ANALYSIS IN RESEARCH PAPERS
To analyze means to break a
topic or concept down into its parts in order to inspect and understand
it, and to re-structure those parts in a way that makes sense to you.
In an analytical research paper, you do research to become an expert on
a topic so that you can re-structure and present the parts of the topic
from your own perspective. For example, you could analyze the role of
the mother in the ancient Egyptian family. You could break down that
topic into its parts--the mother's duties in the family, social status,
and expected role in the larger society--and research those parts in
order to present your general perspective and conclusion about the
mother's role.