Report writing does not have to be the nightmare it has morphed into. For students, academic jargon can make them feel discombobulated. After all, what could the difference between a research report and a research paper be? The difference is subtle and, to an amateur essay writer who has not published any articles so far, they could be interchangeable. If you begin to write my essay for your degree, then would be a good time to know the difference between a report and a paper.

The Not-So-Distinct Distinction

A paper is published in a journal. This is an account of a study you conducted. A report represents the direct documentation of the study you have conducted. This is a description of an actual study. Almost all published papers are based on research reports. Reports may or may not be published. Almost all journals require you to write a research paper based on your research report. This is the major difference between the two. Usually, the two terms are also used interchangeably. I would remember this distinction if I had an essay writer ****based on a research report. You need to do the same if you aspire to be published!

Elements of a Report

Abstract

A report has all the elements that a research paper does but it is brief and less extensive. It omits several in-depth details and all but packs the same content in a much compact form. Brevity is the crux of a research report along with essay writing service. A report is strictly academic and formal. It has to embody objectivity, clarity, and avoidance of redundancy. A report begins with an abstract or an executive summary. The abstract summarizes the study. These are the highlights of your study. Here, you will briefly describe the purpose of the study, its methodology, results, and the recommendations the study makes for future studies.

Introduction

The abstract has to be followed by a table of contents. After this point, a report formally begins with an introduction and a literature review. Some reports provide separate titles for the introduction and literature review. It mostly depends on the format you are using and the requirements of certain journals for which you may happen to formulate a research report. It is a matter of preference. The introduction contextualizes the study by defining all the variables. For humanities, this is the time to present the main thesis of the report in all its glory and make the reader understand the topic by gaining insight into its background.

Introductions also provide an opportunity for the report to connect itself with a theoretical framework. This is where you develop all the connections necessary to explain your study and make it more insightful. The introduction connects recent, valid studies with the topic at hand. It enlists all the research questions and objectives of the study.

Literature Review

Literature reviews comprise a comparison of the recent studies related to yours. These studies are not only summarized but also evaluated for the status of authors, the journals these studies have been published in, and the inferences they have made. The literature review needs to be clear and concise. At the same time, it needs to be as detailed as the report requires it to be an essay writer online. All the variables or the general subject matter are explained in the light of recently published studies.

Methodology

The review is supposed to lead to a methodology tracing the steps of your study. Now is the time to explain the study’s design and strategy and justify the strategies and design to illustrate the connection they share with exploring the research questions effectively. The methodology also defines the variables and connects them. In the case of humanities research, the methodology offers an insight into the way a review or analysis of content has been carried out. This section also informs the reader of the modes of analysis chosen to gather results and make inferences.

Results and Discussion

After the methodology, the results and discussion present the findings and then make inferences based on the corroboration of these findings by extant studies. The inferences are the crux of your study. Again, some reports choose to allocate a different section to results and discussion each while others coalesce the two into one section. The choice could again depend upon the format and the journal which you are aiming for!

The Conclusion

Towards the end of the study, you need to offer certain limitations you think your study has been plagued with and the recommendations you think this study can make for future studies. You need to explain the scope of your study and the promise your study holds for future research.

Plagiarism-The Cardinal Sin

The report demands proper and apt citations. If you fail to do so, you are taking credit for someone else’s ideas. That is the very definition of identity theft. You would want to avoid this because such an act could result in the initiation of a disciplinary warning against you! Sticky circumstances you could definitely do without! Steer clear of plagiarism by citing resources where required and make your report all the more authentic, reliable, and valid.