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Essay Vs Research Paper

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An essay and a research paper are two different types of academic writing assignments that students are often required to complete during their academic careers.

An Essay is a piece of academic writing that typically presents the author’s personal opinion or interpretation on a particular topic. It is a relatively short piece of writing that may be persuasive, descriptive, or informative in nature. Essays may be assigned to students as homework, in-class assignments, or as part of an exam.

Research Paper

A Research Paper , on the other hand, is a type of academic writing that involves conducting research on a particular topic, analyzing and interpreting the findings, and presenting the results in a written format. Research papers are usually longer and more complex than essays, and require a more extensive analysis of the topic. Research papers are often assigned to students as part of a course, such as a research methods course or a capstone project.

Difference Between Essay and Research Paper

Here’s a comparison table that highlights the differences between essays and research papers:

Also see Research Methods

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How to Write a Research Paper

Undergrads often write research papers each semester, causing stress. Yet, it’s simpler than believing if you know how to write a research paper . Divide the task, get tips, a plan, and tools for an outstanding paper. Simplify research, writing, topic choice, and illustration use!

A research paper is an academic document that involves deep, independent research to offer analysis, interpretation, and argument. Unlike academic essays, research papers are lengthier and more detailed, aiming to evaluate your writing and scholarly research abilities. To write one, you must showcase expertise in your subject, interact with diverse sources, and provide a unique perspective to the discussion. 

Research papers are a foundational element of contemporary science and the most efficient means of disseminating knowledge throughout a broad network. Nonetheless, individuals usually encounter research papers during their education; they are frequently employed in college courses to assess a student’s grasp of a specific field or their aptitude for research. 

Given their significance, research papers adopt a research paper format – a formal, unadorned style that eliminates any subjective influence from the writing. Scientists present their discoveries straightforwardly, accompanied by relevant supporting proof, enabling other researchers to integrate the paper into their investigations.

This guide leads you through every steps to write a research paper , from grasping your task to refining your ultimate draft and will teach you how to write a research paper.

Understanding The Research Paper

A research paper is a meticulously structured document that showcases the outcomes of an inquiry, exploration, or scrutiny undertaken on a specific subject. It embodies a formal piece of academic prose that adds novel information, perspectives, or interpretations to a particular domain of study. Typically authored by scholars, researchers, scientists, or students as part of their academic or professional pursuits, these papers adhere to a well-defined format. This research paper format encompasses an introduction, literature review, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusion. 

The introduction provides context and outlines the study’s significance, while the literature review encapsulates existing research and situates the study within the broader academic discourse. The methodology section elucidates the research process, encompassing data collection and analysis techniques. Findings are presented in the results section, often complemented by graphical and statistical representations. Interpretation of findings, implications, and connection to existing knowledge transpire in the discussion section. 

Ultimately, the conclusion encapsulates pivotal discoveries and their wider import.

Research papers wield immense significance in advancing knowledge across diverse disciplines, enabling researchers to disseminate findings, theories, and revelations to a broader audience. Before publication in academic journals or presentations at conferences, these papers undergo a stringent peer review process conducted by domain experts, ensuring their integrity, precision, and worth.

Academic and non-academic research papers diverge across several dimensions. Academic papers are crafted for scholarly circles to expand domain knowledge and theories. They maintain a formal, objective tone and heavily rely on peer-reviewed sources for credibility. In contrast, non-academic papers, employing a more flexible writing style, target a broader audience or specific practical goals. These papers might incorporate persuasive language, anecdotes, and various sources beyond academia. While academic papers rigorously adhere to structured formats and established citation styles, non-academic papers prioritize practicality, adapting their structure and citation methods to suit the intended readership.

The purpose of a research paper revolves around offering fresh insights, knowledge, or interpretations within a specific field. This formal document serves as a conduit for scholars, researchers, scientists, and students to communicate their investigative findings and actively contribute to the ongoing academic discourse.

Research Paper Writing Process – How To Write a Good Research Paper

Selecting a suitable research topic .

Your initial task is to thoroughly review the assignment and carefully absorb the writing prompt’s details. Pay particular attention to technical specifications like length, formatting prerequisites (such as single- vs. double-spacing, indentation, etc.), and the required citation style. Also, pay attention to specifics, including an abstract or a cover page.

Once you’ve a clear understanding of the assignment, the subsequent steps to write a research paper are aligned with the conventional writing process. However, remember that research papers have rules, adding some extra considerations to the process.

When given some assignment freedom, the crucial task of choosing a topic rests on you. Despite its apparent simplicity, this choice sets the foundation for your entire research paper, shaping its direction. The primary factor in picking a research paper topic is ensuring it has enough material to support it. Your chosen topic should provide ample data and complexity for a thorough discussion. However, it’s important to avoid overly broad subjects and focus on specific ones that cover all relevant information without gaps. Yet, approach topic selection more slowly; choosing something that genuinely interests you is still valuable. Aim for a topic that meets both criteria—delivering substantial content while maintaining engagement.

Conducting Thorough Research 

Commence by delving into your research early to refine your topic and shape your thesis statement. Swift engagement with available research aids in dispelling misconceptions and unveils optimal paths and strategies to gather more material. Typically, research sources can be located either online or within libraries. When navigating online sources, exercise caution and opt for reputable outlets such as scientific journals or academic papers. Specific search engines, outlined below in the Tools and Resources section, exclusively enable exploring accredited sources and academic databases.

While pursuing information, it’s essential to differentiate between primary and secondary sources. Primary sources entail firsthand accounts, encompassing published articles or autobiographies, while secondary sources, such as critical reviews or secondary biographies, are more distanced. Skimming sources instead of reading each part proves more efficient during the research phase. If a source shows promise, set it aside for more in-depth reading later. Doing so prevents you from investing excessive time in sources that won’t contribute substantively to your work. You should present a literature review detailing your references and submit them for validation in certain instances. 

Organizing And Structuring The Research Paper

According to the research paper format , an outline for a research paper is a catalogue of essential topics, arguments, and evidence you intend to incorporate. These elements are divided into sections with headings, offering a preliminary overview of the paper’s structure before commencing the writing process. Formulating a structural outline can significantly enhance writing efficiency, warranting an investment of time to establish one.

Start by generating a list encompassing crucial categories and subtopics—a preliminary outline. Reflect on the amassed information while gathering supporting evidence, pondering the most effective means of segregation and categorization.

Once a discussion list is compiled, deliberate on the optimal information presentation sequence and identify related subtopics that should be placed adjacent. Consider if any subtopic loses coherence when presented out of order. Adopting a chronological arrangement can be suitable if the information follows a straightforward trajectory.

Given the potential complexity of research papers, consider breaking down the outline into paragraphs. This aids in maintaining organization when dealing with copious information and provides better control over the paper’s progression. Rectifying structural issues during the outline phase is preferable to addressing them after writing.

Remember to incorporate supporting evidence within the outline. Since there’s likely a substantial amount to include, outlining helps prevent overlooking crucial elements.

Writing The Introduction

According to the research paper format , the introduction of a research paper must address three fundamental inquiries: What, why, and how? Upon completing the introduction, the reader should clearly understand the paper’s subject matter, its relevance, and the approach you’ll use to construct your arguments.

What? Offer precise details regarding the paper’s topic, provide context, and elucidate essential terminology or concepts.

Why? This constitutes the most crucial yet challenging aspect of the introduction. Endeavour to furnish concise responses to the subsequent queries: What novel information or insights do you present? Which significant matters does your essay assist in defining or resolving?

How? To provide the reader with a preview of the paper’s forthcoming content, the introduction should incorporate a “guide” outlining the upcoming discussions. This entails briefly outlining the paper’s principal components in chronological sequence.

Developing The Main Body 

One of the primary challenges that many writers grapple with is effectively organizing the wealth of information they wish to present in their papers. This is precisely why an outline can be an invaluable tool. However, it’s essential to recognize that while an outline provides a roadmap, the writing process allows flexibility in determining the order in which information and arguments are introduced.

Maintaining cohesiveness throughout the paper involves anchoring your writing to the thesis statement and topic sentences. Here’s how to ensure a well-structured paper:

• Alignment with Thesis Statement: Regularly assess whether your topic sentences correspond with the central thesis statement. This ensures that your arguments remain on track and directly contribute to the overarching message you intend to convey.
• Consistency and Logical Flow: Review your topic sentences concerning one another. Do they follow a logical order that guides the reader through a coherent narrative? Ensuring a seamless flow from one topic to another helps maintain engagement and comprehension.
• Supporting Sentence Alignment: Each sentence within a paragraph should align with the topic sentence of that paragraph. This alignment reinforces the central idea, preventing tangential or disjointed discussions.

Additionally, identify paragraphs that cover similar content. While some overlap might be inevitable, it’s essential to approach shared topics from different angles, offering fresh insights and perspectives. Creating these nuanced differences helps present a well-rounded exploration of the subject matter.

An often-overlooked aspect of effective organization is the art of crafting smooth transitions. Transitions between sentences, paragraphs, and larger sections are the glue that holds your paper together. They guide the reader through the progression of ideas, enhancing clarity and creating a seamless reading experience.

Ultimately, while the struggle to organize information is accurate, employing these strategies not only aids in addressing the challenge but also contributes to the overall quality and impact of your writing.

Crafting A Strong Conclusion 

The purpose of the research paper’s conclusion is to guide your reader out of the realm of the paper’s argument, leaving them with a sense of closure.

Trace the paper’s trajectory, underscoring how all the elements converge to validate your thesis statement. Impart a sense of completion by ensuring the reader comprehends the resolution of the issues introduced in the paper’s introduction.

In addition, you can explore the broader implications of your argument, outline your paper’s contributions to future students studying the subject, and propose questions that your argument raises—ones that might not be addressed in the paper itself. However, it’s important to avoid:

• Introducing new arguments or crucial information that wasn’t covered earlier.
• Extending the conclusion unnecessarily.
• Employing common phrases that signal the decision (e.g., “In conclusion”).

By adhering to these guidelines, your conclusion can serve as a fitting and impactful conclusion to your research paper, leaving a lasting impression on your readers.

Refining The Research Paper

• Editing And Proofreading 

Eliminate unnecessary verbiage and extraneous content. In tandem with the comprehensive structure of your paper, focus on individual words, ensuring your language is robust. Verify the utilization of active voice rather than passive voice, and confirm that your word selection is precise and tangible.

The passive voice, exemplified by phrases like “I opened the door,” tends to convey hesitation and verbosity. In contrast, the active voice, as in “I opened the door,” imparts strength and brevity.

Each word employed in your paper should serve a distinct purpose. Strive to eschew the inclusion of surplus words solely to occupy space or exhibit sophistication.

For instance, the statement “The author uses pathos to appeal to readers’ emotions” is superior to the alternative “The author utilizes pathos to appeal to the emotional core of those who read the passage.”

Engage in thorough proofreading to rectify spelling, grammatical, and formatting inconsistencies. Once you’ve refined the structure and content of your paper, address any typographical and grammatical inaccuracies. Taking a break from your paper before proofreading can offer a new perspective.

Enhance error detection by reading your essay aloud. This not only aids in identifying mistakes but also assists in evaluating the flow. If you encounter sections that seem awkward during this reading, consider making necessary adjustments to enhance the overall coherence.

• Formatting And Referencing 

Citations are pivotal in distinguishing research papers from informal nonfiction pieces like personal essays. They serve the dual purpose of substantiating your data and establishing a connection between your research paper and the broader scientific community. Given their significance, citations are subject to precise formatting regulations; however, the challenge lies in the existence of multiple sets of rules.

It’s crucial to consult the assignment’s instructions to determine the required formatting style. Generally, academic research papers adhere to either of two formatting styles for source citations:

• MLA (Modern Language Association)
• APA (American Psychological Association)

Moreover, aside from MLA and APA styles, occasional demands might call for adherence to CMOS (The Chicago Manual of Style), AMA (American Medical Association), and IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) formats.

Initially, citations might appear intricate due to their numerous regulations and specific details. However, once you become adept at them, citing sources accurately becomes almost second nature. It’s important to note that each formatting style provides detailed guidelines for citing various sources, including photographs, websites, speeches, and YouTube videos.

Tips For Writing An Effective Research Paper 

By following these research paper writing tips , you’ll be well-equipped to create a well-structured, well-researched, and impactful research paper:

• Select a Clear and Manageable Topic: Choose a topic that is specific and focused enough to be thoroughly explored within the scope of your paper.
• Conduct In-Depth Research: Gather information from reputable sources such as academic journals, books, and credible websites. Take thorough notes to keep track of your sources.
• Create a Strong Thesis Statement: Craft a clear and concise thesis statement that outlines the main argument or purpose of your paper.
• Develop a Well-Structured Outline: Organize your ideas into a logical order by creating an outline that outlines the main sections and their supporting points.
• Compose a Captivating Introduction: Hook the reader with an engaging introduction that provides background information and introduces the thesis statement.
• Provide Clear and Relevant Evidence: Support your arguments with reliable and relevant evidence, such as statistics, examples, and expert opinions.
• Maintain Consistent Tone and Style: Keep a consistent tone and writing style throughout the paper, adhering to the formatting guidelines of your chosen citation style.
• Craft Coherent Paragraphs: Each paragraph should focus on a single idea or point, and transitions should smoothly guide the reader from one idea to the next.
• Use Active Voice: Write in the active voice to make your writing more direct and engaging.
• Revise and Edit Thoroughly: Proofread your paper for grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and sentence structure. Revise for clarity and coherence.
• Seek Peer Feedback: Have a peer or instructor review your paper for feedback and suggestions.
• Cite Sources Properly: Accurately cite all sources using the required citation style (e.g., MLA, APA) to avoid plagiarism and give credit to original authors.
• Be Concise and Avoid Redundancy: Strive for clarity by eliminating unnecessary words and redundancies.
• Conclude Effectively: Summarize your main points and restate your thesis in the conclusion. Provide a sense of closure without introducing new ideas.
• Stay Organized: Keep track of your sources, notes, and drafts to ensure a structured and organized approach to the writing process.
• Proofread with Fresh Eyes: Take a break before final proofreading to review your paper with a fresh perspective, helping you catch any overlooked errors.
• Edit for Clarity: Ensure that your ideas are conveyed clearly and that your arguments are easy to follow.
• Ask for Feedback: Don’t hesitate to ask for feedback from peers, instructors, or writing centers to improve your paper further.

In conclusion, we’ve explored the essential steps to write a research paper . From selecting a focused topic to mastering the intricacies of citations, we’ve navigated through the key elements of this process.

It’s vital to recognize that adhering to the research paper writing tips is not merely a suggestion, but a roadmap to success. Each stage contributes to the overall quality and impact of your paper. By meticulously following these steps, you ensure a robust foundation for your research, bolster your arguments, and present your findings with clarity and conviction.

As you embark on your own research paper journey, I urge you to put into practice the techniques and insights shared in this guide. Don’t shy away from investing time in organization, thorough research, and precise writing. Embrace the challenge, for it’s through this process that your ideas take shape and your voice is heard within the academic discourse.

Remember, every exceptional research paper begins with a single step. And with each step you take, your ability to articulate complex ideas and contribute to your field of study grows. So, go ahead – apply these tips, refine your skills, and witness your research papers evolve into compelling narratives that inspire, inform, and captivate.

In the grand tapestry of academia, your research paper becomes a thread of insight, woven into the larger narrative of human knowledge. By embracing the writing process and nurturing your unique perspective, you become an integral part of this ever-expanding tapestry.

Happy writing, and may your research papers shine brightly, leaving a lasting mark on both your readers and the world of scholarship.

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Difference Between Research Paper and Essay

October 23, 2023

Description: Comparison of research papers vs. essays, along with the explanation of the differences and similarities between the two types of academic papers. A short guide to understanding essay writing and research writing with definitions of the terms “essay” and “research paper”.

How Does Research Paper Differ From Essay?

Students often have to deal with two different types of academic writing assignments: an essay and a research paper. Writing essays and research papers can be difficult and confusing due to the many similarities they have. To avoid confusion when writing either of these, it’s important to learn their differences. Understanding the differences between an essay and a research paper is also a great way to improve your academic writing skills. This article aims to help you understand the key differences between essay and research paper writing assignments when you come across them. We’ll study their features, look for relevant academic terminology, and learn what differentiates them. To get to the bottom of the difference between these two academic assignments, we should first define essay vs research paper.

What is an Essay?

An essay is a short piece of writing that aims to express personal views on a particular topic. It should have at least three pieces of evidence to back up the argument. Essays are typically shorter in length and less complex than research writing. At the same time, essay writing has its own specifics, so using expert proofreading services is a good idea if you aren’t confident in your skills. It’s likely that you’ll write your first essay and research paper when in high school or college. Then arises the question, “Who will write my paper for me ?” A good essay should always have a creative component, so having good writing skills is a must. Essays often aren’t as scientific as research papers, yet they nevertheless need a clear structure. The basic essay writing guidelines recommend following a five-paragraph structure with an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.

What is a Research Paper?

A research paper is the in-depth study of a chosen scientific topic that aims to generate new scientific findings based on previous studies and experiments. It isn’t enough for students to just state the facts or give their opinion on this topic. Your professor will evaluate your ability to think critically, choose trustworthy sources, and have a solid theoretical grounding in the topic of your research. Writing a research paper takes originality, knowledge, and subject matter expertise. Compared to traditional essay writing, research work has a different objective and structure. Research papers use data from primary sources like books on the topic, academic papers, interviews, web sources, and journals. The basic research writing guidelines recommend following this pattern: introduction, methods, results, discussion, and conclusions/recommendations. Research papers may also include acknowledgments, a brief biography of the author for some Master’s or Ph.D. works, references, endnotes, footnotes, and so on.

Key Differences Between Essay and Research Paper

The biggest difference between a research paper and an essay is that a research paper must have a strict methodology and set of study objectives. A research paper should outline a problem and the approaches that can be used to solve it effectively. Meanwhile, an essay can present a personal opinion without any references. Now let us go over other key differences between an essay and a research paper. The following comparison table outlines the key differences between essays and research papers:

Similarities Differences Between Essay and Research Paper

It makes sense that you could find it challenging to tell the difference between an essay and a research paper since there’re so many similarities between the two types of academic papers. That’s why it’s important to learn about the similarities of the two as well.

• Research: Basic research is still necessary in both. Even though you don’t need to do in-depth study for an essay, you still need to at least fact-check your information. However, for a research paper, you’ll need to cite more sources to demonstrate that you’re doing more than simply skimming the topic.
• Structure: The research paper has multiple paragraphs, much like an essay. Although the structure is a little different, the material presented in each paragraph should be in an easy-to-follow format to save the reader’s time from having to wade through irrelevant data and concepts. There should be an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion in both types of papers. When you want to conduct research, there’re some differences, but there’re also a few similarities because you need to present the topic properly.
• Thesis statement: Both types of papers should have a thesis statement that presents an opinion, an argument, or a hypothesis. Even though it isn’t always required for an essay, adding a thesis statement will make your essay sound even more scientific.
• Format and Style: Your professor might recommend a specific format for your paper depending on the topic matter and the class itself. The liberal arts and humanities normally utilize the MLA and Chicago/Turabian formats, while the social sciences typically use the APA format. Both research papers and essays must follow specific formatting guidelines for headers, footers, in-text citations, reference pages, and other elements. These forms guarantee consistency and point readers to the relevant sources.

Research papers and essays are two different types of writing. We can draw the conclusion that the key differences between essays and research papers are those relating to purpose, structure, and format. Even though these two types of papers have many things in common, essays and research papers are written for different purposes. The requirements for a research paper are stricter because it must follow the right structure, format, and methodology. However, an essay is more forgiving because it has a descriptive narrative that allows the author to express their own opinions. Please be advised that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this blog are solely that of the author or his/her sources and do not necessarily reflect those of English Forward. This includes, but is not limited to, third-party content contained on or accessible through the English Forward websites and web pages or sites displayed as search results or contained within a directory of links on the English Forward network.

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Types of research papers

Analytical research paper

Argumentative or persuasive paper, definition paper, compare and contrast paper, cause and effect paper, interpretative paper, experimental research paper, survey research paper, frequently asked questions about the different types of research papers, related articles.

There are multiple different types of research papers. It is important to know which type of research paper is required for your assignment, as each type of research paper requires different preparation. Below is a list of the most common types of research papers.

➡️ Read more:  What is a research paper?

In an analytical research paper you:

• pose a question
• collect relevant data from other researchers
• analyze their different viewpoints

You focus on the findings and conclusions of other researchers and then make a personal conclusion about the topic. It is important to stay neutral and not show your own negative or positive position on the matter.

The argumentative paper presents two sides of a controversial issue in one paper. It is aimed at getting the reader on the side of your point of view.

You should include and cite findings and arguments of different researchers on both sides of the issue, but then favor one side over the other and try to persuade the reader of your side. Your arguments should not be too emotional though, they still need to be supported with logical facts and statistical data.

Tip: Avoid expressing too much emotion in a persuasive paper.

The definition paper solely describes facts or objective arguments without using any personal emotion or opinion of the author. Its only purpose is to provide information. You should include facts from a variety of sources, but leave those facts unanalyzed.

Compare and contrast papers are used to analyze the difference between two:

Make sure to sufficiently describe both sides in the paper, and then move on to comparing and contrasting both thesis and supporting one.

Cause and effect papers are usually the first types of research papers that high school and college students write. They trace probable or expected results from a specific action and answer the main questions "Why?" and "What?", which reflect effects and causes.

In business and education fields, cause and effect papers will help trace a range of results that could arise from a particular action or situation.

An interpretative paper requires you to use knowledge that you have gained from a particular case study, for example a legal situation in law studies. You need to write the paper based on an established theoretical framework and use valid supporting data to back up your statement and conclusion.

This type of research paper basically describes a particular experiment in detail. It is common in fields like:

Experiments are aimed to explain a certain outcome or phenomenon with certain actions. You need to describe your experiment with supporting data and then analyze it sufficiently.

This research paper demands the conduction of a survey that includes asking questions to respondents. The conductor of the survey then collects all the information from the survey and analyzes it to present it in the research paper.

➡️ Ready to start your research paper? Take a look at our guide on how to start a research paper .

In an analytical research paper, you pose a question and then collect relevant data from other researchers to analyze their different viewpoints. You focus on the findings and conclusions of other researchers and then make a personal conclusion about the topic.

The definition paper solely describes facts or objective arguments without using any personal emotion or opinion of the author. Its only purpose is to provide information.

Cause and effect papers are usually the first types of research papers that high school and college students are confronted with. The answer questions like "Why?" and "What?", which reflect effects and causes. In business and education fields, cause and effect papers will help trace a range of results that could arise from a particular action or situation.

This type of research paper describes a particular experiment in detail. It is common in fields like biology, chemistry or physics. Experiments are aimed to explain a certain outcome or phenomenon with certain actions.

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The Research Paper

There will come a time in most students' careers when they are assigned a research paper. Such an assignment often creates a great deal of unneeded anxiety in the student, which may result in procrastination and a feeling of confusion and inadequacy. This anxiety frequently stems from the fact that many students are unfamiliar and inexperienced with this genre of writing. Never fear—inexperience and unfamiliarity are situations you can change through practice! Writing a research paper is an essential aspect of academics and should not be avoided on account of one's anxiety. In fact, the process of writing a research paper can be one of the more rewarding experiences one may encounter in academics. What is more, many students will continue to do research throughout their careers, which is one of the reasons this topic is so important.

Becoming an experienced researcher and writer in any field or discipline takes a great deal of practice. There are few individuals for whom this process comes naturally. Remember, even the most seasoned academic veterans have had to learn how to write a research paper at some point in their career. Therefore, with diligence, organization, practice, a willingness to learn (and to make mistakes!), and, perhaps most important of all, patience, students will find that they can achieve great things through their research and writing.

The pages in this section cover the following topic areas related to the process of writing a research paper:

• Genre - This section will provide an overview for understanding the difference between an analytical and argumentative research paper.
• Choosing a Topic - This section will guide the student through the process of choosing topics, whether the topic be one that is assigned or one that the student chooses themselves.
• Identifying an Audience - This section will help the student understand the often times confusing topic of audience by offering some basic guidelines for the process.
• Where Do I Begin - This section concludes the handout by offering several links to resources at Purdue, and also provides an overview of the final stages of writing a research paper.

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Although research paper assignments may vary widely, there are essentially two basic types of research papers. These are argumentative and analytical .

Argumentative

In an argumentative research paper, a student both states the topic they will be exploring and immediately establishes the position they will argue regarding that topic in a thesis statement . This type of paper hopes to persuade its reader to adopt the view presented.

 Example : a paper that argues the merits of early exposure to reading for children would be an argumentative essay.

An analytical research paper states the topic that the writer will be exploring, usually in the form of a question, initially taking a neutral stance. The body of the paper will present multifaceted information and, ultimately, the writer will state their conclusion, based on the information that has unfolded throughout the course of the essay. This type of paper hopes to offer a well-supported critical analysis without necessarily persuading the reader to any particular way of thinking.

Example : a paper that explores the use of metaphor in one of Shakespeare's sonnets would be an example of an analytical essay.

*Please note that this LibGuide will primarily be concerning itself with argumentative or rhetorical research papers.

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Review Paper vs. Research Paper: Main Differences

Doing a paper is difficult, so learn the difference between a review paper vs. research paper, to determine which one is ideal for you.

A research paper and a review paper are two very specific types of papers. They have different motives, goals, and prerequisites. The elements found in research papers and review papers differ. The research paper is based on originality, therefore the paper takes into consideration the author’s original research, whereas the review paper is founded on an existing collection of knowledge. 

This article will walk you through the main differences between a review paper vs. research paper, allowing you to correctly determine which one is ideal for your work.

What is a review paper?

A review paper project tries to provide readers with an overview of an existing collection of knowledge by reviewing a book or an article and examining its content, structure, style, and statements. Reviews, such as peer reviews, can be used to examine and assess the work of other authors, rating the work by comparing it to the work of others. A review article is frequently written for a large readership, which is why it is usually brief. 

Review papers can be classified into three types:

• Narrative: a collection of and attempt to communicate all known information about a certain topic. It is based on research that has previously been completed and published. 
• Meta-analysis: a method of comparing and combining the findings of past research studies. It is done routinely to evaluate the efficacy of a particular initiative or method of treatment.
• Systematic: a search of all known scientific information on a topic to find a solution to a specific issue or problem. 

What is a research paper?

A research paper entails writing on research that has been performed by themselves, usually something new and done mostly from scratch since it has to be original research. It incorporates the research parameters, as well as the assessment, interpretation and important findings of the research. 

Writing a research paper involves several phases and different aspects, such as: selecting a topic, developing a hypothesis, conducting research, testing the hypothesis, drawing conclusions, and publishing a paper supporting or denying the hypothesis. 

Review paper vs. Research paper

Now that you have a basic understanding of both sorts of papers, it is time to compare and contrast the main differences between review paper vs. research paper.

These are the main differences, however, there may be others:

• A research paper is usually more detailed and thorough than a review paper.
• A research paper is usually peer-reviewed, but a review paper is not always.
• In general, a research paper is more formal than a review paper.
• A research paper’s tone is normally objective, but a review paper’s tone can be more subjective.
• A research paper is normally written in APA style, however, a review paper may be written in a different format.

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Thesis vs. Research Paper: What's the Difference?

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Types of Research Papers: Overview

• Types of Research Questions

A research paper is simply a piece of writing that uses outside sources. There are different types of research papers with varying purposes and expectations for sourcing.

While this guide explains those differences broadly, disciplines and assignments vary. Ask your professor for clarification on the purpose,  types of appropriate research questions , and expectations of sources for your assignment.

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5 tips to enhance your research paper’s visibility and altmetric score.

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I previously wrote about the importance of attracting public attention to scientific research . In today’s world, where billions of people are attached to their digital devices watching the very addictive but often useless TikTok content or receiving instant gratification by engaging in meaningless debates about celebrities, scientists need to find creative ways to have their research noticed. Popularizing scientific research helps inspire the younger generations to go into science and provide the general public with a sense of optimism enabling the government to channel more resources into science. People do need inspiration. But very often, even very important scientific breakthroughs requiring many years, hard work, skill, funding, and genuine serendipity go largely unnoticed by the general public.

One of the best ways to measure expert and public attention is the cumulative Altmetric Attention Score , originally developed by Digital Science and adopted by many prestigious publishers, including Nature Publishing Group. Every Nature paper and the papers published by pretty much every credible publisher are tracked by Digital Science by the Document Object Identification (DOI) or the Unique Resource Locator (URL) . While Altmetric has many limitations, for example, it does not track LinkedIn posts and may not adequately cover the impact of top-tier media coverage, at the moment it is the blueprint for tracking attention.

Altmetric Score in The Age of Generative AI

Media attention is likely to be very important in the age of generative AI. Many modern generative systems, such as ChatGPT, Claude, Mistral, and Gemini, as well as hundreds of Large Language Models (LLMs) in China, use the data from the same sources referenced in Altmetric to learn. The more times generative systems see the same concept presented in different contexts, the better they learn. So if you want to contribute to the training of AI systems that may thank you for it in the future - Altmetric is the way to go.

So what can a research group do to ensure they are communicating their findings effectively and increasing the visibility of their research to ensure it gets reflected in the Altmetric Attention Score?

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Altmetric openly discloses the weights of the various sources and the scoring algorithm is relatively straightforward. It is easy to learn, and there are multiple online resources providing advice on how to share your research in ways that will be captured by Altmetric. Cambridge University Press published a guideline to Altmetric for the authors on how to popularize their research with Altmetric in mind. Wolters Kluwer put out a guide and the editor of Toxicology and Pathology wrote a comprehensive overview of Altmetric and how to use it. Surprisingly, this overview got an Altmetric Attention Score of only 4 at the time of the writing, but was cited 137 times according to Google Scholar .

Altmetric monitors social networks, including X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Reddit; all major top-tier mainstream media, mainstream science blogs, policy documents, patents, Wikipedia articles, peer review websites, F1000, Syllabi, X (formerly Twitter), tracked Facebook pages, Reddit, one of the Stack Exchange sites, and Youtube. Unfortunately, several powerful platforms, including LinkedIn, are not currently tracked.

The popularity of the paper depends on many factors. Firstly, it has to be novel, trendy, and newsworthy. You are unlikely to get high Altmetric Score with a boring topic. Secondly, papers coming out of popular labs in top-tier academic institutions and in top journals are likely to attract more attention. Often, the communications officers in these academic institutions work closely with the media to amplify notable research. Celebrity companies, for example, Google DeepMind, consistently get higher coverage.

Screenshot of the Altmetric Attention Score "Flower" showing several tracked sources

Here are the five tips for increasing the visibility of your work and ensuring that reach is tracked and reflected by Altmetric:

1. Understand How Altmetric System Works

Congratulations, if you read this article and looked at what sources are tracked by Altmetric. Most likely, you got the basics and will be able to get a “balanced flower” by making a press release, tweeting the DOI of the paper on X, posting a video overview of your paper on Youtube, announcing on Reddit (I still need to learn how to do this).

To understand how Altmetric works, I emailed a few questions to Miguel Garcia, Director of Product and Data Analytics Hub at Digital Science and my first question was wether the Altmetric algorithm is open source. “The Altmetric Attention Score's calculation is not open source but we try to provide as much information as possible around how we calculate it here, and are currently considering what steps we might take to make our algorithms more transparent.” He also provided a link to how the Altmetric Attention Score is calculated.

Many professionals use LinkedIn as the primary social media resource and I was wondering why Altmetric stopped tracking it. Bad news - technical reasons prevent tracking DOIs on LinkedIn. Good news - they are actively seeking ways to appropriately track mentions on LinkedIn and we may see some news toward the end of the year.

My other big question was how does Altmetric count tweets and retweets on X. What if there are many posts from the same account? Miguel’s response was: “Re-tweets count less than original tweets. In addition to that, modifiers are applied to the type of account that is tweeting in order to reduce the weight of the tweet in situations where we find signals of bias or promiscuity (for example a journal publisher only tweeting their own articles). Besides that, we have conditions around the maximum number of retweets in order to limit the maximum impact they would have.”

So tweeting the article many times will not help you. But if other scientists tweet you paper with a DOI - these tweets will get counted. So tweet others as you would like to be tweeted.

2. Make a Press Release and Distribute to Science-focused Media

If your paper is significant, for example, you elucidated novel disease biology, discovered a new drug, developed a new fancy algorithm, designed a new material, or developed a new application for a quantum computer, it is worthwhile investing some time and resources in writing a press release. If you are working for an academic institution, most likely they have a communications office that will help you. If you do not have this luxury, you will need to learn how to write a press release. Plenty of free online guides cover the basics of press release writing. And press releases are one area where ChatGPT and other generative tools do surprisingly well. Upload your paper and ask it to write a press release, check for errors or exaggerations, edit, and you are ready to go. Just make sure to include the DOI and the URL of your paper. A proper business press release on BusinessWire or PRNewswire may cost several thousand dollars. In my opinion, these resources are dramatically overcharging while providing little service. I don't remember a case where a journalist picked up our news based on a commercial press release. But these releases are often reposted by other online press release distributors and the boost to Altmetric may be considerable. The default news release distribution service for research news is EurekAlert. This resource may sometimes result in journalistic coverage as many reporters are using it for science news. There are many free resources you can use if you do not have any budget.

Once the press release is issued, share it with the media. Share the resulting news coverage via your social networks and contacts. Many journalists track the popularity of their news articles and giving them several thousand extra views from professional audience and increasing their social following increases the chances that they will cover the next important research paper.

3. Make a Blog Post

Writing a blog post can be longer and more comprehensive than the press release. Make sure to add fancy diagrams and graphical explainers. You can share the blog post with the journalists at the same time as the press release. Your blog may serve as a source of inspiration for third party news coverage. Make sure to reference the DOI and URL of your paper.

If your paper is in one of the Nature journals, consider writing a “Behind the Paper" blog post on Nature Bioengineering Community. Surprisingly, these blogs are rarely picked up by Altmetric but may serve as a source of inspiration for the journalists and social media influencers. Plus, it is a resource by the Nature Publishing Group.

4. Tweet and Ask Your Team Members to Tweet

Each post on X gives you a quarter of an Altmetric point. If your paper goes viral on X, your Altmetric score can be considerable. Plus, once journalists notice that it went viral, they will be more likely to cover the story, further increasing the score.

Try to choose the time of the post, the hashtags, and the images wisely. Since Elon Musk took over X and opened the algorithm it became very transparent and easy to optimize for. Here are the top 10 tips for boosting attention for a post on X. Make sure to include the DOI or the URL of the paper for Altmetric to find the post.

5. Experiment, Learn, Repeat

My highest Altmetric Attention Score core to date was around 1,500 for a paper in Nature Biotechnology published in 2019, where we used a novel method for designing small molecules called Generative Tensorial Reinforcement Learning (GENTRL) to generate new molecules with druglike properties that got synthesized and tested all the way into mice. In 2024, we went further and showed that an AI-generated molecule for an AI-discovered target was tested all the way up to Phase II human trials, but the paper published in Nature Biotechnology, let’s call it the TNIK paper , has achieved a score ofjust over 600 to date. So what has changed and what can we learn from these two papers?

The popularity of the paper depends on many factors. Ones which capture the public imagination or have widespread appeal are of course, much more likely to gain traction online. When we published the GENTRL paper in 2019, Generative AI was in its infancy, and there are pretty much no other companies that I heard of at the intersection of generative AI and drug discovery. We also published multiple articles in this field in the years leading to that paper and many key opinion leaders (KOLs) followed us. That following included a small army of generative AI skeptics who not only contributed to multiple rejections in peer-reviewed journals but also openly criticized this approach in social networks. This criticism also helped boost the Altmetric Score and bring more attention to the study. So first learning from this exercise - negative publicity helps overall publicity. As long as you are certain that your research results are honest - leave room for criticism and even help expose your paper’s weaknesses. Critics are your greatest Altmetric boosters. Since readers and, by extension journalists, react to negative news and drama stronger than to positive news, critical reviews will boost your Altmetric as long as the DOI or URL of the paper is properly referenced.

Secondly, papers coming out of popular labs in top-tier academic institutions and in top journals are likely to attract more attention. Often, the communications officers in these academic institutions work closely with the media to amplify notable research. Celebrity companies, for example, Google DeepMind, always get a higher level of coverage. For example, the AlphaFold paper published in July 2021 in Nature got an Altmetric Attention Score of over 3,500 . Even though I have not seen any drugs out of AlphaFold reaching preclinical candidate status, I predict the popularity of this tool will result in the first Nobel Prize in this area. Therefore, in order to become famous and popularize your research more effectively, it is a good idea to build up the public profile of yourself and your work. For example, Kardashians are famous for being famous .

Be careful with Wikipedia. I made a mistake explaining the importance of Wikipedia to students when lecturing on the future of generative AI, and one or two of them got banned for expanding the articles with paper references. Wikipedia requires that these are added by independent editors rather than the authors of papers themselves, but if some editors do not like it, they will not go deep or investigate - they will assume wrongdoing. So it is better to avoid even talking about Wikipedia. References there should happen naturally and often some of the more popular papers get picked up and referenced by veteran editors.

Experimenting with Altmetric will also help you explore new strategies for popularizing scientific research and develop new strategies for inspiring people to learn or even get into the new exciting field. UNESCO estimates that there was just over 8 million full-time equivalent (FTE) researchers in 2018 globally. Only a fraction of these are in biotechnology - less than 0.01% of the global population. If you motivate a million students to go into biotechnology by popularizing your research, you double this number.

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AI Index Report

Welcome to the seventh edition of the AI Index report. The 2024 Index is our most comprehensive to date and arrives at an important moment when AI’s influence on society has never been more pronounced. This year, we have broadened our scope to more extensively cover essential trends such as technical advancements in AI, public perceptions of the technology, and the geopolitical dynamics surrounding its development. Featuring more original data than ever before, this edition introduces new estimates on AI training costs, detailed analyses of the responsible AI landscape, and an entirely new chapter dedicated to AI’s impact on science and medicine.

Read the 2024 AI Index Report

The AI Index report tracks, collates, distills, and visualizes data related to artificial intelligence (AI). Our mission is to provide unbiased, rigorously vetted, broadly sourced data in order for policymakers, researchers, executives, journalists, and the general public to develop a more thorough and nuanced understanding of the complex field of AI.

The AI Index is recognized globally as one of the most credible and authoritative sources for data and insights on artificial intelligence. Previous editions have been cited in major newspapers, including the The New York Times, Bloomberg, and The Guardian, have amassed hundreds of academic citations, and been referenced by high-level policymakers in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, among other places. This year’s edition surpasses all previous ones in size, scale, and scope, reflecting the growing significance that AI is coming to hold in all of our lives.

Steering Committee Co-Directors

Ray Perrault

Steering committee members.

Erik Brynjolfsson

John Etchemendy

Katrina Ligett

Terah Lyons

James Manyika

Juan Carlos Niebles

Vanessa Parli

Yoav Shoham

Russell Wald

Staff members.

Loredana Fattorini

Nestor Maslej

Letter from the co-directors.

A decade ago, the best AI systems in the world were unable to classify objects in images at a human level. AI struggled with language comprehension and could not solve math problems. Today, AI systems routinely exceed human performance on standard benchmarks.

Progress accelerated in 2023. New state-of-the-art systems like GPT-4, Gemini, and Claude 3 are impressively multimodal: They can generate fluent text in dozens of languages, process audio, and even explain memes. As AI has improved, it has increasingly forced its way into our lives. Companies are racing to build AI-based products, and AI is increasingly being used by the general public. But current AI technology still has significant problems. It cannot reliably deal with facts, perform complex reasoning, or explain its conclusions.

AI faces two interrelated futures. First, technology continues to improve and is increasingly used, having major consequences for productivity and employment. It can be put to both good and bad uses. In the second future, the adoption of AI is constrained by the limitations of the technology. Regardless of which future unfolds, governments are increasingly concerned. They are stepping in to encourage the upside, such as funding university R&D and incentivizing private investment. Governments are also aiming to manage the potential downsides, such as impacts on employment, privacy concerns, misinformation, and intellectual property rights.

As AI rapidly evolves, the AI Index aims to help the AI community, policymakers, business leaders, journalists, and the general public navigate this complex landscape. It provides ongoing, objective snapshots tracking several key areas: technical progress in AI capabilities, the community and investments driving AI development and deployment, public opinion on current and potential future impacts, and policy measures taken to stimulate AI innovation while managing its risks and challenges. By comprehensively monitoring the AI ecosystem, the Index serves as an important resource for understanding this transformative technological force.

On the technical front, this year’s AI Index reports that the number of new large language models released worldwide in 2023 doubled over the previous year. Two-thirds were open-source, but the highest-performing models came from industry players with closed systems. Gemini Ultra became the first LLM to reach human-level performance on the Massive Multitask Language Understanding (MMLU) benchmark; performance on the benchmark has improved by 15 percentage points since last year. Additionally, GPT-4 achieved an impressive 0.97 mean win rate score on the comprehensive Holistic Evaluation of Language Models (HELM) benchmark, which includes MMLU among other evaluations.

Although global private investment in AI decreased for the second consecutive year, investment in generative AI skyrocketed. More Fortune 500 earnings calls mentioned AI than ever before, and new studies show that AI tangibly boosts worker productivity. On the policymaking front, global mentions of AI in legislative proceedings have never been higher. U.S. regulators passed more AI-related regulations in 2023 than ever before. Still, many expressed concerns about AI’s ability to generate deepfakes and impact elections. The public became more aware of AI, and studies suggest that they responded with nervousness.

Ray Perrault Co-director, AI Index

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Title: megalodon: efficient llm pretraining and inference with unlimited context length.

Abstract: The quadratic complexity and weak length extrapolation of Transformers limits their ability to scale to long sequences, and while sub-quadratic solutions like linear attention and state space models exist, they empirically underperform Transformers in pretraining efficiency and downstream task accuracy. We introduce Megalodon, a neural architecture for efficient sequence modeling with unlimited context length. Megalodon inherits the architecture of Mega (exponential moving average with gated attention), and further introduces multiple technical components to improve its capability and stability, including complex exponential moving average (CEMA), timestep normalization layer, normalized attention mechanism and pre-norm with two-hop residual configuration. In a controlled head-to-head comparison with Llama2, Megalodon achieves better efficiency than Transformer in the scale of 7 billion parameters and 2 trillion training tokens. Megalodon reaches a training loss of 1.70, landing mid-way between Llama2-7B (1.75) and 13B (1.67). Code: this https URL

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Kantian Vs. Utilitarianism in Academic Dishonesty

This essay about the ethical analysis of academic dishonesty through Kantian and utilitarian perspectives explores how each framework interprets the morality of cheating in academia. Kantian ethics, based on Immanuel Kant’s principles, argues that academic dishonesty is inherently wrong due to its violation of universal moral laws and the duty to maintain honesty. On the other hand, utilitarianism, influenced by thinkers like Bentham and Mill, evaluates actions based on their outcomes, suggesting that cheating could be justified if it leads to greater overall happiness or benefits. The essay examines the rigid moral consistency of Kantianism against the consequential flexibility of utilitarianism, highlighting their impacts on academic integrity and ethical decision-making within educational settings.

How it works

Academic dishonesty is a complex issue that invokes serious ethical considerations. Examining this problem through the lens of two prominent philosophical theories, Kantian ethics and utilitarianism, provides a nuanced understanding of the moral dilemmas involved. Both perspectives offer distinct insights into the nature of truth, duty, and the consequences of our actions within the academic world.

Kantian ethics, founded on the principles of Immanuel Kant, emphasizes the importance of intention and the inherent duty to adhere to universal moral laws. From this viewpoint, academic dishonesty is inherently wrong regardless of the outcome.

Kant’s categorical imperative, which commands individuals to act only according to that maxim whereby they can, at the same time, will that it should become a universal law, directly contradicts the very notion of deceit or cheating. For Kant, the act of academic dishonesty could never be justified because it fails to respect the universal lawfulness and the intrinsic dignity of persons as rational beings. The integrity of one’s actions and the steadfast adherence to truth are paramount.

On the other hand, utilitarianism, articulated by philosophers like Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, assesses the morality of an action based on its outcomes or consequences. This approach might provide a more conditional view of academic dishonesty. If the act of cheating leads to greater happiness or benefit for the greatest number, a utilitarian might argue that it could be morally acceptable under certain circumstances. For example, if cheating on a test prevents significant distress or contributes to a larger beneficial outcome, utilitarian ethics might find a justification. However, this perspective also requires careful consideration of the long-term consequences of normalizing dishonesty, such as the erosion of trust and integrity in academic institutions.

The tension between these two theories becomes particularly evident when dealing with real-world scenarios. Kantian ethics offers a rigid framework that leaves little room for moral flexibility, stressing the sanctity of truth and duty. In contrast, utilitarianism allows for a more pragmatic approach, potentially adapting to circumstances to maximize overall happiness or reduce suffering.

However, both theories highlight important aspects of ethical decision-making in academia. Kantian ethics underscores the value of honesty as a moral duty, essential for the trust and credibility upon which academic institutions are built. Utilitarianism prompts a consideration of the broader impacts of academic dishonesty, including the potential harm to students’ futures and the integrity of educational outcomes.

In conclusion, when considering the issue of academic dishonesty, both Kantian ethics and utilitarianism provide valuable yet contrasting perspectives. Kantianism stresses unwavering adherence to moral law and the intrinsic wrongness of dishonesty, while utilitarianism considers the broader consequences and situational benefits that might arise from such actions. Both frameworks contribute to a deeper understanding of the ethical dimensions of academic life and challenge students and educators alike to reflect on the implications of their choices within the educational landscape.

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Research Paper vs. Term Paper: A Comparative Overview

This article provides a comprehensive overview of the two primary types of academic papers that students must contend with throughout their education: research papers and term papers. This comparison focuses on the defining characteristics, purposes, structure, formatting and evaluation criteria for each type to help readers understand how they differ from one another. Additionally, this analysis will discuss potential overlaps between these paper formats in order to provide a clear-cut understanding of which format should be used under certain circumstances. By delving into these key points surrounding research and term paper writing styles and forms, this article seeks to equip both instructors and learners with valuable insight as they traverse academia’s ever changing landscape.

I. Introduction

Ii. definition of research paper and term paper, iii. formatting guidelines for each type of assignment, iv. the main purposes of research papers vs term papers, v. differences in sources used for both assignments, vi. length requirements: a comparative analysis, vii. conclusion.

The goal of this section is to provide an overview of the differences between a research paper and a term paper. For both types of papers, the purpose remains fundamentally similar—to analyze existing knowledge on a topic and present new findings or perspectives.

• Research Paper

A research paper involves investigating topics in depth, often with field study or primary sources such as interviews. The author must collect data from multiple sources, assess it critically, synthesize their ideas into well-structured arguments and draw meaningful conclusions. Consequently, they may need more time for preparation than what’s required for writing a term paper because all elements have to be methodically researched before composition begins.

In contrast to research papers which require originality in terms of analysis methods used by authors; term papers are based primarily on synthesis work drawing from various secondary materials that already exist about the chosen subject area like books articles reviews etcetera. Thus it requires significant ability to assimilate different kinds of information so as to demonstrate coherent understanding across these points within essay structure allocated limited word count – making concise argumentative point while citing relevant examples facts figures evidence from other areas too if necessary..

What is a Research Paper?

A research paper serves as an informative document which provides evidence of intensive and in-depth study on the chosen topic. It presents the findings, conclusions or solutions that resulted from an investigation process. When assigned to compose this type of paper, one must identify a subject area first and then conduct extensive research with credible sources to determine how best to approach it. Moreover, appropriate resources have to be consulted such as journals, books or any other scholarly material related to the field under investigation. After collecting data from several sources – primary and secondary – through experiments or surveys for example; students need structure their work into specific sections like introduction body paragraphs and conclusion while citing reliable information properly throughout their composition.

Term Papers vs Research Papers

Students often confuse these two terms but there are important differences between them:

Making the Right Choices Choosing between a research paper and a term paper is an important step when formatting your assignment. Generally, if you need to conduct in-depth research into any given subject, then the best format for this task would be a research paper. On the other hand, term papers are more suitable for general overviews of topics or short essays that summarize specific areas of knowledge from multiple sources.

When selecting which type of assignment to complete it’s essential to understand what each requires in terms of structure and content – failure to do so could lead to poorly formatted results with little academic merit! Research papers typically require citation styles such as MLA or APA; they also involve extensive fieldwork and data analysis resulting in findings being drawn up before presenting arguments. Term papers usually focus on opinion rather than fact, involving much less data collection but still requiring rigorous evidence based referencing systems like Harvard style or Turabian format..

Research Papers vs Term Papers: A Contrast in Purpose When writing academic papers, a student often encounters two distinct tasks: the research paper and the term paper. Although they have similar titles, these assignments are vastly different in purpose and scope. A research paper , generally speaking, is an extended analysis of a topic that incorporates outside sources to support one’s argument or claims. It requires thoughtful reflection on previous studies or trends related to its subject matter as well as primary data collection when needed. Research papers aim for broad coverage of topics with depth rather than breadth. They may be directed at providing solutions to existing problems through empirical investigation or proposing novel perspectives on issues which can lead readers into new insights. Conversely, term papers , usually assigned at end-of-semester evaluations or tests offer students an opportunity to synthesize their understanding of key concepts acquired over the duration of a course into concise summaries that demonstrate mastery over them within a specified word limit. Rather than attempting originality like research papers do, term papers try bringing together relevant information from multiple sources for comprehensive assessment by instructors so that they get meaningful reflections regarding what was taught throughout the semester and how much it was understood by those enrolled in it.

When considering the two assignments of a research paper and term paper, there are clear differences in terms of their sources. The most notable discrepancy is that a research paper requires more extensive research , with primary and secondary sources being used to draw conclusions or make arguments. On the other hand, when completing a term paper students typically use fewer resources such as textbooks and online journal articles.

• A research paper will often involve greater analysis than one for an essay-style assignment; therefore it is necessary to consult multiple scholarly papers.

For instance, one may need to analyse previous studies on the topic area using qualitative methods before making valid claims about its implications.

In contrast, when writing a term paper source material can be limited but must still include evidence from reputable authors whose ideas form part of the discussion presented within. It should also demonstrate wider reading by citing reliable references throughout – however this does not necessarily mean researching further information related to the topic at hand.

• The primary focus here lies upon providing an informed opinion based on existing literature.

Length Requirements in Academic Papers: A Comparative Analysis

In the world of academia, two types of papers dominate the literary landscape—research papers and term papers. While both require a student to take an idea or topic and research it extensively, there are distinct differences between the two. One major difference is length requirements; each type of paper carries its own set of expectations for size.

Research papers usually demand more words than term papers do; they tend to run anywhere from 8-10 pages (or even longer). Such lengthy texts necessitate that students break down their ideas into multiple subsections in order to ensure clarity within such an expansive document. By contrast, most university instructors ask that students keep their term papers concise at around 3-5 pages long—and often prefer single spaced text with 1” margins all around when formatting! As such, these shorter pieces don’t leave as much room for fleshing out topics as research projects would allow. Rather, they must focus on succinctly summarizing information within a smaller word count limit so that readers can understand key points quickly without being bogged down by excessive detail or analysis.

The purpose of this paper was to distinguish between the research paper and term paper. We established that a research paper requires more complex analysis than a term paper, with students expected to demonstrate an understanding of primary sources when completing their work. In addition, we explored the differences in structure between these two forms of writing – including how conclusions can be drawn differently in each one.

To conclude then, it is clear that although both require critical thinking and effort from students; there are fundamental differences which should be taken into consideration. While a research paper will require more time spent on finding information, collecting evidence and developing arguments – resulting in longer pieces – term papers generally involve shorter exercises which demand less commitment. As such they represent different levels of challenge for pupils; allowing them to develop increasingly intricate skills as they progress through academia.

In conclusion, the comparison of research and term papers reveals that they share many similarities as well as differences. This study has served to demonstrate how both types of written work can be used effectively for learning and academic success. Further exploration into this topic is needed in order to provide a more comprehensive understanding on the specific roles each type of paper holds within academia. It is important for students, instructors, and faculty members alike to understand the nuances between these two writing forms so that expectations are properly established throughout any learning process or educational setting.

Ebook vs paper: which reading medium is better for the environment?

Ereader makers have taken steps to make digital reading greener, but how sustainable is it?

Blame it on the digital age or on the Covid lockdown years, but the way we read has changed. We’re increasingly consuming books digitally, with several of us adopting ereaders instead of buying printed books. This change in behavior could be considered better for the planet – after all, no trees are getting destroyed to make said books.

That’s not the only reason to read ebooks. Did you know that about 26% of worldwide waste is paper and paperboard? Clearly we’re not all recycling as much as we should be. UK-based waste management company Business Waste has some interesting stats on how much paper we throw away, and it doesn’t even take into account all the paperbacks and text books we might be discarding. Sure, paper decomposes, but that takes 2-6 weeks and the ink could be poisoning our soil and groundwater. 

On the other hand, manufacturing an electronic device arguably has a bigger carbon footprint. According to a New York Times report from 2010, a single ereader needs about 33 pounds of minerals and 79 gallons of water to make, and it has a limited lifespan.

Sustaining digital reading

Manufacturing processes may have changed since that report was published, and while I’m not saying they’re a sustainable process, there are some ereader makers trying to make a change.

Amazon ’s 2022 Kindle was the first to be made using up to 75% recycled plastic in its body and up to 90% recycled magnesium. Amazon adopted a similar stance with the Kindle Scribe a little later that same year, with the larger note-taking ereader built with 48% recycled plastic and 100% recycled aluminum.

Life without a Kindle is like life without a library nearby. Franz McLaren, Author (Home Lost)

Japanese-Canadian brand Kobo, however, is making ereading even more sustainable. The first tablet it released that used recycled materials was the Kobo Clara 2E – the E moniker indicating its eco-friendly origins. According to Kobo, its body was 80% recycled plastic, 10% of which was ocean bound. It was the same with the Kobo Elipsa 2E as well. The company’s 2024 ereaders take it even further – the Kobo Libra Colour , Clara Colour and Clara BW not only use recycled plastics (including ocean-bound waste) in their bodies, but the packaging is 100% recycled and all the words and images printed on the boxes are soy ink, which is biodegradable.

Like other electronic devices, ereaders also have a limited lifespan – on average, a Kindle or a Kobo will give you 6-8 years of use, but several can exceed 10 years of use. Kobo, however, is trying to extend the life of its devices, with the 2024 models possibly becoming the most repairable ereaders available today. The brand has partnered with iFixit to make repair kits and instructions available to potential customers, although this initiative hasn’t gotten off the ground yet – the Libra Colour, Clara Colour and Clara BW are still in pre-order as of this writing.

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I am yet to hear about other ereader brands, like Onyx and PocketBook, moving towards a greener future, but this is a good start, particularly from Kobo.

Kindle your (green) reading dreams

There hasn’t been much research done on which reading habit is more sustainable. There are a handful of studies, and a 2021 article published in the Journal of Library & Information Science Research tried to collate this information to determine whether ereading was more sustainable – the results were inconclusive. So, for the more environmentally conscious reader, which option do you choose?

Well, opting for one of the latest Kobo ereaders might be a good place to start and, despite some non-renewable materials being used to make it, a report from 2009 (via CNET ) suggested using an ereader might be the greener option. At the time it was estimated that around 168kg of carbon dioxide was produced over the lifespan of a single Kindle DX, which was the most popular e-ink device back then. 

Despite being a big number, it can offset about 1,074kg of CO2 produced if you were to buy just three print books each month over four years. Depending on how long the ereader lasted, it could compensate for up to 26,000kg of CO2 over its lifetime. Even if you aren’t a voracious reader, an ebook reader could still have a lower carbon footprint than paper books.

Until recently, I was an ebook sceptic, see; one of those people who harrumphs about the “physical pleasure of turning actual pages” and how ebook will “never replace the real thing”. Then I was given a Kindle as a present. That shut me up. Charlie Brooker, Writer & TV presenter

There are other reading habits you can develop that would make digital reading a greener option than buying paperbacks. For starters, borrowing ebooks and digital magazines from the library instead of buying new titles in print not only means there’s less paper being used, but you’re also saving money on buying new books – digital or otherwise. That’s a win-win.

In the US, you can use your Kindle to borrow from a library; elsewhere, Kobo is your best option, with OverDrive baked into every model. You will need to check with your local library if they have OverDrive support, or borrowing directly from a Kobo device is a no go. You can, however, use the Libby mobile app if your library supports that.

If you’re someone who prefers to buy rather than borrow, an ereader becomes the more eco-friendly option if you read upwards of five 360-page hardback titles a year or around nine paperbacks. If you don’t read as much, then purchasing second-hand printed books is the better alternative.

No matter what reading format you choose, the most important thing is to dispose of the books or the device thoughtfully.

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Sharmishta is TechRadar's APAC Managing Editor and loves all things photography, something she discovered while chasing monkeys in the wilds of India (she studied to be a primatologist but has since left monkey business behind). While she's happiest with a camera in her hand, she's also an avid reader and has become a passionate proponent of ereaders, having appeared on Singaporean radio to talk about the convenience of these underrated devices. When she's not testing camera kits or the latest in e-paper tablets, she's discovering the joys and foibles of smart home gizmos. She's also the Australian Managing Editor of Digital Camera World and, if that wasn't enough, she contributes to T3 and Tom's Guide, while also working on two of Future's photography print magazines Down Under.

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