According to Lester, “a research paper is a piece of academic writing that requires a more abstract, critical, and thoughtful level of inquiry.” Contrary to what many people think, a research paper does not just summarize the findings of other people’s work nor does it just review the literature of other sources. Rather, a research paper is a presentation of the writer’s thoughts and opinions about a particular topic.
The role of other sources is to support the writer’s thoughts. Unlike in an essay where the writer uses only what he knows about the topic, in a research paper the writer has to gain deeper knowledge about the topic by reading widely articles and books written by experts of the topic. The writer will then use the information to support his stand on the topic.
