An essay is a shorter piece of writing than a research paper. An essay is generally made up of three parts: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. The introduction introduces the topic and then states the thesis, which is usually one sentence that summarizes the main point of the essay. The body paragraphs support the thesis with evidence and examples. The conclusion restates the thesis and leaves the reader with something to think about. A research paper is a longer piece of writing than an essay. A research paper is generally made up of five parts: the introduction, the literature review, the methodology, the results, and the conclusion.