Here’s a checklist of things to do before handing in your term paper:

1) Don’t write a high school paper.

This is college now. The tricks you learned in high school to write a paper won’t cut it in the more academic world of college. “Old formulae, such as the five-paragraph theme, aren’t sophisticated or flexible enough to provide a sound structure for a college paper. And many of the old tricks — such as using elevated language or repeating yourself — will fail you now,” noted Karen Gocsik in “What is an academic paper?” on the Dartmouth Writing Program site at Dartmouth.edu.

2) Make an outline and follow it.

So it doesn’t sound like you’re rambling through 10-15 pages, do some research first, get a good idea of what you want to write about, make an outline and stick to it. This will make your paper sound professional.

3) Ask your teacher.

Pay attention to directions if your teacher or professor tells you exactly what he/she wants: How many pages, on what topic, how many sources needed.

4) Go with your research.

Research today is easier than ever with electronic resources. In addition to Google and Bing (stay away from Wikipedia), there are Worldcat.org, InfoTrac, OneFile, LexisNexis Academic, EBSCOHost and ProQuest. You can also find professional journals and international books and periodicals. Consult your school librarian or city librarian.

5) Evaluate the credibility of scientific information.

If your paper is for a science, medical, health or engineering class, make sure your science and math are correct. No one likes sloppy science. Get your information from a credible source, not from a place that has an agenda or passes off personal experiences or public relations as real science. “Unethical lobbying groups who have particular political or business interests can take advantage of this, and work to perpetuate the disconnect between scientific and public understandings,” reported Kristen St. John in “The Need to Teach about Ethics and Science, and the Credibility of Sources,” in Journal of Geoscience Education, February 2013, found in Questia.com.

6) Don’t plagiarize.

Yes, you’ve heard it before. But it’s really true. Plagiarism gets you nowhere. You need to learn to write your own ideas in a clear and persuasive manner. And, professors are on to you — they know how to scan your paper into plagiarism detection software. Matt Petronzio’s August 29, 2012, article “How to Detect Plagiarism Online” in Mashable.com highlights ten online services that check text for plagiarism, including TurnItIn, Viper and PlagiarismChecker.com, all geared toward college term papers.

7) Check spelling and grammar.

Don’t forget to spell check. But also don’t forget to proofread your paper. Your spell checker doesn’t know the difference between synonyms and homonyms. If your grammar is a bit fuzzy or English is not your first language, ask a friend to read over your paper for good measure. A second set of eyes never hurts.

8) Use term paper format.

In addition to grammar and spelling, presentation is important. For easy reading and so the teacher has room to make comments, format your paper with:

• an easy-to-read serif font, such as Times New Roman
• one-inch margins, double-spaced text
• a header or footer on each page with your name, paper title, page number and course name
• on plain standard white 8 ½ x 11 paper (no onion skin, pink paper with hearts or resume paper).

What are your tips for writing a high-quality term paper?

Find a topic, form a plan

Before you do anything else you need to decide what you will write about in your term paper assignment. Your teacher may have given you a list of requirements; be sure to read these and get all your questions answered before you start working.

You also need to know what kind of term paper your teacher wants. Examples of common types of papers can be found at the A+ Research and Writing site maintained by the Internet Public Library (IPL).

Term papers typically fall into categories such as:

• Research paper
• Essay
• Argumentative or persuasive essay
• Compare and contrast
• Narrative essays

Next, examine the possible topics that you can write about. A great site for researching topics is Questia, the premier online research and paper-writing tool for students. One helpful text is Shortcuts for the Student Writer by Jay Silverman, Elaine Hughes, and Diana Roberts Wienbroer.

The authors suggest that, once you’ve found your topic, you make a list of main points that might be in your paper along with any details that come to mind. Then start grouping the ideas into categories. You can do this easily with a computer or by hand with index cards.

“Then make a new list with the related points grouped together. Decide which idea is most important and cross out ideas or details that do not relate to it. Arrange your points so that each will lead up to the next. Be sure each section of your essay has examples or facts to strengthen your ideas.”

Freewriting

Teachers don’t just want you to repeat what others have said; they want to know what you have to say. A helpful technique to get you started is called freewriting. Here’s how it works. You set yourself a goal of writing non-stop for 10 minutes jotting down:

• What you know about the topic
• What interests you about the topic
• What questions you have about the topic

The questions you have will help form the backbone of your term paper and will give you a focus for your research.

Allen Brizee described a freewriting process that he called “prewriting” in his June 8, 2011 post for the Purdue Online Writing Lab titled, “Introduction to Prewriting (Invention).” To help get your ideas flowing Brizee suggested, “Brainstorm. Gather as many good and bad ideas, suggestions, examples, sentences, false starts, etc. as you can. Perhaps some friends can join in. Jot down everything that comes to mind, including material you are sure you will throw out. Be ready to keep adding to the list at odd moments as ideas continue to come to mind.”

Writing the introduction

It’s easy to get writer’s block, especially if you try to write your paper from beginning to end. Oddly enough, it’s easier to write the introduction to your term paper at the end of the process at the same time you write your conclusion. The purpose of your introduction is to, well, introduce what you’re going to say in your paper. You can do that best after you have already written the body of the paper.

Writing the introduction and conclusion at the same time allows you to:

• Introduce your topic and tell your reader what they will learn by reading your paper
• Summarize and bring together all of your main points in your conclusion where you will echo the promises that you made in your introduction.

The Cambridge Rindge & Latin School (CRLS) Research Guide has several Tip Sheets with advice for writing papers. Regarding the introduction, the writers said, “Start with a couple of sentences that introduce your topic to your reader. You do not have to give too much detailed information; save that for the body of your paper. Make these sentences as interesting as you can. Through them, you can hook a reader and get them very interested in the line of thinking you are going to develop in your project.”

At this point you have your intro and conclusion along with a list of main points to expand on. Now that your juices are flowing, you can complete the body of your paper with style and confidence.

Why cite?

A bit rusty on why you even need to list citations in your research paper? Emory University’s Emory Libraries Oxford College Library website advises students in “Citing Your Sources” that the only time you don’t need to cite a source is when “you are writing your own words, ideas, or original research. You also do not need to cite information that is considered common knowledge.” They provide the following verbatim examples of information that falls into the common knowledge category:

• Facts that are found in many sources (example: Marie Antoinette was guillotined in 1793.)
• Things that are easily observed (example: Many people talk on cell phones while driving.)
• Common sayings (example: Every man has his price.)

The site adds that research paper citations are a great way to:

1. Avoid plagiarism by properly crediting the person whose words or ideas you used as a source.
2. Make sure your professor knows which ideas presented are yours and which are not.
3. Create a more powerful argument in your paper.
4. Let your professor double check the ideas you are offering and make sure they are accurate.
5. Give people who are interested access to more information about the topic you are writing on.

Unusual citations

Not sure how to properly cite a personal interview or an oral presentation? What about citing a sculpture or a digital file, such as a MP3 or JPEG? There are rules about all of these types of sources when it comes to writing a research paper, regardless if you are writing in APA, Chicago or MLA style.

Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab offers assistance to properly cite these kinds of unusual sources. Their MLA Works Cited: Electronic Sources (Web Publications),  MLA Works Cited: Other Common Sources and Reference List: Other Non-Print Sources (for APA style) detail how to handle unique citations for research papers.

You may also be called upon to list your research paper citations using The Chicago Manual of Style. Their website details the rules for formatting bibliographic information according to their terms on the Chicago-Style Citation Quick Guide page. Here you can find out about unusual citations, too, including how to credit a chapter of an edited volume originally published somewhere else, email, and text messages.

Utilizing sources other than traditional books can be a bonus for your research paper in many ways. For some topics, these unusual citations may be your best source of information and show your professors a willingness to be creative in your work and thought processes. So don’t shy away from using a different source, so long as it is valid.

The ultimate research tool

So where do you go when you need to find that essential information for your upcoming research paper? Questia, of course! Our search engine contains more than 70,000 online books and more than 6 million quality, citable journal, newspaper and magazine articles. Questia can even help by creating and formatting your research paper citations for you. Simply highlight the text you want to cite and a drop down menu appears asking you if you are using MLA, APA or Chicago style. Should you need any help, Questia also offers experienced, on-staff librarians who are available to answer your questions. Now get going. Questia can help, but it can’t type that paper for you!

Choosing scholarly sources

A scholarly source is one that has been created by someone from the research community. This includes anyone with a Ph.D. after their name and researchers who are affiliated with a university. Why? Because these are the people who conduct research and write papers about how they conducted their research and what they learned from it. Researchers publish their papers in scholarly journals.

Librarians from California State University, San Marcos said that scholarly sources share certain features including:

• A higher level of language
• Academic intent such as a research case study
• A list of references and/or footnotes

In order to be published in these journals, the article will be put through a process called a “peer review.” The editors of the magazine will send the article to other scholars in the same field (the author’s peers) in order to get their opinion on the article’s quality of scholarship, its relevance to the field of study and its appropriateness for publication in the journal.

Checking out the publication’s credentials will help you know how trustworthy the source is. Questia’s collection of academic journals, for example, offers thousands of articles from some of the world’s leading publishers. You can browse hundreds of academic publications on topics ranging from art and humanities to education, science and law.

Research on the go

Accessing specialized databases from anywhere includes using your mobile devices as explained by Joe Murphy in his May/June 2010 article for Online titled, “Using Mobile Devices FOR Research Smartphones, Databases, and Libraries.” Murphy found that there are several phone apps for research such as AccessMyLibrary, from Gale, a part of Cengage Learning. This will help you locate a nearby library and research its databases.

Murphy added, “A growing number of researchers are engaging mobile devices as search tools. Smartphones, cell phones, and other mobile technologies are now commonly among the first places people turn when seeking information. Increasingly, mobile devices are used as information tools for current awareness as well as for search.” You can access Questia on the go via the Questia app for iPhone and iPad or check out Questia.com on your tablet device.

A perfect example

A perfect example of a scholarly article, and one that also sheds light on how students use resources, is James P. Purdy’s September 2012 article for First Monday titled, “Why first-year college students select online research resources as their favorite.”

After surveying 523 first-year writing students on how they use research resources, databases and search engines, Purdy found that students seek research methods that are easy to use and understand, offer a variety of articles and are fast. Unfortunately, just because a resource is easy, fast and gives you lots of articles, doesn’t mean that those articles are the best choices for your paper.

It is also important to make sure that the scholarly sources you choose are of a relevant timeliness to your subject matter. For example, a scholarly article on Barack Obama from ten years ago might not be a good choice for your research paper, though a scholarly article on George Washington from ten years ago likely would be. Always keep a researcher’s wits about you as you select your sources.

Now do you see why your instructors have a bias toward scholarly journals as sources for your research projects? They know that if you’ve used these articles as your sources, then your information will be as trustworthy and relevant to the topic as possible. With this inside scoop, you’ll be researching like a pro for your next research paper. Head to Questia now to begin your search for quality, librarian-approved scholarly articles.

Questia offers students and academics access to the world’s largest online library with entries for 44 million journals, magazine articles and newspaper stories, and 77,000 books. Even 5,000 rare and classic books are available for free to everyone online. Questia’s topic pages offer many academic subjects from which to research, while blog entries offer advice, tips, and how-to articles about selecting topics and writing research papers that get noticed by professors.

Finding a topic

Finding a topic on Questia in your academic field is so easy. On Questia.com, select “Browse Our Library” to reveal a list of topics that encompass a variety of subjects — Architecture, the Arts, Business, Communications, Education, Government, History, Law, Literature, Philosophy, Psychology, Religion, Science, and Sociology.

Each topic category subdivides into even more suggestions to choose from. For example, the psychology topic breaks down into specific areas of study, such as abnormal psychology, cognitive psychology, child psychology, mental health, and counseling and therapy. There is also general information about the subject, such as this history of psychology and the ethics of psychology.

Questia Q&A blog

A great place to visit when deciding on a research topic is right here at the Questia Q&A blog page, which, in case you weren’t aware, offers a vast array of topics and resources for you to browse:

• The “Education News” section offers articles on universities and colleges, professors and teachers, academic policies, tuition and ethics in the classroom.
• The “Research Paper Help” section gives advice on selecting topics and writing term papers. “Learn from good examples of research papers,” a December 6, 2011 post by Claire Moore, helps students think of topics, research a topic, follow through with a clear goal, develop a writing process, create an outline and then write a final draft.
• “Study Tips” talks about staying organized and focused on your task, strategies for studying and writing, making your environment conducive to learning and creativity, and keeping your mind open to learning.

Clear your brain, take a walk

“‘My mind beats on, my mind beats on, and no words come.’ Strolling through a garden in his home town of Munich in an attempt to clear his head, [Gustav von] Aschenbach sings these words as he grapples with his lost sense of identity; writing is fundamental to his sense of self, but his usual tightly controlled writing rituals are not having their desired effect,” wrote Shersten Johnson in his article “At a Loss for Words: Writer’s Block in Britten’s Death in Venice,” in the January 1, 2008 issue of PSYART.

When your writing rituals fail you, why not take a break? A walk in a natural setting may not give you a topic for your politics and government paper, but it will give you a variety of sights and sounds and will stimulate your brain. Then, when you get back to your keyboard, you can focus more efficiently on your research paper.

Here are some activities to inspire you:

• Take a walk in the woods, on the beach, in a park, down a city street and observe, listen and smell what’s around you.
• Visit a museum, look at paintings and sculpture to get ideas.
• Go to a library, open random books and read a page or two.
• Exercise to get the blood flowing in your body and brain.

With the new and improved Questia.com on your side, writer’s block will soon become a thing of the past. Curious? Take a tour of Questia!

Begin at the beginning

Whether required or not, preparing a research paper proposal is a good idea because it can help you through the most challenging part of the process—the beginning stages where you choose a topic and decide on how you will narrow your approach. A list of topics and resources to help you in choosing the subject and focus of your research paper can be found at Questia.com. Each topic listed is a clickable link to hundreds of full-text books, magazines and journals.

One of the texts available at Questia is Schaum’s Quick Guide to Writing Great Research Papers by Laurie Rozakis, Ph.D. When it comes to narrowing your topic Rozakis said, “Every time you narrow a subject into a topic, remember your boundaries and parameters: time, length, audience, and purpose. Keep all other special considerations in mind as well. Always consider what you can handle within the restrictions you have been given — as well as what you would most enjoy writing about for several weeks or months.”

The big gamble

According to Alison J. Head, lead researcher of the University of Washington’s Project Information Literacy (PIL), the beginning stages are a challenge faced by students in community colleges, four-year public and even prestigious private institutions. Head was interviewed by John Wihbey for a January 27, 2012 post to Journalists Resource titled, “Research chat: Information scientist Alison Head on student habits.”

Head equates how students approach research as a “gamble” when students commit to a topic without knowing if there is sufficient research available to support the requirements of a paper. Because such an approach can prove risky for students, most tend to stick to “safe” topics and a few general resources such as Google, library databases and instructors themselves.

When asked to provide personal tips on how students might conduct research Head suggested, “I’ll use a source such as the Social Science Index. A citation analysis tells me who’s at the center of some scholarly discourse. A lot of times I’ll look for scholarly treatment and then look for mass media coverage in high-quality periodicals — The Atlantic, The New Yorker, Slate, Salon, The New York Times.”

Taking steps

Creating a term paper proposal is a process comprised of a series of steps. Sometimes the process will result in the discovery that there is not enough research available for you to cover the topic within the requirements of your research assignment. If that is the case, consider yourself lucky that at least you haven’t invested weeks in research and writing only to find that you’ve hit a brick wall.

The Cambridge Rindge & Latin School (CRLS) suggests 23 basic steps in the research process from selecting your topic to turning your paper in on time. The steps that relate to the proposal process include:

1. Select a general topic that interests you enough to spend weeks researching it. Let’s say, American Art.
2. Make a list of key words and short phrases that specifically describe your topic. These could be: American artists, art timeline, early American art.
3. Look up the key words to find those resources that give you background on the topic.
4. Make note cards of the useful resources you found.
5. Begin to focus your topic.
6. Write a statement of purpose about your focused topic.
7. Brainstorm questions about your topic and group them by category.
8. List possible sources that will help you answer your questions and look into those sources.
9. Draft your thesis statement.

Step 5, where you begin to focus on your topic, is the biggest challenge for most students. If your topic is too big then you won’t be able to cover it in the requirements of your assignment. If your topic is to narrow, then you may have repeat yourself in order to meet the length requirement of your paper. Neither choice will result is an “A” paper.

In your haste to complete the term paper assignment you will be tempted to skip the process of creating a proposal. The good news is that if you’re willing to take the time to explore your topic, narrow your approach, and find the best resources, your investment will pay off with a lower level of stress and a higher grade.