Difference Between Academic Writing And Article Writing

Article writing

An article is a piece of instructive, persuasive, or explanatory content that is typically non-fiction. It is an effective format to package and deliver information to a larger audience. The main motive behind writing an article is that it should be published online, in newspapers or magazines or journals so as to make some difference to the world. It may be the topics of interest of the writer or it may be related to some current issues.

Article writing requires a lot of research, good vocabulary and writing skills to make sure that the audience receives the most updated, true information. This type of writing may be personal, impressionistic, emotional, or subjective in nature.

An article writer can make people well-informed as well as change their perspective on various aspects through his writing. Articles that are written for newspapers, magazines and web articles take different formats and address a different audience, but generally, their objectives are the same.

The language in article writing is informal or casual. Some types of article writing may even contain slang. Newspaper articles, memoirs, magazine articles, personal or business letters, novels, website content etc. are some examples of article writing. The content of these writings is often a general topic, unlike academic writing, which mainly focuses on a specific field.

Academic writing

Academic writing is a formal style of writing used in universities and scholarly publications. In other words, it’s what students are expected to produce for classes and what professors and academic researchers use to write scholarly materials. Academic writing follows the same writing process as other types of texts, but it has specific conventions in terms of content, structure and style; which includes an introduction, thesis, an overview of topics discussed, as well as a well-written conclusion.

Academic writing tends to depend heavily on research, factual evidence, opinions of educated researchers and scholars. Scholarly essays, research papers, dissertations, etc. are some examples of academic writing.

Academic writing heavily contains vocabulary typical to a specific field. Citations and a list of references or sources another important feature in academic writing. Moreover, the tone in academic writing should always be objective and formal.

Characteristics of Academic writing

• A formal tone is always used in academic writing. Slang and clichés do not belong in this type of writing.
• Precise language is key in academic writing so as to clearly convey the author’s meaning.
• Most academic writing involves reporting research results, it tends to focus on the specific research question(s) being studied.
• Academic writing should be organized logically in a linear, matter-of-fact fashion. Use headings to delineate each major section.
• Most academic writing includes at least some secondary research sources.

Key Differences

• Academic writing is a formal and impersonal style of writing that is intended for a scholarly or academic audience. Article writing is an informal and often subjective style of writing that aims the mass public.
• The main purpose of academic writing is to inform the readers, with non-biased facts and solid evidence. However, the purpose of article writing can be to inform, entertain, or persuade the audience.
• Academic writing is formal and impersonal while article writing is personal, impressionistic, emotional, or subjective in nature.
• Academic writing following a solid structure whereas article writing does not follow a rigid structure.
• Academic writing uses formal language while avoiding colloquialism and slang whereas article writing uses informal and casual language.
• Academic writing contains citations and references while Article writing does not usually contain citations and references.
• Academic writing heavily contains vocabulary typical to a specific field whereas the language of article writing is simple with general vocabulary.
• The tone in academic writing should always be objective and formal whereas the tone in article writing is subjective and could be formal or informal.
• Some examples of academic writing include research papers, dissertations, scholarly articles while newspaper and magazine articles, memoirs, letters, digital media, etc. are examples of article writing.

Academic Writing vs Article Writing: Key Takeaways