Biology Term Paper Topic

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Biology Term Paper Topic

A good biology term paper topic should be specific enough to allow for the composition of a detailed, well-researched, term-length paper on a particular point or thesis related to that topic.  Such articles are typically ten pages or longer, and will often have a significant reference component.  This will require the student to integrate what he or she has learned in the context of the course with the relevant research done by scholars in the field.  

Selecting a biology term paper topic will likely be a process rather than an instant decision.  This is because coming up with a topic that is manageable to write about in the space of ten or so pages but also compelling will require a thorough examination of many aspects of the topic.  Therefore, it is best for the writer to start by picking a general area of biology that is of interest.  Take, for example, photosynthesis.  Photosynthesis is a huge topic that many researchers have written books about.  For a report to cover all aspects of photosynthesis in a thorough way would be impossible.  So now, determine a more specific aspect of photosynthesis.  How about the role of carbon dioxide in photosynthesis?  This is far more specific than photosynthesis itself.  Still, however, it is likely that there are entire books devoted to the subject.  So let's go even further, and make the topic about how the role of carbon dioxide in the photosynthesis process of a particular plant is affected by excessive air pollution.  Now, we have a biology term paper topic.  This topic is very specific, and though it is unlikely that every aspect of it could be tackled in a report, various parts of the topic could be reasonably and thoroughly addressed in ten or so pages.

As illustrated in the example above, biology term paper topics must be very specific.  This is because biology term paper topics must be developed into biology term paper theses.  A thesis is a point or argument that presents a specific claim regarding the selected topic.  Using the above example, a thesis might be as follows (keep in mind that this thesis is an example, and the claims that it makes may have no scientific basis): "The role of carbon dioxide in the photosynthesis process of basil plants is affected by the level of air pollution existing in the area in which the plant is growing."  Here, the claim or argument is that the role of carbon dioxide in the photosynthesis process of basil plans is affected by climate.  The paper will then defend this claim using extensive research.

When considering possible biology term paper topics, keep in mind that it is important to do some research in the general area of the topic before beginning.  This will help generate ideas about possible theses as well as allow for an informed selection of a topic worth writing on.  

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