How to Format a Term Paper

If you are assigned a term paper, your semester is coming to an end so you need to demonstrate the knowledge acquired in the past few months. Find it hard to start your term paper and format it right? Here are a few tips, according to our custom term paper writing service, that will give you a better idea about your task and most importantly, about the format you should apply to it.

How is a term paper different from other assignments?

You cannot confuse a term paper with an essay or a lab report, however, it can be hard to tell how a term paper is different from a research paper. When taking on a term paper, make sure you understand what it’s all about:

1. It’s a simple paper even though it’s larger than an essay and may take time to complete.
2. For a term paper, you get a topic and your task is to cover it consistently. You usually describe a given subject or provide arguments. You don’t need to either prove or reject the hypothesis—that’s the point of a research paper.
3. A term paper strongly influences your final grades, so you need to make sure the writing demonstrates your knowledge relevant to the discipline in question.

Now, you can start writing your term paper without fear that your teacher may expect something different from this task.

A general structure: Include these parts into your term paper

The content of your term paper will differ depending on its topic and discipline. Teachers may also ask you to format a term paper according to their own specific requirements. In general, a term paper includes the following sections:

1. Title page. A term paper is a bit more complex than an essay, and it makes sense to create a separate title page for it. As usual, the paper title, the name of the course as well as your and your teacher’s names are required.
2. The table of content. Your term paper will include a few chapters that you put on this list. However, the structure is still simpler than that of a research paper.
3. Abstract. Because your term paper has a few chapters, write a brief summary and put it in the first place.
4. Introduction. Present the problem that will occur in your paper and tell why it is relevant. In this chapter, you may briefly review the literature and propose your solution to the problem.
5. Methods. Describe what data on your topic you’ve found and whether it may help solve the problem you’ve raised.
6. Results. Tell the reader about your findings. Is your problem possible to solve using the methods you’ve proposed?
7. Future prospects. Define some ways of what may happen to your problem or subject in the future.
8. Bibliography. End your term paper with the list of sources used for its writing.

Keep in mind that this structure is approximate. The exact formatting of your term paper depends on whether you apply APA or MLA style to it.

How to format your term paper in APA

If you should comply with APA, you may consider adding an appendix, footnotes, or tables after the bibliography section. Besides creating a specific structure, you have to follow a range of technicalities formatting your term paper in APA:

• One-inch margin. Formerly it was 1.5, but now we set a one-inch margin on each side;
• Times New Roman is your font. It’s easy to read when you also make a 12-pt size of the text;
• Double-spacing. Apply it to the whole document so that the text looks neat;
• Flush left. Alignment to the left is a must in APA style.

Now that you know technicalities, they are quite easy to follow. If you are requested to write an MLA-style paper, consider the following directions.

MLA term paper: technical details

Many instructors ask for MLA formatting in term papers. Here is what you need to do in such case:

• 12-pt Times New Roman font. It always makes your paper look nice and readable;
• Double spacing. Don’t forget to apply double-space if you haven’t done it already;
• One-inch margin on each side. Don’t add extra margins on the left;
• Page number goes into the upper right corner of your paper;
• Indent your paragraphs to the right. A ½-inch indent is a common requirement for MLA;
• Align your text to the left.

Having these tips in front of you, it will be easy for you to complete a term paper whether in APA or MLA. Now you can say no to procrastination, and start working on your task right away.