THE RESEARCH PAPER
There is a standard format for all research reports, whether they be of the natural or social sciences. The ultimate goal is to test hypotheses, the predictions derived from one's theory and built upon the findings of others.

The structure of the research paper reflects the profound relationship between theory and fact. Facts do not speak for themselves. As Marvin Harris (Cultural Materialism 1979:7) observed, "facts are always unreliable without theories that guide their collection and that distinguish between superficial and significant appearances." On the other hand, theories without facts are meaningless. The premise of science (and what distinguishes it from dogma and armchair philosophizing) is the authority of experiment and observation over reason, ideology, and intuition.

Also reflected in a research paper is the cumulative nature of scientific knowledge. In the "Review of Literature" section one reports on the findings of others relevant to one's......

Join Now to view the rest of this term paper!
Members: Login to view this research paper.

Title: Life
Approximate Word Count: 2455
Approximate Pages: 10 (250 words per double-spaced page)

With the Term Papers Lab Membership Pass, you get instant access to every essay on this site, including this essay on Life, for as long as you remain a member.

Other essays sites charge almost $100 for a single term paper. At Term Papers Lab, you can get instant access to over 100,000 research papers for as little as $29.95!