Objective: Describe and interpret empirical data to support the argument of a larger research project.

Where it's found: In journal articles, scholarly books and research memos, this essay is the center of any scholarly writing that involves original examination of empirical data (e.g., statistics, fieldwork observations, interview transcripts).

Tone of writing: Very practical and directed strictly toward a discussion of the data. There's no need for any literary flourishes unrelated to the concepts and theory that you use to describe the data. Even formal introductions and conclusions are unnecessary, since this essay sits in the middle of a larger work.

Weight given to scholarly discussion: Generally very little, since the writing is focused mostly on your own data. You may find it useful to cite other scholars in order to communicate how you approach the concepts or theory in your analysis, but this essay isn't the setting to explain or elaborate other scholars' work.

Weight given to empirical material: This essay is all about the empirical material. Think about how you will order the sequence in which you present the data. What data are useful for "establishing" the analysis at the beginning? What data will you proceed to from there? This sequence will be the basis for your narrative.

Weight given to personal references: It's crucial in an empirical analysis essay to keep the focus on what the data show, and to keep your interpretations and opinions out of it. Note that in scholarly articles, the section on empirical analysis is often followed by a "Discussion" section where the author introduces their original interpretations and explicitly injects their theoretical or personal perspectives (before summarizing the main findings in a "Conclusion" section).

Breadth vs. depth of argument: In its focus on the data, this essay is all depth. In larger works like your term paper, issues of context (your broader argument, the historical setting represented by the data you analyze, etc.) are usually reserved for other sections before and after the empirical analysis essay.

Tricks of the trade: Particularly for statistics (like various categories of $$) and historical events, it's helpful to present your data in a table. Then you can avoid describing each piece of data with its own sentence (which would be redundant if the reader can understand the table) and focus on explaining the implications of and connections between the data.