Sections of paper.

[hadeelkouta]

Okay so I'm new to the writing a term paper business and I have TWO questions.

1- What's the difference between a proposal and an abstract? And how are they structured?
2- How is my paper structured? How is it organized? First comes the proposal?...?

[sandy14]

Different subjects may have different expectations.

A proposal is not usually part of the paper. It is an outline of what you want to study, so that you and your tutor can discuss what you are going to do and agree what your topic is, and how you are going to research it.

An abstract is a very short summary of your project. Abstracts are used by researchers to decide whether a project is relevant or not. They have a standard format. It might be easier to write the abstract after you have written the project, because until you have written it, how are you going to be able to summarise it? The abstract goes at the top. I'm sure your University library or your tutor will be able to explain how to set it out.

The structure depends upon the subject and faculty - you should ask your tutor - there may be a style guide. However there should be an introduction which explains your topic and how you are conducting the research followed by a main body which addresses the objectives you set out in the same order as you set out in your introduction. The conclusion should summarise what you have learnt from the project followed by a bibliography - again check the library - you'll probably be using Harvard referencing, for which there are lots of online resources - but check to be sure.

Take a look at published articles in journals on your subject - whether online or in the library - they should serve as models for what you need to do.