How to Write a Term Paper

Introduction

The term paper is a major assignment that art history students have to accomplish in a seminar every semester. It helps you to learn how to research a topic, discuss diverse scientific opinions and develop and express your own perspective.
Writing a term paper teaches you the necessary skills for composing your final Master’s Thesis.
Creating an above-average term paper requires a perfect time management and planning. Research and writing needs time. So, start working as soon as you have received your topic. Reserve fixed times during the week for your work. Do not forget to switch off your devices while working. You will be more concentrated.
Writing skills need training and experience. Hence, read and write as much as possible. It will become easier after some time.
Take notes when reading. Summarize paragraphs, chapters or articles. This will help you to better understand and assess the contents.

Never copy texts or ideas from an original work without mentioning the source. This is considered to be fraud (plagiarism). If someone is found to have plagiarized, it can have highly negative effects. In that case, a term paper or MA Thesis cannot be accepted.

Steps of Preparing a Term Paper

Choose a topic
Immediately start with your research work
Write a reference list (bibliography; should be continuously updated)
Start researching your topic (reading, analysis of artworks, buildings or texts)
Outline the chapters of your term paper (table of contents; can be changed at any time before submission)
Write your paper
Compose illustration part
Compose cover page
Print out a final copy for proofreading and editing (do not read only on the computer screen)
Proof read the final copy
Submit term paper on time (respect deadlines)

Should you have any problems with your topic, consult with your professor.

Sample: Cover Sheet Term Paper

Table of Contents: Outline of a Term Paper

The table of contents contains the headlines of your paper and indicates the page numbers, where a particular paragraph/chapter can be found. Through the table of contents, the structure of your paper/thesis becomes clear.

Introduction		mandatory
State of Research		mandatory
1. (First Chapter) 1.1 1.2 (can be extended)		The main body of text may vary according to your topic. It contains multiple paragraphs with headings and subheadings. Please note that, when you have a heading number 1, there has to be at least another heading number 2 on the same chapter level, and when there is a heading 1.1 , there must be at least a heading 1.2 (the same goes with a, b, c, etc.).
2.
3. (can be extended)
Conclusion		mandatory
Bibliography		mandatory
Appendix: Illustrations		mandatory
List of Photographic Credits		mandatory

Sample: Table of Contents-1、Table of Contents-2

Introduction

In the introduction, you briefly describe and explain your topic as a whole. The introduction helps the reader to get acquainted with your topic and to understand its relevance and your objectives.

The structure can be as follows:

Describe your topic
Explain the topic’s special features and relevance
State your objectives

State of Research

The state of research offers a systematic overview of the main results, findings, methodologies and opinions of the research literature until today. You need this overview in order to detect the gaps in the existing research literature. If you have questions about a topic that the literature on your topic does not answer, you can further investigate in that direction.

At the end you can indicate at what point your investigation starts.

State of Research in Detail

Main Body of Text

The main body of text contains your research work. Its structure and contents are dependent of your topic. It may contain historical research, visual analysis, research into a work’s iconography (content, theme), comparisons with other works, chronology, and/or a great variety of further special topics.

Constant parts of a term paper/thesis:

History of the subject matter: basic dates and facts, sources
Extent of the subject matter
Effects of the subject matter
Solutions

Conclusion

The conclusion is the final part of your text, and it is, in fact, a very important part. It should summarize your key ideas discussed in your paper and state clearly your results and findings. In a further step, you should come to a more general viewpoint of your topic. Finally, you may provide an outlook for future research.

Bibliography

The bibliography is a list of all your sources—original sources and secondary literature—used in your research and in your text. It should be written in an alphabetical order (regarding the authors’ surnames) following the required citation format.
The bibliography is a list. Consequently, the titles do not need a period at the end.
You can add a separate list of online sources if you used any.

Sample: Bibliographies

Illustration Part

The illustration part is located at the end of your paper/thesis. The pictures accompany and clarify your text.
Illustrations do not stand alone, but should have an explanation below containing (only) basic facts regarding the picture (for example: artist, title, date, material(s), measurements, location of the work). Do not insert further explanations in the captions. These are restricted to the text.
The captions are numbered starting with 1.
Insert only good illustrations in a reasonable size (clearly legible, not too small). Do not put more than 4 pictures on an A4 page. If you are researching one artwork or building, this work should appear at the beginning of the illustration part.
The illustration part is followed by a numbered list of photographical credits that cite from which sources you took your pictures (books, internet, personal photographs).

Instructions for Presentations