Papers and documents are two terms commonly used in academic research. They have the following differences:
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definition:
- Paper: A complete academic writing, usually including research questions, purpose, methods, data analysis, results and conclusions. Papers are the main form of expression of academic research results. Research results are shared with the academic community by publishing them in academic journals or conferences.
- Literature: Broadly refers to all relevant books, journal articles, dissertations, reports and other academic materials. In a narrow sense, it refers to published academic research results, including various academic journals, conference proceedings, dissertations, etc.
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Purpose and content:
- Thesis: Answer a research question and provide new insights, innovations and contributions through systematic research and analysis. Papers usually include introductory background, review of related work, research methods, experimental results, discussion, and conclusions to demonstrate the author's research results and opinions.
- Literature: Provide relevant published information and knowledge in the field of academic research. Literature can include theoretical reviews, empirical studies, case studies, etc. to support research arguments, provide background information, and cite previous research results.
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Publication method and carrier:
- Papers: Usually published through academic journals, academic conferences and other channels to ensure their quality and academic recognition. Papers can be found in print or electronic journals, conference proceedings.
- Literature: It can exist in the form of printed or electronic versions in libraries, databases, online paper archives and other resources for researchers to query and cite.
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Author and citation:
- Paper: Written by a group of authors, usually a collaborative effort between a research team or individuals. Other scholars will cite this paper in their own research to support their own opinions and research results.
- Literature: It can be written by one or more authors, or it can be anonymous. Researchers cite literature in their papers or studies to support their opinions, provide background information, or cite relevant research results.
In short, the paper is the researcher's systematic research and analysis of
Academic writing results that propose insights and contributions to a certain research question, while literature refers to relevant materials and knowledge that have been published by the academic community. The paper is one of the main forms of expression of academic research results, and the literature is the source of information that needs to be cited to support the writing and research process of the paper.