Discussion Papers: What They Are And How To Write Them?

Different from traditional essay or research paper writing, discussion paper writing is becoming more popular both in the classroom and in the professional world. Because we wish for our readers to be as well-versed as possible in as many different types of writing as possible, the following article was prepared to inform on the basics of discussion paper writing, and provide tips to ensure that the discussion papers our readers do write are of the highest possible quality.

What Are The Purposes of Discussion Papers?

Discussion papers are used for a variety of reasons, but the main reason for the writing of discussion papers is similar to the reasons for any type of writing – they are written in order to further knowledge on a particular subject. More precisely, discussion papers tend to further knowledge among a pre-specified group.

In the academic world, discussion essays are used to allow for a greater overall understanding of a subject by an entire class unit. Often each student will be provided a particular area to investigate, post a discussion paper either in person or on an Internet-based forum, and then read the discussion papers submitted by his or her classmates.

Academic discussion papers help to prepare students for exams and provide them with the necessary knowledge to complete any in-class assignments that require a current understanding of the subject.

In the professional world, discussion essays are often used to bring each member of a working group up to speed. In other words, the dissemination of discussion papers, each written by a different team member, can influence the level of a collective consciousness by permitting each individual member to share in the insights of all other team members.

Professional discussion papers allow for a better overall understanding of a particular business issue or problem and enhance a business team’s ability to come up with a solution to such problems.

Tips On Discussion Paper Writing

• Discussion papers must be completed on time: The basic concept behind discussion papers – the amalgamation of knowledge from a particular group, with each group member providing his or her part – prohibits tardy papers. If a discussion paper is not turned in on time, it might as well not be turned in at all, because the group will likely have moved on to a further level of understanding by the time the late paper is submitted.
• Use conversational, easy to understand language: As the name would suggest, discussion papers are meant to do just that: discuss. Treat the writing as if you were having a conversation with the other members of your group. In other words, use conversational, easy to understand language so that each member of the group gains as much as possible for each discussion paper.
• Edit and proofread your work: Despite the use of conversational language and the general informal nature of discussion papers, final editing and proofreadingare still vital steps that must be performed before a discussion paper is submitted. Silly mistakes are often just annoying, but in some cases they can change the overall message of a paper.
• Don’t go too long: Just as you would not want to listen to a classmate or business associate talks for hours on end, you do not want to have to read for an inordinate amount of time to get through a discussion paper. While there are no set requirements as to the length of discussion papers, and length will vary in respect to the complexity of the subject, it is a good idea to keep them within 5 or 6 pages.