When you write a biography term paper, you are the soul-guard and the bodyguard of the individual you are going to take charge. You need to understand the person and go into deep details before you attempt to write the paper. The dictionary definition of biography is, -- an account of someone's life that has been written by someone else. Researching the facts and the related essentials to construct a biography is possible with the perfect co-operation of the concerned person. Biography term paper is thus tells something about the writer and it is supposed to tell everything about whom it is written. The basic facts about the life experience of the subject needs to be thoroughly researched, before you present them to your targeted audience/or to your Professor.
The fundamentals:
In any biography term paper, certain fundamentals are important. Date and place of birth for example! Not the date of birth of the biographer but the individual about whom you are writing the paper. This may look like very simple information. But at times, raging controversies go on, the scholars of history clash, volumes of baffling literature are compiled to decide the date of birth. Matters go to such an extreme and confusion?the person born and dead must be shifting in the grave and feel strongly that he would resurrect from the grave and tell the truth about his birth to the world. Such controversies make the biography term paper lively and interesting. Once this small but important issue is decided, the first major hurdle to commence writing the paper becomes easy to negotiate.
To make your biography term paper interesting, you need to come out with not only routine information, but certain sterling revelations. The intention of the one who is writes the paper should be to tender crystal clear facts. But unfortunately due to the rat race among the publishers and the greedy tendency of the biographer to make fast bucks, many a times, controversies are created deliberately to generate more dollars with increased selling of the books. Many a times such controversies result in social tension. The contents of the biography term paper have led to bloodsheds, persons have laid down their lives defending or opposing certain observations made in the biography, creating opportunities for others to write many more biography term papers!
In fine, you decide to write a biography term paper of a particular individual for two main reasons. Firstly, you are greatly influenced by the thoughts and actions of that individual. Secondly you are convinced that his/her life-time accomplishments need to be told to the general pubic for their good. You feel the principles are worthy to be emulated. Such principles will have good impact on the society and will have a historical significance. But in reality, there are thousands of good biographies of great persons, thousands of biography term papers have been written on them, discussion and reviews have been carried out about those biography term papers, and yet presently to what a sad pass the human society has arrived! This is altogether a different question.
The ultimate aim of any biography term paper is to make it interesting and appealing to the reader that he should become your fan. He needs to be inspired by you to such an extent that he should feel like writing a biography term paper on your life!
Selecting A Topic
To select a topic, you must read the primary text with an eye to choosing interesting elements in it that will help you in selecting a topic.
It helps to have a reading journal when selecting a topic. A reading journal acts as a chronicle of your on-the-spot reactions to a literary piece.
It helps to ask questions during the selection process. These questions help you by:
- Who, what, when, where, how ? indicating a search for knowledge. - Showing an awareness of how a literary product is organized, as well as pertinent facts and ideas incorporated into it. This emphasizes comprehension. - Chopping up the whole piece of work into its parts. This gives an analysis of the parts. - Merging the broken-down parts into a meaningful whole. This is a process known as synthesis. - Producing judgements, criticisms, opinions or decisions during a process of evaluation. - Relying on insights, opinions, ideas and data to produce a research product that may give vibrant and personally satisfying knowledge.
It helps to look through reference works (including periodical articles, critical essays, books and encyclopedias) to narrow down your search for a topic. This in turn may help you produce a hypothesis which evolves into a thesis.
Developing a Thesis
Frequently, the topic you have first chosen is too broad to fit into focused research. Keep revising until you form a working hypothesis. A working hypothesis states an idea or approach in relation to the primary source which may act as the basis for your thesis.
You must test your working hypothesis to guarantee that it is: - Broad enough to accommodate different resources - Narrow enough to permit in-depth research - Original enough to provide interest for both you and your reader - Worthwhile enough to supply significant data and insights
You may now opt to state your thesis in writing.
Evaluating Your Thesis and Sources
Bear in mind that your hypothesis may still be revised continuously during the research process.
After you have defined your thesis, you may either opt to start work on the paper itself or need to do some more work before you begin.
- Organize your ideas and start work on your first draft. - Once you have produced the first draft, look for authorities on the subject who can provide support for your ideas. Cite such sources accordingly but do not forget to document them. - Use such secondary sources as may be necessary to determine the position and direction of your term paper - Write down your bibliography as you go along. You need to keep a record so you will find it easy to discard the unnecessary sources later on. - Produce a working outline throughout the process. This outline will be amended as you plow through the subject more thoroughly.
Parenthetical Documentation
You need to use parenthetical documentation within the body of your paper as a way to document the opinions, facts, and ideas you have gleaned from primary and secondary sources.
References to the text must definitely show specific sources in your list of works cited
It is, however, preferable to cite the author's name within the text rather than rely on parenthetical documentation.
Prepare a Works Cited Page
A Works Cited Page showcases the works which you indicated in the body of your paper. It is also known as a Bibliography though modern research may also take into account such diverse works as films and periodicals.
Drafting then Revising Your Term Paper
You may opt to freewrite your first draft. In freewriting, a writer creates a first draft that fully employs his creative powers.
If you suddenly remember material you did research on, include it then place a quick citation so you easily return to it later on.
Follow the guidelines outlined here and you will produce a research paper that is strong, interesting, and clearly written.
Both Sharon White & Roberto Bell are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Sharon White has sinced written about articles on various topics from Writing, computers and the internet and Careers and Job Hunting. The article was produced by the writer of masterpapers.com.Sharon White is a senior writer and writers consultant at writing. Get some useful tips for. Sharon White's top article generates over 246000 views. to your Favourites.