A Research Paper Vs An Essay: A Complete Guide For Dummies

All dummies need to have a clear comprehension with regards to the differences between a research paper and an essay. Knowledge of these two types of writing is necessary to aid students maintain the standard of their work so that they avert from composing inappropriate work. Here is a complete guide that will direct you. However, each section is considered separately.

A guide for composing a research paper:

  1. Select the topic: Before you do anything, you should be certain on what exactly you want to research on. Therefore, selecting a topic that is broad enough is necessary. It should not be too complex but interesting.
  2. Start by carrying out research: As the name suggests, the core purpose of this paper is to put down the findings of an exploration carried out earlier on time. In this case, the resources you decide to use should provide information that is appropriate to the topic
  3. Thesis statement: This is normally a central statement in your content that the entire paper tries to answer. It should be therefore strong enough to allow you carry out adequate research and for that matter defend your statement of objective.
  4. Writing the body and the conclusion: The body normally contains the methodology and the results. Methodology identifies the various methods employed in carrying out the research. These include experimentation, discussion and the use of secondary sources. Your results should be valid enough to defend your statement of the objective.

A complete guide for writing an essay:

  1. Select a topic: In this case, the topic should follow all the guidelines as illustrated in the research paper guide above. However, it should include the word “essay.”
  2. Make a plan: Before you can commence you writing, the most essential thing you can do is to draft a plan for your work. For instance, note down all the points you want to include, that is, both the major and the minor points.
  3. Introduce your essay: In this section, all you need to do is to use captivating language. Also maintain originality so that your work will be accepted by all the readers.
  4. The body: The major different between this and the one on the research is that, this does not involve the methodology section. However, the writer defends each point sufficiently with germane data.
  5. Conclusion: This is distinctively shorter than its counterpart above. It is essentially a brief outline of the body without expounding on the topics. Recommendations can be outlined in this section as well.