One may write a Holocaust term paper for courses in several academic fields, such as history, sociology, religious studies, and psychology. Each field will focus on a different aspect of the topic; for example, Holocaust term papers for history courses may emphasize the political elements of the tragedy, while those for courses in religion may emphasize the tragedy's effects on the beliefs or practices of religious groups.
The student who wants to write a Holocaust term paper should first identify the paper's focus. The Holocaust was an extremely complex event, and a single term paper cannot do justice to all its aspects. Identifying the objectives of the course that has assigned the term paper will narrow the topic immediately, and from there one may narrow the topic even further until arriving at a manageably specific point. For example, one who writes a Holocaust term paper for a sociology class may limit the discussion to the group experience of one concentration camp or to the effects of a certain type of torture on a specific sector of the population. The goal is to choose a topic that one may discuss appropriately within the length of the term paper, and the danger in choosing a topic that is too broad is that one may unwittingly leave large gaps in information or argumentation.
Holocaust term papers should draw their information from a wide range of authorities, including the works of current historians on the subject as well as primary sources, such as the testimonies of the survivors. Unless the student has deliberately delimited the topic geographically or ethnically, he or she should make an effort to read the works of a diverse group of writers, because the experiences of different groups will have varied greatly in intensity and in detail. This reading a wide cross section of the available research material will allow the student to write a stronger, better informed Holocaust term paper.
