The Complete Writing Guide on a Public Relations Term Paper

Being a student means being challenged with ideas of where to start or how to finish any given assignment. Meanwhile, the teaching and studying processes always are aimed at revealing the already existing ideas and concepts, and at the same time encouraging students to develop their thoughts. Once you get the task to write a term paper, your professor probably waits for your paper as soon as possible. Know why? Not only because he/she wants to put a mark for your research and writing, but because your term paper is a source where everyone can familiarize with new explorations of the field. In your case, it is Public Relations.

Nonetheless, most students fail to write their term papers. The common reason for such failures is a disregard of basic writing instructions or the lack of knowledge or skills about what writing a specific type of paper means. Let’s discover your particular assignment – a public relations term paper in detail.

Get Started to Write a Term Paper on Public Relations

So the time has come for writing your first term paper. If your discipline is Public Relations, then writing a term paper sounds even more challenging just because of the variety of topics in public relations. Nonetheless, the first point which you have to familiarize with is what a term paper means and why it is so specific for you. As a type of research paper, a term paper is especially important because it accounts for the largest part of a grade. With that in mind, a term paper appears to be more valuable in comparison to essays or other research papers. However, it means that you shouldn’t pay much attention to essay and research paper writing on public relations.

Term papers are writing assignments in which a student is supposed to argue a specific point. That is why, presenting an interesting, controversial topic is a basic step to start with. First of all, you should brainstorm the issues you can write about. In order to brainstorm effectively, take a paper and a pen. Write the main concept or a topic which came into your mind. You may even use colored pencils for categorizing your research elements.

Choose the Most Interesting Topic in Public Relations for a Term Paper

Further, think of the other concepts and problems the main topic associates with. When it comes to term paper writing, think of the material which you learn during the term:

• What assumptions appear interesting to you?
• What ideas do you agree/disagree with?
• What field of study would you like to investigate more? and so on.

At the same time, think of the notions you strongly disagreed with. The more topics and controversial ideas you find, the more opportunities to choose a definite subject you have. Usually, a professor offers a list of topics for term papers. However, students are sometimes asked to find a topic by themselves. While searching for a topic, focus on the innovation which your term paper may present. For instance, the use of technologies in modern public relations. The title of your term paper may sound like “The Use of Digital Elements in Public Relations” or “The Importance of Technological Progress in Public Relations.”

Here is a list of public relations term paper writing topics which you may find interesting for writing a term paper on public relations.

• Negative and Positive Influence of Social Media on Public Relations;
• Employee Generated Content and Public Relations;
• X Modern Changes in the Public Relations Agency Model;
• Public Relations Agency Model in the Future;
• How to Make the Crisis and Reputation Management Effective;
• The Relationship of Public Relations and Globalization.

All topics are related to the importance of public relations in the communication with external organizations. Along with that, public relations term papers can communicate the social significance of a company as well as increase its credibility and reputation, yet the company’s status in the business world.

Find the Best Sources of Information for Your Term Paper

After you define the topic of your term paper, you may start your research. Make a list of the sites and databases which may contain the useful information. The most helpful databases are JSTOR, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect. Remember that you should use only credible sources. While performing in-depth research, try to make notes whether in schemes or just text passages. You may be surprised how such notes may be useful in case you have run out of ideas.

Develop a Strong Thesis Statement for Your Public Relations Term Paper

Further, you should create a thesis statement which is a “heart” of your term paper. Thesis statement implies a meaningful idea which you are going to offer to the audience or in other words, a simple notion to defend which meanwhile is an answer to the core question of your paper. For instance, if you have chosen a topic “The Use of Digital Elements in Public Relations,” then your primary question is “Why are digital elements important in Public Relations?” Later, your thesis statement, which is an answer to the question above, may sound as following:

‘The use of digital elements is extremely useful in the public relations as the former constitutes the entire system of messaging between the internal elements of the company and the external organizations.’

Remember that any statement needs significant reasoning. With that in mind, a statement like “Digital elements are important in public relations” is not enough to persuade your reader and prove the meaningfulness of your assumptions. Be creative but present only credible information.

Prepare a Well-Organized Outline of Your Term Paper

The last preparation step is an outline. Certainly, you may skip this step and start writing immediately. However, such an approach may complicate your process of writing as you may lose your track of thoughts, and your paper will look messy because of unexplored ideas, yet confuse the reader. Obviously, to make your essay perfect, you should write down an outline to set your ideas in order. Though the Internet may offer you some specific types of outlines, the most common type contains the following parts:

• Introduction with the thesis statement,
• Body parts,
• Conclusion and recommendations.

Our Experts Give Advice on the Principal Amount of Work on a Public Relations Term Paper

The first part of any academic paper is an introductory paragraph. The latter provides a basic knowledge of a subject which is going to be discussed. In academic papers, an introductory paragraph does not have to grab the reader’s attention as such type of a paper is not a magazine or newspaper article. Indeed, the first sentence should represent the overall facts about the topic. For instance, an introductory paragraph for a term paper which discusses the above-mentioned topic “The Use of Digital Elements in Public Relations” may start with the following sentence:

‘Technological progress has become an irreplaceable part in the modern world and has constantly been affecting the businesses.’

Do not start your introductory paragraph with your thesis statement! Further, you should add more information about the issue you are going to investigate and its importance. For instance, you may refer to the history of the digital elements in regards to public relations and find how digital discoveries passed into the system of public relations. The last sentence of your introductory paragraph should be the thesis statement.

Congratulations! You have done everything to start persuading your readers by strong arguments which are going to constitute the main part of the paper – its body. The body paragraphs should contain no less than four full lines. Additionally, keep in mind the need to use transitional words and phrases for the primary reason of connecting the sentences and creating a logical presentation of argumentations. At the same time, remember to use transitional words for comparison, clarification, contrast, conclusion, etc. Also, never start your sentences with conjunctions. To achieve a proper structure, divide draft variant of the paper into several sections which would contain the main concepts. In accordance to the topic “The Use of Digital Elements in Public Relations,” your sections may be as following:

• “The General Implementation of Digital Elements in Public Relations”,
• “Electronic Public Relations”,
• “The Suggestions for the Future Development of Digital Elements in Public Relations”

As you see, all sections of your paper should discuss different subtopics which reveal the subject of your paper and serve as a definite proof for the thesis statement. At last, the paragraphs should contain references which are also additional credible evidence for your assumptions.

The last part of your paper is conclusion which usually goes as a separate section. In the conclusion part, you should mention the results of your study or to be more precise, rephrase the thesis statement and then demonstrate the evidence which you have come to during your research process. Being a summary of the paper, the conclusion is the most well-developed part which presents the results in proper order. Remember the strict rule while writing your conclusion: do not include new information which has not been mentioned in the paper as this confuses the reader and makes your track of thought unclear.

Create a list of sources you referred to. An appropriate system of referencing will help avoid plagiarism as academic integrity is the main condition which allows the professor to trust you and makes you a professional writer. Depending on the format which your paper requires, the name of the list which contains sources will be called References (for the APA format), Bibliography (for the Chicago style) or Work(s) Cited (for the MLA format). The Internet will offer you various citing programs. However, it is recommendable that you check your citations by the special guides. Such book as How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing (LifeTools: Books for the General Public) by Paul J. Silvia will be of great help to you.

Meanwhile, installing an anti-plagiarism software is another efficient step to avoid academic dishonesty, for instance, PlagTracker and PlagScan. The most popular plagiarism and grammar checker of modernity is Grammarly. It is easy for everyone to get access to Grammarly as the program is free. Though any plagiarism checker is considered an effective tool for the detection of academic dishonesty, the additional grammar checking is highly advisable.

After checking the grammar by the software, read your paper one more time. Use the following questions to stay confident about the quality of your paper:

• Is the text properly divided into paragraphs?
• Are the words in the names of the sections and subsections capitalized?
• Is your paper well-structured? Does it contain the repeating thoughts which should be avoided?
• Is the additional information properly cited?
• Are the sources presented in alphabetical order in the List of References?

While checking the paper, pay attention to the structure of the sentences and the language. Do not make the sentences cumbersome – it is better to divide a complex sentence into some short sentences if the complex structure makes the sentence messy. Be specific in your evidence and be clear in your track of thoughts. At the same time, avoid using non-academic language, for instance, the elements of slang or colloquial words: use “allow” instead of “let,” “child” instead of “kid,” etc. Remember that language is your tool for writing the paper, yet you should present an excellent knowledge of an academic language that will help you write a high-quality paper.

Now let’s sum up the tips of writing a term paper!

The Ingredients of a Good Public Relations Term Paper Writing Process:

• Brainstorm and research the topic;
• Create a strong thesis statement;
• Write a detailed outline;
• Write the body paragraphs: the part where you will present your evidence for the argumentation;
• Conclude logically;
• Write a list of references;
• Check the style and format;
• Check the grammar.

3 Points to Avoid While Writing a Term Paper on Public Relations:

1. Boring and meaningless topics. Pretend to be an innovator and find an issue which would be interesting for being explored. Think of innovation. Ask yourself: how can my idea be meaningful? Your professor will value your attempt to demonstrate the thinking-outside-the-box skills.
2. Plagiarism. Academic dishonesty is the main enemy you have to fight with to deliver a high-quality paper. Certainly, your professor has already familiarized with the majority of the professional literature. Now your professor is interested in your ideas. Be free to surprise your instructor.
3. Non-academic language. Your professor knows what the words “dude” or “guy” mean. However, it would not be a bright idea to put them in a term paper. Remember that formal language is the best option for an major textual assignment.

3 Points to Consider While Writing a Term Paper in Public Relations:

• This means that the more thoughts are yours, the higher are your chances to get an excellent grade. Nonetheless, this does not mean that you should not refer to the studies of other researchers. Indeed, you must refer to the credible sources and properly cite them to avoid academic dishonesty.
• Proper research. This means the use of credible sources and perfect knowledge of the investigated subject. That is why using credible databases and sites is highly advisable while searching for information. Such databases as JSTOR, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science will appear to be helpful for your research.
• Writing style. As it has been mentioned, academic language is the core requirement in any academic paper. To refine your grammar, use the grammar-checking software along with the anti-plagiarism one. For this purpose, Grammarly is the best option as the program will allow you to simultaneously check the grammar and avoid plagiarism. In addition, the program is free which is a wonderful advantage if you are a student. Though perfectness is difficult to achieve, no one has forbidden you at least to try to reach it.

Now, you’re ready to write a term paper on Public Relations as required by your instructor. We’re sure you’ll do it effectively for your academic performance and the field of study in particular. Just follow our public relations term paper guide step by step or contact our term paper writing services with real experts!