How to Write a Seminar Paper

PARTS

1Getting Started

2Conducting Research

3Drafting Your Paper

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Questions & Answers

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Article Summary

Co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD

Last Updated: September 24, 2019 References Approved

A seminar paper is a work of original research that presents a specific thesis and is presented to a
group of interested peers, usually in an academic setting. For example, it might serve as your
cumulative assignment in a university course. Although seminar papers have specific purposes
and guidelines in some places, such as law school, the general process and format is the same.
The steps below will guide you through the research and writing process of how to write a
seminar paper and provide tips for developing a well-received paper.
Part 1
Getting Started
1.

1
Learn the basic features of a seminar paper. A seminar paper is an advanced piece of research
writing, but it shares many of the same features as a regular research paper. Before you begin
writing your seminar paper, it is important to make sure that you understand how a seminar
paper differs from a research paper. Unlike a basic research paper, a seminar paper also requires:
[1]
 an argument that makes an original contribution to the existing scholarship on
your subject
  extensive research that supports your argument
 extensive footnotes or endnotes (depending on the documentation style you are
using)
2.

2
Ask for clarification if needed. While you may have written many papers in the past, it is
important to make sure that you understand the details of your current assignment before you get
started. As soon as your professor assigns the paper, read the guidelines carefully and highlight
anything that you do not understand. Ask your professor to clarify the instructions if anything
seems unclear or if you just don’t understand the assignment. You may also consider talking to
your professor about your intended topic to make sure that you are on the right track.[2]
 Make sure that you understand how to cite your sources for the paper and how to
use the documentation style your professor prefers, such as APA, MLA, or Chicago
Style.
 Don’t feel bad if you have questions. It is better to ask and make sure that you
understand than to do the assignment wrong and get a bad grade.
3.

3
Plan ahead. Your professor will be expecting original analysis, extensive research, and excellent
writing. Therefore, it is important that you get started early and do the best work that you can do.
Begin working on the paper as soon as it is assigned and take advantage of your university’s
writing center for extra help.
 Since it's best to break down a seminar paper into individual steps, creating a
schedule is a good idea. You can adjust your schedule as needed.
 Do not attempt to research and write a seminar in just a few days. This type of
paper requires extensive research, so you will need to plan ahead. Get started as early
as possible.[3]
4.
4
Generate ideas for your seminar paper. Before you begin writing your paper, you should take
some time to explore your ideas and get some things down on paper. As with other types of
writing, basic invention activities like listing, freewriting, clustering, and questioning can help
you to develop ideas for your seminar paper.[4]
 Listing List all of the ideas that you have for your essay (good or bad) and then
look over the list you have made and group similar ideas together. Expand those lists
by adding more ideas or by using another prewriting activity.[5]
 Freewriting Write nonstop for about 10 minutes. Write whatever comes to mind
and don’t edit yourself. When you are done, review what you have written and
highlight or underline the most useful information. Repeat the freewriting exercise
using the passages you underlined as a starting point. You can repeat this exercise
multiple times to continue to refine and develop your ideas.[6]
 Clustering Write a brief explanation (phrase or short sentence) of the subject of
your seminar paper on the center of a piece of paper and circle it. Then draw three or
more lines extending from the circle. Write a corresponding idea at the end of each of
these lines. Continue developing your cluster until you have explored as many
connections as you can.[7]
 Questioning On a piece of paper, write out “Who? What? When? Where? Why?
How?” Space the questions about two or three lines apart on the paper so that you can
write your answers on these lines. Respond to each question in as much detail as you
can.[8]
5.

5
Create a research question to help guide your research. A research question is what you will
attempt to answer with your research. Creating a research question will help you to stay focused
as you research your topic. It can also serve as the starting point for your thesis later on.[9]
  For example, if you wanted to know more about the uses of religious relics in
medieval England, you might start with something like “How were relics used in
medieval England?” The information that you gather on this subject might lead you to
develop a thesis about the role or importance of relics in medieval England.
 Keep your research question simple and focused. Use your research question to
narrow your research. Once you start to gather information, it's okay to revise or tweak
your research question to match the information you find. Similarly, you can always
narrow your question a bit if you are turning up too much information.
AD
Part 2
Conducting Research
1.

1
Collect research for your paper. In order to find support for your argument, you will need to
gather information from a variety of sources. See your assignment guidelines or ask your
instructor if you have questions about the types of sources that are appropriate for your seminar
paper. Books, articles from scholarly journals, magazine articles, newspaper articles, and
trustworthy websites are some sources that you might consider using. You might begin by doing
some background research and then move into some more focused research as you learn more
about your topic.[10]
 Use your library’s databases, such as EBSCO or JSTOR, rather than a general
internet search. University libraries subscribe to many databases. These databases
provide you with free access to articles and other resources that you cannot usually
gain access to by using a search engine. If you don't have access to these databases,
you can try Google Scholar.
2.

2
Evaluate your sources to determine their credibility. It is important to use only trustworthy
sources in a seminar paper, otherwise you will damage your own credibility as an author. Using
the library’s databases will also help to ensure that you are getting plenty of trustworthy sources
for your paper. There are several things that you will need to consider in order to determine
whether or not a source is trustworthy.[11]
 Publication's credentials Consider the type of source, such as a peer-reviewed
journal or book. Look for sources that are academically based and accepted by the
research community. Additionally, your sources should be unbiased.
 Author's credentials Choose sources that include an author’s name and that
provide credentials for that author. The credentials should indicate something about
why this person is qualified to speak as an authority on the subject. For example, an
article about a medical condition will be more trustworthy if the author is a medical
doctor. If you find a source where no author is listed or the author does not have any
credentials, then this source may not be trustworthy.[12]
 Citations Think about whether or not this author has adequately researched the
topic. Check the author’s bibliography or works cited page. If the author has provided
few or no sources, then this source may not be trustworthy.[13]
 Bias Think about whether or not this author has presented an objective, well-
reasoned account of the topic. How often does the tone indicate a strong preference for
one side of the argument? How often does the argument dismiss or disregard the
opposition’s concerns or valid arguments? If these are regular occurrences in the
source, then it may not be a good choice.[14]
 Publication date Think about whether or not this source presents the most up to
date information on the subject. Noting the publication date is especially important for
scientific subjects, since new technologies and techniques have made some earlier
findings irrelevant.[15]
 Information provided in the source If you are still questioning the
trustworthiness of this source, cross check some of the information provided against a
trustworthy source. If the information that this author presents contradicts one of your
trustworthy sources, then it might not be a good source to use in your paper.[16]
3.
3
Read your research. Once you have gathered all of your sources, you will need to read them.
Read your sources very carefully. Read the sources multiple times if necessary and make sure
that you fully understand them. Misunderstanding and misrepresenting your sources can damage
your credibility as an author and also have a negative effect on your grade.
 Give yourself plenty of time to read your sources and work to understand what
they are saying. Ask your professor for clarification if something is unclear to you.
 Consider if it's easier for you to read and annotate your sources digitally or if
you'd prefer to print them out and annotate by hand.
4.

4
Take notes while you read your sources. Highlight and underline significant passages so that
you can easily come back to them. As you read, you should also pull any significant information
from your sources by jotting the information down in a notebook. Indicate when you have quoted
a source word for word in your notes by putting it into quotation marks and including
information about the source such as the author’s name, article or book title, and page number.
 Be careful to properly cite your sources when taking notes. Even accidental
plagiarism may result in a failing grade on a paper.
Part 3
Drafting Your Paper
1.

1
Write a thesis. Once you have developed your ideas for your seminar paper and read your
sources, you should be ready to write your thesis statement.[17] Effective thesis statements
express your argument in a clear, direct manner. Remember that a thesis should not be more than
one sentence in length.[18]
  Make sure that your thesis presents an original point of view. Since seminar
papers are advanced writing projects, be certain that your thesis presents a perspective
that is advanced and original.[19]
 For example, if you conducted your research on the uses of relics in medieval
England, your thesis might be, “Medieval English religious relics were often used in
ways that are more pagan than Christian.”
2.

2
Develop a rough outline based on your research notes. Writing an outline before you begin
drafting your seminar paper will help you organize your information more effectively. You can
make your outline as detailed or as scant as you want. Just keep in mind that the more detail you
include in your outline, the more material you will have ready to put into your paper.[20]
 Organize your outline by essay part and then break those parts into subsections.
For example, part 1 might be your introduction, which could then be broken into three
sub-parts: a)opening sentence, b)context/background information c)thesis statement.
3.

3
Hook your readers from the beginning. Your first sentence should be interesting enough that
your readers will want to know more. Your introduction should also be engaging. Begin
discussing your topic right away and help your readers understand your position in the first
paragraph of your paper. Think about what you will discuss in the rest of your paper in order to
help you determine what you should include in your introduction. Use your introduction to create
a framework for your paper, explaining where your research fits into current thought on your
topic and why your ideas matter.[21]
 For example, in a paper about medieval relics, you might open with a surprising
example of how relics were used or a vivid description of an unusual relic.
  Keep in mind that your introduction should identify the main idea of your seminar
paper and act as a preview to the rest of your paper.
4.

4
Provide relevant background information to guide your readers. Providing adequate
background information or context will help to guide your readers through your essay. Think
about what your readers will need to know in order to understand the rest of your paper and
provide this information in your first paragraph. Do your readers need to know about the history
of your subject? Do they need to know what other scholars have written on the subject? The
information your readers will need to know will depend on your subject and the argument you
plan to make.[22]
 For example, in a paper about relics in medieval England, you might want to offer
your readers examples of the types of relics and how they were used. What purpose did
they serve? Where were they kept? Who was allowed to have relics? Why did people
value relics?
 Keep in mind that your background information should be used to help your
readers understand your point of view.
5.

5
Present your claims and research in an organized fashion. Rather than trying to talk about
multiple aspects of your topic in a single paragraph, make sure that each body paragraph focuses
on a single claim or piece of evidence. Your discussion of each of these separate items should
help to prove your thesis. For each body paragraph, you should do the following:
 Remember to use topic sentences to structure your paragraphs. Provide a claim at
the beginning of each paragraph. Then, support your claim with at least one example
from one of your sources. Remember to discuss each piece of evidence in detail so that
your readers will understand the point that you are trying to make.
6.
6
Consider using headings and/or subheadings to organize your paper. Since seminar papers
are often upwards of 10 pages, many writers use headings and/or subheadings to help organize
their paper. These headings/subheadings help readers follow your argument by showing them
what each section is about before they start reading.
 For example, in a paper on medieval relics, you might include a heading titled
“Uses of Relics” and subheadings titled “Religious Uses”, “Domestic Uses”, “Medical
Uses”, etc.
7.

7
Conclude your paper. Concluding a seminar paper can be difficult, especially if you have
presented a long, complex argument. There are several ways that you can conclude that will be
helpful and interesting to your readers. Before you write your conclusion, spend some time
reflecting on what you have written and try to determine the most logical way to end your paper.
Some possibilities for concluding your paper include:
 Synthesize what you have discussed. Put everything together for your readers and
explain what other lessons might be gained from your argument. How might this
discussion change the way others view your subject?
 Explain why your topic matters. Help your readers to see why this topic deserve
their attention. How does this topic affect your readers? What are the broader
implications of this topic? Why does your topic matter?
 Return to your opening discussion. If you offered an anecdote or a quote early in
your paper, it might be helpful to revisit that opening discussion and explore how the
information you have gathered implicates that discussion.[23]
8.
8
Create your bibliography. Follow your instructor's directions for making your bibliography.
Make sure that you use the correct style and that you have cited all of your sources. Before you
finish with your essay, you will need to make sure that you have cited all of your sources. Not
citing sources using in-text citations or a works cited page may be considered plagiarism and
lead to failure of the paper or even the course.[24]
 Ask your professor what documentation style he or she prefers that you use if you
are not sure.
 Visit your school’s writing center for additional help with your works cited page
and in-text citations.
Part 4
Revising Your Paper
1.

1
Give yourself adequate time to revise. Just as you should plan to begin working on your paper
as early as possible, you should also plan to finish early.[25] You will need to allow yourself
plenty of time to do a thorough revision of your paper, so plan to finish your paper at least a few
days before the due date. Giving yourself plenty of time can help you avoid simple mistakes as
well as some major problems such as poor logic or faulty arguments.
2.

2
Wait a few days before revising your paper. By taking a break after you have finished drafting
your paper, you will give your brain a rest. When you revisit the draft, you will have a fresh
perspective. It is important to begin writing a paper far enough ahead of time to allow yourself a
few days or even a week to revise before it is due. If you do not allow yourself this extra time,
you will be more prone to making simple mistakes and your grade may suffer as a result.[26]
3.
3
Revise your paper. Revision is different from proofreading. When you revise your paper, you
are thinking about the content and consider how you might improve the content. Proofreading
helps you correct minor problems such as grammar and punctuation errors. As you revise your
paper, you should consider multiple aspects of your writing to make sure that your readers will
be able to understand what you have written. For example, you might create a reverse outline
from your text to see how well you presented your argument.[27] Consider the following
questions as you revise:
 What is your main point? How might you clarify your main point?
 Who is your audience? Have you considered their needs and expectations?
 What is your purpose? Have you accomplished your purpose with this paper?
 How effective is your evidence? How might your strengthen your evidence?
 Does every part of your paper relate back to your thesis? How might you improve
these connections?
 Is anything confusing about your language or organization? How might your
clarify your language or organization?
 Have you made any errors with grammar, punctuation, or spelling? How can you
correct these errors?
 What might someone who disagrees with you say about your paper? How can you
address these opposing arguments in your paper?[28]
4.

4
Proofread a printed version of your paper. Read your paper out loud to make sure that it is
polished and ready for your professor to read it. Use your final read through as a chance to weed
out any typos, grammatical errors, wordy or incomplete sentences, and other minor mistakes that
may have a negative effect on your grade. Highlight or circle these errors and revise as necessary
before printing your final copy.
Features of Seminar Papers and Sample Thesis Statements

 Features of Seminar Papers

  Annotated Seminar Paper Thesis
Statements
Community Q&A
 Question

How do I write a seminar paper on international banking?

Community Answer

Apart from the steps stated in the article, consult study texts on International Banking, visits
websites on finance and economics, and consult other papers written in the past about
international banking.
Not Helpful 5Helpful 14

 Question

How do I write seminar based on mental health issues faced by LGBTQ?

 Community Answer

You may want to focus your research on the prevalence of particular mental illnesses in the
LGBTQ population vs. the average population. You could also theorize why these rates exist and
are generally so high; this also gives you the opportunity to explore some of the social
discrimination that could contribute to the prevalence of these issues.
Not Helpful 3Helpful 9

 Question

How can I analyze data, and what comes first, results or analyzing data?

Community Answer

Analyze your data, then move to your results, in which you can attempt to explain why/how your
data proves your results.
Not Helpful 2Helpful 2

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Tips
 When coming up with a specific thesis, begin by arguing something broad and then
gradually grow more specific in the points you want to argue.

 Choose a topic that interests you, rather than something that seems like it will interest
others. It is much easier and more enjoyable to write about something you care about.

 Keep accurate and detailed notes on your sources. If possible, write your paper while still
able to look at the sources so that you can ensure that you have accurate quotes and that you are
not plagiarizing.

 When conducting original research, it's always a good idea to approach your research
topic from several angles. Use search terms that might seem illogical at first and seek out books
and papers that are not directly related to your topic. Often, relevant information is buried within
otherwise unimportant sources.

 Keep in mind that seminar papers differ by discipline. Although most seminar papers
share certain features, your discipline may have some requirements or features that are unique.
For example, a seminar paper written for a Chemistry course may require you to include original
data from your experiments, whereas a seminar paper for an English course may require you to
include a literature review. Check with your student handbook or check with your advisor to find
out about special features for seminar papers in your program. Make sure that you ask your
professor about his/her expectations before you get started as well.[29]

Warnings
 Do not be afraid to admit any shortcomings or difficulties with your argument. Your
thesis will be made stronger if you openly identify unresolved or problematic areas rather than
glossing over them.

 Plagiarism is a serious offense in the academic world. If you plagiarize your paper you
may fail the assignment and even the course altogether. Make sure that you fully understand
what is and is not considered plagiarism before you write your paper. Ask your teacher if you
have any concerns or questions about your school’s plagiarism policy.