How to write a term paper in Philosophy

Read extensively on the Subject
 
Reading on the subject before you start writing prepares your mind for the writing process. You need to acquire ideas and good knowledge on what you want to discuss.
 
Answer nothing but the question
 
Your paper will be addressing the assignment question to the best of knowledge. After extensive reading, you should be in a better position to tackle the question in its totality.
 
Is your Philosophy question Evaluative or Expository?
 
Expository questions require that you explain the views and arguments brought forth in the context of your research. Evaluative Philosophy questions require you to present your own Philosophical argument. Accompany your arguments with supporting evidence.
 
How should the Introduction be written?
 
Most students do not know how to write the introduction part of Philosophy term papers. What you need to know is that introduction should not begin with a general statement. Make the statement short and very precise. Brief the reader on the subject matter of your paper.
 

Writing the body of your term paper
 
The body is where all your views and arguments will be presented. It is the heart of your term paper. Make every word, statement, and paragraph count.
 
Write the Conclusion
 
Term paper conclusion is not a summary of what is discussed in the body of the paper. If you argued about the practicability of Aristotle`s theory of Justice for instance, state your final take and what informs your decision?
 
Write the references
 
Provide list of references of the materials utilized while writing the paper. Providing references is not only a way of acknowledging sources, it also adds credibility to your work.

Bibliography Page: How to Name It

First of all, many students might not know how to name this page. Some people even believe that it is always called a bibliography. Yet, people need to remember that such pages can be titled in different ways, depending on the citation style that is used. These are the titles that you should use for a bibliography page, according to the main citation styles:

1. Harvard – References;
2. Modern Language Association or MLA – Works Cited;
3. American Psychological Association (APA) – Reference List;
4. ACS (the American Chemical Society) style – Reference List;
5. Oxford – Bibliography or Reference list. This citation style distinguishes between these two notions. The term bibliography refers to the sources that a person consulted when writing a paper. By contrast, the reference list includes only those sources which were cited in the paper.

Bibliography Page: The Major Components of an Entry

If you want to write an excellent bibliography page, you should make sure that every entry has all its necessary components. Certainly, your papers can be written according to various citation styles, and you may have to use different sources, but there are several elements which are normally present in all citation styles. Here are the most important ones:

• The first and last name of the author or authors. As a rule, the first name is abbreviated.
• The title of the book or article. It can be italicized or put in quotation marks.
• Page numbers. You have to include them when using a textbook chapter, an essay from an anthology or a research article.
• The name of the publisher.
• The year of publication.
• The place of publication.
• For online sources, you also need to include the complete URL address and the date when you accessed it.

Apart from that, you should read various guides available on the Web to see how different sources should be referenced. Moreover, you can also take a look at various examples of a bibliography; they can be found online.

Bibliography Page: Organizing Your Work

There are several things that you need to do when writing a page with bibliography entries:

1. Include every source in the bibliography as soon as you cite it in your paper; otherwise, you might simply forget about it after finishing the paper.
2. Make sure that you don’t misspell the names of the authors.
3. Don’t include sources that you are not going to cite in your paper.

If you follow these recommendations, you’ll have no problems with referencing sources. So, good luck with your papers.

Interesting informative speech topics: Business

1. People: Steve Jobs as a business genius of our time.
2. Events: Campaigns against tobacco advertising.
3. Processes: Aggressive marketing strategies used by Coca-Cola.
4. Concepts: Modern business cycle theory.

Interesting informative speech topics: Ethics

5. People: Aristotle and his works inspiring generations.
6. Events: New laws fighting online trafficking (SOPA and PIPA).
7. Processes: Social media blurring the lines between personal and professional relations.
8. Concepts: Does utilitarianism necessarily lead to the conclusion that ends always justify the means?

Interesting informative speech topics: Psychology

9. People: Sigmund Freud and his influence on science and art.
10. Events: The invention of the lie detector.
11. Processes: Groundhog Day syndrome in adults.
12. Concepts: The color wheel model of love by John Lee.

Interesting informative speech topics: Literature

13. People: William Shakespeare and the question of the authorship of his writings.
14. Events: Representation of the Civil War in Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell.
15. Processes: The shift from modernism to postmodernism.
16. Concepts: The death of the author as a literature theory of Roland Barthes.

Interesting informative speech topics: Environment

17. People: Leonardo da Vinci as a vegetarian.
18. Events: The Great Smog of 1952 in London.
19. Processes: Reduction of e-waste.
20. Processes: Promotion of cycling and walking for short journeys.
21. Concepts: Theories of global warming (positive and negative outcomes).

Interesting informative speech topics: Computer

22. People: Bill Gates as a well-known computer genius.
23. Events: The launch of Yahoo’s directory in 1994 and its impact on Internet technologies.
24. Processes: Present day kids as “digital natives” who were born in digital era and have excellent computer skills.
25. Concepts: Theories on the relation between video games and bullying.

So, any of these informative speech ideas can become the perfect starter for your presentations. Consider your interests and make your speech topics interesting and informative. Take any of these informative speech ideas; add your efforts, individual manner of presentation, visual aids and humor; carefully stir everything up (organize and proofread) and enjoy excellent grades for your informative speeches.

Poetry analysis: main components

Poetry analysis answers several important questions:

• What is the meaning of the poem?
• What tools did the author use?
• What is your impression as a reader?

The main components of poetry analysis are your interpretation of poet’s messages and a detailed discussion of the poem’s form, imagery and language devices. You may find more details, terms and even valuable phrases for your poetry analysis essay in the following sections.

Poetry analysis: interpretation

A clear understanding of the poem is essential to its analysis. To analyze a poem, you should:

1. Read the poem at least twice;
2. consult a dictionary if there are any unknown words;
3. define the main theme and the rest of the plot lines;
4. paraphrase the poem, using your own words;
5. evaluate the author’s tone and attitude.

Some valuable phrases you may use for this part are (just complete these sentences):

• The interpretations of the poem (title) by (author) vary from reader to reader, but the main theme deals with…
• In the first two lines of the poem, the author presents…
• However, in the next stanza, the author states that…
• The main idea of this poem is that…

Poetry analysis: form

Most poets are geniuses and can find not only rhymes, but also special forms to make their poems work better. When writing an analysis of poetry, make sure to mention the following aspects:

1. Rhyme scheme;
2. stanzas;
3. syntax.

For instance, you may want to take a closer look at the form of the poem Hope Is the Thing with Feathers by Emily Dickinson:

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all,
 
And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.
 
I’ve heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.

 
Here is a poetry analysis example: There are three stanzas in this poem. The first line of the first and second stanzas rhymes with the third line, whereas the second line rhymes with the fourth one. A bit different scheme is found in the third stanza in which the second, third and fourth lines rhyme with each other, but the first one is isolated. The rhyming scheme of this poem is: ABAB CDCD EFFF.

Poetry analysis: sound devices

Check the poem for sound devices:

• Alliteration (repetition of the initial sounds in the neighboring words in a line or passage). For example, an alliteration can be found in the line “sore must be the storm” of Dickinson’s poem.
• Assonance (relatively close position of the same or similar vowels). For example, in Dickinson’s poem: “Yet, never in extremity”.
• Onomatopoeia (imitation of the nature or animal sounds), such as cuckoo, tick-tock, knock-knock and others.

Poetry analysis: stylistic devices

Stylistic devices are the tools used by poets, such as:

1. Simile (a comparison using like or as). For example: “O my love is like a red, red rose” in the poem by Robert Burns of the same name.
2. Metaphor (a direct comparison, not using like or as). For example, in Dickinson’s poem “Hope is the thing with feathers/ That perches in the soul”.
3. Hyperbole (exaggeration). For example, in Dickinson’s poem: “and never stops at all”.
4. Oxymoron (two contradictory words put together). For example: hot ice, bitter sweet.

Some valuable phrases you may use for this part are:

• This comparison suggests that…
• This metaphor offers the reader a view of…

So, taking these easy steps, you will successfully analyze poetry and impress your instructors. With this poetry analysis worksheet and some practice, you will ensure your success in Literature courses.

• The Qualities of the Best Cartoon Character Ever: Describe Your Hero;
• If I Were Harry Potter/Hermione… Living in a Fairytale;
• What if the World Was Upside Down;
• If I Was Sailing to the Treasure Island, What I Would See There;
• The Most Extraordinary Pet in the World: Chameleons, Piglets… Pet Tigers?

Creative Writing Topics for Middle School:

• A Day in the Life of a Toy: The Problems of a Puppet;
• Wearing Your Opponent’s Shoes: One Day in the Shoes of Your Enemy;
• Being a Genius: Bliss or Curse?

Creative Writing Topics about Personalities Who Should Be More Famous:

• Patch Adams and Gesundheit!institute: Believing in Miracles;
• Derek Paravicini’s Incredible Miracle: Savants as They Are;
• What’s There Behind That Funny Face? Rowell Atkins and His Comic Alter Ego;

Creative Writing Topics on Child Development:

• Recalling the Earliest Memories: Awaking from a Long Dream;
• Adults World from a Child’s Perspective. Something People Do not See;
• Growing up: Losing Much, Finding Even More;
• Parent-Child Relationships. Child’s Tips for Grown-ups;
• What Is the Point of Fairytales? Understanding the Way Fantasy Works;

Creative Writing Topics: Think up Your Story!

• A Man Who Decided to Become Ideal: The Story of a Lifelong Surprise;
• Creating a Test and Passing It: The Curious Public Meets the Inventor;
• The Argument That Led to the World’s Most Fantastic discovery: Witness the Miracle;
• The Story of a Shop Dummy: A World Through the Window;

Creative Writing Topics: Let’s Plunge into the Unbelievable:

• Sailing with Christopher Columbus, Rediscovering… India;
• Climb the Top of the Yggrdasil. Where Earth and Heavens Meet;
• If There Were Planets Inhabited by Other Creatures, These Would Be…
• What Happens When Running with the Speed of Light… and Even Faster;
• In the Disguise of a Famous Personality: Imagine Being a…?

Creative Writing Topics: Beyond the World of the Ordinary:
 
Let’s start this one from the most possible topic to the least credible. That’ll do the trick:

• Riding the Time Machine: Which Era to Choose?
• Designing a Robotic Creature: Its Look and Incredible Functions;
• A Perpetuum Mobile and Its Top Ten Household Uses;
• Teachers and Students Changing Places: Understand What Each of Them Thinks;
• When Voluntary School Attendance Is Accepted: Possible Outcomes.

Pick any creative writing topic from the list above and you’ll see how fascinating your paper can be!
 
Creative Writing Topics: Exercises to Keep Creative Muscles Fit.
 
Here are some creative writing activities that will help you keep up the good job. Try some of these writing exercises – you won’t regret it!
 
Exercise A.
Pick any object in your room and find 5 adjectives to describe it.
E.g., “This vase is smooth, shiny, white, cold and plastic.”
 
Exercise B.
Write out and try to remember 5 different words/phrases every day.
E.g., “omnipotent,” “awkwardness,” “out of the blue,” “deteriorate” and “explicit.”
 
Exercise C.
When reading a story, try to visualize every character and scene.
For instance, when reading about Santa Claus, imagine him… the way you see him.
 
Exercise D.
Here is a good writing prompt – after reading any story, try to imagine what it can continue with.
…And, after Jim Hawkins returned from his trip to the Treasure Island, he decided to become a captain himself…
 
After practicing this creative writing activity, you’ll see that you’ll be able to invent the most fantastic topics ever! With these tips, you’ll never trouble yourself anymore with questions like “How to write these papers?” and “How to write creative writing?” Well, why don’t you try creating a topic right now?

1. When was the text written?
2. Who wrote the text? What kind of views did the author advocate?
3. What are political, cultural or social factors that could have affected the author?
4. What kind of audience does this person try to reach?
5. What kind of reaction does the writer expect from the audience?
6. Was this text a response to a particular event or a social phenomenon?
7. Does the text prompt readers to a certain action?

Contextual Analysis: Focusing on the Text
 
While studying any text, students should pay attention to the specific devices that help the author express the main ideas and arguments. You can take a look at this template that will help you analyze various texts:
 

• The arguments that the author puts forward;
• The emotions to which the text appeals;
• The style of the author;
• Expressive means that he or she uses;
• The structure of the text;
• The arguments and ideas that the writer chose to omit;
• Other texts to which the author could refer.

Contextual Analysis: Concluding Remarks
 
If you use the above template you will see that this type of analysis is not as scary as it seems, but remember that practice is the key to understanding this method. Besides, there are various contextual analysis examples available online, and they can be of great use to you. So, good luck to you.

1. What is your understanding of courage?
2. How can responsibility be defined?
3. What is wealth? Look at this concept from various perspectives.
4. How can you define soul?
5. How can you explain rationality?
6. What is knowledge? How can you define it?
7. Provide a definition of morality. Describe the main elements of this concept.
8. What is prejudice? How do you understand this term?
9. What is the definition of honor?
10. Define poverty? How does this notion differ across countries?

 
Definition Essay Topics: Speaking about the World of Politics and History
 
People who search for a good definition essay topic may certainly consider such disciplines as history or political science. There are plenty of historical or political notions that you may discuss in your paper:

• What is your definition of racism?
• What is liberalism?
• How can you define dictatorship? Does the definition of this term vary across cultures?
• Provide historical definitions of terrorism. Does the modern-day understanding of this notion differ from the one used in the nineteenth century?
• Define democracy. What kind of elements does this concept comprise?
• Define political conservatism. How can this notion be interpreted?
• Provide the definition of civic and human rights. Do these notions differ from each other in any way?
• What is colonialism? Describe this notion from cultural and political points of view.
• How can imperialism be defined? Discuss the key elements of this term.
• What is propaganda? Does this notion have positive or negative connotations?

Definition Essay Topic: Describing Concrete Objects
 
While working on definition essays, students often focus on abstract notions; however, sometimes professors may ask them to explain and discuss some concrete or physical objects. Here are some examples of the questions that you may have to answer in your paper:

1. What is a screwdriver?
2. What is an X-ray tube?
3. Define a smart phone.
4. What is the definition of a computer?
5. What is a lifting jack?

As you can see, there are a lot of good topics for definition essay. If you choose one of these notions and define it properly, you can surely receive an A. These topics are interesting, challenging and thought-provoking.

1. Arguments and examples. You will be assigned a wide variety of college essays. In each case, you will be asked to take a stand on an issue or question, and defend it persuasively. A college professor will not turn a blind eye to weak argumentation. Avoid saying something lame like, “I think that Dickens was a great writer because he wrote so many famous novels.” Explain, demonstrate, and support any assertion you make. Back up every claim with relevant examples or citations from authorities in the field.
2. Style. When writing essays in college, use more formal language. Eschew colloquialisms such as don’t, haven’t, or going to (do we have to remind you what a poor impression this will make?). Moreover, avoid emotional appeals, subjectivity (unless specifically so assigned), and assertions based on religious faith (unless so directed).
3. Format. In secondary school you should already have heard of different citation and formatting styles, such as MLA, APA, Harvard, or Chicago. Now, you should be able to distinguish clearly and confidently between them. You should also be able to differentiate between the different types of essays in college. It is a great idea to read exemplary prize-winning essays from your own college (every institution, and often, every department, has some sort of award for expository writing). Failing this,you can find inspiring published essay examples online.

 
Essays in College: Getting Down to Work
 
Some students struggle to submit work on time because they cannot concentrate on the topic. Consider these steps in order to focus better on your college essays:

• Pick a topic that you can live with for a while. Writing about an unsympathetic subject is like the world’s worst date – that goes on and on.
• Ignore Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube for three to four hours. Tough, but you can do it. You have to try!
• Locate a study spot with access to resources but with minimal distractions; not even your roommate!
• Outline your main questions and supporting points, arguments, and examples. Use sentence format to remind yourself of how you will present each point and make graceful transitions.
• After finishing a draft, don’t proofread it immediately. It is preferable to take a walk, and only then review your work. With some distance, you will be better able to detect typos, grammar problems, and improper word usage.

Overall, essay writing in college is not as difficult as it may seem to you initially. By term’s end, your essays and research papers will seem less daunting.

• http://marketing.alltop.com/
• http://www.marketing.org/
• http://www.quickmba.com/
• http://www.marketingprofs.com/
• http://www.marketingmag.ca/
• http://www.wpp.com/
• http://www.marketingmagazine.co.uk/

Besides the mentioned Internet resources, there are also other places where you can find brilliant topic for your paper. One of the good options is reading some books dedicated to marketing and all the processes that it represents. The most widely books for this purpose are:

1. The Ultimate Sales Letter: Boost Your Sales with Powerful Sales Letters, Based on Madison Avenue Techniques (by Kennedy, D.)
2. Advertising Secrets of the Written Word: The Ultimate Resource on How to Write Powerful Advertising Copy from One of America’s Top Copywriters and Mail Order Entrepreneurs (by Sugarman, J.)
3. 2,239 Tested Secrets For Direct Marketing Success : The Pros Tell You Their Time-Proven Secrets (by Hatch, D.)
4. Getting Everything You Can Out of All You’ve Got: 21 Ways You Can Out-Think, Out-Perform, and Out-Earn the Competition (by Abraham, J.)

In case all the mentioned ways of producing a marketing research paper topic did not work for you, you can always organize an interview with a professional in this field and get inspired for your paper. It can be some marketing analyst, consultant, business partner, or even a scientific advisor from your educational establishment.