Academic papers for studying abroad are divided into three categories: Essay, Paper and Dissertation. Those who do not have a high level of language proficiency are often confused when facing these diversified topics.
This paper helps scholars at home and abroad to understand and master the relevant knowledge by analysing the above three categories of academic papers in detail.
First of all, Essay is about 1,000 words in length, usually for undergraduate coursework or examination tasks. The form is simple and concise, elaborating only on a single topic without the need for independent data support.
While studying abroad, we are required to write short essays or course evidence of over 1,000 words or more in length, focusing on synthesis and critical analysis, and simplifying data if needed. It is acceptable if you do not have complete references. It is important to note that the term “ESSAY” is used to describe these papers in American English, whereas in the UK they are called “Undergraduate Degree Theses”. In addition, “ESSAY” in the Oxford Dictionary has a variety of interpretations, such as “short essay, argumentative essay, essay” and so on.
Secondly, Paper has a wide range of applications, including articles published in academic journals, but excluding bachelor’s theses, which are highly favoured by the United Kingdom and the United States, especially at the undergraduate level.
Compared with Essay, the length of Paper may increase according to the requirements of journals, but it is usually limited to less than 20,000 words, which is intended to demonstrate its wide applicability and rich types of essays.
Finally, the Dissertation is approximately 10,000 words or more in length and requires a clear research strategy and in-depth data analysis skills. Despite the difficulty of writing, it is extremely demanding of the creator’s professional knowledge and practical skills.
As a master’s level academic paper, the Dissertation is similar to the final research results of a PhD student, and both are regarded as important documents in academia. In general, the term “paper” originates from American English, while the British favour the term “ESSAY”. Both terms are associated with university seminar papers. In addition, “Thesis” is often used to describe a doctoral dissertation, while “Dissertation” refers to a master’s thesis. However, the rules for the use of such terms may be subject to disagreement and controversy.
Although Essay is common among international students, it is actually only one of the many types of research papers, and due to the diversity of research needs and objectives, various academic papers have their own formats and areas of appropriateness, such as Paper and Dissertation, which are similar in nature to Essay but still have significant differences in terms of standardisation and areas of appropriateness.
