately remove any inorganic compounds from the list.

From these choices, you can further narrow down your topic by choosing a specific organic chemical, thereby resulting in the topic: Toluene as a harmful chemical compound in paintings.

3. Find your Content Angle

In most cases, writers can already determine their term paper topic using the two steps above. However, to personalize your paper, show your expertise, and even impress the readers, an additional step could be added – finding your content angle.

A content angle refers to the way and manner in which the writer approaches his topic. These angles are usually important since they also help create interest and excitement in the reader. You can also use this angle to add flair to your output.

From the topic above, you can focus on the “specific molecular bonds” that are the reason behind the dangers of these compounds.

While others could easily find a topic at first glance, using this guide is helpful, especially for first-time writers. If you are looking for term papers to practice on, check our free essay examples above.

IV. Term Paper Examples

If you would like to practice or take a look at how to write a term paper, you can check our free term paper examples below.

We’ve collected more than ten thousand term papers from all subjects with an average grade of A- to ensure quality.

Log in or sign up with AOS Essays and use the code #AOSEssaysFree to get your free sample. Otherwise, you can also contact us, and we’d be happy to help you find the perfect sample that you can use for free.