Always make an outline of a term paper before writing it. The outline will be revised several times as you do more research and your thinking changes. The reader should be able to reconstruct easily the outline of your term paper.
Think of a term paper as consisting of between two and four short essays (See Writing a Short Essay). This will help you organize your thinking, research and writing.
I. Introduction
The introductory section of the term paper should give the reader a guide for what the entire paper is about. The important features of the paper should be highlighted, or at least anticipated, in this introduction. There should be a very clear statement of the purpose, goals and objectives of the paper. The topic needs to be placed in context for the course. The reader should be provided with a brief overview of the major themes and areas to be covered in the paper. The Introduction should include controversies or conflicts about the topic.
What is your topic, Why is it important, Place the topic in context (theoretical, historical, policy)
II. The body
How to divide the main body of the term paper into meaningful sections, and how many sections there should be, depends on the scope and diversity of the paper. It also will depend on the nature and number of objectives in the paper. For most papers, probably there will be somewhere between three to ten sections in between the Introduction and Conclusions sections. Each section should have a section heading or label to identify the section.
A. First First Section
This might be a discussion of the most important theoretical point and/or a critical review of the literature. It might be a discussion of polies and policy alternatives or the importance of the institutional or historical context in the formation of a particular policy. It could relate historical context to the development of a particular theorist's thinking. This will be the first "short essay" section, and like a real short essay, it should be divided into subsections. The "introduction" places the section in the context of the entire paper, and the "conclusion" reiterates that connection and provides a segue to the next section.
B. Second Major Section
This might be a disucssion of evidence relating to the overall theme or a specific hypothesis developed above. It should consistute the next logical step in the paper. This will be the second "short essay" section, and it, too, should be divided into subsections. Again, the "introduction" places the section in the context of the entire paper, and the "conclusion" reiterates that connection and provides a connection to the next section.
C. Third Major Section
This might be an evaluation of the theory in light of the evidence.
III. Conclusions
The conclusions should flow from the goals of the term paper, and the research that has been gathered for the paper. The conclusions must be derived from what has come earlier in the paper. You cannot wait until you are writing your paper to determine what the conclusions are supposed to be. The conclusions are NOT supposed to be a set of surprises at the end of the paper.
IV. Footnotes, Endnotes and Citations
Parenthetical comments should be placed in footnotes or endnotes. Most faculty in the Economics & Finance Department prefer embedded references like (Keynes, 1936), so footnotes or endnotes should not be used for references. The exception to this would be if your professor preferes that you use the Chicago system. See Bibliography, Footnotes & Endnotes.