How To Write a Term Paper

[randomness]

My friend nihilistic_kid is a published novelist who used to make something vaguely resembling a living as a term paper artist. In the above titled post, he gives some advice to undergrads:

Spring Break is over, at least in the US, and so now the shank of the semester has begun. Time for term papers! As a former term paper artist I've learned a few things about papering. Things you will not learn from other sources simply because almost nobody has the experience I have. Composition specialists, your professors, and writing center tutors have not written 5000+ model term papers in virtually every field and in every length and format.

So, if you hear different from what I am saying, remember that I am right and they are wrong.

Note: this is "How To Write a Term Paper" not "How To Learn Something." Learning is your problem!

The remainder of the post outlines the process in eight steps.

I also recommend his piece about writing for a term paper mill, "The Term Paper Artist" published in The Smart Set, at Drexel University.

I think if I'd read his post when I was an undergrad, I would have handed in more of my papers on time.

Comments

[jab2.livejournal.com]

so what would you recommend that schools do to prevent the use of paper-mill systems?

[r-ness.livejournal.com]

It depends. What, in your opinion, is the purpose of students writing papers? Does that purpose align with the objectives of the various stakeholders (I hate that word, but off the top of my head I can't find another one): students, faculty, administration, post-graduation employers?

Your question can't easily be answered unless there's an idea of what the point of the exercise really is.

[infinitehotel.livejournal.com]

One of the best ways is to not use papers as fire-and-forget assignments. The question isn't whether a student can regurgitate information, it's how well they absorbed and were able to use the material, and how they're able to correct their mistakes afterward. So, rewriting is essential, possibly multiple times. Preferably in class, but if nothing else with very limited deadlines. Or assignments that build upon each other in a sequence so the next assignment requires integrating and building further on the bones of the previous one. The more you have to work with the material the harder it is to fake it and with luck, the less it becomes necessary to do so. If a student bought a paper in the beginning of the semester and by the end was able to manipulate, explain, and use that material successfully, they'd still be morally questionable but at least they'd have learned something.