Personal Essays vs. Research Papers: What is the Difference?
Like everyone else, I myself was aware of the very basic ideas of a Personal Essay or Expository Writing and Research papers. But after doing some research on the internet on both the topics came to know a lot more detail about them and distinct differences between them. It needs a completely different approach to a Research Paper from writing a Personal Essay. My finding are stated below on both the topics. Personal Essay – The word “Personal” clearly states that this type of writing reflects personal views, opinions, observations, choice of words, arguments ND analytics.
A good personal essay is meant to concise and should be focused on the topic. This is done through proper definition, comparison and contrast, examples, analytics of cause and effect etc. To write a good Personal Essay one must strive for richness of the content. A reader is more interested when the essay offers an array of diverse yet informative facts and not just a long list of accumulated facts. It should also reflect the confidence of the writer regarding the topic and must not sound like he/she is begging or ragging.
Lastly, a strong conclusion must be present to leave a lasting impression on the reader’s mind. Research Paper – A research paper is a combination of various activities other than just writing it. If those are done correctly then there is a good chance that the writing part will be flawless. I believe the reason behind it is because you are spending so much time in doing those other activities, it gives you a clear and concise idea of the topic and most importantly, the confidence to write the paper.
The other activities which I keep mentioning about are, choosing a topic, the actual research process on the topic, critical thinking, source evaluation and organization. When it comes to the composition part, it should be free from ambiguity and must have clarity. Coherence is another aspect that must be maintained throughout so there is flow to the process. The reader must not feel clueless in the middle of process. In the end the writer should restate the thesis and summarize the main points of evidence for the reader.
