Essay vs Research Paper
There are various styles of writing a piece, and when you are in college, your professor tests your understanding by throwing challenges at you. Two styles of writing that confuse students the most are essays and research papers. At the college level, it is common for students to get assignments, and knowing what is expected of you, is a good idea to avoid being reprimanded or ridiculed. This article attempts to highlight the differences between research paper and essays.
Research Paper
Research paper, as the name implies, is a writing style that reflects the analytical skills of a student. To write a research paper on a given topic in a subject, a student has to read a lot, and make himself aware of the works of great authors and experts to be able to cite them at different places in his piece. This takes a lot of effort, but these days, internet has emerged as a great source of information for students. Libraries in colleges containing journals can also be a good source of information for students to have a sound knowledge base.
A student has to provide deep level of information by presenting all facts and figures citing the works of experts and authorities on the subject. This is done by incorporating one’s own thinking and ideas into the paper supporting them by facts from earlier research papers. It is not possible for a student to write a research paper without having a deep understanding of the subject. He not only has to present the already available knowledge base but also critically analyze it, presenting his own insight and ideas into the subject. After all, a research paper is one platform that allows a student to be critical and judgmental, in addition to presenting his own perspective to the readers.
Essay
Essay is a style of writing that is taught to students quite early in classrooms. There is a standard essay writing format consisting of 5 paragraphs, of which the first one is called introduction. The main parts of an essay are the body and its conclusion.
There are many different styles of essay writing with some being comparative while others reflecting a cause and effect writing style. There are both descriptive as well as persuasive essays. While descriptive ones are lengthy, persuasive essays try to convince the readers about a topic by presenting the point of view of the writer and supporting it with evidence and facts. Essays are usually written in the third person and students are discouraged writing essays in first person.
Difference Between Research Paper and Essay
| Research Paper | Essay |
| Researching and expressing other’s points of view on a topic, as well as incorporating your insights and ideas | Usually your point of view |
| Long in length, at least 8 pages | Short in length with an average of 5 paragraphs |
| Requires comprehensive understanding of a topic by researching it thoroughly | Does not necessarily require a comprehensive understanding of a particular topic |
| Familiarity required with research writings associated with a chosen topic | Familiarity may or may not be required with other research or writing |
| Helps build writers knowledge of a topic | Helps build writers writing skills |
| The writer compares various pieces of information on a topic and then presents a cumulative overview of the findings | The writer hones their writing skills by presenting their thoughts in a logical and coherent manner |
| Different flavors of Research Papers Include but are not limited to: compare and contrast, argumentative, analytical, cause and effect, and subject-bases. The last is the most common. A subject or topic is chosen and then that topic is researched and written about. | Different flavors of Essays include but are not limited to: academic, narrative, and philosophical. The academic essay is common at the collegiate level. This type of essay commonly includes a literature review. The literature review is an evaluation of information that is read. It should describe, summarize, evaluate and clarify the chosen piece. |
| After researching a topic thoroughly, the writer compiles and evaluates the information. The writer then restructures and presents the topic from their point of view, incorporating citations from complied research to back up their analysis. | In an essay the writer puts their thoughts on paper. Thought is given to the purpose of the writing and what type of essay it is. The perspective audience is also considered. The writing should be well-organized, coherent and supported by appropriate facts and examples. |