One of the most intimidating aspects of writing a term paper is dealing with the dreaded ‘blank screen’ of the blinking cursor. In some cases, the paper topic has already been decided for you by the teacher; in other instances you have more leeway in selecting your topic. Regardless, it is critical that before you begin writing the paper that you have a clear understanding of what is required. Is the paper mainly an analytical essay, or does it require library research? How long is the paper? This will determine the paper’s scope and the level of detail. If you don’t understand what is required, either talk to or email your professor. She or he will be much more sympathetic if you ask questions early on in the research process, rather than the day before the paper is due.

Once you know ‘where you are going,’ start brainstorming ideas to help you narrow down your topic and your thesis for the paper. Brainstorming is very simple: take a few minutes to write down every idea that comes into your head. Then go back and try to select the best idea for this particular assignment.

Once you have an idea of what you are writing about, then you can begin to define your thesis and narrow your topic. Always ask yourself—what is the purpose of this assignment—to analyze, to inform or persuade? For example, if the purpose of an analytic paper is to conduct a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis of McDonald’s market position, your thesis might be that: “the threats posed by McDonald’s main competitors outweigh the company’s current strengths and future opportunities.” A thesis is never just the subject of the paper (McDonald’s). A thesis is arguable—you are making a case for a particular point of view.