There are many differences between a research essay and a scholarly paper. While both papers present research findings, they are written in two different ways. An essay conveys an idea, while a paper is more focused on expressing a personal viewpoint. The research paper can be either descriptive or prescriptive. It can present new ideas, explore old ones, or draw upon information already available.

For graduate students who are writing their thesis, a guide to writing research papers is helpful. A thesis is typically related to the thesis statement of primary argument or central points of discussions among scholars that contributes further study. An essay, on the other hand, is more about telling a story to support an argument. It ought to clearly mention and document all of the principal points the research paper wishes to address, as well as any new or important essays buy point that the writer discovers during investigation. The thesis and other supporting materials are to be supported by primary and secondary research.

Another significant part of research paper writing is the outline. The outline is essential for any type of writing, whether it’s academic research papers, creative writing, sales copy, or academic research papers. The outline allows the writer to organize his/her ideas and also helps to organize the paper into an outline format. Outlines help the writer build organization within the paper and properly align the paper’s various sections, sub-sections and focus areas.

Most graduate students find writing research papers to be difficult and time consuming. Students who embark on the research paper writing process without an outline will have an uncontrollable urge to glance over their outlines, perhaps to double-check their correctness, spelling, grammar and other writing aspects. A lack of an outline can result in a messy, long, and sometimes inaccurate ending. It is essential that graduate students have an outline before they begin academic writing.

Source your research materials is the third most important aspect to research paper writing. While many people will rely on bookstores, libraries and the internet, only a few research papers actually require actual sources. When sourcing sources, there are many factors to consider. Students should search for secondary sources such as websites, encyclopedias and magazines, newspapers, journals, and the like.

The last, and arguably most crucial part of writing a research paper, is the conclusion. The conclusion is the strongest part of the research paper, and is usually where the writer ends up offering his/her opinion regarding the topic or issue raised in the introduction/main body of the paper. A weakly written conclusion leaves the writer with a weak argument and weak hooks for his/her work. Therefore, students must pay special attention to this part, as a poorly written conclusion will greatly diminish the value of the paper.