Types Of Academic Research Paper: A Brief Overview

An academic paper is a piece of writing done by scholars and is devoted to questions and topics that are mainly of interest to academic communities. Writing an academic paper means finding a topic that is relevant – not only to you but for other scholars presenting them with an informed argument.

Creating an academic paper conforms to certain rules. So, if, you're still thinking "I don't want to write my college paper", use these tips when writing an academic research paper:

• Structure.

Unlike other types of writing (fiction or journalistic), the academic writing should logically and formally organize the flow of ideas so that the different parts of the writing form a complete and unified entity.

• Tone.

To investigate a problem in an academic manner, you need to use a neutral tone when presenting your arguments. Being dismissive or using a biased language is not acceptable.

• Language.

There are some certain requirements for the language of an academic research paper. As your main task is to precisely explain and express your ideas to the reader, be sure your language is formal, concise, and accurate enough.

• References.

Citing to acknowledge the sources of the arguments or the ideas presented in your work is a sign of a good academic paper.

It is also important to distinguish between the ways of approaching an academic paper. There are several different formats setting various tones for the entire paper in order to present the author’s idea in the best possible way. The major types of academic paper are as follows:

• Argumentative.

This type of a research paper is mainly chosen when the author wants to come up with a debated topic. The reader is presented with two opposite ideas and the author draws the reader in favor of one of them by supporting it with the relevant facts and data and arguing against the contradictions.

• Cause and effect.

When choosing this type of an academic paper, the author guides the reader through a series of chain event scenarios. The cause and effect papers are required to be written based on supported evidence.

• Compare and contrast.

This is a good structure for writers who want to compare two different subjects to highlight their similarities and differences. The idea is not to persuade the readers, but rather introduce them into the nature of both subjects.

• Analytical.

This type of a research paper is chosen by writers who want to sum up a variety of considerations upon a subject. The main idea is to provide the readers with as many viewpoints as possible, offering them a chance to draw their own conclusions.