What are some similarities and differences of academic

and non-academic writing?

Academic writing is generally formal and written for a scholarly purpose; examples
of academic writing include class essays, dissertations, and reports. Non-academic
writing is less formal and not necessarily intended for an educated audience, and
it's often more emotional or opinionated; examples of such include letters, blog
posts, even fiction novels.

Academic and non-academic writing usually differ in format, purpose, and tone.

Popular forms of academic writing include essays, themes, research studies, and
similar structured pieces. Academic writing includes an introduction, an overview of
the topics discussed within the writing piece, and a conclusion which wraps up any
final thoughts. In scientific fields, including social sciences, writing is often in the
form of research papers, and may include an abstract which summarizes the thesis
and findings of the research which it discusses. Non-academic writing does not
need to cohere to these standards of layout, and may take any format.

The purpose of academic writing is usually to inform the reader, providing non-
biased facts and backing up claims with evidence. In the field of literature, an
academic may write an essay based on a theory, but shows how the theory can be
proven with evidence from the literature he/she discusses. The purpose of non-
academic writing may be to entertain its audience or to persuade the reader.

Finally, the tone differs. In academic writing, the tone should be formal and
professional. There are guidelines such as keeping the writing in 3rd person and
eliminating contractions. Again, the writer attempts to present a point without bias or
opinion. In non-academic writing, the tone may be informal. Non-academic writing
does not have to cohere to the guidelines of formal writing and may include humor,
opinion, or other elements not present in most academic writing.

Although these guidelines are not concrete, and depend largely on subjective
differences, academic and non-academic writing usually differ in format, purpose,
and tone.

Academic writing is typically considered a formal mode of writing intended for an

educated audience. As such, it is generally written in a 3rd person or objective
voice, and tends to rely heavily on research, factual experimentation and evidence,
and the opinions of other educated scholars and researchers, rather than on the
opinions of the author. The range and variety of subjects within academic writing
are as vast as the number of subjects anyone could study within a scholarly context,
but in any academic piece, the topic (or argument) is very clearly stated and
maintained throughout. Some common examples of academic writing include
essays, theses, dissertations, and lab reports.

Non-academic writing is any other mode of writing that is not directly intended for an
academic or scholarly audience. Non-academic writing can be more informal in
tone, and may even rely more heavily on emotional appeal or the opinions of the
author. Non-academic writing samples could include things like journal articles,
opinion pieces, and letters (even to an editor). Additionally, novels and most non-
fiction books could be considered non-academic in nature.