What is a seminar paper?

Some notes on the genre in the humanities

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As you eagerly scan your graduate course syllabus, the term "seminar paper" and a brief explanation of the word counts and sources needed immediately catch your attention. Despite your assumption that everyone else understands its meaning, you find yourself uncertain and curious about what precisely constitutes a seminar paper.

You are not alone, dear reader; despite the fact that many professors assign seminar papers as a capstone to their rigorous reading and discussion courses, the genre is rarely defined explicitly or even agreed upon in graduate school.

Yet, the seminar paper is a foundational academic writing genre for graduate students in the humanities that allows you to practice your research and analytical skills. Learning the ins and outs of this genre can help you express your thoughts clearly, participate more actively in academic conversations, and learn how to write more effectively.

Professors typically lay out granular guidelines for seminar papers, but students are not always given a clear picture of the genre's overall value and purpose. You are expected to learn through doing, as is common in graduate school and the academy in general, but no one has told you what the overarching goals of this type of writing are or how different professors apply them.

In true Publish Not Perish fashion, this post is about making the seminar paper more transparent for graduate students in the humanities in particular, but some of this insight may be applicable in other areas of study.

The Overall Goals of the Seminar Paper

Whatever your discipline may be, the seminar paper requires that you think critically, creatively, and methodically, all of which are meant to prepare you for future academic work. The seminar paper is an opportunity to gain a more comprehensive grasp of your field while delving into fresh and exciting viewpoints.

An example of a seminar paper in my field, media studies, could be a research paper analyzing the representation of gender in positions of power on the television show For All Mankind (which is fascinating, by the way). The paper could explore how certain stereotypes and portrayals contribute to harmful societal norms or represent more progressive depictions of women in the workplace. An even more interesting paper might consider the role of the revisionist history genre in imagining gendered “progress” in society.

Through in-depth analysis and critical examination, the seminar paper would demonstrate that you can 1) analyze texts for meaning (a method), 2) engage in academic conversations (through a literature review), and 3) showcase some of the theories you’ve learned in the course. Each item in this numbered list is a common feature of humanistic seminar papers.

Consider Taking Learning Risks to Grow

Let’s say you just finished the For All Mankind paper in a previous class and are tempted to do something similar in your current class because it feels safe. Although it may be tempting to focus on what you know and are good at due to the pressures of academia, remember that you are in graduate school to learn and grow, not to play it safe. By taking risks in learning, you gain the potential to yield important insights that could help move your field forward. You can't do that by playing it too safe, and you also miss out on opportunities to really grow individually.

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The point of a seminar paper is to learn how to synthesize, analyze, and write, not to already be perfect at it.

Consider the seminar paper a learning tool. Here's a chance to hone your skills in literature review, find areas where research or conversations could use some improvement, and come up with creative ideas or fresh points of view. Grades matter much less than learning how to write in fresh and innovative ways. (I’ve never had to disclose my PhD GPA for any opportunity in my career.) Writing a seminar paper also forces you to think critically about your subject and gives you practice interacting with complicated concepts and theories in conversation with other scholars.

Disciplinary and Individual Professor Variations

Having said all of this, you still need to pay close attention to the guidelines your professor provides you because each professor has different ideas about what constitutes a good seminar paper, and there are disciplinary specifics. Generally, developing analytical skills, incorporating other scholars' ideas, and writing clearly are all agreed-upon goals of a seminar paper, but that doesn't mean that each professor will have the same expectations or grading criteria. As a result, there is no universally accepted definition of a seminar paper; rather, its characteristics are malleable and dependent on the viewpoint and aims of the instructor.

As Joseph Taylor writes, here are some common goals that professors provide for seminar papers:

- a nascent version of a future publication, complete with thorough knowledge of secondary criticism, footnotes, and bibliography;

- a highly informed and detailed exploration of a single primary text; a glorified close reading;

- an application of the skills and knowledge the seminar is intended to transmit, referring to the texts, theories, or approaches covered during the semester;

- a very specific type of paper with a pre-defined structure or purpose (e.g., an application of a particular theory to a particular text);

- an opportunity to pursue individual inquiries, however unrelated to the course’s topic.

Some professors really want you to dig deep into the literature and topics covered in the class, while others will allow you to extend beyond the scope of the class and write papers inspired by the course content rather than explicitly connecting to it. For these reasons, it's key to adhere closely to their instructions and not assume they have the same expectations as your last seminar professor.

Your professor might not make the specific aims of the paper explicit to you. I have actually seen instructors write one paragraph in their syllabus about the paper, which boils down to simply: “Write a seminar paper.” They don't explain any of the above aims they might have for the paper and instead expect you to understand the genre.

If it is not clear what your professor wants, go to their office hours and ask them explicit questions to help determine what they are asking for. It's not your fault if you don't understand their instructions.

Maintain a Growth Mindset

Seminar papers often come with comments on how to make them better; in fact, if you are a first-year graduate student, you may receive quite a bit of criticism. Remember, you don’t already have to know how to write this genre when you begin graduate school. It is important to approach feedback as an opportunity for growth and improvement rather than taking it as an indication of your intelligence or potential.

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Remember that you are not expected to already know everything when you start graduate school; the goal is to learn and develop your skills over time. Having a growth mindset is crucial to navigating the challenges of graduate school. By seeking guidance from professors and asking explicit questions, you can gain valuable insights on how to improve your work and master different writing genres.