Different disciplines use different types of writing and structure in their academic work, such as assignments, essays, and research paper writing. For example, subjects like humanities and language expect longer paragraphs with topic sentences. On the other hand, subjects like science prefer small paragraphs with a good amount of facts and accurate information.
Hence, is necessary to understand numerous types of writing as it is an important part of college and university studies. In this blog, we will talk about academic writing, its characteristics, and how academic writing is different from other types of writing.
What Is Academic Writing?
Academic writing is a type of writing that is formal, professional, and technical. It follows a proper format, such as abstract, introduction, research methodologies, discussion, and results so that readers can easily find the information that they are looking for.
This type of writing includes citations and references so that the credibility of the information is ensured. Furthermore, academic writing does not use slang or personal pronouns, like “I” or ‘We” as it sticks to objectivity and facts.
What Are The Features Of Academic Writing?
To understand academic writing, we must know what the characteristics of an academic writing are:
- Brief Sentences: Academic writing is written clearly and in a concise manner. No slang language or excessive words are used, as this leaves a bad impression on readers.
- Formal Tone: Academic writing is based on facts, academic research, and evidence. Hence, the style and tone are always professional and formal. Informal expressions, emotional language, and contractions are not used at all.
- Citations & Reference: There are standards of academic writing. The source of information that is used in your work must always be cited accurately in different citation styles, such as APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.
- Plagiarism-Free: Academic writing does not allow the use of AI tools or plagiarised work. Everything that is written in academic writing must be accurate, original, and factually correct.
- Proper Structure: As mentioned before, academic writing follows a proper structure and format that has separate sections, such as abstract, introduction, research methodologies, discussion, and results. This makes it easier for readers to quickly find information they are looking for.
Difference Between Academic Writing & Non-Academic Writing
Here are the main differences between academic writing and other types of writing:
| Academic Writing | Non-Academic Writing |
| Academic writing is used to inform, evaluate, and present arguments about a research problem in a field. | Non-academic writing or other types of writing are used to entertain, educate, and inform about any topic and idea. |
| This type of writing is used by students, researchers, scholars, and professionals in different fields. | Non-academic writing is for all types of people, like the general public. |
| The tone and style of academic writing are formal, objective, and technical. | The tone and style of non-academic writing are informal, subjective, and emotional. |
| The content of academic writing focuses on arguments, theories, and research. | The content of other types of writing focuses on personal experiences, stories, and opinions. |
| This writing does not use slang, humor, or contractions. | It uses humor and slang language as a part of writing. |
| An academic writer will never offer his own opinions and will only use facts to prove the theory and findings. | A non-academic writer can be biased and will provide his personal thoughts and opinions. |
| Example: Research Papers
Academic Journal Articles |
Example: Personal Essays
Blogs & Articles |
How To Improve Your Academic Writing?
Now that you know how academic writing is different from other types of writing, here are some important tips to improve your academic writing:
- Always use the right references and cite them accurately.
- Do not provide facts and evidence without checking their authenticity.
- Do not give your personal opinion, but use facts to prove your theory.
- Use the correct grammar and punctuation so that common mistakes can be avoided.
- The purpose of academic writing is to inform. Do not use humor or slang language to make your work engaging.
- Proofread and edit your work so that it is error-free, coherent, and factually correct.
Conclusion
In short, academic writing is formal, professional, and technical, whereas other types of writing are informal and personal. To avoid mistakes and plagiarism, you should always conduct deep research on your facts so that your content is accurate. Moreover, you should always use sources for citations that are credible. This can increase the chance of your work being published in well-known journals and articles.