Term Paper Writing: Six Elements of Good Paper

Writing as painting, sculpture and gardening is a skill. “To write well is as difficult as being good,” Somerset Maugham wrote.  You need to be clear, concise, creative, consistent to master writing cornerstone of simplicity to sustain the reader’s interest.

1. Clarity

Clarity in writing calls for knowledge and skills on the subject, organization of content and good command of the language of communication.

One of the principles of communication states, “Communication Purpose Determines Content.” In public speaking lectures in college and university, students are given tips and techniques on effective communication.  Tips and techniques do not always guarantee the desired outcome. The same is true in writing.  All the knowledge in writing is worthless unless it makes writing clear and understandable.   How does it work?

2. Concise – Short, and Specific

Use known situation analysis to bring life to your writing through simple words.  In writing a story, strive to create mental picture.

3. Create Mental Picture

Your intention is to make the reader weep, laugh, take sides in the ensuing storyline.  In addition you also challenge the reader’s intellect to take action. Writing exercise entail the element of consistency.

4. Consistency

“You’ve one life to live,” you’ve heard it said. You also only have one theme in crafting academic papers.  Stay focused on the main theme.  Topic sentence should reflect the purpose of your writing.  If you’re comparing and contrasting ideas, you need to come up reasons for and against to show balance in your argument in writing.

 “Time waits for no man,” the old adage goes.  You don’t have all the time to write the term paper. You have other assignments and life engagements. Your time is limited.  Consistency will direct your point of focus in the paper and prevent irrelevancy.

5. Concrete Relation

Write the way you speak in a conversation manner, easy to understand.   Use vivid illustrations to drive the point home.

 “What we need in the new economy and the new communications culture is sense making.  We have a desperate need to get some points in an increasing crazy world,” John Brown, founder Xerox said.

5. Keep It Simple (KISS) – Cornerstone to All good Writing.

Motivational books are written in simple, straightforward, down to earth language.  That is the reason these books are a source of encouragement and comfort to many. This technique applies in all kinds of writing, assignments, term papers and exams. Keeping your writing simple within prescribed standard is the basis for creating commonness between you and the one reading it – fellow student, teacher, tutor and lecturer.

6. Conclusion

In conclusion, prepare a bibliography for each source book you use in writing the paper during background reading in alphabetical order.  Credit the source of the quotations. Use only relevant parts of a long quote in your writing.

Your bibliography should contain all the sources, books, articles, pamphlets, letters, interviews you use in writing the term paper.  Use preferred system of documenting sources, MLA or APA.

• Spare time to draft and computer type set the paper according to instructions.
• Simmering Period – allow sometime for the material to simmer. Then come back to it in one, two, five days depending on the time you’ve before submission to give it a fresh look.
• Study the material again. Then edit the final copy of the paper.

Weed is a farmer’s headache. Left to grow among crops, weeds will retard and stifle crop growth to maturity.  Writing like gardening requires editing to get the final draft for presentation. So whether you’re writing essay, term paper, thesis, the six elements of a good term paper writing discussed in this article hold true.

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