Comprehensive Guide to Writing a Philosopher Research Term Paper
In this detailed term paper guide, learn how to write a 4-6 page paper on a philosopher's life and work. Covering biography, philosophical contributions, and citation styles such as MLA, APA, or Chicago Manual. Get step-by-step instructions on structuring your paper, including sections on introduction, biography, and philosophical contributions.
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Your paper should be 4-6 pages in length, (1,600-2,000 words) typed in size 12 Times New Roman font. Your paper should be double-spaced. Your pages should each be numbered, with your last name as part of the page numbering.
The paper should use one of the standard academic citation systems: either MLA, APA, or Chicago Manual. (Whichever is most appropriate for your planned major any questions, ask away!) MLA: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/0 1/ APA: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/0 1/ CHI: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/717/0 1/
I recommend using whichever style is preferred in your planned field of study. (You can email me about this if you re unsure!) The paper should include a Reference Page at the end. Your citation style (MLA, APA, etc.) will determine how that is set up. Make sure that your first page includes the following: your paper title, name, and the course number (PHI-271-xxxx)
Your paper will examine the life and work of a selected philosopher. You will research and write about the philosopher s life, and well as her/his main philosophical contributions. You may choose any philosopher from our textbook, or any other philosopher with instructor pre-approval.
Introduction: Briefly identify the philosopher you have chosen to write about. Give the reader a sense of what s ahead. This should be a short preview. Describe the main biographical points, the main philosophical points, and you re good to go.
Your next section should deal with the biographical information in greater detail. The biographical portion of your paper should be about 2-3 paragraphs long.
Once youve discussed the philosophers biography, you re ready to talk about her/his main philosophical contributions. This section should be more substantial than the biographical section. Tell me why this philosopher matters, why we still remember her/him today in about 4-6 paragraphs.
Once youve discussed the biography and the philosophical contributions, you should wrap everything up with a summary paragraph or two, providing your own opinions concerning the importance of the philosopher s ideas where possible.
You must cite two outside sources in your paper, other than the texts we ve read for class. Wikipedia does not qualify as a viable source However, it may nevertheless help you out
Wikipedia pages often feature a References section at the bottom these references can sometimes be helpful in your research efforts. The key factor when looking for a good source: it must be scholarly, and peer- reviewed.
A peer-reviewed article is one that has been approved by experts working at a particular academic journal. We deem certain articles reliable because they have a stamp of approval from experts working within a given field.
To receive maximum credit in this area, your paper should refer to at least one academic journal article. To recap: two outside sources are required, and preferably, one should be an academic journal article.
RACCs Library website has everything you need to find trustworthy academic sources. Here s a link to the list of online databases: http://www.racc.edu/Yocum/onlineDatabase s/databasesA-Z.aspx Of course, books are perfectly fine resources as well.
Finding a good source for a research paper can take time, depending on your topic Librarians are excellent resources for the research process; they are skilled at research techniques and can be rather helpful!
The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy and The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy are two online sources that you ll find quite helpful. They re both peer-reviewed, and should help you gather some of the background information you ll need to start your paper.
Please consult the Modules page on Canvas for any and all due dates related to the Term Paper Assignment. Because this course is taught in semesters of varying lengths, the graded stages of this project may vary. The Modules page will have an assignment drop box for your topic or outline, as needed.
You will turn in your final paper on Canvas, on the scheduled exam date for this course. As always, if you have any questions, please ask! I m here to help you write something you can be proud of!
