Structuring your term papers: 6 helpful tips

When one is writing their paper, the structure determines both the organization and the way people take in the ideas presented in the paper. Structuring can be different depending on the topic one is writing on or the area of study. Here are six helpful tips on paper structure that might help a student out when writing their term papers.

Introduction

The introduction should be the part of the paper that catches the attention of the reader. It should be intriguing and captivating, and provide enough background information that the reader will want to continue into the body of the paper. The introduction contains the thesis statement, that will give the general direction of the paper and the argument the writer takes. First impressions are important, and since the introduction is the first impression, it should be taken with as much seriousness as the paper itself. One can use humor, understatement or irony to get the attention of the reader. Another useful strategy is to write the introduction after finishing the body of the paper.

Sketching the argument

The introduction gives the direction, but one still has to sketch and structure their argument. The argument should be guided by the thesis statement that is stated in the last sentence of the introduction. One should first make a sketch of their argument, with a rough draft of the major points and the minor points they intend to expound on. When doing this, they should make sure that their points are relevant to the topic; they should be logical and progress to the final conclusion.

Arrangement

The writer should determine how they will structure their paper and arrange and present their ideas. In this section they decide what type of paper they will write and the general method of presenting their ideas. They writer decides at this point whether it is a narration or a descriptive type of paper. They decide how they will arrange their arguments for the greatest impact.

Coherence

The student should be coherent, and the sentences should make sense, both logically and grammatically.

Evidence

For every claim that the paper makes, there has to be strong evidence to support it. The paragraphs that develop the argument by giving evidence should be as strong as possible. It should not be too short or too long and repetitive

Conclusions

The conclusion is one of the most difficult parts of a paper to write. The reader might fail to see the general point of the paper if it is not properly concluded even if the arguments are developed properly.