Writing a research paper in college or university is an integral part of the curriculum. The process is not easy, especially for students who have never had such an academic task before. The difficulties you may face can range from finding the right research paper topic to being unable to write the paper yourself.
However, the task doesn’t have to be challenging. The trick to writing a decent research paper is knowing what a research paper is all about.
What Is a Research Paper?
A research paper is a scientific written document that involves research, report writing, and data analysis. The experiments you conduct during the process aim at:
- Improving and acquiring new knowledge
- Testing scientific hypotheses
- Establishing laws manifested in both nature and society
- Scientific generalizations
- Scientific confirmation of projects
So, in a nutshell, a research paper consists of your experience and thoughts. You base these ideas on the information you knew on the topic before and the data you acquire while researching.
Common Types of Research Papers
Here are the primary types of research papers:
- Argumentative. An argumentative research paper requires you to focus the reader’s attention on the arguments that relate to your main topic. You should also support your point of view with evidence from primary sources.
- Analytical. An analytical essay provides an informal analysis of a topic or idea. Your topic may be too general in that there are many things to discuss. Consequently, this particular assignment requires you to think critically and apply strong arguments!
- Definition. Definition papers demand that you only provide simple objective arguments and facts. Hence, they are the most informative since they are void of personal opinion.
- Compare and contrast. As the name suggests, the text analyzes the differences between authors, subjects, leadership styles, viewpoints, or other criteria. It is a common assignment for students studying literature, philosophy, social science, among others.
- Cause and effect. These papers typically track your expected results from a specific action in a logical order that your readers can understand. It also identifies several different outcomes that could appear depending on the specified conditions.
- Reports. A report is a logical and detailed summary of a particular case study. As a rule, such text summaries the breakdown, situation, key issue identification, and recommendations.
- An interpretive essay. The task requires the student to use acquired theoretical knowledge to write the paper and use supporting information for the thesis statement and findings. It is assigned to social science and literature students.
Now that you have learned about the seven main categories of research papers, we hope the information helps you to accomplish your assigned task. Besides meeting the general objectives of a particular essay, you also have to follow the right structure and format. And remember, completing a research paper is crucial to your overall academic success. So, if you need help with your term paper, consider hiring a writing service.