As a student of a higher academic level, it is necessary to have an idea about different types of academic papers. You may have to work on several assignments that require information related to paper types. So, you can better understand their use if you have the right information about similarities and differences between academic papers. Survey and review papers are two different types, and each type has a particular set of attributes. As per their frequent use, this article compares survey research papers and review papers based on their data and demand.
Table of Contents
What is Survey Research Paper?
A survey research paper summarises results systematically obtained through the research. Here, the paper discusses details of the target area for research and sample collection. You cannot work on a general item in research, but you have to be very particular about every aspect. The audience, age, socio-economic factors, techniques, and even the area of research have to be specified based on a justified reason. Before specifying these things, you must have background information about these aspects.
For example, in the case of a survey research paper, you have to work on a particular domain of research. In this scenario, you have to be clear about the categorisation and history of the research domain. You should not be doubtful about the selection and development of the research. These sets of information work well to present the research’s trends and then make decisions based on the obtained patterns.
The purpose of a survey research paper is to comprehend the topic of research and discuss its significance in detail. There is no need to add something new to the research, but you have to add comments on already approved research. In simple words, you can take it as a critical evaluation of research. Furthermore, you are allowed to supplement the future scope of research and its practical implementations.
When writing a survey research paper, there is no need to copy the author’s words. No one is interested to read the same thing repeatedly. What you have to do is the presentation of your thought on all attributes of research. Most novel writers simply paraphrase the research work, which does not help them secure any distinction. So, it is better to know the requirements for a productive piece of writing that can contribute to something effective.
The digital libraries, including ACM (Association of Computing Machinery) and IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), can help you best in this regard. Furthermore, you can go for Google Scholar, which has bundles of a survey research papers.
What is Review Paper?
A review paper aims to discuss the progression of research on a specified topic. In the review paper, the summary of recent research is provided to contribute well to the knowledge of the topic under discussion. At the time writing a review paper, you have to work hard on data organisation. In academics, a review paper is considered one of the best ways to communicate about different issues. In this way, you can better engage the general public in the discussion.
One thing that makes review papers popular among the community is the use of evidence for support. When you provide support to any claim, it increases the confidence of the reader to trust your words. In this way, you can better present a different point of view on the topic of discussion. Also, you need to put a high focus on different attributes of research. For example, you need to discuss research techniques used by the researcher. When discussing techniques, you have to inform the reader about details for data generation.
For a review paper, you cannot rely on a single piece of research. If you start writing a review paper after reading only one research, there is a strong chance that you will come up with poor content to add a review. To write a review that can stand out, you must read several research papers and articles related to the topic of your discussion. In this way, you can better develop a strong understanding related of the topic, and you can identify if there is any issue in the research work. All these features help generate an effective conclusion for the review paper of a particular study.
Is Survey Research Paper better than Review Paper?
There are some similarities between a survey research paper and a review paper, but you have to understand that these are two different types of writing. The major difference is in information type and demand in the research community.
In a discussion of a survey paper, the area of discussion falls under technical techniques, terms and background information. Also, the length of the survey paper is shorter than the review. Also, the review paper demands some expertise and detailed information on different facets of the problem/topic. So, you may have to read papers and relevant reports. For collecting relevant information, you have to spend valuable time with high focus. In short, a review paper requires extra effort. The research community shows more interest in a review than a survey paper.
As a survey research paper is a domain specified, it makes it less popular when compared with the review paper. Published research has great importance because of its approval from senior researchers. A review paper works for published research with authentic evidence, and a large number of readers find it attractive.
Final Thoughts
Based on the different aspects and demands of the survey research paper and review paper, it is concluded that the review paper is better. Its contribution to knowledge makes it stand out. It helps you generate strong as well as weak pointers on any research topic. The skill of critical evaluation can help you write a valuable review paper. With a high demand for review papers, it does not mean that survey research paper is not valuable. A survey paper has its own worth; sometimes, it is necessary to write it based on the research domain. Both papers have their worth in the research world, but in comparison, we find review papers better.