One’s term paper research covers the immediate subject area of the term paper topic as well as enough background information to fill in the gaps in one’s knowledge. For example, if one is writing a term paper on The Last of the Mohicans, he or she may want to research briefly the Romantic period in American literature in order to understand James Fenimore Cooper’s style of writing.
One’s academic discipline determines the extent and nature of one’s term paper research. Some disciplines may require that the student use ancient sources; others may require that students use only the most recent work on a subject. Still other disciplines may require that the student conduct most of the research through interviews, laboratory work, or other non-print methods. The student should ascertain which type of term paper research the instructor expects.
If the academic discipline calls for research via print materials, the student who writes a term paper researches the selected topic starting in the university library. University libraries emphasize the gathering of credible information; therefore, although in the end the student has to evaluate the integrity of a source, most of the information in a university library is trustworthier than, for example, articles the student finds through an Internet search engine. In term papers, research credibility is critical: the student cannot write a term paper well if his or her research does not meet the standards of the academic world.
Students who write term papers research primary facts as well as secondary analyses of those facts. For example, a term paper on Pliny the Younger will rely heavily on Pliny’s writings but will also use the work of modern authorities to analyze those writings. The student should be sure to cover both primary and secondary sources within the scope of the research; one type complements the other.
Above all, the conscientious student performs far more term paper research than seems necessary. Students who gather more information than they need write much better term papers than students who do not gather enough information.
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