Infographic: 5 Differences between a research paper and a review paper
//doi.org/10.34193/EI-IG-5920
Andrea Hayward
Senior Editor, Global Community Engagement, Editage Insights
Dec 11, 2017 103.4k views
There are different types of scholarly literature. Some of these require researchers to conduct an original study, whereas others can be based on previously published research. Understanding each of these types and also how they differ from one another can be rather confusing for researchers, especially early career researchers. One of the most popular questions on our Q&A forum - What is the difference between a research paper and a review paper? - led us to conclude that of all the types of scholarly literature, researchers tend to be most perplexed by the distinction between a research paper and a review paper. This infographic explains the five main differences between these two types of scholarly papers.
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Related reading:
To learn about the different types of review papers, browse through this SlideShare presentation -What types of articles do journals publish?
References:
- What is the difference between a research paper and a review paper?
- 6 Article types that journals publish: A guide for early career researchers
- Review vs. Research Articles
- Frontiers in Neuroscience - Article types
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Review vs Research Paper
The main difference between a Review paper and Research Paper is that a Review paper is a secondary source and research on an already existing report whereas a Research paper is a primary source and gives an original report on a topic done by an individual.
The review paper is written on the research paper or any other written piece which has already been done whereas the Research paper is written on research by an individual.
Review paper generally sums up the already existing works and relates it to the current status of the topic or situation.
A research paper is a sort of writing that is done in various fields according to the interest of an individual, such as on any book, interview, survey, experiment, etc. The researcher has to collect and analyze the raw data and the study would continue according to the data he or she collects.
Difference between Research Paper and Review Paper
Scholarly literature can be of different types. Many of them require researchers to perform an original study, whereas others are based on previously published research. Amateur researchers have quite a confusion understanding each type of scholarly literature and the difference between them.
Research Paper
When researchers partake in an original study or investigation of a unique topic, for example, a study of the prevalence of substance abuse in a specific community or geographical area, the findings of that study are presented as a research paper. The most essential component of a research paper is the analysis of the topic, evidence to support the study and the conclusion of the study. It can comprise of the answer to the reach question and may include a hypothesis, the resource requirement for the study and the method followed to reach the conclusion. The formatting of a research paper is fairly similar across all subjects and institutions, though it can vary from one region to another depending upon the pattern laid down by the publishing and educational bodies. This scholarly work is unique and bears no similarity to any other published work. Analysis of the data can vary from the use of software to authentic experiments.
Review Paper
Review papers are universal and can be focused upon a wide range of mediums, including articles in journals, books, magazines, and software. A review paper refers to the study and survey of a recently published Research paper on a specific topic or subject. For instance, climate change due to industrial waste has many scholarly Research paper. these papers can be reviewed by any other number of scholars for its merits. In order to write a review paper successfully, one needs to have knowledge of what other scholars have written on the subject and their thoughts on the subject, particularly in recent times. the reach papers act as a reference and source material for these review papers. These can be stimulating and extremely exhaustive with the intent for undertaking research by introducing challenging materials and facts. It should act as a summary of the original research paper with all its relevant literature on the topic.
Key differences between the Research paper and Review paper are given in the table below:
| Purpose | Its purpose is to report a detailed description of the original research study that is unique and specific to a subject | Its purpose is to critic and analyze a published literature on a specific topic. |
| Basis | It must always be based on original research work and must be the primary reference source on the topic | it must always be based upon published scholarly literature and contain no new information on the topic |
| Contents | The contents of this paper must be based on analysis and interpretation of original data from the research study | These contain simple and compact summary of the original researh paper and should act as an overview on the topic. |
| Report | It reports every step undertaken for the study and include an abstract, well crafted hypothesis, its background studies, all methodology, conclusion and explanation of the findings | It reports commonalities among various research on the topic and the discrepancies with reasons for conflicting or varying results. |
| Length | More often it depends upon the journal publishing or educational authorities, but it can range from 3000 to 6000 words. | These generally have a limit of 3000 to 5000 words, but depending upon the merits of the paper it can be shorter. |
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