In most cases, you must do research to write a standard academic essay. And you must do the same for a research paper. Any essay writing requires an introduction, body, and conclusion, as does the research paper. Both are types of academic writing, so how can we differentiate between them? For these reasons, the “essay vs research paper” struggle is a common problem among students.
To figure that out, we reached out to Nicolas Evans and Leticia Adamson for a little help. Nicholas is a professional writer at Customwritings.com, the department of ESL, and Leticia is the Head of the ESL program at Customwritings.com. They will sort out all the differences between the two genres.
Editor’s note: The content of the conversation is saved without changes. Some particular sentences were reformatted as tables or lists for a more comfortable reading experience.
Defining the Essay: Characteristics and Purpose
Q: What is an essay format? What are its main distinguishing characteristics, and what role does it play in academic writing?
Nicolas: I define an essay as a short form of writing with a clearly defined structure. The most canonic essay consists of an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. So, any text that fits these criteria is, in fact, an essay.
Leticia: Yeah, of course, depending on the size, there can be much more than three body paragraphs. However, if we speak about formal indexes, I would also add the mandatory presence of the thesis statement and the variety of sub-genres.
Nicolas: They do not make the definition less confusing (laughing – ed. note), but I see where you are coming from. The problem is that the essay has a uniform structure and hence has many similarities with other genres.
“In academic writing, an essay serves as a counterpart and primary source for all other genres. It is the most uniform training ground for students, giving the basis for any writing type they will need throughout their lives.”
Leticia Adamson, PhD in English Literature, Head of ESL program at Customwritings.com
For example, here are some genres that are similar to essays:
- Opinion editorial (used in magazines) – opinion essay
- Article – expository essay (both neutrally explain the topic)
- Research paper – research essay
Leticia: Okay, okay, then what about that definition: “An essay is a fundamental variative writing genre that has three mandatory but flexible parts (introduction, body, conclusion). The final formatting of these parts depends on the essay’s content.”
Nicolas: Yes, I like this one. I guess that is the closest we can get to the essay definition.
The Anatomy of a Research Paper
Q: What is the most critical difference between an essay and a research paper? Why do research papers differ so much?
Leticia: Oh, I have an easy answer for that question. The main difference lies in the content depth. Let me show how the “anatomy of a research paper” affects its depth. I will emphasize the points that are not present in the academic essay genre (the emphasized points are highlighted in bold – ed. note).
Research paper components | Their purpose |
| Abstract | Gives a summary of the research and explains the methodology and key findings. |
| Introduction | Presents the topic, research questions, and basic background information. Outlines the purpose and significance of the research. |
| Literature review | Examines the findings related to the research topic and explains at what point the collective research stands at this given point in time. |
| Working theory and framework | Presents what methods were used in the research. |
| Discussion | The main section that guides the reader through the research process. |
| Results and conclusion | Interprets the findings of the research, outlines key restrictions, and proposes the next steps. |
Nicolas: Yeah, it’s a good way to present the research paper vs essay contrast. I can say that the main distinctive feature of the research paper is a more conscious approach to methodology and analysis.
“When you write the essay format, you mainly research to find the arguments or counterarguments to a particular position. Or you do not need any sources at all; you just lay out your personal thoughts. When writing the research paper, the author should not have an initial perspective on the question. Their goal must be to find out what exists out there.”
Nicolas Evans, professional writer at Customwritings.com
Comparative Analysis of Structure and Content: How Different Is Different?
Q: It is clear that the two genres have distinctive variability. But can you name a specific difference between a research paper and an essay in the structure and content?
Nicolas: I can name quite a few, actually, not just one.
Leticia: Yeah, me too. We can name and explain them one by one. Shall we?
Nicolas: Sure, ladies go first.
Balancing depth and brevity in writing
Leticia: Well, obviously, the depth of the research is a crucial point here. We mentioned it before, but I would like to elaborate a little bit more. You are not expected to say something completely new in your field when you write an essay of any type. However, when you write a research paper, you must perform a comparative analysis of available information and present your findings in a new light or propose a new combination of information.
“In essay writing, you have to provide the originality of ideas but not the originality of your findings. The same does not apply to research papers.”
Leticia Adamson, PhD in English Literature, Head of ESL program at Customwritings.com
Here is a short example: If you write a research paper about the greenhouse effect, you must explain at what point the studies are now and the newest findings or decisions around that problem. If you write a research essay, your assignment questions will most often concentrate on what the greenhouse effect is and its consequences.
Managing the content’s goals and the role of sources and evidence
Nicolas: One more difference between essay and research paper I want to tell about lies quite close to what you said, Leticia. You mentioned comparative analysis, and that is actually the primary goal of the research paper. In research papers, sources and evidence play a more important role compared to essays.
In professional research, the structure and format follow the lead of the findings from sources.
Leticia: Yeah, and in the essay, sources and evidence are not structured THAT much, right?
Nicolas: Yes, the research essay has a clear and strict structure, too. However, as the college professors usually deliver the task, it is still student-centered. A typical academic research essay is about showing the student’s work. A more professional research paper is about aiming to join the academic community.
Crafting a strong thesis statement
Leticia: One more important difference is how you work with a thesis statement. In essays of any type, a thesis statement is simply a brief statement of your main idea. However, a thesis statement for a research paper is a hypothesis you believe can be true. It may or may not be true; you will find that out after doing the research. You do the analysis, collect the sources, and see whether it proves to be true. When you write an essay, you first do the research and then come up with a ready-to-go thesis statement.
Methodological Differences: Research vs Opinion
Q: Are there any writing tips for developing the correct methodology for both genres? Can regular students switch from essay writing to more advanced research paper writing?
Nicolas: Yes, of course, they can. First, let’s talk about methodological differences.
Methodological differences
Nicolas: The methodology of a research paper requires an understanding of how to collect data, what proves its validity, and what the sample and the scope of the research are. In research writing, you cannot simply state that something is true because someone famous said it; that is not considered a valid argument. Here are 23 step-by-step tips on writing a research paper, and here is an article about writing a strong research question. You don’t need to follow all these steps in essay writing meticulously.
Transitioning from essays to research papers
Nicolas: As for the transition, I also have only one crucial piece of advice here. You can effectively transition from writing essays to research papers with practice. Learn what arguments are weak and what are strong; learn what types of research methods exist. Learn about quantitative and qualitative research, and eventually, you will be ready for professional research papers.
Practical Tips for Writing Essays and Research Papers
Leticia: Oh, I actually have a few practical tips on how you do that. Here they are:
- Learn and practice one new skill at a time. For instance, you can learn quantitative research methods for essay writing, too. It will gain you some more points for the assignment, so that is a good way to kill two birds with one stone.
- Pay attention to the sources when you collect them. All peer-reviewed articles you use for your papers are, in fact, research papers. Carefully learn and write down the structure, argument logic, or some particularly good methods. You can use it all as your inspiration source.
- Try going the extra mile for yourself. If you want to join a scientific community in the future and work at a university or research center, start practicing now. To effectively transition from writing essays to research papers, choose your favorite topic and pretend you are a professional researcher. If you have good research ready, you can even reach out to your professor and see whether you can publish or further develop it.
Three Most Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What are the fundamental differences between a research paper and an essay?
Nicolas: Fundamental differences are the structure, the depth of research, and the purpose.
Q: How does the structure of a research paper differ from that of an essay?
Leticia: The structure of a research paper has such mandatory parts as an abstract, literary review, explanation of methodology, discussion, and findings. An essay consists of an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
Q: What are the key elements to consider when writing a research paper or an essay?
Nicolas: The key elements to consider are a well-defined thesis statement (research question), structure, and audience awareness.