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Differences Between a Personal Essay and a Research Paper

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Personal essays and research papers are two different styles of writing but, both are important to practice in order to expand upon a students' writing skills.

Personal essays allow a student to write about topics that are important on a personal level (Tanemura, 2010). This style of writing has less restrictions than a research paper because in a personal essay it is acceptable to write about opinions, feelings, or thoughts. A research paper must contain facts and information that are backed by external resources and written in a persuasive flow and void of personal opinion.

A personal essay may be less restrictive but it is also beneficially so because it allows for exercising a broad range of the student's writing skills. Instead of gathering external information to strengthen an essay, the student must focus and probe their own mind to create the essay.

Three key components to any good paper, regardless of the writing style, includes readability, persuasiveness, and honesty. A paper cannot be a success unless the targeted audience is at least able to read and comprehend the purpose of the paper. Any paper can benefit from increasing the reader's comprehension of the content. The next essential component is to not only ensure the reader comprehends your intended meaning but, make them be able to see your perspective. The third key to good writing is honesty. If your information in your paper isn't true or honestly obtained it cuts the integrity and weakens any good points that may have been possible otherwise.

Kenny Tanemura(2010-04-21). Creative Writing. Retrieved from

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