A process analysis paper is an essay that describes a process. But it's more than just describing what the process is; it also describes the individual steps in the process, how the process arrives at its outcome.
There are two types of process analysis papers: informative and directive.
Informative process analysis informs the reader about a process. It can be used for persuasion in that some writers might try to sway the audience by explaining a process through a certain perspective.
Directive process analysis tells the reader how to do something. It is a call to action. The directive process analysis can be a proposal for a course of action or it could describe a process and then present a call to action. In either case, the paper will conclude with a statement urging the reader to get involved.
Notice that in both types the focus is on how something happens, the steps in a sequence. It might help to use flow charts during the drafting process to keep the steps in the correct order. The goal is to provide the reader with well-organized details so that the reader can understand the process and it's importance. A successful process analysis generally includes the following: