Knowing More About the 5 Different Academic Papers

As preparation for employment, university requirements are generally much more difficult than what students encounter in high school. The general idea is to bombard them with tough tasks that can prepare them mentally and emotionally for what lies ahead in their professional career.

One such task is the academic paper that may be assigned in many subjects. The following are just some of the different academic papers you can expect during your college years.

  1. Cause and effect paper

As the name implies, this essay requires the student to focus on a problem’s causes and effects. In history, this could be connected to major uprisings, unifications, or even the fall of an empire. In the social sciences, this may be about what could occur because of decisions made in the not too distant past. Teachers often assign this essay to test the correlation skills of students, something that may be of much help in their future jobs.

  1. Compare and contrast paper

Another essay that could be assigned is the compare and contrast essay. Here, two subjects are compared to one another. For science, these could be two different theories, animals, diseases, and so much more. For business, these could be business processes or leadership styles. Aside from learning about the pros and cons of each, the student studying the two objects or ideas gets to know more about the field, which can be very helpful when they begin working.

  1. Analytical paper

This is a more in-depth paper where a controversial issue is given. The student must study the different angles about it, which means it is usually more than just an “I agree” or “I disagree” situation. Most teachers require a minimum of three sources per angle, making it one of the longer academic papers you will write. Something to remember is that this paper does NOT ask for your opinion, so ensure you do not give any personal thoughts anywhere.

  1. Argumentative paper

Another challenging task is the argumentative paper. Similar to the analytical paper, you will have to do much research to present both sides of the argument. The good thing, at least, is that there are usually just two angles to explore, allowing you to choose whether one side over the other.

Although you do get to choose a side, the idea is to discover the truth about the situation, even if it means your position may be incorrect. It sounds weird, but that is also what happens in your undergraduate thesis. So be thankful if you get to practice on this essay type a lot.

  1. Report

The report is the final academic paper on our list. Though it is not as long as the other papers and may not require as much research, the idea for this is to learn how to briefly present the facts to a potential boss. Many careers require writing reports for superiors, so don’t be surprised to get this assignment if your degree is business or science-related.

Summary

So those were 5 academic papers you will probably see in your college years. Though you might not like to write, keep in mind that these are all preparing you for a future job.