Things to Consider When Writing Analysis Research Papers

If you're planning on writing an analysis essay you need to do some preparation before you start. More than almost any other type of essay you have to get your structure exactly right, or the finished essay will be hard to follow. You also need to make sure in advance that the points you plan to discuss will let you come to a clear conclusion; in a scientific research paper it's fine to end with a technical version of "We still don't know," but in an essay you want to get a good grade for it's best to steer well clear of this. There are a few other points to keep in mind too, so here's a handy list.

• Write an outline. Your essay needs to contain four sections, each of them properly laid out and with the right information in it. Your outline should contain these headings:

1. Introduction - One paragraph, with no more than one or two sentences each on what the essay is about, how you studied it and what you concluded. Don't go into any detail; keep it general but attention-grabbing.
2. Thesis - This is actually the last sentence of the introduction but it's important enough to get its own section while you're planning. The thesis is the statement that the essay will be discussing. It could be a proposition that you want to prove true or false, a comparison of two things or a question about how an author presents an issue.
3. Body - This is where you present your evidence and discuss the points it raises. It makes up the largest part of your essay.
4. Conclusion - Say clearly what you've decided as a result of your discussion.

• Do your  research. Without a good supply of information about your topic you can't discuss it properly. If your topic is a book, read it! If it's a political issue look through news sites for new developments and opinions.
• Add detail to your outline. The more you develop your plan at this point the easier the writing itself will be. Create sub-headings and make notes about every point you want to discuss.
• Look for example essays. Seeing how other people have approached similar topics can give you some good ideas, and also show you some things to avoid.

Analysis essays can be hard to write, but following this process will make it a lot easier. They're also a good way to demonstrate your abilities, so it's well worth making the effort.