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Different Types Of Research Papers

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Written by David Santana
Posted: August 17, 2021
Last update date: June 20, 2024
7 min read

Academic time is a period of great challenges. The most difficult ones concern the production of creative, sizeable, and meaningful works. To do so, the student must find the necessary information and choose the key thoughts to develop in their text. The most responsible thing is to put all the data together logically, consistently, and concisely. Moreover, each university (college) puts forward unique formatting requirements.

First, the subject of the document subject determines the basic points. Thus, lawyers necessarily refer to the norms of laws in their work. Mathematicians operate with formulas and calculations. Philosophers are freer and rely on their own conclusions and thoughts. Depending on the types of research papers, this affects the structure, format, and narration style. Preparing a student paper seems complicated, long, and boring. However, this process can bring pleasure! In this article, we will share information about different types of research projects to help students easily create academic papers.

Analytical Research Papers

The main task of writing a paper is teaching the student how to think. Thus, the two main types of research papers ─ analytical and argumentative ─ rely on facts to process. The differences between these academic papers seem non-obvious at first. Therefore, we will consider each of them in turn. Analytical type of work work assumes the deepest possible immersion in the subject (topic). Here are the main components of analytical research papers:

  • The main concept can be broken down into additional topics (categories).
  • Critical thinking becomes the basis for interpreting the data obtained.
  • They are a mix of information: scientific data and literature are intertwined with contemporary ones.

No wonder students frequently need academic paper assistance when preparing such texts for the first time. A specialist can quickly and accurately gather and present the necessary information according to the requirements. If you are struggling with what is an analytical research paper, we`ll give you simple advice. Consistency is what will help add readability to your paper. Keeping in mind the principle of “one paragraph / one thought”, you will not get confused by the information. This approach helps to keep the story logical while you are not as familiar with the different types of research articles. When you master working with analytics, writing college papers will become easier.

Argumentative or Persuasive Research Papers

Actually, there are multiple genres of scientific papers with mixed formats. We will now examine argumentative (persuasive), often confused with analytical texts. However, this type of research paper has notable features:

  • They are based strictly on facts.
  • Each statement is reasoned.
  • Several sources support statements.

In contrast to the previous one, the focus is on conveying a thought and convincing the reader of it. If you are a medical student, you know biology research papers rely on survey data, statistics, and professors’ opinions. A quality medical paper excludes theories and speculations. For example, they rely on successful cases when they want to convey the effectiveness of a new drug or treatment regimen. You can read transcripts of legal proceedings: it gives a great insight into how argument structure works. For example, some parts of the sensational court hearings of actor Johnny Depp were published online. And later, they became part of the student papers of future lawyers.

The main thing to realize is that different types of research papers also have different purposes. The format should not be perceived as a limitation. Following the structure and key principles allows one to convey the key messages. For example, argumentation is especially good when conveying a controversial or unpopular idea. You are sort of practicing objections with the reader by factualizing them.

Definition Research Papers

During the studies, you may meet opposing types of academic papers. One kind may give more freedom for thoughts and manifestations. The other requires the author to be as objective as possible. This type of document, as the name implies, emphasizes informativeness. To understand the concept of such texts, note the following research paper topics. The title often already contains the main idea:

  • “Fundamentals of pathogenic bacterial development”;
  • “Principles of artificial intelligence”;
  • “Legal aspects of relationship regulation”.

The main author’s task here is to transfer information. Usually, here comes the difficulty of choosing interesting and relevant data. That is why you can often ask yourself: who can write my research paper per all guidelines and professor’s expectations?

People who have not faced the need to prepare a text consider this task simple. First and foremost, writing a plan makes composing study papers easier. Depending on the requirements, highlight 5-7 main facts that need to be described. When you have a draft ready, adding additional information becomes less challenging.

Compare and Contrast Papers

Success is close when you understand how to use distinct types of research articles. Interestingly. students lament they lack writing skills. However, this will only be an advantage in some academic papers. One of the options worth mastering is texts based on comparison/contrast, e.g., to describe colors or texture. How do you explain the difference between green and lettuce colors?

Let’s explain this type of research papers with a simple example. You have two monitors in front of you. You can describe all the charms using beautiful epithets. But the reader will not understand: which one is better? Rely on technical characteristics: size, performance, battery, matrix. When discussing visual objects, use images: they often speak better than words.

It’s a principle that applies to scientific research work creation. Excessive emotionality of the author may indicate interest / attempted manipulation. Otherwise, the cold and dry facts create the very contrast and comparison that allow the reader to draw personally appropriate conclusions. If you are pursuing a specific thought, you need to know which comparisons are relevant to your topic.

Cause and Effect Papers

As students learns, they master different types of research texts. Often, teachers request informative and analytical materials at the beginning of the training. However, by the middle of the training, one cannot do without more complex formats of research papers. This type of work assumes a deep immersion in the subject and topic. The author must describe the causes and consequences of the events or phenomena.

The very mechanism of creating a paper differs. The author mainly collects information from the previous varieties, having a key thought. To conclude, you must first understand all the data received. And only after that, it is possible to separate the main idea. At the same time, such a process shows how types of scientific papers are created, claiming to be experts in the future. The most interesting thing is that the original theory and the author’s opinion can change dramatically. This is the value: the student enriches the knowledge and adds important research to the world library.

Reports

It is a mistake to assume that reports are dry statistics. You will likely find cautious theories in different types of scientific papers, even if the author is an experienced scientist. In medicine, for example, you don’t rely on the one-time success of a vaccine. You can only talk about the effectiveness of a treatment after years of confirmed positive research.

Reports are especially often used to present data in medicine, biology, and physics. To confirm dogmatic claims, the same experiment is performed thousands of times. Discoveries are often spontaneous and accidental. At the same time, science tries to explain and confirm that even errors are part of the fact.

In these types of research papers, it is especially important to maintain accuracy. Researchers must adhere to citation and ethical rules to ensure the validity and reproducibility of their work. Indeed, effective communication of experimental results promotes scientific knowledge and informed debate in the academic community.

Survey Research Papers

All types of academic paper have a place for data obtained by talking to people. Consequently, qualitative student work involves a combination of methods for better research. Surveys, when used properly, become an important source of obtaining information.

The key aspect is to obtain a relevant sample. For example, if your paper focuses on the difficulties of young mothers, it is unlikely to be wise to reach out to child-free men aged 50+. There are also several other important factors to consider: each respondent’s place of residence, social status, and education. Example topics could range from public opinion on social issues to consumer preferences in marketing. Reporting survey research requires transparency, statistical accuracy, and consideration of potential biases. Effective survey research contributes valuable insights into human behavior and societal trends, offering a quantitative foundation for academic inquiry and decision-making in various fields.

This is one of the types of research reports with which social work students and future political scientists are particularly likely to come into contact. In the process, students learn to see the relationship between behavioral patterns and demographic factors of different categories of people.

Interpretative Paper

An interpretative paper involves a subjective analysis of a given subject matter. Unlike purely factual or objective approaches, this type of paper delves into a topic’s deeper meanings, implications, and nuances. In simple words, it is more of the author’s freedom. The structure typically includes an introduction that outlines the context and significance of the subject, a literature review to provide background and context, a detailed analysis incorporating the writer’s interpretations, and a conclusion summarizing key insights.

Essential components of interpretative papers include a clear thesis statement, a comprehensive examination of relevant literature or sources, and a well-articulated argument supported by evidence. Example topics for interpretative papers might include the analysis of symbolism in literature, the interpretation of cultural phenomena, or examining historical events from a particular perspective. Writing such papers demands critical thinking, creativity, and the ability to present a coherent narrative that reflects the author’s insights and perspectives.

The Main Points When Writing Research Papers

All types of papers in research matters for different academic purposes. To successfully complete your assignment, remember the most important thing: you are a researcher. The best student papers are born out of their sincere interest. Focus not on the beauty or imagery of speech will come later.

Are you studying a discipline and have questions about certain topics? Take that question for research: it will motivate you to learn more information. The more literature and sources you plug in, the more thoughts you will have. This already provides unconventional conclusions, and you might be the one to voice a new perspective on familiar things. Thus, you succeed in academic learning and contribute to the development of science!

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