difference of academic and creative writing

Academic Writing vs. Creative Writing: Understanding the Key Differences

Both academic writing and creative writing are commonly used in many contexts and serve a variety of goals. While academic writing is widely utilised in educational environments, creative writing is frequently employed in literary and artistic contexts. The ability to write should be universal. No matter what their profession, educational background, or area of interest, everyone may utilise writing to express their ideas, thoughts, and feelings.

What is Academic Writing and its Features?

What is creative writing and its features.

Writing that uses imagination and creativity to convey thoughts, feelings, and ideas is referred to as creative writing. It is a distinctive style of writing meant to enthral, motivate, and arouse the reader’s emotions.

Key Differences Between Academic Writing and Creative Writing

At first glance, writing for academic and creative objectives may appear to be one and the same thing. Nonetheless, there are two different writing styles, and each has its own traits and goals. The main distinctions between academic writing and creative writing will be covered in this section.

Academic writing frequently has researchers, academics, and subject-matter specialists as its audience. A sizable component of the audience for creative writing is made up of readers of fiction, poetry, and other literary genres.

Accuracy and precision are stressed in formal language used in academic writing. The tone is neutral and objective, and the jargon is specialised and technical. Slang and contractions are not appropriate.

The writer has more leeway to experiment with different structures when writing creatively because there is no set structure to follow. Flashbacks, non-linear tales, and other approaches can be used by the author to develop a distinctive framework.

Advantages of Academic Writing and Creative Writing

1.enhance communication skills, 2.increases analytical abilities, 3.builds data analysis skills.

Research and data analysis are crucial parts of academic writing since they call for in-depth subject knowledge. In many fields, notably scientific research, where the interpretation and analysis of data are critical, this talent is essential.

4.Helps in Expressing Emotions

5.enhance imagination.

For various reasons, it’s important to comprehend the difference between academic and creative writing. In the first place, it can aid writers in deciding which genre to use in a particular circumstance. In addition, it can aid authors in honing the abilities and methods required for every kind of writing. As a final benefit, it can assist authors in understanding the demands and expectations of various writing styles, which is helpful in both academic and professional contexts.

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Academic Vs. Creative Writing: What You Need to Know Before You Teach

In college and during your teacher training, you probably spent a lot of time discussing how to teach writing to students. Even if you didn’t discuss writing pedagogy, you know the basics of academic writing from having gone through academia yourself. You might feel unprepared, then, when you need students to do creative writing. How do you approach–and teach–academic vs. creative writing?

( Teaching Creative Writing for the first time? You may want to start with this post. )

Teaching the Differences Between Writing Goals

Many of the differences between the two types of writing center on the goal, audience, and purpose of the writing. It’s important to understand these so that you can better communicate them to your students. 

You don’t want students fabricating rich stories for their essays, and you also don’t want them to panic when asked to use their imaginations. Teaching both academic and creative writing is essential, then, for students to be able to respond to the variety of tasks life will throw their way. 

While you might intuitively understand the difference, your students probably have not developed this awareness yet. Use this breakdown of the differences between academic and creative writing to help them know when to use each. 

Academic Vs. Creative Writing Difference #1: Style

It’s important for students to have at least a basic understanding of style before walking them through the differences between academic and creative writing. 

Academic writing uses a much more formal style of writing. Academic settings, like universities and schools, use it almost exclusively. For this reason, your students are probably already familiar with the basic expectations of academic writing. 

Academic writing uses an objective, unbiased tone and focuses on presenting research and evidence to support an argument or claim. Academic writing is typically based on factual information and aims to inform and educate the reader about a particular topic.

Creative writing, however, is more expressive and imaginative and aims to entertain its reader. It can take many forms, including fiction, poetry, and personal essays.

Creative writing uses emotive language. Creative writing is less concerned with presenting factual information and more focused on exploring themes and ideas through the use of storytelling and descriptive language.

Teaching students about style can help them see the differences between academic and creative writing for themselves. It will also help them maintain the correct style for the writing task at hand. 

( Want a fun activity to start a discussion about style? Try this lesson on Literary Voice! )

Academic Vs. Creative Writing Difference #2: Intended Audience

Academic writing is typically aimed at a more specialized and educated audience. For students, the intended audience for most of their academic writing will be teachers, professors, and fellow students. If they pursue academics, they may one day write for peer-reviewed journals or share scholarly articles. 

Because academic writing audiences tend to already be knowledgeable, the writing may be more technical and difficult for a general audience to understand. 

Creative writing, meanwhile, is often aimed at a wider, more general audience. Your students should be able to list all kinds of examples of creative writing from children’s books to fiction novels to even the old classics they read in class. 

Creative writing may be more accessible and engaging to a wider range of readers. (Although this isn’t necessarily true–just look at how our students struggle with Shakespeare today.) Creative writing uses more poetic and figurative language . 

It’s important to discuss intended audiences with your students regardless of what kind of writing they’re doing. Their audiences should inform their choices of language, form, and style in all of their writing. 

Academic Vs. Creative Writing Difference #3: Purpose and Goal

Academic writing is typically focused on presenting research and evidence to support a specific argument or claim. This means that academic writing may be more structured and follow a specific format.

Your students are probably very familiar with the good old five-paragraph essay. They may even have learned C-E-R or some other highly structured format for presenting claims, evidence, and logical reasoning . 

Creative writing on the other hand is more focused on exploring ideas and emotions through storytelling and descriptive language. The intent of a poem can sometimes be as simple as to convey strings of beautifully sounding words.

While academic writing often feels formulaic, creative writing is more open-ended and creative in its approach. (This may actually frustrate some of your students!)

How many ways have you seen authors discuss love? There are poems, plays, stories, and more. Even if you just look at “love poems,” you can see there are countless ways to structure creative writing. 

To demonstrate just how open-ended creative writing can be to students, it might be helpful to show them a variety of mentor texts. For example, you can compare E. E. Cummings’s abstract style with Shakespeare’s highly-structured sonnets. 

These Poem of the Week activities are a great way to incorporate a variety of mentor texts and bring different opportunities into your classroom for poetry discussion. 

If you’re teaching a Creative Writing class for the first time, it’s important to go into it with a firm understanding of how it varies from academic writing. This will help you to begin thinking about what lessons and skills you’ll need to focus on in your class. 

Even more important, however, is making sure your students understand these differences for themselves. After all, once they leave school, no one is going to tell them whether to write a formal, five-paragraph essay or a villanelle to summarize their notes for the big meeting. 

Students need to understand the characteristics of both–and learn when to use each–if they’re going to find success (and possibly fulfillment) in writing in their futures. 

Need to teach a whole Creative Writing class and don’t know where to start? Make it easy on yourself with my done-for-you Creative Writing 9-Week Class !

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5 Key Differences Between Academic Writing & Creative Writing

The world of writing is quite intricate. There are multiple categories in it. But if we are to, we will divide writing into two broad brackets – formal and informal. And this is the fundamental difference between academic and creative writing: the former is formal, and the latter is informal.

If you find it too difficult to comprehend the fine line between the two, you can opt for a paper writing service for your college assignments. Meanwhile, you can work on your writing skills.

If you are an aspiring writer, know that there is a great demand for both academic and creative writers out there. But when you undertake an assignment, you must be able to determine the style of writing it requires. To help you with it, we will walk you through the key differences between academic and creative writing.

How to Distinguish Between the Two Types of Writing

Academic writing is more factual and standardized than creative. You have to stay true to evidence and facts that you take from authentic resources. These kinds of assignments require you to provide references as proof of the argument you are putting forth. Academic content is largely covered by EssayService to aid students in their college assignments. And each educational institution might have its own rules and standards.

On the other hand, creative writing is personal and informal. There is no specific style guide or standardization. You can even voice your opinion and support it with some reference without being completely sure of its original source. Examples of creative writing include stories, personal experiences, ideas, opinions, poetry, and journals. Needless to say, adherence to grammar and spelling rules is a common requisite in both.

Now, let’s explore the key differences between the two types of writing in detail.

The style of writing is one clear difference between academic and creative articles. While creativity is not bound by any specific style or pattern, you have to stick to certain parameters in academic content. Academic writers should always abide by the standard structure. There are several guidelines designed for different types of papers. Institutions choose their preferred style from a variety of widely-used style guides.

On the other hand, creative writers enjoy a fair amount of freedom in terms of writing style. The writing of a story or a personal opinion does not need adherence to a particular tone. The writer can choose to shape the content any way they want.

The purpose of writing is another significant difference between the two. Academic content is written to prove a point or give your audience a well-backed perspective. Whether you are writing a school/college paper or preparing a piece of content for your client, the main aim of academic writing is to explain, discuss, and elaborate on a given topic. You back up your thoughts and beliefs with the latest statistics and valid data.

On the contrary, creative writing mainly focuses on the expression of one’s idea through the medium of suitable words. You need not present any facts or figures to support your content. You can go on to write content for scripts, plays, stories, prose, poetry, biographies, etc., with the sole aim to entertain or educate your target audience.

3. Time Limitations

In most cases, academic writers have to face time restrictions. There will be almost no room for brainstorming. Also, you cannot afford to procrastinate. You will have to prepare much ahead of writing and gather all the necessary data well in time.

Creative writers generally do not face time limitations. Even if they are writing for a production house or publishing company, they get ample time to create engaging, unique, and fresh content. And when the creative juices flow, the writers can curate amazing content within a very short period.

4. Language

While writing academic content, you should be mindful of the language. Depending on the type of assignment, you will have to decide upon the jargon. The usage of informal language or slang is strictly prohibited. You cannot use colloquial expressions, idioms, and contractions extensively in academic writing.

But in the case of creative content, the writers can decide upon the tonality. One can use casual or semi-formal language. Creative writers can experiment with the language as per the demand of the content and the target audience. There are no hard and fast linguistic rules to be followed by creative writers.

Academic writers should be aware of the formats for different types of papers. They must adhere to the formatting guidelines such as APA, MLA, Harvard, or Chicago. These guidelines also can vary depending on the subject and even the professor’s demands.

The format for creative assignments is not as stringent as it is for academic projects. If you wish to create the desired impact on your audience with your creative content, you should keep the preferred formats in mind.

Wrapping Up

At the school or college level, you should be able to curate both academic and creative write-ups based on your project requirements. However, specialization in any of these niches can take you to great heights in your career.

We hope that the mentioned points have made it all clearer for you. Now, keep practicing your craft and have faith in your abilities .

Naomi Kizhner

On NaomiKizhner.com, I want to share tips, tricks, and quotes that will hopefully inspire someone who might be struggling. Also, I wish to help others find their true passion in life and cut out any negativity.

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Academic Writing Vs. Creative Writing: Understanding The Differences

Published by Oliver Smith at September 11th, 2023 , Revised On January 30, 2024

Writing is a vast and varied field, with numerous genres and sub-genres, each demanding a unique approach and mindset. Among the multitude of writing types, academic and creative writing stand out as polar opposites. These two forms of writing serve distinct purposes and possess characteristic styles and tones. This blog will discuss the differences between academic and creative writing. 

What is Academic Writing

Academic writing is a formal style of writing. It is commonly used in universities and scholarly publications. Its characters mainly include evidence-based arguments, logical reasoning, and conciseness.

While some might see it as stuffy or rigid, it is crucial in academia for maintaining clarity and credibility. Let’s break down the features and purposes of academic writing:

Features of Academic Writing

The features of good academic writing include:

Evidence-Based

Academic writing relies on evidence, such as data, facts, logical reasoning, and expert testimonies. Unsupported claims are not acceptable.

Formal Tone

Casual or colloquial language is avoided. Instead, a serious and respectful tone is maintained.

Clear and Precise 

It prioritises clarity and avoids ambiguity. Words and phrases are used in their exact meaning.

There is a clear organisation to the content, whether it is the standard introduction, body, and conclusion of an essay or the abstract, introduction, or other parts of a research paper.

Impersonal Tone

Personal beliefs, feelings, or opinions are typically kept out unless they are relevant to the discussion.

Any information, ideas, or data not original to the author must be cited. This gives credit to original authors and provides a trail for readers to verify information.

Purpose of Academic Writing

Academic writing mainly serves the following purposes. 

Much of academic writing aims to inform the reader about a specific topic. This could be a review of existing literature, explaining a concept, or presenting new research findings.

In some cases, academic writing persuades the reader of a certain viewpoint. This is seen in argumentative essays and papers where the author presents and supports a thesis statement with evidence.

Academic writing can serve as a record of research findings, observations, or experiments. This is crucial for future researchers who might build upon that work.

Reflective essays or reports allow the writer to discuss their experiences, learning, or observations in a structured way.

Audience of Academic Writing

The primary audience of academic writing is the scholarly community, including professors, students, researchers, and experts in the field. 

However, given the increasing accessibility of academic works, the public, policymakers, and other professionals are also counted in the category. 

Types of Academic Writing

Here are the main types of academic writing. 

Essays are short pieces of academic writing that convey the author’s perspective on a particular topic. The different types of essays include argumentative, descriptive, expository, and narrative.

Essays are meant to concisely explore and communicate ideas, arguments, or information. They often require critical thinking, analysis, and the ability to present a coherent argument.

Research Papers

Research papers are in-depth documents that present original research findings on a specific topic. They are often more extensive than essays and follow a structured format.

These papers also contribute new knowledge to a particular field, which helps demonstrate the author’s ability to conduct research, analyse data, and draw meaningful conclusions.

Theses and Dissertations

Theses and dissertations are comprehensive research projects. They are generally required to get a master’s or doctoral degree. They represent the completion of a student’s academic work.

Additionally, theses and dissertations involve in-depth research, critical analysis, and the presentation of original contributions to a specific academic discipline.

Reports are documents commonly used in scientific and technical fields to convey information about experiments, investigations, or research studies. They have a structured format, including methods, results, and conclusions.

Moreover, reports aim to provide detailed and objective information about experiments, allowing others to replicate the study or understand the findings accurately.

Reviews critically assess other works, such as books, articles, or literature. They summarise the main points of the work and provide an evaluation based on specific criteria.

Reviews help readers understand the content and quality of the work being reviewed. They assist in decision-making processes and contribute to scholarly discourse.

Case Studies

Case studies involve detailed analyses of specific cases, events, or situations. They often include real-life examples and explore the factors contributing to a particular outcome.

Furthermore, case studies are used to gain insights into complex phenomena, investigate cause-and-effect relationships, and provide context-rich information for research or educational purposes.

Abstracts are concise summaries of larger academic papers, typically appearing at the beginning of the document. They briefly overview the paper’s main objectives, methods, findings, and conclusions.

Abstracts serve as a quick reference for readers, allowing them to determine whether the full paper is relevant to their interests. They provide a snapshot of the paper’s content without requiring the reader to review it.

Academic Writing Process

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What is Creative Writing

Creative writing is an art form that allows for self-expression and imagination. It breaks away from the more strict constraints of other forms of writing. It encompasses various written works and genres, each characterised by imaginative narratives, characters, and poetic use of language. 

Conclusively, creative writing seeks to tell a story, evoke emotions, or paint a vivid picture in the reader’s mind.

Features of Creative Writing

An impeccable piece of creative writing has the following features. 

Imaginative and Original

Central to creative writing is the use of imagination. It allows writers to invent characters, worlds, scenarios, and more.

It is a means of expressing personal feelings, emotions, and ideas.

Character Development

Characters in creative writing often undergo growth or transformation, revealing depths of human nature.

Poetic Use of Language

Words are chosen for their literal meaning, sound, rhythm, and emotional resonance.

Narrative Structure

Even though creative writing doesn’t always follow a strict structure, many pieces have a clear beginning, middle, and end.

Evokes Emotion

One of its goals is to make readers feel something—whether it is joy, sorrow, excitement, or fear.

Purpose of Creative Writing

Creative writing is usually done for

Entertainment

Many creative works aim to entertain, taking readers on journeys to far-off places or introducing them to intriguing characters.

Writers often use creative writing as a platform to express personal feelings, beliefs, or experiences.

It can be a medium to reflect on societal issues, human behaviour, or the world at large.

Some creative works, like allegories or satires, can be persuasive, conveying opinions on political or societal issues.

Audience of Creative Writing

While some creative works might target a specific audience, many are meant for anyone who appreciates storytelling, language artistry, or poetic expressions. From children to adults, the audience for creative writing is diverse.

Types of Creative Writing

The types of creative writing include

Fiction is fabricated and based on the author’s imagination. It is not factual, but it may be based on true events or situations.

• Novels: Extended works of fiction that can range from about 50,000 words to several hundred thousand words.
• Short Stories: Brief works of fiction, typically between 1,000 and 20,000 words.
• Novellas: Longer than short stories but shorter than novels, often between 20,000 and 50,000 words.

Poetry uses meter, rhyme, and metaphor to express feelings, ideas, or tell stories. Its form and structure can vary widely.

Drama involves writing that is intended to be performed by actors on a stage, in a film, or on television.

Creative Non-Fiction

This genre uses narrative techniques commonly found in fiction to relay true, factual events or experiences.

• Memoirs: A personal account of someone’s life or experiences.
• Biographies: A detailed account of someone else’s life.
• Personal Essays: Short, introspective pieces that reflect on life experiences.

Flash Fiction

These are very short stories, often characterised by brevity and succinctness. They still have a full narrative but in a much condensed form.

Screenwriting

This involves writing scripts specifically for visual mediums, like movies or TV shows. The script will often include scene directions, character actions, and dialogue.

Songwriting

The art of writing lyrics for music often encompasses a range of emotions, themes, and narratives.

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The Difference Between Academic Writing and Creative Writing

Academic writing and creative writing are two very different types of writing that serve distinct purposes and adopt unique characteristics. Let’s look at the primary differences between them:

Academic Writing: The primary purpose is to inform, explain, argue, or analyse. It is mainly used to present research findings, argues a point, or elaborate on a theory or idea. Examples include essays, research papers, and journals.

Creative Writing: The primary purpose is to entertain, evoke emotions, and express the author’s imaginative ideas. It may also inform or persuade, but stylistically and narratively. Examples include poetry, fiction (novels, short stories), plays, and scripts.

Style and Tone

Academic Writing: Typically adopts a formal tone and uses precise, unambiguous language. Jargon or technical terms relevant to the field may be used.

Creative Writing: Can vary in tone, from casual and conversational to highly formal. Figurative language, rhetorical devices, and a focus on narrative or poetic techniques often mark it.

Academic Writing: Follows a structured format that depends on the type of academic work. For instance, research papers might follow the IMRaD structure (Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion).

Creative Writing: More flexible in structure. While there might be conventional structures for certain genres (like the three-act structure in plays), creative writing often allows for more deviation and experimentation.

Evidence and Research

Academic Writing: Relies heavily on evidence, citations, and references. Proper sourcing and avoiding plagiarism are crucial.

Creative Writing: While it may be based on research (e.g., historical fiction), it does not always require citations or references, and it often relies on the author’s imagination.

Point of View

Academic Writing: Typically uses a third-person perspective, and first-person might be avoided depending on the discipline or assignment.

Creative Writing: Can employ first, second, or third-person perspectives. The choice depends on the nature of the story and the writer’s intention.

Objective vs. Subjective

Academic Writing: Strives for objectivity. Even when presenting an argument, the emphasis is on presenting evidence and logical reasoning.

Creative Writing: It is often more subjective, focusing on emotional truths, individual perspectives, and personal experiences.

Constraints

Academic Writing: Generally needs to adhere to specific guidelines formatting rules, and be clear and concise.

Creative Writing: Offers more freedom, allowing writers to play with language, structure, and content.

Academic Writing: Typically written for scholars, researchers, students, or professionals in the field.

Creative Writing: Aimed at a general audience, although some works might cater to niche readerships.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is creative writing part of academic writing.

Creative writing and academic writing serve different purposes. While academic writing prioritises evidence-based arguments, clarity, and objectivity, creative writing emphasises storytelling, character, and emotion. However, you can use elements of creative writing to enhance academic pieces and make them more engaging.

What is the difference between academic writing and creative writing?

Academic writing presents researched information and is mostly clear, properly structured, and objective. Creative writing emphasises storytelling, imagination, and emotional resonance. While academic writing seeks to inform or argue based on evidence, creative writing aims to entertain, provoke thought, or express personal insights. Both have unique styles, purposes, and conventions.

What are the characteristics of creative writing?

Creative writing emphasises imagination, originality, and expression. It prioritises storytelling, character development, emotional resonance, and vivid imagery. Unlike formal styles, creative writing allows for flexibility in structure and language, encouraging the exploration of diverse narratives and voices.

What is an example of academic writing?

“Recent research on climate change highlights its adverse effects on global sea levels. Using satellite data from 1990-2020, Smith et al. (2022) found a 3.2mm annual rise in sea levels. This upward trend, linked to melting polar ice caps, underscores the urgent need for sustainable environmental policies worldwide.”

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Academic writing refers to a particular style of expression that researchers use to define the intellectual boundaries of their disciplines and their areas of expertise.

In the realm of effective writing, the seamless flow of ideas is paramount. Whether you’re crafting an essay, a report, or a creative piece, the ability to connect and transition between thoughts and concepts is crucial for conveying your message clearly and coherently.

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Writing with artificial intelligence, academic writing – how to write for the academic community.

• © 2023 by Joseph M. Moxley - Professor of English - USF

Academic writing refers to the writing style that researchers, educators, and students use in scholarly publications and school assignments. An academic writing style refers to the semantic and textual features that characterize academic writing and distinguish it from other discourses , such as professional writing , workplace writing , fiction , or creative nonfiction . Learn about the discourse conventions of the academic community so you can write with greater authority , clarity , and persuasiveness (and, in school settings, earn higher grades!).  

Table of Contents

What is Academic Writing?

Academic writing refers to all of the texts produced by academic writers, including theoretical, empirical , or experience-based works. Examples:

• Students at the high school and undergraduate level write essays, book reviews, lab reports, reviews of literature, proposals–and more . These assignments often presume an audience of a teacher-as-examiner
• by proposing a new theory, method, application
• by presenting new empirical findings
• by offering new interpretations of existing evidence .

Different academic fields have distinct genres , writing styles and conventions because each academic field possesses its own set of rules and practices that govern how ideas are researched , structured , supported , and communicated . Thus, there is no one single style of academic writing. Rather, there are many different writing styles a writer might adopt , depending on their aims of discourse , media , writing tools, and rhetorical situation .

Related Concepts: Audience – Audience Awareness ; Discourse Community – Community of Practice ; Discourse Conventions ; Elements of Style ; Genre ; Professional Writing – Style Guide ; Persona ; Rhetorical Stance ; Tone ; Voice

Differences aside, there are a number of discourse conventions that academic writers share across disciplines. These conventions empower writers to establish authority and clarity in their prose –and to craft pieces that can be understood and appreciated by readers from various academic fields as well as the general public.

Features of Academic Discourse

• Academic writing tends to be  substantive  rather than superficial,  anecdotal ,  vague or underdeveloped.  For example, a paper on climate change would not just describe the observed changes in temperature, but might also delve into the scientific theories that explain these changes, the evidence supporting these theories, the potential impacts of climate change, and the debates within the scientific community
• Academic writing prioritizes evidence and logical reasoning over anecdotal observations , personal opinions, personal beliefs emotional appeals
• Members of the academic community expect authors to provide evidence for claims . When academics introduce evidence into their texts, they know their readers expect them to establish the currency, relevance ,  authority , accuracy , and purpose of any evidence they introduce
• Academic writers are careful to support their claims with evidence from credible sources, especially peer-reviewed , academic literature.
• Academics are sensitive to the ideologies and epistemologies that inform research methods.
• For example, when a psychology student studies the effects of mindfulness on anxiety disorders, they would need to understand that their research is based on the assumption that anxiety can be measured and quantified, and that it can be influenced by interventions like mindfulness training. They would also need to understand that their research is situated within a particular theoretical framework (e.g., cognitive-behavioral theory), which shapes how they conceptualize anxiety, mindfulness, and the relationship between them.
• Academic writing is expected to be objective and fair–and free of bias . This means presenting evidence in a balanced way, considering different perspectives , and not letting personal biases distort the analysis.
• It also involves recognizing the limitations of the research and being open to criticism and alternative interpretations .
• Academic writers are very careful to attribute the works of authors whom they’re quoting , paraphrasing , or summarizing . They understand information has value , and they’re careful to discern who the major thought leaders are on a particular topic . They understand they cannot simply copy and paste large sections of copyrighted material into their own work, even if they provide an attribution .
• Academic writers must also abide copyright laws , which protect the rights of authors and creators. This means, for example, that they cannot simply copy and paste large sections of copyrighted material into their own work, even if they provide a citation . Instead, they can use smaller excerpts under the principle of “fair use,” or they can seek permission from the copyright holder to use larger portions.

Organization

Academic writing is typically organized in a deductive way (as opposed to inductively ). Many genresof academic writing have a research abstract, a clear introduction , body, conclusions and recommendations.

Academic essays tend to have an introduction that introduces the topic, the exigency that informs this call to write. reviews pertinent research, and explains the problem — hypothesis, thesis, and rhetorical situation. the context and states the purpose of the writing (aka, the thesis! ), the body develops the arguments or presents the research, and the conclusion summarizes the main points and discusses the implications or applications of the research

Typically, the design of academic documents is plain vanilla, despite the visual turn in communication made possible by the ubiquity of design tools. Unlike professional writing, which tends to be incredibly visual, academic writing tends to be fairly traditional with its focus on alphabetical text as opposed to visual elements.

• Plain Design: Academic documents, such as research papers, theses, or scholarly articles, typically follow a minimalist design approach. They primarily consist of black text on a white background, with a standard, easy-to-read font. This “plain vanilla” design reflects the focus of academic writing on the content rather than the presentation. The aim is to communicate complex ideas clearly and without distraction.
• Limited Use of Visuals: Unlike in professional writing or journalism, visuals such as images, infographics, or videos are not commonly used in academic writing. When they are used, it’s usually to present data (in the form of graphs, charts, or tables) or to illustrate a point (with diagrams or figures). The visuals are typically grayscale and are intended to supplement the text rather than replace it.
• Structured Layout: Academic writing tends to follow a structured layout, with clearly marked sections and subsections. This helps to organize the content and guide the reader through the argument. However, aside from headings, there is usually little use of design elements such as color, bolding, or varied fonts to highlight different parts of the text.
• Lack of Interactive Features: With the transition to digital media, many types of writing have become more interactive, incorporating hyperlinks, multimedia, or interactive data visualizations. However, academic writing has been slower to adopt these features. While academic articles often include hyperlinks to references, they rarely include other interactive elements.

However, as digital media and visual communication become increasingly prevalent, we may see changes in the conventions of academic design.

• Academic writing tends to be formal in persona , tone , diction . Academic writers avoid contractions , slang, colloquial expressions, sexist use of pronouns . Because it is written for specialists, jargon is used, but not unnecessarily. However, the level of formality can vary depending on the discipline, the genre (e.g., a research paper vs. a blog post), and the intended audience . For instance, in sociology and communication, autoethnography is a common genre , which is a composite of autobiography , memoir, creative nonfiction, and ethnographic methods .
• In the last 20 years, there has been a significant move toward including the first person in academic writing. However, in general, the focus of discourse isn’t the writer. Thus, most academic writers use the first person sparingly–if at all.
• Academic writers use the citation styles required by their audiences .
• Specialized Vocabulary: Academics often use specialized vocabulary or jargon that is specific to their field. These terms can convey complex ideas in a compact form, contributing to the compressed nature of academic prose. However, they can also make the writing less accessible to non-specialists.
• Complex Sentence Structures: Academic writing often uses complex sentence structures, such as long sentences with multiple clauses, or sentences that incorporate lists or parenthetical information. These structures allow academic writers to express complex relationships and nuances of meaning, but they can also make the writing more challenging to read.
• Referential Density: Academic writing often refers to other works, theories, or arguments, either explicitly (through citations) or implicitly. This referential density allows academic writers to build on existing knowledge and engage in scholarly conversation, but it also assumes that readers are familiar with the referenced works or ideas.

1. When is it appropriate to use the first person?

Use of the first person is now more commonplace across academic disciplines. In order to determine whether first person is appropriate, engage in rhetorical analysis of the rhetorical situation .

Recommended Resources

• Professional Writing Prose Style
• First-Person Point of View
• Using First Person in an Academic Essay: When is It Okay?
• A Synthesis of Professor Perspectives on Using First and Third Person in Academic Writing

Brevity - Say More with Less

Clarity (in Speech and Writing)

Coherence - How to Achieve Coherence in Writing

Flow - How to Create Flow in Writing

Inclusivity - Inclusive Language

The Elements of Style - The DNA of Powerful Writing

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Developing your essay

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• 1a. Creativity in academic writing

Creativity in academic writing

Choose your story, plan the story, moving from a creative to an academic tone, how are creative and academic writing different.

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If you’re yearning to take a more creative approach to academic writing, consider how you might involve aspects of your creativity at different stages of the writing process. For example, when you’re developing ideas and deciding on your essay topic, try brainstorming using colours, shapes, or designs to represent your ideas. You may also find it helpful to keep a journal that allows you to record your ideas in whatever form best represents your thinking.

When it comes to the  planning stage of writing , consider how you like to organize your thoughts when you are working on other types of projects. For example, if using a linear approach like outlining feels like the death of all creative energy to you, try a different approach that better reflects how you think, such as mind-mapping or story-boarding your assignment. You could use photos to represent your ideas and build a collage that captures the details. If the format allows you to work from your plan to create the first draft of your document, it’s the right format for you, regardless if it works for anyone else.

Once you’ve got your plan in place, consider the narrative of your assignment e.g., what is the beginning, middle, and end of the work? For example, if you have experience with creative writing, try writing the plot of the essay. If you’re feeling stuck, try telling the story out loud to see how the story unfolds. Once the framework of the story is in place, you can move the approach and tone of the work from being narrative and descriptive to a more analytical, formal piece of writing. For example, look for adjectives and adverbs, which are common descriptive words that typically aren’t necessary in academic writing. If the adjectives or adverbs don’t provide essential information, delete them to improve the  conciseness  of the text. Also, check if you’ve used metaphors in the text, and if so, use the metaphor to help you identify a more specific meaning. While the metaphor might seem obvious to you, imagine if someone who is unfamiliar with the expression tried to understand it based on the literal meaning of the phrase. For example, understood literally, “think outside the box” makes no sense at all; however, “solve problems using non-traditional approaches” gives more specific and direct information, especially if an author provides examples to further illustrate the point.

While creativity is essential to all stages of academic writing, creative writing and academic writing do have major differences, largely due to the intent and audience of the work. For example, creative writers use narrative techniques, such as suspense, to engage the reader’s attention and imagination. In contrast, academic writing is persuasive and analytical, which means writers engage readers through convincing arguments and explanations that support the overall focus of the work. Furthermore, where creative writing engages the reader through imagery and emotion, academic writing provides compelling information that demonstrates the author’s understanding of a topic. While readers actively participate in creative writing by involving their imaginations in their reading experiences, academic readers focus on understanding the author’s thinking on a topic. For example, in a reflective work about personal leadership goals, an author could tell the story of a challenging conflict at work and explain how addressing that conflict will support his or her growth as an effective leader. By providing that analysis, the author allows the reader to view the conflict as the author sees it: a challenge, but an essential step in the development of personal leadership skills. Without that additional explanation, the story of the conflict itself wouldn’t communicate how the resolving the conflict fits into the broader discussion of the author’s development as a leader, nor why the author values the opportunity to build the necessary skills.

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Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper

• Academic Writing Style
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Academic writing refers to a style of expression that researchers use to define the intellectual boundaries of their disciplines and specific areas of expertise. Characteristics of academic writing include a formal tone, use of the third-person rather than first-person perspective (usually), a clear focus on the research problem under investigation, and precise word choice. Like specialist languages adopted in other professions, such as, law or medicine, academic writing is designed to convey agreed meaning about complex ideas or concepts within a community of scholarly experts and practitioners.

Academic Writing. Writing Center. Colorado Technical College; Hartley, James. Academic Writing and Publishing: A Practical Guide . New York: Routledge, 2008; Ezza, El-Sadig Y. and Touria Drid. T eaching Academic Writing as a Discipline-Specific Skill in Higher Education . Hershey, PA: IGI Global, 2020.

Importance of Good Academic Writing

The accepted form of academic writing in the social sciences can vary considerable depending on the methodological framework and the intended audience. However, most college-level research papers require careful attention to the following stylistic elements:

I.  The Big Picture Unlike creative or journalistic writing, the overall structure of academic writing is formal and logical. It must be cohesive and possess a logically organized flow of ideas; this means that the various parts are connected to form a unified whole. There should be narrative links between sentences and paragraphs so that the reader is able to follow your argument. The introduction should include a description of how the rest of the paper is organized and all sources are properly cited throughout the paper.

II.  Tone The overall tone refers to the attitude conveyed in a piece of writing. Throughout your paper, it is important that you present the arguments of others fairly and with an appropriate narrative tone. When presenting a position or argument that you disagree with, describe this argument accurately and without loaded or biased language. In academic writing, the author is expected to investigate the research problem from an authoritative point of view. You should, therefore, state the strengths of your arguments confidently, using language that is neutral, not confrontational or dismissive.

III.  Diction Diction refers to the choice of words you use. Awareness of the words you use is important because words that have almost the same denotation [dictionary definition] can have very different connotations [implied meanings]. This is particularly true in academic writing because words and terminology can evolve a nuanced meaning that describes a particular idea, concept, or phenomenon derived from the epistemological culture of that discipline [e.g., the concept of rational choice in political science]. Therefore, use concrete words [not general] that convey a specific meaning. If this cannot be done without confusing the reader, then you need to explain what you mean within the context of how that word or phrase is used within a discipline.

IV.  Language The investigation of research problems in the social sciences is often complex and multi- dimensional . Therefore, it is important that you use unambiguous language. Well-structured paragraphs and clear topic sentences enable a reader to follow your line of thinking without difficulty. Your language should be concise, formal, and express precisely what you want it to mean. Do not use vague expressions that are not specific or precise enough for the reader to derive exact meaning ["they," "we," "people," "the organization," etc.], abbreviations like 'i.e.'  ["in other words"], 'e.g.' ["for example"], or 'a.k.a.' ["also known as"], and the use of unspecific determinate words ["super," "very," "incredible," "huge," etc.].

V.  Punctuation Scholars rely on precise words and language to establish the narrative tone of their work and, therefore, punctuation marks are used very deliberately. For example, exclamation points are rarely used to express a heightened tone because it can come across as unsophisticated or over-excited. Dashes should be limited to the insertion of an explanatory comment in a sentence, while hyphens should be limited to connecting prefixes to words [e.g., multi-disciplinary] or when forming compound phrases [e.g., commander-in-chief]. Finally, understand that semi-colons represent a pause that is longer than a comma, but shorter than a period in a sentence. In general, there are four grammatical uses of semi-colons: when a second clause expands or explains the first clause; to describe a sequence of actions or different aspects of the same topic; placed before clauses which begin with "nevertheless", "therefore", "even so," and "for instance”; and, to mark off a series of phrases or clauses which contain commas. If you are not confident about when to use semi-colons [and most of the time, they are not required for proper punctuation], rewrite using shorter sentences or revise the paragraph.

VI.  Academic Conventions Among the most important rules and principles of academic engagement of a writing is citing sources in the body of your paper and providing a list of references as either footnotes or endnotes. The academic convention of citing sources facilitates processes of intellectual discovery, critical thinking, and applying a deliberate method of navigating through the scholarly landscape by tracking how cited works are propagated by scholars over time . Aside from citing sources, other academic conventions to follow include the appropriate use of headings and subheadings, properly spelling out acronyms when first used in the text, avoiding slang or colloquial language, avoiding emotive language or unsupported declarative statements, avoiding contractions [e.g., isn't], and using first person and second person pronouns only when necessary.

VII.  Evidence-Based Reasoning Assignments often ask you to express your own point of view about the research problem. However, what is valued in academic writing is that statements are based on evidence-based reasoning. This refers to possessing a clear understanding of the pertinent body of knowledge and academic debates that exist within, and often external to, your discipline concerning the topic. You need to support your arguments with evidence from scholarly [i.e., academic or peer-reviewed] sources. It should be an objective stance presented as a logical argument; the quality of the evidence you cite will determine the strength of your argument. The objective is to convince the reader of the validity of your thoughts through a well-documented, coherent, and logically structured piece of writing. This is particularly important when proposing solutions to problems or delineating recommended courses of action.

VIII.  Thesis-Driven Academic writing is “thesis-driven,” meaning that the starting point is a particular perspective, idea, or position applied to the chosen topic of investigation, such as, establishing, proving, or disproving solutions to the questions applied to investigating the research problem. Note that a problem statement without the research questions does not qualify as academic writing because simply identifying the research problem does not establish for the reader how you will contribute to solving the problem, what aspects you believe are most critical, or suggest a method for gathering information or data to better understand the problem.

IX.  Complexity and Higher-Order Thinking Academic writing addresses complex issues that require higher-order thinking skills applied to understanding the research problem [e.g., critical, reflective, logical, and creative thinking as opposed to, for example, descriptive or prescriptive thinking]. Higher-order thinking skills include cognitive processes that are used to comprehend, solve problems, and express concepts or that describe abstract ideas that cannot be easily acted out, pointed to, or shown with images. Think of your writing this way: One of the most important attributes of a good teacher is the ability to explain complexity in a way that is understandable and relatable to the topic being presented during class. This is also one of the main functions of academic writing--examining and explaining the significance of complex ideas as clearly as possible.  As a writer, you must adopt the role of a good teacher by summarizing complex information into a well-organized synthesis of ideas, concepts, and recommendations that contribute to a better understanding of the research problem.

Academic Writing. Writing Center. Colorado Technical College; Hartley, James. Academic Writing and Publishing: A Practical Guide . New York: Routledge, 2008; Murray, Rowena  and Sarah Moore. The Handbook of Academic Writing: A Fresh Approach . New York: Open University Press, 2006; Johnson, Roy. Improve Your Writing Skills . Manchester, UK: Clifton Press, 1995; Nygaard, Lynn P. Writing for Scholars: A Practical Guide to Making Sense and Being Heard . Second edition. Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications, 2015; Silvia, Paul J. How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing . Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2007; Style, Diction, Tone, and Voice. Writing Center, Wheaton College; Sword, Helen. Stylish Academic Writing . Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2012.

Strategies for...

Understanding Academic Writing and Its Jargon

The very definition of research jargon is language specific to a particular community of practitioner-researchers . Therefore, in modern university life, jargon represents the specific language and meaning assigned to words and phrases specific to a discipline or area of study. For example, the idea of being rational may hold the same general meaning in both political science and psychology, but its application to understanding and explaining phenomena within the research domain of a each discipline may have subtle differences based upon how scholars in that discipline apply the concept to the theories and practice of their work.

Given this, it is important that specialist terminology [i.e., jargon] must be used accurately and applied under the appropriate conditions . Subject-specific dictionaries are the best places to confirm the meaning of terms within the context of a specific discipline. These can be found by either searching in the USC Libraries catalog by entering the disciplinary and the word dictionary [e.g., sociology and dictionary] or using a database such as Credo Reference [a curated collection of subject encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, guides from highly regarded publishers] . It is appropriate for you to use specialist language within your field of study, but you should avoid using such language when writing for non-academic or general audiences.

Problems with Opaque Writing

A common criticism of scholars is that they can utilize needlessly complex syntax or overly expansive vocabulary that is impenetrable or not well-defined. When writing, avoid problems associated with opaque writing by keeping in mind the following:

1.   Excessive use of specialized terminology . Yes, it is appropriate for you to use specialist language and a formal style of expression in academic writing, but it does not mean using "big words" just for the sake of doing so. Overuse of complex or obscure words or writing complicated sentence constructions gives readers the impression that your paper is more about style than substance; it leads the reader to question if you really know what you are talking about. Focus on creating clear, concise, and elegant prose that minimizes reliance on specialized terminology.

2.   Inappropriate use of specialized terminology . Because you are dealing with concepts, research, and data within your discipline, you need to use the technical language appropriate to that area of study. However, nothing will undermine the validity of your study quicker than the inappropriate application of a term or concept. Avoid using terms whose meaning you are unsure of--do not just guess or assume! Consult the meaning of terms in specialized, discipline-specific dictionaries by searching the USC Libraries catalog or the Credo Reference database [see above].

Additional Problems to Avoid

In addition to understanding the use of specialized language, there are other aspects of academic writing in the social sciences that you should be aware of. These problems include:

• Personal nouns . Excessive use of personal nouns [e.g., I, me, you, us] may lead the reader to believe the study was overly subjective. These words can be interpreted as being used only to avoid presenting empirical evidence about the research problem. Limit the use of personal nouns to descriptions of things you actually did [e.g., "I interviewed ten teachers about classroom management techniques..."]. Note that personal nouns are generally found in the discussion section of a paper because this is where you as the author/researcher interpret and describe your work.
• Directives . Avoid directives that demand the reader to "do this" or "do that." Directives should be framed as evidence-based recommendations or goals leading to specific outcomes. Note that an exception to this can be found in various forms of action research that involve evidence-based advocacy for social justice or transformative change. Within this area of the social sciences, authors may offer directives for action in a declarative tone of urgency.
• Informal, conversational tone using slang and idioms . Academic writing relies on excellent grammar and precise word structure. Your narrative should not include regional dialects or slang terms because they can be open to interpretation. Your writing should be direct and concise using standard English.
• Wordiness. Focus on being concise, straightforward, and developing a narrative that does not have confusing language . By doing so, you  help eliminate the possibility of the reader misinterpreting the design and purpose of your study.
• Vague expressions (e.g., "they," "we," "people," "the company," "that area," etc.). Being concise in your writing also includes avoiding vague references to persons, places, or things. While proofreading your paper, be sure to look for and edit any vague or imprecise statements that lack context or specificity.
• Numbered lists and bulleted items . The use of bulleted items or lists should be used only if the narrative dictates a need for clarity. For example, it is fine to state, "The four main problems with hedge funds are:" and then list them as 1, 2, 3, 4. However, in academic writing, this must then be followed by detailed explanation and analysis of each item. Given this, the question you should ask yourself while proofreading is: why begin with a list in the first place rather than just starting with systematic analysis of each item arranged in separate paragraphs? Also, be careful using numbers because they can imply a ranked order of priority or importance. If none exists, use bullets and avoid checkmarks or other symbols.
• Descriptive writing . Describing a research problem is an important means of contextualizing a study. In fact, some description or background information may be needed because you can not assume the reader knows the key aspects of the topic. However, the content of your paper should focus on methodology, the analysis and interpretation of findings, and their implications as they apply to the research problem rather than background information and descriptions of tangential issues.
• Personal experience. Drawing upon personal experience [e.g., traveling abroad; caring for someone with Alzheimer's disease] can be an effective way of introducing the research problem or engaging your readers in understanding its significance. Use personal experience only as an example, though, because academic writing relies on evidence-based research. To do otherwise is simply story-telling.

NOTE:   Rules concerning excellent grammar and precise word structure do not apply when quoting someone.  A quote should be inserted in the text of your paper exactly as it was stated. If the quote is especially vague or hard to understand, consider paraphrasing it or using a different quote to convey the same meaning. Consider inserting the term "sic" in brackets after the quoted text to indicate that the quotation has been transcribed exactly as found in the original source, but the source had grammar, spelling, or other errors. The adverb sic informs the reader that the errors are not yours.

Academic Writing. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Academic Writing Style. First-Year Seminar Handbook. Mercer University; Bem, Daryl J. Writing the Empirical Journal Article. Cornell University; College Writing. The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Murray, Rowena  and Sarah Moore. The Handbook of Academic Writing: A Fresh Approach . New York: Open University Press, 2006; Johnson, Eileen S. “Action Research.” In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education . Edited by George W. Noblit and Joseph R. Neikirk. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2020); Oppenheimer, Daniel M. "Consequences of Erudite Vernacular Utilized Irrespective of Necessity: Problems with Using Long Words Needlessly." Applied Cognitive Psychology 20 (2006): 139-156; Ezza, El-Sadig Y. and Touria Drid. T eaching Academic Writing as a Discipline-Specific Skill in Higher Education . Hershey, PA: IGI Global, 2020; Pernawan, Ari. Common Flaws in Students' Research Proposals. English Education Department. Yogyakarta State University; Style. College Writing. The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Invention: Five Qualities of Good Writing. The Reading/Writing Center. Hunter College; Sword, Helen. Stylish Academic Writing . Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2012; What Is an Academic Paper? Institute for Writing Rhetoric. Dartmouth College.

Structure and Writing Style

I. Improving Academic Writing

To improve your academic writing skills, you should focus your efforts on three key areas: 1.   Clear Writing . The act of thinking about precedes the process of writing about. Good writers spend sufficient time distilling information and reviewing major points from the literature they have reviewed before creating their work. Writing detailed outlines can help you clearly organize your thoughts. Effective academic writing begins with solid planning, so manage your time carefully. 2.  Excellent Grammar . Needless to say, English grammar can be difficult and complex; even the best scholars take many years before they have a command of the major points of good grammar. Take the time to learn the major and minor points of good grammar. Spend time practicing writing and seek detailed feedback from professors. Take advantage of the Writing Center on campus if you need help. Proper punctuation and good proofreading skills can significantly improve academic writing [see sub-tab for proofreading you paper ].

Refer to these three basic resources to help your grammar and writing skills:

• A good writing reference book, such as, Strunk and White’s book, The Elements of Style or the St. Martin's Handbook ;
• A college-level dictionary, such as, Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary ;
• The latest edition of Roget's Thesaurus in Dictionary Form .

3.  Consistent Stylistic Approach . Whether your professor expresses a preference to use MLA, APA or the Chicago Manual of Style or not, choose one style manual and stick to it. Each of these style manuals provide rules on how to write out numbers, references, citations, footnotes, and lists. Consistent adherence to a style of writing helps with the narrative flow of your paper and improves its readability. Note that some disciplines require a particular style [e.g., education uses APA] so as you write more papers within your major, your familiarity with it will improve.

II. Evaluating Quality of Writing

A useful approach for evaluating the quality of your academic writing is to consider the following issues from the perspective of the reader. While proofreading your final draft, critically assess the following elements in your writing.

• It is shaped around one clear research problem, and it explains what that problem is from the outset.
• Your paper tells the reader why the problem is important and why people should know about it.
• You have accurately and thoroughly informed the reader what has already been published about this problem or others related to it and noted important gaps in the research.
• You have provided evidence to support your argument that the reader finds convincing.
• The paper includes a description of how and why particular evidence was collected and analyzed, and why specific theoretical arguments or concepts were used.
• The paper is made up of paragraphs, each containing only one controlling idea.
• You indicate how each section of the paper addresses the research problem.
• You have considered counter-arguments or counter-examples where they are relevant.
• Arguments, evidence, and their significance have been presented in the conclusion.
• Limitations of your research have been explained as evidence of the potential need for further study.
• The narrative flows in a clear, accurate, and well-organized way.

Boscoloa, Pietro, Barbara Arféb, and Mara Quarisaa. “Improving the Quality of Students' Academic Writing: An Intervention Study.” Studies in Higher Education 32 (August 2007): 419-438; Academic Writing. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Academic Writing Style. First-Year Seminar Handbook. Mercer University; Bem, Daryl J. Writing the Empirical Journal Article. Cornell University; Candlin, Christopher. Academic Writing Step-By-Step: A Research-based Approach . Bristol, CT: Equinox Publishing Ltd., 2016; College Writing. The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Style . College Writing. The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Invention: Five Qualities of Good Writing. The Reading/Writing Center. Hunter College; Sword, Helen. Stylish Academic Writing . Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2012; What Is an Academic Paper? Institute for Writing Rhetoric. Dartmouth College.

Writing Tip

Considering the Passive Voice in Academic Writing

In the English language, we are able to construct sentences in the following way: 1.  "The policies of Congress caused the economic crisis." 2.  "The economic crisis was caused by the policies of Congress."

The decision about which sentence to use is governed by whether you want to focus on “Congress” and what they did, or on “the economic crisis” and what caused it. This choice in focus is achieved with the use of either the active or the passive voice. When you want your readers to focus on the "doer" of an action, you can make the "doer"' the subject of the sentence and use the active form of the verb. When you want readers to focus on the person, place, or thing affected by the action, or the action itself, you can make the effect or the action the subject of the sentence by using the passive form of the verb.

Often in academic writing, scholars don't want to focus on who is doing an action, but on who is receiving or experiencing the consequences of that action. The passive voice is useful in academic writing because it allows writers to highlight the most important participants or events within sentences by placing them at the beginning of the sentence.

Use the passive voice when:

• You want to focus on the person, place, or thing affected by the action, or the action itself;
• It is not important who or what did the action;
• You want to be impersonal or more formal.

Form the passive voice by:

• Turning the object of the active sentence into the subject of the passive sentence.
• Changing the verb to a passive form by adding the appropriate form of the verb "to be" and the past participle of the main verb.

NOTE: Consult with your professor about using the passive voice before submitting your research paper. Some strongly discourage its use!

Active and Passive Voice. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Diefenbach, Paul. Future of Digital Media Syllabus. Drexel University; Passive Voice. The Writing Center. University of North Carolina.  

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Creative Writing Vs. Technical Writing Vs. Academic Writing

By: Author Paul Jenkins

Posted on Published: June 7, 2023  - Last updated: July 31, 2023

Categories Writing

You’re a writer, and you’ve got the passion and talent to explore various realms of writing. You might wonder how to navigate the diverse creative, technical, and academic writing landscapes.

Each style has its unique purpose, goals, and characteristics that can open new avenues for creative expression and professional growth.

In this article, we’ll delve into the defining aspects of these three writing styles, helping you understand their differences while offering tips on balancing creativity and accuracy.

As you develop skills in multiple writing domains, you’ll discover how to adapt your voice for different audiences and contexts. Embrace the freedom that comes from mastering these distinct forms of communication!

Key Takeaways

• Each writing style has its unique characteristics and requires different approaches for success.
• Adapting writing style to fit different audiences and contexts is important for effective communication.
• Versatile writers who master multiple writing styles have greater career and creative opportunities.
• Writing quality is crucial regardless of the style and requires clarity, precision, and continuous skill refinement.

Defining the Three Writing Styles

You’re strolling through a literary garden, where three distinct paths emerge – creative writing with vivid blooms, technical writing with structured hedges, and academic writing adorned by meticulously pruned scholarly trees.

Each path offers a unique experience as you explore the world of written communication.

A writing styles comparison reveals that each style has its own rules and unique challenges to overcome.

Creative writing allows your imagination to run wild, painting pictures with words and evoking emotions in your readers.

Technical writing, on the other hand, demands precision and clarity as you explain complex concepts or provide instructions for specific tasks.

Academic writing requires rigorous research and adherence to established guidelines while presenting arguments or findings clearly and concisely.

As you navigate these paths in the literary garden, remember that mastering each style will grant you the freedom to express yourself effectively in any situation life throws you.

Purpose and Goals of Each Style

Diving into each style’s purpose and goals, it’s crucial to understand how they uniquely cater to various communication needs and audiences.

Creative writing aims for audience engagement by evoking emotions, sparking imagination, and telling a story. Its main goal is to entertain, inspire, or provoke thought through stylistic choices such as figurative language, vivid descriptions, and memorable characters.

On the other hand, technical writing focuses on providing clear and concise information to help readers understand complex concepts or complete tasks. This style prioritizes accuracy and user-friendliness while employing straightforward language with minimal jargon.

In contrast, academic writing seeks to explore intellectual ideas or present research findings in a structured format like essays or research papers. The primary goal is contributing knowledge within a specific field by adhering to established standards of evidence-based argumentation.

Unlike creative writing that encourages personal expression and flexibility in form, academic writing demands strict adherence to guidelines concerning citation styles, tone consistency, and logical organization.

Ultimately, your ability to adapt between these different styles will free you from the constraints of one-dimensional communication skills – allowing you greater complexity in your thoughts and ideas while efficiently conveying them across various platforms.

Characteristics of Creative Writing

Imagine a world where words paint vivid pictures and stories come to life, captivating your senses – that’s the realm of artistic expression in literature.

Creative writing is about emotionally impacting your audience, using sensory language to craft immersive experiences that transport readers into the world you’ve built for them.

Some key characteristics of creative writing include:

• Emotional impact: Inspiring emotions such as joy, sadness, or fear in your reader
• Sensory language: Utilizing descriptive words and phrases that engage the five senses
• Artistic freedom: Experimenting with different styles, formats, and structures

Remember to focus on creating an emotional impact through sensory language so your readers can truly experience the world you’ve created.

By doing this, they will enjoy what’s written and indulge their subconscious desire for freedom – allowing them to escape from reality into a universe crafted by their imagination.

Elements of Technical Writing

In technical writing, focusing on clarity, precision, and a straightforward approach is essential.

You’ll need to master technical terminology and document design to effectively convey complex information in a way that’s easy for your audience to understand.

When dealing with specialized subject matter, you must ensure that your writing is accurate and concise while meeting the needs of both experts and novices alike.

To create engaging content that satisfies your audience’s subconscious desire for freedom, consider incorporating visual aids like charts or diagrams into your document design. This helps break up large blocks of text and makes it easier for readers to grasp difficult concepts at a glance.

Additionally, don’t be afraid to use contractions and an active voice in your writing – this can help make your work more relatable and enjoyable to read, even when dealing with highly technical subjects.

Clear communication is key in technical writing, so always prioritize simplicity over complexity whenever possible.

Features of Academic Writing

Academic writing, often characterized by its formal tone and precise structure, serves as a vehicle for critical thinking and the dissemination of knowledge. Through metaphorical language, it’s possible to paint a vivid picture that illuminates complex ideas for readers across various disciplines, ensuring they’re more likely to engage with the content on a deeper level.

Maintaining an academic tone requires avoiding colloquial expressions or emotional language while adhering to grammatical conventions.

Additionally, it’s important to recognize the different referencing styles used in academia. These styles enable writers to provide proper credit for sources while maintaining consistency throughout their work.

To help you better understand some key features of academic writing, take a look at this table illustrating common attributes:

Embrace these characteristics in your academic writing endeavors! By practicing clarity, accuracy, and conciseness – along with proper referencing styles – you’ll foster an environment where readers can freely explore new ideas and expand their understanding of complex concepts.

In turn, this will contribute positively towards your intellectual growth while making your work enjoyable and relatable for others who share your desire for freedom through knowledge acquisition.

The Role of Imagination and Artistry

While it’s often overlooked, the infusion of imagination and artistry can greatly enhance the impact of academic writing by drawing readers into a vivid landscape of ideas and fostering deeper engagement with complex concepts.

Imagination limitations are sometimes seen as necessary in scholarly work to maintain objectivity, but incorporating elements of creativity can help you break free from conventional thinking patterns and present your research more engagingly.

Artistry may not be explicitly required in academic writing, but it can elevate your work when applied judiciously. To harness the power of imagination and artistry in your academic writing, consider these strategies:

• Use metaphors or analogies to clarify abstract or complex ideas
• Experiment with narrative techniques to build suspense or intrigue around your research questions
• Employ active voice and vivid language for more dynamic descriptions
• Integrate visuals such as graphs, charts, or illustrations to support your arguments visually
• Choose an innovative structure that complements the content

Remember that combining creative approaches with rigorous scholarship doesn’t compromise your credibility; it demonstrates your ability to think beyond traditional boundaries and present information in a fresh light.

The Importance of Clarity and Precision

Clarity and precision can’t be overstated in academic writing, as they ensure your arguments are well-structured, your ideas easily understood, and your evidence compellingly presented.

The significance of clarity lies in its ability to eliminate confusion and ambiguity, allowing readers to grasp complex concepts without getting lost in a maze of jargon or convoluted sentences.

Similarly, the benefits of precision include fostering trust with your audience by demonstrating that you’ve conducted thorough research and can present information accurately.

In embracing these principles, you’ll empower others to comprehend and engage with your work and grant them the freedom to explore new thoughts and perspectives.

By presenting clear and precise content, you’re inviting readers into a world where they can freely navigate ideas without feeling overwhelmed or confined.

Formality and Structure in Writing

Transitioning from the importance of clarity and precision in writing, another crucial aspect is the formality and structure employed in your work.

As a writer, you need to be aware of these elements as they vary across different types of writing.

When it comes to creative writing, informal language, and unconventional structures are often embraced. This allows for more freedom and flexibility in expressing ideas, emotions, or storytelling.

On the other hand, technical and academic writing generally requires more formal language usage and structured formats. These guidelines help ensure that your audience clearly communicates and easily understands information.

It’s important to strike the right balance between formality and structure based on your purpose – engaging readers with an enjoyable narrative or providing concise, accurate information they can rely on.

Common Applications for Each Style

As you’re exploring various writing styles, it’s essential to understand their common applications and how each can serve a unique purpose in effectively conveying your message.

To evoke an emotional response from your audience, consider the following applications for each style:

• Creative writing: Unleash your imagination through storytelling, poetry, or personal essays. With this style, you have the freedom to express yourself without limitations.
• Technical writing: Simplify complex concepts and procedures by crafting clear and concise manuals, reports, or user guides. This allows your readers to grasp new information easily.
• Academic writing: Showcase your critical thinking skills with research papers, dissertations, or journal articles. Rigorous analysis and synthesis of ideas are key in this style.
• Style integration: Combine elements from different styles to create engaging content that caters to diverse audiences – a blog post blending creativity with research insights or a business proposal incorporating data analysis with persuasive language.
• Application challenges: Hone your adaptability by tackling projects requiring multiple writing styles, such as grant proposals or marketing campaigns.

By recognizing the value of each writing style and understanding when to apply them effectively, you’ll be well-equipped to face any communication challenge.

Career Opportunities and Professional Paths

You might wonder how mastering different writing styles can benefit your career, so let’s dive into the various opportunities and professional paths that await you.

Whether you’re interested in creative, technical, or academic writing, each field offers unique prospects for career growth. As a creative writer, you could pursue careers such as novelist, screenwriter, copywriter, or content creator for various mediums.

Technical writers are highly sought after in industries like technology, healthcare, engineering, and manufacturing, to name a few.

Academic writers often find their niche in research institutions or universities where they contribute to scholarly publications.

No matter which path you choose, strong networking strategies will play an important role in propelling your career forward.

Attending conferences and workshops related to your chosen field helps sharpen your skills. It allows you to connect with industry professionals who can provide guidance and possible job leads.

The Writing Process: Differences and Similarities

Now that we’ve explored various career paths, let’s delve into the writing process and examine how different styles share similarities and distinctions.

Whether you’re working on creative, technical, or academic writing projects, certain aspects of the writing process remain consistent across all fields.

To keep your audience engaged and satisfy their subconscious desire for freedom, your writing must maintain clarity, accuracy, and conciseness. Finding the right writing motivation can help you stay focused and produce high-quality content.

• Planning: Before starting any project, plan your approach by identifying your goals and target audience. This will ensure your content is well-suited for its purpose.
• Writing: Regardless of the style you’re working with, always strive to write clearly and concisely while maintaining an engaging tone.
• Editing: Once your draft is complete, use effective editing techniques to refine your work by removing redundancies or errors that could hinder comprehension.

By following these steps in each type of writing project (creative, technical, or academic), you’ll be better equipped to create captivating content tailored specifically for its intended purpose while keeping in mind the inherent differences between each style.

Balancing Creativity and Accuracy

Striking the perfect balance between imagination and precision is essential for crafting content that captivates readers while conveying accurate information.

Creative constraints and accuracy challenges can push you to think outside the box, allowing your work to stand out. Embrace these limitations as opportunities for growth, whether creating an imaginative story or composing a well-researched academic paper.

Remember that your audience has a subconscious desire for freedom – don’t be afraid to use creative techniques to engage them while maintaining accuracy. When it comes to balancing creativity and accuracy, practice makes perfect.

Experiment with different writing styles, methods, and sources of inspiration until you discover what works best for your unique voice.

Clarity, accuracy, and conciseness are crucial to effective communication.

However, don’t let those requirements stifle your creativity entirely. By consciously honing your skills in both areas simultaneously, you’ll find that striking the ideal balance becomes second nature over time – allowing you to create captivating content that resonates with readers while remaining true to the facts.

Adapting to Different Audiences and Contexts

Mastering the art of adapting your content to various audiences and contexts can be an exhilarating challenge, as it’s essential to tailor your message while maintaining authenticity – but how will you achieve this delicate balance?

One key component is audience engagement, which requires understanding who you’re addressing and their needs, desires, or interests.

By empathizing with your readers and crafting messages that appeal to them personally, you’ll capture their attention and motivate them to engage with your content.

Contextual adaptation comes into play when you consider the specific circumstances surrounding each piece of writing.

Whether it’s a creative story meant for entertainment purposes or an academic article discussing complex theories, adjusting language, tone, and style accordingly will ensure that your message is clear and concise for the intended audience.

Remember that people have a subconscious desire for freedom – so make sure your writing connects with them emotionally while still providing accurate information they need.

Developing Skills in Multiple Writing Styles

Diversifying your skill set in various writing styles can truly set you apart as a versatile and dynamic wordsmith. This will enable you to excel in any literary arena, making you a more appealing candidate for job opportunities and allowing you to connect with different audiences and contexts through your writing.

As a result, versatile writers often find themselves enjoying greater freedom in their careers and creative pursuits.

To achieve this level of versatility, consider focusing on the following four areas:

• Practice multiple writing styles : Challenge yourself to write creatively, technically, and academically – even outside your comfort zone.
• Study diverse genres : Read widely across different genres and formats to understand the unique requirements for each type of writing.
• Seek constructive feedback : Share your work with others with experience or expertise in various fields, requesting feedback on improving clarity, accuracy, and conciseness.
• Continuously refine your skills : Review and revise your work to ensure it meets the highest quality standards while remaining engaging for readers.

By embracing these strategies, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a versatile writer who can navigate any literary landscape with confidence and ease. Enjoy the freedom that comes from mastering multiple writing styles!

Tips for Success in Each Writing Domain

To excel in each writing domain, it’s essential to understand the unique requirements and techniques for success.

Did you know that 73% of employers value strong writing skills?

You’ll be better equipped to meet diverse demands and seize opportunities by honing your abilities in various domains. Skill-building exercises can help strengthen your proficiency in creative, technical, and academic writing styles while boosting your writer’s motivation.

For creative writing, practice painting vivid images with words by describing settings, characters, or emotions from personal experiences or imagination.

Experiment with different narrative structures and use stylistic devices like metaphor and simile.

In contrast, technical writing requires clarity and precision above all else; try breaking down complex processes into simple steps or creating concise user guides for software or tools.

Finally, academic writing calls for a formal tone and well-structured arguments supported by credible evidence; practice synthesizing research findings into clear thesis statements followed by logical analysis.

As you explore these distinct realms of expression, embrace your freedom to create compelling stories, convey helpful information effectively, and contribute valuable insights to scholarly discourse – the world needs all three!

Frequently Asked Questions

How can a writer effectively transition between creative, technical, and academic writing styles within the same project or document.

To effectively transition between styles, master transition techniques and enhance your writing versatility. Embrace clarity, accuracy, and conciseness while engaging your audience’s subconscious desire for freedom through your adaptable writing approach.

Are there any specific tools or software programs that can help writers improve their skills in each of these writing styles?

Explore various software programs to boost your skill development in different writing styles. Embrace the freedom of mastering creative, technical, and academic writing with tools designed for clarity, accuracy, and conciseness.

How do cultural differences and language barriers impact the effectiveness of creative, technical, and academic writing when communicating with international audiences?

Imagine trying to solve a puzzle with mismatched pieces. Cultural adaptability and language sensitivity are crucial for effective communication, as they bridge gaps in understanding when addressing international audiences.

Can you provide examples of successful writers who have mastered all three writing styles and have been able to use them interchangeably in their work?

Mastering versatility in writing is key to success! Successful writer examples include Isaac Asimov, who skillfully switched between creative, technical, and academic styles. Embrace your freedom to adapt and excel in all three.

Are there any interdisciplinary fields or industries where a writer may need to utilize all three writing styles regularly, and how can they prepare for such a diverse writing landscape?

In the dance of interdisciplinary writing, you’ll glide between styles. Diverse preparation is your key to mastering this choreography. Embrace clarity, accuracy, and conciseness while engaging your audience’s desire for freedom.

So, think of yourself as a chef in the writing kitchen. Each style – creative, technical, and academic – is like a different ingredient you can mix and match to cook the perfect dish for your audience.

Remember to keep it clear, accurate, and concise so your readers can savor every bite of your literary feast.

Bon appétit!

How Academic Writing Differs from Other Forms of Writing

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Written by  Scribendi

Have you ever wondered how academic writing stacks up against different styles of writing? If you have, then you're in good company, as many curious minds have pondered that same distinction. Let's get to it!

Formal Language versus Informal Language

Academic writing should use formal language that minimizes the use of contractions and colloquialisms and avoids slang terminology whenever possible. Casual language should only be used for emphasis.

Further, academic writing generally does not employ first person pronouns like "I" or "we," but different styles of writing do offer varying degrees of flexibility when it comes to the use of language, with a diverse range of informal elements sanctioned among different styles of writing.  

Check out the image below to further explore the differences between textspeak, informal language, and formal language!

Structure and Form

Style guides like the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Chicago Manual of Style are quintessential resources for scholars engaging in academic writing, with different style guides used for different fields of academia. These style guides standardize how references should be presented and how a document should be formatted, considering things like the margins, headings, typeface, and a myriad of other elements; some guides even prescribe the kind of language to be used for various circumstances encountered most frequently within the field.

All forms of academic writing will employ a structure that should allow the information presented to flow logically from one section to the next, regardless of the segments or formatting details used according to different styles of writing. For example, a scientific research article will typically include sections for the abstract, introduction, methods, analysis, results, and conclusions, whereas a paper written for the humanities will use a drastically different framework that can vary between artistic disciplines.

Different styles of writing contain various essential structural elements. This means that some styles, such as creative writing, grant significantly more freedom to the author than other styles, such as the style used for writing engineering documents.

The tone used to communicate ideas will significantly affect how readers interpret those ideas. It's vital that different styles of writing adopt different tones appropriate for the respective target audiences.

It's especially crucial within academic writing to eliminate all personal biases, both explicit and implicit. Academic writing must display objectivity. It's often best that academic writing avoids rhetorical tactics, like sweeping generalizations and emotional arguments, as this will ensure the highest degree of objectivity expected from academic writing.

At its core, academic writing should be clear, succinct, and objective; the exact criteria for these qualities differ among different styles of writing, but without these elements, the credibility of academic writing is often shaky.

The tone, language, and formality of academic writing will all depend on the target audience . As such, the target audience is a crucial consideration for effective academic writing.

In an academic setting, your audience could comprise researchers, professors, and/or experts in the field, but a casual piece might target your family and friends. The way we speak to figures of authority is very different from how we speak to siblings or friends, and communicating with these different groups when writing is no different; the word choices used in academic writing should suit the audience just as much as a person's vocabulary and gestures might shift for face-to-face communication according to these different groups.

For example, when the public is the intended audience for a piece of academic writing, it's probably a good idea to use simple language to explain any tricky terms used in the document. You might even consider substituting the academic jargon for another phrase more easily understood by the masses. This is true for all different styles of writing. The audience needs to understand what has been written!

If you're uncertain whether a particular term might be appropriate for your audience, try consulting a friend who is unfamiliar with the topic. This should clearly indicate how easy it might be for the average person to understand the concept.

The following piece of advice applies to all different styles of writing: leave time to edit! Regardless of the document, your work should be entirely free from errors. Proofreading for things like grammatical mistakes and punctuation errors and editing for elements such as the word choices and sentence structures will ensure that the writing is cohesive and clear. Further revision will ensure that unsightly grammatical errors and embarrassing typos never appear before the unforgiving public eye.

Have a peek at the image below to review the key aspects of academic writing (you can even download the image for reference). Once these elements have been nailed, you will have officially become a master of academic writing.

Image source: AboutImages/elements.envato.com

Make Sure Your Academic Writing Follows Conventions

Hire an expert academic editor , or get a free sample, about the author.

Scribendi’s in-house editors work with writers from all over the globe to perfect their writing. They know that no piece of writing is complete without a professional edit, and they love to see a good piece of writing turn into a great one after the editing process. Scribendi’s in-house editors are unrivaled in both experience and education, having collectively edited millions of words and obtained nearly 20 degrees collectively. They love consuming caffeinated beverages, reading books of various genres, and relaxing in quiet, dimly lit spaces.

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Reflections from a Young Writer: Academic vs. Creative Writing

LibParlor Contributor, Samantha Bise, reflects on the similarities and differences between academic and creative writing. Continue Reading Reflections from a Young Writer: Academic vs. Creative Writing

Samantha Bise is a Reference & Instruction Librarian at Central Penn College. Her research interests include critical information literacy, information bias, and educational barriers for vulnerable populations. Samantha spends a lot of her time volunteering in her community, and she is passionate about teaching, creating educational opportunities for adult learners, and writing poetry. Some of her recent poetry can be found at www.sambise.com , or here (2nd place in her county’s competition!), and here (published in a poetry journal). You can find her on Twitter: @sam_bise .

As Anne Lamott says in her book Bird by Bird, “…good writing is about telling the truth. We are a species that needs and wants to understand who we are.” What is humanity if not collectively sharing our experiences, anyway? I believe writing is one of the best ways to use our voices, share our experiences, work through difficult concepts, and contribute to the world.

“I believe writing is one of the best ways to use our voices, share our experiences, work through difficult concepts, and contribute to the world.”

As an early-career academic librarian, I am often writing about education for scholarly publications and presentations. As a lifelong poet who recently began submitting poetry for publication, I spend a lot of my time writing poetry and sending my work to editors. Throughout the writing and publication processes, I’ve noticed key differences and fundamental parallels in academic and creative writing. Below are reflections from me, a young academic and creative writer, along with suggestions for other beginners.

Writing to learn

Writing is at the root of my learning style, meaning I cannot see a way through difficult topics and issues without writing about it first. When I’m introduced to a new pedagogical idea, I research it and write about it. When somebody suggests a new library program or project, I research similar projects and write about my findings Results The section of a research article where researchers share the results from the research. This section takes the results and directly connects them to the research questions or hypotheses posed at the start of the article. Also can be called “Findings.” . Similarly, when I am struggling to understand something about the world around me, I write poetry about it.

Just like learning, writing is a messy business. I tell my students that research and writing are not linear processes, and this holds true for us, too. It’s messy and personal. Researching and writing are like doing a puzzle—some people start with the edges, some people sort by color, and others dive right in. We all have our ways of organizing ourselves. When writing academically or creatively, organize yourself in your way.

Choosing your topic

I made the decision years ago only to write what I am passionate about. If you haven’t made this promise to yourself yet, do it now. I spent too much of my time trying to be excited about library marketing when education and teaching information literacy was actually what I loved most. Once I began researching things that I felt a connection to, excitement and a desire to learn more kept me committed.

This holds true in my poetry, too. I spent most of my undergraduate years trying to be a romantic writer by writing very vague metaphors about nature. This is the genre of poetry I found myself reading, so I forced it into my writing. In direct contrast, I learned that I am more passionate about the raw realities of social issues, like drug addiction, mental illness, and poverty; this is now what most of my poetry focuses on. Don’t make writing more difficult by forcing a topic that doesn’t align with your passions, interests, or goals. Choosing to write only what you care about may be the best thing you ever do for your writer-self.

Adhering to a style

When writing for an academic audience, I learned the hard way to read the publisher’s guidelines or conference requirements before planning the way I shape my research findings. Scholarly publishers and academic conferences have specific styles they expect you to adhere to. Writing an article or proposal before finding a publisher has proven to be more time consuming than necessary.

When writing poetry, I was taught the opposite—don’t think about the audience. Writing creatively lends itself to, well, more creativity. When I write poetry, I write first and find appropriate publications later. This gives me more control over the final product, compared to the academic publishing process.

Supporting your claim and giving credit

As an academic librarian, I am constantly drawing a line between what ideas are mine and what concepts I’ve borrowed from others to help strengthen my point. The scholarly writing process relies heavily on expert voices and textual evidence to support my claims. This is necessary to help make a strong case and to contribute to the scholarly conversation. There’s a certain anxiety that comes along with responding to and critiquing the claims of other scholars.

On the other hand, the creative writing process focuses on my own experiences and perceptions of the world around me. An uncomfortable, yet liberating, part of creative writing is that I get to own [almost] every experience that happens to me without thinking about citation styles, copyright ethics, and intellectual freedom. However, similar to the anxieties in academic writing, writing creatively about personal experiences and observations lends itself to some discomfort, too.

Building community

One of the best parts about working in librarianship is that it’s a profession rooted in sharing. There are professional networks available for most interests in our field. I can share my work with my greater library community, and receive valuable feedback and support.

Similarly, in my creative writing communities, there is an abundance of mutual sharing and support. The difference is, people are less likely to harshly critique creative writing than they are academic writing. Outside of academia, poetry that is based on personal perceptions of the world does not lend itself to formal criticism. My creative writing communities value the act of sharing over the need for critique, which is in direct contrast to the mission of academic writing.

Coping with critiques

When you use your voice, people will have opinions about your work. This holds true for academic works and creative projects. When I finish a piece of writing—be it an article, conference proposal, or poem—the self-doubt sets in. I begin to have unrealistically high expectations for my writing. I suddenly believe that this one piece of writing should be simultaneously timeless, indisputable, and groundbreaking. But the truth is, most ideas are not unique, and all ideas should be open to critique.

I’ve learned to cope with the critiques by not attaching my professional or personal self-worth to others’ opinions of my work. If we make claims that are later deemed incorrect or invaluable, that’s okay. Research evolves, and so do we. Defend your work as you see fit, but also allow yourself to recognize and admit when your work has room for improvement. Stop holding your work to an impossible standard of perfection, and realize that using your voice as productively as you can is often enough. If you publish something you later regret, do better next time.

Using your voice

Researching and writing for academia is an important way to contribute to the progress of human knowledge. Similarly, writing creatively—in my case, writing poetry—is also a practice in using our voices, sharing our stories, and trying to help make sense of humanity. Contributing to the greater conversation by sharing your own experiences and expertise is challenging, rewarding, and necessary.

Above all else, I believe using our voices productively is one of the best things we can do for the world. Writing is one way to do this. Often times us beginners feel like we have nothing to offer, but simply the experiences of being new are perspectives worth sharing. When you use your voice, know that you will both formally and informally receive criticism, you will be told your voice doesn’t align with the standards or desires of certain publications or communities, and you will sometimes wonder why you are even trying to use your voice at all. I’d like to tell you that your voice and your contributions do matter.

Keep the Conversation Going

• Do you have a creative outlet that allows you to use your voice productively and express yourself?
• What are some ways you’ve learned to cope with critiques of your work?
• How do you stay committed to the scholarly writing process?
• What professional networks or communities have helped you find your place within librarianship?

Featured image [ CC0 ], via Pexels

The expressions of writer do not reflect anyone’s views but their own

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2 comments on “ reflections from a young writer: academic vs. creative writing ”.

Remember that the writing style of an academic research paper is tightly defined by three factors: 1) the discipline; 2) the type of research you are reporting (qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research create expectations in reporting styles (see http://www.equator-network.com ); and 3) the style expectations of the journal. Adhere closely to those and remember that academic research writing is very formalized and structured. Use classic, proper English at all times. Yes, your own voice will come through to some extent, but that’s actually more expressed in the choice of research topic and research method Research Method The approach taken by the researcher to collect data. Examples include in-depth interviews, focus groups, surveys, experiments, etc. . Writing for a scholarly, peer-reviewed journal is about as formalized as it gets. Peer-reviewers will be tough on you. Sometimes you have to rewrite multiple times and submit to multiple journals. You don’t have to accept everything a peer-reviewer tells you, but you should have a good reason for why you didn’t. Forget creative writing, there is nothing creative about this type of writing except for trying to persuade editors buried in submissions and busy peer-reviewers that you have something novel and useful enough to contribute to the journal and the discipline.

See Also: http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/ https://ori.hhs.gov/avoiding-plagiarism-self-plagiarism-and-other-questionable-writing-practices-guide-ethical-writing http://www.mhhe.com/mayfieldpub/tsw/toc.htm http://www.ease.org.uk/publications/author-guidelines-authors-and-translators/ https://www.aacc.org/publications/clinical-chemistry/clinical-chemistry%C2%A0guide-to-scientific-writing# https://cgi.duke.edu/web/sciwriting/index.php

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Creative Writing(ENG-207) Week#7:- Difference between Academic and Creative Writing

• Week#7:- Difference between Academic and Creative Writing

Difference between Academic and Creative Writing

Creative writing is different from  academic writing . Writing for websites is different from writing for newspaper columns. Journal entries are different from writing press releases on behalf of a brand. Writing purposes do vary. It's important that when undertaking any writing you have a firm grasp on this concept.

Let's look at the fundamental differences between academic and creative writing.

The Principal Difference

Style is the chief difference between academic and creative writing. Creative writing need not adhere to any specific style parameters. Academic writing is different. Academic writing needs to be structured and executed adhering to a series of guidelines. Indeed, so stringent are these guidelines that academic institutions include these guidelines as part of their curriculum.

Style Guidelines Outlined

These documents or manuals outline the rules and standards needed for the successful execution of any written exercise. A quick Google search and you'll find web pages dedicated to clearly communicating the guidelines of academic writing. However, many institutions have their own stylistic guidelines.

Common Style Guide Conventions vs. Informal Writing

Here is a look at some of the differences between informal writing and conventional, academic writing.

Contractions – generally speaking contractions are acceptable in academic writing, though overuse will dilute the integrity of the writing. Studying academic writing you'll see that the writer makes use of contractions to get points across.

Technical terminology –when writing for academic purposes it's important that you always bear the audience in mind. If you're writing for a niche market alone the audience will understand any jargon that may be lost on the layman. Take out technical terminology altogether if writing for a diverse audience.

Reference appropriately – good academic writing includes references for any information used to support your argument. These need to be referenced appropriately.

Colloquial expressions and clichés – creative writing, especially dialogue, will have expressions that are unique to that character. However, these should not be used in academic writing. For example, it's unwise to describe Noam Chomsky's contribution to linguistics as ‘awesome.'

These are just a few tips for anyone considering how to cater to their writing for academic or creative purposes. Follow these are you will give yourself the best possible chance of executing a well-crafted piece of work, no matter the purpose.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CREATIVE AND ACADEMIC WRITING

In personal, reflective, or creative writing, there are far fewer rules since it is.. well. personal and creative!  In this kind of writing, one can tell a story,  summarize their experiences, or express their opinions, ideas, or emotions.  Their writing can be entirely fictional, requiring minimal factual evidence or support.  However, writers may still want to include support for their assertions, especially if their personal writing is supposed to be persuasive or deliver an opinion.  Writers may support their claims with personal experiences and information that they have heard, even if they aren’t entirely sure where from.  Their evidence doesn’t have to include the page number of the specific text it is found in like academic writing does.  This is simply because it is writing for the purpose of only the writer’s intentions.  It doesn’t need to satisfy requirements or match the grading of a rubric. Academic or scholarly writing on the other hand is a little more standardized.  One's writing must be much more organized and formatted, and the evidence used as support for their assertions must come from concrete sources.  The sources should be properly cited both in text and in a works cited page.  In academic writing, the writer needs to prove to the reader that what is being said is factual and correct.  Ideas need to be explained, and any inferences or deductions based on textual evidence or data must include support.  Contrary to creative writing, one cannot simply ponder about an idea and ask questions.  In academic writing, questions must be answered.

Another difference between academic writing and creative or personal writing is the presence of pressure due to time restraints.  In timed essays, ones writing situation may greatly change.  There is no time to brainstorm or procrastinate, so being able to organize ideas quickly is essential.  Also, far greater preparation before beginning the paper is required.  The writer does not have the luxury of aimlessly searching through sources for evidence.  The subject of the timed essay must be understood thoroughly, prior to the beginning of the timed writing.

Overall, creative writing allows for more personal expression whereas academic/scholarly writing aims to explore an idea, argument, or concept.  Academic writing requires more factual evidence for support, and presents challenges such as the pressure of time.  They each have their own purpose, and as a developing writer, I hope to improve my writing of both types.

• Week#1:- Literature and major forms of literature
• Week#2:- Drama and forms of drama
• Week#3:- Poetry and kinds of poetry
• Week#4:- Objective poetry and its kinds
• Week#5:- Benefits of Creative Writing
• Week#6:- Types of Writing and Writing Process
• Week#8:- Elements of Short Stories
• Week#9:- Novel and its types
• Week#10:- Novel and its uses
• Week#11:- Communication and its types
• Week#12:- Communication's elements and benefits
• Week#13:- The Barrier to effective communication
• Week#14:- Essay and its types
• Week#15:- Figures of speech
• Week#16:- Poem: "Mending Wall"
• Chapters 16
• Department Business Administration

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The difference between academic and professional writing: a helpful guide

Whether you’re a current or prospective student at Penn LPS Online, you’ve likely written your fair share of academic papers and business emails. But you’re not alone if you still have questions about the differences and similarities between academic and professional writing. This overview contains a summary of everything you need to know about the intricacies of these critical forms of writing.

What is the difference between academic and professional writing?

One of the key differences between academic writing and business writing is the goal of each endeavor. Because the readers are often students, professors, or scholars in academic writing, the goal is to present and analyze information on a specific subject and increase understanding. With professional writing, the goal is generally to communicate information or influence the opinions of managers, coworkers, clients, or job prospects. While academic writing is strictly formal, it’s common to use the first-person point of view in many standard business communications. Lastly, academic writing requires adherence to strict formatting and source requirements, but there is generally more flexibility in this area when it comes to professional documents.

Read on to dive deeper into the ins and outs of academic and professional writing.

Academic writing

The hallmarks of academic writing include the use of the third-person point of view, a logical flow, an emphasis on facts and ideas, and an authoritative, formal tone. This writing style is objective, avoids casual language and slang, offers insightful analysis, and includes citations for research backed by reliable sources such as scientific studies or journal articles. While students and professors routinely use academic writing, scientists also use it to describe their research findings, as do literary critics. There are four distinct types of this formal writing style: descriptive, analytical, persuasive, and critical.

Descriptive writing

Descriptive writing is one of the most simple and ubiquitous types of scholarly writing. You can see examples of this writing style in essays, research papers, or lab reports for several fields of study. The primary goal of descriptive writing is to use precise language to summarize and describe information, such as the result of an experiment or a section of prose.

Analytical writing

An example of analytical writing is an academic paper that compares two or more complex ideas or theories. Although a part of analytical writing is descriptive, it requires going a step further to reorganize and deconstruct facts into categories, groups, types, or relationships that provide context. As such, to author a successful analytical essay, you need to start with a strong outline.

Persuasive writing

Persuasive writing takes analytical writing to the next level. Not only must you structure a coherent, fact-based argument, but you must also include your own point of view. This could be a recommendation, interpretation of findings, or an evaluation of someone else’s work, but the claims you make need to be credible and backed by evidence.

Critical writing

This formal style is commonly used in research, advanced undergraduate, or postgraduate writing. It includes the tenets of persuasive writing with the supplement of at least one other point of view (in addition to your own) on a topic or issue. For example, if you’re writing a thesis, you may explain a researcher’s analysis from a journal article, critique the merits of their argument, and provide your own alternative explanation.

Professional writing

Professional writing refers to any written communication that takes place in an organizational context. A primary objective of professional or business writing is to effectively educate, instruct, or persuade an audience via emails, newsletters, memos, press releases, project proposals, business plans, executive summaries, letters, and resumés. As is the case with all writing styles, proper grammar usage—including syntax, spelling, and parts of speech—is essential in professional writing, as are the three points below.

Clarity and concision

One of the main requirements for successful professional writing is to use clear, precise language so that your message is easily understood. It’s also important to avoid clichés and hyperbole and stick to simple, concise statements that efficiently share concrete information. Not only will this save you time, but it will also benefit the reader’s comprehension and enjoyment.

Active and purposeful

Whether you’re creating a quick email or preparing an in-depth report, every piece of business writing should start with a well-defined objective or purpose. To keep your communication to the point, you should use an active voice, choose strong action verbs, and avoid qualifiers or passive phrases such as “I think.”

Personal tone

Although professional writing should have a courteous tone, the level of formality does not need to be equal to that used in an academic setting. Documents such as business plans should have a formal structure, but with emails or online chats with colleagues, a friendly, polite tone and positive phrasing can go a long way.

The overlap between academic and professional writing

Although there are distinct differences, there are also many similarities between academic and professional writing. Both writing styles require that you use proper grammar and punctuation, clear and precise language, and a serious tone, along with well-developed ideas with clear objectives. Whether you’re writing for business or academic purposes, it’s also important to avoid exaggeration, emotionally charged expressions, and jargon, as they dilute the effectiveness of your communication. In everything from research papers and essays to memos and fundraising letters, it’s essential to ensure that the information you convey is both accurate and relevant. And you should always have a clearly defined goal for academic or business writing, such as to describe, inform, analyze, or persuade.

If you’re somewhat of a writing novice and looking to improve your skills, then consider PROW 1030: Introduction to Academic Reading, Writing, and Research and PROW 1000: Fundamentals of Professional Writing at Penn LPS Online. The former is designed to expand your abilities and build your confidence as you learn how to plan and execute a well-structured argument, write with logical coherence, and polish your work to ensure readability. The latter provides an introduction to critically analyzing any writing situation and creating purposeful messaging to address it. With targeted exercises to improve grammar, mechanics, and precision, you’ll work to enhance the quality and effectiveness of your writing practice.

If you want to expand and refine your existing repertoire, look to PROW 3030: Advanced Academic Writing and PROW 3010: The Power of Storytelling . The former focuses on improving your ability to translate readings, research, and findings into meaningful academic content. This includes employing time management and reading strategies and enhancing your understanding of the nuances of academic genres and writing styles. The latter explores storytelling as a means of conveying complex and memorable information. Learn how to use narrative studies as a research tool for gathering data and a rhetorical strategy for generating emotional appeal, action, and brand identity.

Explore the professional writing certificate at Penn LPS Online

The 4-course Certificate in Professional Writing at Penn LPS Online offers practical applications that provide an accelerated understanding of the art of effective business communication—and tips to help you become a master of grammar, concision, and clarity. As mentioned above, whether you’re looking to learn the fundamentals or you’re already a seasoned writer, these Ivy League writing courses will help you take your skills to the next level. Discover innovative findings in the field, receive extensive coaching and feedback, and learn how to incorporate your personal or corporate brand story into every piece of communication.

The Certificate in Professional Writing prepares you to:

• Analyze different audiences, scenarios, and contexts to better shape your messaging
• Develop effective rhetorical strategies and skills to persuade personal, professional, and social audiences
• Learn how use complex multimedia texts that incorporate language, image, and sound to produce a coherent, engaging message
• Grow your empathic and analytical skills to integrate and build upon other viewpoints
• Explore how to engage the senses to successfully convey information through social media
• Understand how to use effective visualization to make complex material more accessible 

Ready to get started? If you have yet to do so, apply to Penn LPS Online today and enroll in the Certificate in Professional Writing . Or  view our course guide to see what’s available in any upcoming term.

Postgraduate Advanced Clinical Education (PACE) study support guide: 6.1 Academic writing

• 1. University jargon-buster
• 2. Library resources
• 3. Literature searching
• 4. Plagiarism
• 5.1 Using EndNote
• 6.1 Academic writing
• 6.2 Reflective practice & writing
• 6.3 Understanding feedback
• 6.4 Presentations
• 6.5 Preparing for exams and OSCEs

Academic vs professional writing

• Similarities
• Differences

Things to avoid in academic writing

• Writing in bullet points
• Having paragraphs of only one or two lines
• Forgetting to reference fully
• Making statements that are not backed by evidence
• Selecting the first piece of evidence that seems roughly related, thinking ‘that will do’
• Including irrelevant information or wandering from the point
• Neglecting to redraft and proof-read carefully

Academic writing shares some commonality with professional writing, they both:

• follow specific criteria
• have their own layout and formatting conventions
• are written in a formal style
• are need to be well presented and should be thoroughly proof-read
• must meet stated deadlines

It can be helpful to think of academic writing as a different genre with different conventions, style and expectations. Being aware of these differences can help you adapt your writing for an academic audience:

Writing for an academic audience	Writing for a professional audience
Written to demonstrate your learning and meet marking criteria	Written with a specific purpose and audience in mind (e.g. patients, healthcare professionals, managers)
Written in continuous prose with complete paragraphs and full sentences	Can  be written using bullet points and very short paragraphs of a few lines
Explores ideas	Presents information Developing your ideas and arguments Generating ideas Writing strategies Developing a coherent argument and position in academic writing is often done in the stages before   and  after you start writing. Planning helps prevent your ideas from wandering, and redrafting can help identify and sharpen up your argument, so it is good to allow enough time for these stages in longer pieces of work. If you are finding it difficult to work out what you think in the midst of all the views of other people, try asking yourself questions about the validity of the evidence that others are basing their views upon:  Do you agree or disagree with their standpoint and, importantly,  what is making you agree or disagree?   A questioning attitude is the basis of critical thinking…and critical thinking is not just something we do when writing academically.  The Critical analysis guide produced by the University's Study Advice Team gives tips on critical thinking, reading and writing: Critical Analysis: Thinking, Reading, and Writing Good assignment planning starts with ideas generation and identifying what you know and what you want to find out. Before readin g This is a really valuable stage which many people miss out, but it makes your reading and planning much easier. Before rushing into your reading, note down your initial thoughts about the question/topic - an essay plan, spider diagram or mind map are all good techniques for this. The kinds of things to note briefly are: What you already know about the topic  - from professional experience, lectures, seminars, general knowledge Things you do not know about the topic -  but need to find out in order to answer the question Initial responses or answers to the question  - what you think your conclusion might be at the start This helps you start formulating your argument and direction for answering the question. It also helps you focus your reading, as you can pinpoint what you need to find out and go straight to the parts of books, chapters, articles that will be most relevant. After reading After your reading, it is often good to summarise all your findings on a page – again, a spider diagram or mind map can help with this. Bringing together the key points from your reading helps clarify what you have found out, and helps you find a pathway through all the ideas and issues you have encountered. If you include brief details of authors and page nos. for key information, it can act as a quick at-a-glance guide for finding the evidence you need to support your points later. It also helps you see how your initial response to the question might have changed or become more sophisticated in light of the reading you've done. It leads into planning your essay structure which can be done in any way that suits you best: A bullet point list, spider diagram, short summary. It does not matter as long as you have a ‘road map’ to keep you on track when writing. If you are finding it hard to get started, or there are certain aspects of your academic writing you’d like to develop, try some of these quick writing strategies: Get over the initial blank page Stop deleting or over-editing Overcome perfectionism Get the ideas in your head down on paper Set a timer for a short amount of time (say 5 or 10 mins) then start writing. The aim is to write continuously for that time without deleting, searching for references or saying it is rubbish. If you don’t know something write ‘I don’t know’ and carry on. Identify your own argument Keep a coherent thread throughout the assignment Develop your own voice See the bigger picture Can you summarise your overall answer to your assignment question in a paragraph? Try writing a short summary of your argument and refer to it to help ensure you are bringing this out clearly throughout your writing Get started Identify your key points Write a lot in one go Write an assignment from start to finish If you are used to writing in bullet points, use this to help develop your structuring. Make a bullet point list of your main points for the assignment, then treat these as sub-headings (you can always remove them later if your marker doesn’t like headings). Then start to write the detail and fill in each section more fully under each bullet point. Ensure your argument is clear Form well-structured paragraphs Stop your paragraphs from wandering  Use a highlighter and go through your first draft highlighting the first and last lines of each paragraph. Do they all link to your main argument? Does the first line act as the introduction to the paragraph and the last line act as the conclusion? Is the paragraph long enough – are there more than just two lines? Does the paragraph deal with one main point or does it wander about?  Stay relevant to the question Ensure you are analysing critically Ensure there is a good balance to each paragraph Use a highlighter and highlight the pieces of evidence you use in your first draft – check that each piece of evidence is relevant and supports your point (not just loosely based on the same topic). Check that you have enough evidence and that you are analysing it, not just presenting it. Your argument/position You can think of the argument running through a piece of academic writing like a river. Sometimes it is only possible to identify your argument clearly once you have written your first draft, as the act of writing helps clarify your thoughts. We often do not know what our position is on an issue until we have expressed what we think. The redrafting stage is a good time to identify that argument and draw it out fully. You can do this by making sure that there is a consistent message (or river) running from your introduction to your conclusion, and that every paragraph has a role to play in advancing this message Skip to  45 seconds in  on this short video for an explanation of the idea of an argument as a river, or feel free to watch the whole video for more on Structuring your Essay.  If you are unable to view this video on YouTube it is also available on YuJa - view the Structuring your essay video on YuJa (University username and password required) Try this writing strategy What's my argument? Can you summarise your overall answer to your assignment question in a paragraph? Try writing a short summary of your argument and refer to it to help ensure you are bringing this out clearly throughout your writing. For more writing strategies to help develop your academic writing see the ‘Writing strategies’ page in this guide. Structuring your work and paragraphing Paragraph model Using evidence Writing concisely Proof reading Structure is important in academic writing because it helps to make your ideas clear, guides the reader's comprehension and can strengthen your arguments. Some academic writing, such as scientific reports, have a given structure or template. In this case, you should find out what is required under each heading and adhere to this; it is most likely mapped to the marking criteria so you will lose marks for not following a stated structure. Other writing might require you to select and organise the material you are writing yourself and so develop a structure from scratch.  Usually, in the introduction you should set out the structure so that the reader knows what to expect and the order in which it will be presented. The order in which information is presented should be logical so that the reader can follow your ideas and research, ideally write your structure with just one point/argument/idea per paragraph. In addition, the ideas should flow or be linked so that the reader is drawn through an explanation or argument, rather than stopping and starting at each new point.  The conclusion to the piece should draw together all the points or ideas and come to a conclusion. Whether you are following a template or devising your own structure, paragraphs in academic writing can be thought of like a ‘mini-essay’ with an introduction, main body and conclusion. The first line introduces the point being made, the main body presents and discusses the evidence to support the point and the final line concludes the point and links it back to the assignment title. Other useful guides Grammar Supporting information on grammar, including nouns and sentences Punctuation Supporting informaton on punctuation including commas, semi-colons, colons and apostrophes. When presenting a point of view, such as a line of argument for an essay, decide on the main points that you want to communicate. A paragraph can be planned (like a mini-essay) using the PEEL format: What is the main topic of your paragraph? What evidence is there to support this point? How and why does the evidence support the point? What contribution does this point make to your overall argument? Like any model, not all your paragraphs will fit neatly into this framework, but it is a useful guide to check the balance of your paragraphs: Do you have a clear point? Does the end of the paragraph link to the beginning? Have you interpreted your evidence not just left it there to ‘speak for itself’? Also it is helpful to think of the length of your paragraphs. If they are only a few lines long, it is unlikely you are interpreting your evidence fully. If they are over a page in length, it is likely you have more than one main point and need to separate them out. Skip to  5 minutes in  on this video tutorial for an explanation and example of the model paragraph or feel free to watch the whole video for more on Targeted Reading and Use of Evidence. If you are unable to view this video on YouTube it is also available on YuJa - view the Targeted reading and use of evidence video on YuJa (University username and password required) You do not have to refer to each piece of evidence in the same depth. Sometimes you need to show that you understand the wider context of the issue, and a short summary of the key issues and key researchers is all that is needed. For example: Many studies have investigated household accidents caused by cheese. These studies disagree about the most significant reasons for cheese-based injury with some arguing that choking on cheese poses the highest risk (1-3). Other studies claim that burns from melted cheese are more hazardous (4,5), whilst a minority of recent studies have identified slipping on cheese as a growing danger (6). A significant amount of reading and in-depth understanding of the field is demonstrated in those sentences above even though the individual mentions of the evidence are quite short. The summary maps out the state of current research and the positions taken by the key researchers, and despite being short it has taken careful reading, grouping, identification, and understanding of the issues. Sometimes you need to go into greater depth and refer to some sources in more detail in order to interrogate the methods and standpoints expressed by these researchers. For example: A recent study introduces a new model for assessing the relative dangers of cheese related-injuries, identifying the overall total damage done as more important than the frequency of injuries (1). However, this model does not adequately take into account the theory of 'Under-reporting' which states that people are less likely to report frequently occurring small accidents until a critical mass of injuries are reached (2). Even in this more analytical piece of writing, only the relevant points of the study and the theory are mentioned briefly - but you need a confident and thorough understanding to refer to them so concisely. If you find it challenging to integrate evidence into your paragraphs, have a look at: Academic Phrasebank Use this site for examples of linking phrases and ways to refer to sources. See also this video from the University's Study Advice Team on effective paraphrasing for postgraduates: If you are unable to view this video on YouTube it is also available on YuJa - view the Effective paraphrasing for postgraduates video on YuJa (University username and password required) Do not be tempted to use complex language or expressions that are not your own, just to make your writing appear "academic". Use straightforward language. Your reader needs to understand the information or ideas that you are conveying. Communicate succinctly without losing vital information or meaning. It is often easier to write fluently and then to edit out unnecessary words and phrases. Some academic writing, such as scientific informatoin, needs to be especially precise. A reader may need to have all the information required to understand exact conditions of a scientific study and to replicate it. Using simple sentences can be helpful. Avoid using non-quantifiable descriptions, such as: The company's production rate was high <--replace with--> The company produced 16,00 units per week. The wind was strong <--replace with--> The wind measured 6 on the Beaufort scale. Editing tips to reduce word count Cross out unnecessary words Go through a paragraph that you have written and cross out any words, or phrases or even a sentence that may be unnecessary. (Or 'grey it out' – change the text colour of the words you might remove to light grey.) Read it again to see if you have lost anything essential to the information or meaning. If you have not, then delete it permanently. Replace phrases with single words meaning the same The researcher wanted to find out <--replace with--> The researcher enquired Summarise each paragraph in a sentence Try writing one sentence which sums up each paragraph. Then read through and rank in importance to your overall answer to the question. Take out the paragraphs that are least important. Your written work may be interesting, well structured and informed. Yet it may still make a bad impression because of poor proof reading. Part of your assessment will usually relate to the standard of your written English. It's important to pay attention to things like tenses, gender, plurals and the structure of your sentences, especially if you have rewritten or moved sections of your work. It's easy to lose marks - but it's also easy to make sure you don't. Below are ten brief tips to help you to proof read your work as effectively as possible. Use of editorial and proof reading services The University policy on the use of proof reading and editorial services Top tips for effective proof reading Print it off  - it's much more difficult to read onscreen and there's always the temptation to start doing major rewrites. Leave it a day -  if you can, leave some time between finishing your full draft and proof reading. It's easier to read critically when it's not so fresh in your mind. Read aloud - s mall errors of expression and punctuation are more likely to become obvious if you read aloud. Punctuate your reading  - put pauses in for punctuation when you read, timed differently for different punctuation marks - so take a breath for commas, come to a halt for full stops. This is a good way to see if your sentences are too long or too short. Take it slowly -  if you have time to do a really thorough proofing, first read each sentence in a paragraph one at a time to make sure each makes sense. Then read the whole paragraph. Finally, when you've read all the paragraphs, read the whole essay through. Take care with cut and paste  - if you decide to move things about, don't forget to check the whole sentence again afterwards to make sure all the tenses, genders and plurals agree. Using the grammar check tool in Microsoft Word can help to prevent any errors. Learn punctuation rules  - make sure you know how to use commas, apostrophes, colons and semi-colons. For more on this, see the  page in this guide on Punctuation . Check your referencing  - always check your course handbook for preferred conventions - if you have to reference something that's not covered there, be consistent. Get another view  - ask a friend to read through your work and tell you if it makes sense (NOT correct it for you). Offer to do the same for them. Especially good if you can't leave time between writing and proofing - another pair of eyes will be fresher. Use your feedback  - always read and learn from your academic feedback. Use it to make a list of the things you often get wrong. Look out for these especially. They should start to disappear as you get used to doing them right. Writing at level 7 Tips for writing at level 7 Accuracy and complexity When at studying level 7 (Masters Level), your academic writing must reflect the level of critical analysis, synthesis and application to practice commensurate with this level of study.   Studying at level 7 means developing your studying practices from those suited to being an independent  learner  to those suited to being an independent  practitioner . You will be working at a more complex and sophisticated level, with a need for broader and more independently sourced resources. You will need not only to evaluate what other people have found but also to put your own knowledge and research into context. You will be expected to be meticulous and professional and show higher standards of scholarship. The advice on this page aims to explain some of the differences between undergraduate and Masters level study. The full marking criteria for taught postgraduate study can be found at the link below, the information in this section of the guide interprets this information to the context in which you are doing your studies. Assessment handbook Guidance on the requirements for assessments are included in the individual module handbooks.  Some overarching principles will apply across all the assessments for all practitioners: Consider how you can  analyse  what you are writing to critique your role, the evidence and/or the outcome to show self-awareness of the implications to your practice Avoid simple descriptions and presentation of ideas; try questioning each step in the process, and then use these questions to challenge your practice When analysing situations ensure you consider the opinions of others, either through your workplace-based learning communication and/or the available evidence to produce an outcome i.e. an argument for what you perceive happened/should happen Consider the accuracy, relevance, validity and contribution of evidence i.e. critically appraise the evidence Ensure you bring in reflective elements to your writing, especially in your reflective accounts, remembering these sections should usually be written in the first person When writing reflectively consider how your history/experiences have shaped your career and professional values i.e. how have you been influenced by the circumstances you are describing Think about how you can show critical awareness of current problems and/or new insights in  professional practice Key concepts of level 7 writing Achievement of level 7 study includes: ability to deal with complex problems, integrating theory to professional practice make sound judgements and communicating your conclusions clearly demonstrating self-direction in problem-solving acting autonomously, using own initiative and taking personal responsibility for professional practice critical awareness of professional practice, including self-reflection Accurate and appropriate use of language in your writing is one way of demonstrating academic rigour. You will need to be more thoughtful about the way you use language.  Remember that the best writing style is clear and accurate, not unnecessarily complicated.  If English is not your first language, there is more specialised support and advice available from the University's International Study and Language Institute website (link below). At level 7 you cannot get away with writing about something that you only vaguely understand, or squeezing in a theory in the hope it will gain extra marks - your markers will be able to tell, and this does not demonstrate the accuracy or professionalism of a researcher. Imagine you write the sentence: "Freudian psychoanalysis demonstrates how our personalities are developed from our childhood experiences." At level 7, the word 'demonstrates' becomes very loaded and potentially inaccurate. This is because you are expected to interrogate the assumptions, boundaries, and way in which knowledge is constructed in your subject. With this in mind, the sentence above raises a lot of contextual questions: To what extent could Freud's theory of psychoanalysis really be said to 'demonstrate' the origins of our personalities? What part of Freud's many theories are you referring to when you write 'psychoanalysis'? What about the developments in psychoanalysis that have happened since Freud, and the many arguments against his theories? Your writing needs to take these questions into account, and at least be aware of them, even if you don't address all of them. Do not just stop at discussing the pros and cons of a debate; academics rarely agree on interpretations of theories or ideas, so academic knowledge is more like a complex network of views than two clear sides. International Study and Language Institute (ISLI) Courses and resources to support the learning of English as a second language. Writing at level 6 Communicating your ideas Being original When studying at level 6 (Bachelor's level) you will be aware that you need to develop your academic writing for higher education - but how? Will you need to use a lot of long words and complicated sentences? Will you be expected to include some original idea that no-one else has ever written about to get good marks? Actually neither of these are what good academic writing is about. Rather you will need to be able to communicate complicated ideas clearly, know how to support the things you say with evidence, and explain your thinking. Academic rigour means checking and testing information to assess whether it is free of errors and is backed by accurate and appropriate evidence. It needs to be strong so that it can support your arguments - like making sure foundations will hold a building up.  Whether you are writing about someone else's ideas or your own, you will be expected to support the points you wish to make with evidence, perhaps from your own primary research or observations, or from your reading. When this evidence is taken from someone else's work (a book, journal article or website, for instance), you need to provide a reference or citation to show the source. The full marking criteria for bachelor's study can be found at the link below, the information in this section of the guide interprets this information to the context in which you are doing your studies. Assessment handbook - marking See Annex 1 and 2 for detailed marking and assessment criteria for undergraduate and postgraduate work. See Annex 1 for detailed marking and assessment criteria for undergraduate work. N.B. for all CIPPET modules offered at level 6, the pass mark is 50% not 40%. In higher education, you are going to be asked to think about, explain and discuss a complex range of ideas and arguments. You may be bringing together ideas from a number of different scholars that you have read, for instance: or showing what the results of your own primary research mean in the context of a particular problem. In either case, it's important to write clearly so that your reader can be certain that they understand what you're saying, and that you understand what you're writing about. How is this different from your previous study? The ideas you're expressing will be more complex than those you have been used to working with, so you may need to spend more time thinking about what you want to say before you start writing.  You may need to use specialist terms - if you do, it will be important that you understand what they mean and use them appropriately. You will need to be more careful and rigorous in your writing: to make sure that your words and phrases convey exactly what you mean to say. You will have longer assignments and being accurate will be more important, so you'll need to give yourself plenty of time for proof-reading. Avoid long, complex sentences...  You are less likely to lose track of what you are trying to say if you write in shorter sentences. If you need to link a number of ideas together in a sentence, make sure you separate them with appropriate punctuation: commas, semi-colons, colons and parentheses. More on how to use punctuation. Longer words don't make your writing more academic...  A good piece of advice is to 'write to express, not to impress'. You are looking for words that will best communicate your ideas. Sometimes these will be long complicated words and sometimes they will be shorter. What you need is the most appropriate words for the job they have to do. Give your reader signposts...  If you tell your reader what you are going to say, they will know what to look out for. Include a few sentences in your introduction on how you are going to answer the question: something like, "This essay will discuss the proposition that Brown's thesis is flawed. The proposition will be examined by first considering x, then looking at y, and finally z. Conclusions will then be drawn about the validity of Brown's thesis." Then start each of your sections with a topic sentence (or sub-heading, in a report) that shows what it is you are going to be discussing. Watch out for informality and vagueness...  You are trying to reduce any possibility of your reader misunderstanding what you are trying to say, so aim to avoid the kind of language that might be interpreted differently by different readers. More on writing formally: Communicating your ideas clearly Try these exercises on writing style to get you thinking about the way you write. Academic writing guide Guide to what you need to know about writing appropriately and correctly for UK higher education, including information on effective proof-reading. It is confusing when you are told you need to be original in your thinking - but then you are told that you need more references to other people's work too. In higher education, being original is rarely about having a brilliant idea that no-one has ever had before. Rather it means that you will be expected to take different sources of information and think about how they fit (or do not fit) together so that you can work out your own interpretation and understanding of the topic.   Always start from your own ideas…  so that you are less likely to fall into the trap of uncritically believing the first scholar you read. Before you start doing detailed research, take what you know already about the topic, and use it to make an educated guess about the answer to the question or main message about the topic you are researching. Then test that idea against your reading or research. Your conclusion is for summing up…  not for adding speculative ideas with no evidence to support them. If you have a brilliant original idea and can show how you worked it out and how it fits into the evidence you have, then include it in the main body of your work. Do not worry!...  your work will naturally be original if you always think critically and have a bit of confidence in your own interpretations and evaluations. If you and your best friend both read the same books and articles, attended the same lectures, and wrote an answer to the same question, they would still both be different and original, provided you do your own thinking and don't uncritically believe other people's ideas. Practise original thinking Try this exercise to see how two people can come up with different arguments, even when they're using the same material. << Previous: 6. Assignment guidance Next: 6.2 Reflective practice & writing >> Last Updated: Aug 27, 2024 2:32 PM URL: https://libguides.reading.ac.uk/pace Have a language expert improve your writing Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free. Knowledge Base Academic writing A step-by-step guide to the writing process The Writing Process | 5 Steps with Examples & Tips Published on April 24, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on December 8, 2023. Good academic writing requires effective planning, drafting, and revision. The writing process looks different for everyone, but there are five basic steps that will help you structure your time when writing any kind of text. Receive feedback on language, structure, and formatting Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on: Academic style Vague sentences Style consistency See an example Table of contents Step 1: prewriting, step 2: planning and outlining, step 3: writing a first draft, step 4: redrafting and revising, step 5: editing and proofreading, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about the writing process. Before you start writing, you need to decide exactly what you’ll write about and do the necessary research. Coming up with a topic If you have to come up with your own topic for an assignment, think of what you’ve covered in class— is there a particular area that intrigued, interested, or even confused you? Topics that left you with additional questions are perfect, as these are questions you can explore in your writing. The scope depends on what type of text you’re writing—for example, an essay or a research paper will be less in-depth than a dissertation topic . Don’t pick anything too ambitious to cover within the word count, or too limited for you to find much to say. Narrow down your idea to a specific argument or question. For example, an appropriate topic for an essay might be narrowed down like this: Doing the research Once you know your topic, it’s time to search for relevant sources and gather the information you need. This process varies according to your field of study and the scope of the assignment. It might involve: Searching for primary and secondary sources . Reading the relevant texts closely (e.g. for literary analysis ). Collecting data using relevant research methods (e.g. experiments , interviews or surveys ) From a writing perspective, the important thing is to take plenty of notes while you do the research. Keep track of the titles, authors, publication dates, and relevant quotations from your sources; the data you gathered; and your initial analysis or interpretation of the questions you’re addressing. Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check. Especially in academic writing , it’s important to use a logical structure to convey information effectively. It’s far better to plan this out in advance than to try to work out your structure once you’ve already begun writing. Creating an essay outline is a useful way to plan out your structure before you start writing. This should help you work out the main ideas you want to focus on and how you’ll organize them. The outline doesn’t have to be final—it’s okay if your structure changes throughout the writing process. Use bullet points or numbering to make your structure clear at a glance. Even for a short text that won’t use headings, it’s useful to summarize what you’ll discuss in each paragraph. An outline for a literary analysis essay might look something like this: Describe the theatricality of Austen’s works Outline the role theater plays in Mansfield Park Introduce the research question: How does Austen use theater to express the characters’ morality in Mansfield Park ? Discuss Austen’s depiction of the performance at the end of the first volume Discuss how Sir Bertram reacts to the acting scheme Introduce Austen’s use of stage direction–like details during dialogue Explore how these are deployed to show the characters’ self-absorption Discuss Austen’s description of Maria and Julia’s relationship as polite but affectionless Compare Mrs. Norris’s self-conceit as charitable despite her idleness Summarize the three themes: The acting scheme, stage directions, and the performance of morals Answer the research question Indicate areas for further study Once you have a clear idea of your structure, it’s time to produce a full first draft. This process can be quite non-linear. For example, it’s reasonable to begin writing with the main body of the text, saving the introduction for later once you have a clearer idea of the text you’re introducing. To give structure to your writing, use your outline as a framework. Make sure that each paragraph has a clear central focus that relates to your overall argument. Hover over the parts of the example, from a literary analysis essay on Mansfield Park , to see how a paragraph is constructed. The character of Mrs. Norris provides another example of the performance of morals in Mansfield Park . Early in the novel, she is described in scathing terms as one who knows “how to dictate liberality to others: but her love of money was equal to her love of directing” (p. 7). This hypocrisy does not interfere with her self-conceit as “the most liberal-minded sister and aunt in the world” (p. 7). Mrs. Norris is strongly concerned with appearing charitable, but unwilling to make any personal sacrifices to accomplish this. Instead, she stage-manages the charitable actions of others, never acknowledging that her schemes do not put her own time or money on the line. In this way, Austen again shows us a character whose morally upright behavior is fundamentally a performance—for whom the goal of doing good is less important than the goal of seeming good. When you move onto a different topic, start a new paragraph. Use appropriate transition words and phrases to show the connections between your ideas. The goal at this stage is to get a draft completed, not to make everything perfect as you go along. Once you have a full draft in front of you, you’ll have a clearer idea of where improvement is needed. Give yourself a first draft deadline that leaves you a reasonable length of time to revise, edit, and proofread before the final deadline. For a longer text like a dissertation, you and your supervisor might agree on deadlines for individual chapters. Now it’s time to look critically at your first draft and find potential areas for improvement. Redrafting means substantially adding or removing content, while revising involves making changes to structure and reformulating arguments. Evaluating the first draft It can be difficult to look objectively at your own writing. Your perspective might be positively or negatively biased—especially if you try to assess your work shortly after finishing it. It’s best to leave your work alone for at least a day or two after completing the first draft. Come back after a break to evaluate it with fresh eyes; you’ll spot things you wouldn’t have otherwise. When evaluating your writing at this stage, you’re mainly looking for larger issues such as changes to your arguments or structure. Starting with bigger concerns saves you time—there’s no point perfecting the grammar of something you end up cutting out anyway. Right now, you’re looking for: Arguments that are unclear or illogical. Areas where information would be better presented in a different order. Passages where additional information or explanation is needed. Passages that are irrelevant to your overall argument. For example, in our paper on Mansfield Park , we might realize the argument would be stronger with more direct consideration of the protagonist Fanny Price, and decide to try to find space for this in paragraph IV. For some assignments, you’ll receive feedback on your first draft from a supervisor or peer. Be sure to pay close attention to what they tell you, as their advice will usually give you a clearer sense of which aspects of your text need improvement. Redrafting and revising Once you’ve decided where changes are needed, make the big changes first, as these are likely to have knock-on effects on the rest. Depending on what your text needs, this step might involve: Making changes to your overall argument. Reordering the text. Cutting parts of the text. Adding new text. You can go back and forth between writing, redrafting and revising several times until you have a final draft that you’re happy with. Think about what changes you can realistically accomplish in the time you have. If you are running low on time, you don’t want to leave your text in a messy state halfway through redrafting, so make sure to prioritize the most important changes. Check for common mistakes Use the best grammar checker available to check for common mistakes in your text. Fix mistakes for free Editing focuses on local concerns like clarity and sentence structure. Proofreading involves reading the text closely to remove typos and ensure stylistic consistency. You can check all your drafts and texts in minutes with an AI proofreader . Editing for grammar and clarity When editing, you want to ensure your text is clear, concise, and grammatically correct. You’re looking out for: Grammatical errors. Ambiguous phrasings. Redundancy and repetition . In your initial draft, it’s common to end up with a lot of sentences that are poorly formulated. Look critically at where your meaning could be conveyed in a more effective way or in fewer words, and watch out for common sentence structure mistakes like run-on sentences and sentence fragments: Austen’s style is frequently humorous, her characters are often described as “witty.” Although this is less true of Mansfield Park . Austen’s style is frequently humorous. Her characters are often described as “witty,” although this is less true of Mansfield Park . To make your sentences run smoothly, you can always use a paraphrasing tool to rewrite them in a clearer way. Proofreading for small mistakes and typos When proofreading, first look out for typos in your text: Spelling errors. Missing words. Confused word choices . Punctuation errors . Missing or excess spaces. Use a grammar checker , but be sure to do another manual check after. Read through your text line by line, watching out for problem areas highlighted by the software but also for any other issues it might have missed. For example, in the following phrase we notice several errors: Mary Crawfords character is a complicate one and her relationships with Fanny and Edmund undergoes several transformations through out the novel. Mary Crawford’s character is a complicated one, and her relationships with both Fanny and Edmund undergo several transformations throughout the novel. Proofreading for stylistic consistency There are several issues in academic writing where you can choose between multiple different standards. For example: Whether you use the serial comma . Whether you use American or British spellings and punctuation (you can use a punctuation checker for this). Where you use numerals vs. words for numbers. How you capitalize your titles and headings. Unless you’re given specific guidance on these issues, it’s your choice which standards you follow. The important thing is to consistently follow one standard for each issue. For example, don’t use a mixture of American and British spellings in your paper. Additionally, you will probably be provided with specific guidelines for issues related to format (how your text is presented on the page) and citations (how you acknowledge your sources). Always follow these instructions carefully. If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools! Ad hominem fallacy Post hoc fallacy Appeal to authority fallacy False cause fallacy Sunk cost fallacy Deep learning Generative AI Machine learning Reinforcement learning Supervised vs. unsupervised learning  (AI) Tools Grammar Checker Paraphrasing Tool Text Summarizer AI Detector Plagiarism Checker Citation Generator Revising, proofreading, and editing are different stages of the writing process . Revising is making structural and logical changes to your text—reformulating arguments and reordering information. Editing refers to making more local changes to things like sentence structure and phrasing to make sure your meaning is conveyed clearly and concisely. Proofreading involves looking at the text closely, line by line, to spot any typos and issues with consistency and correct them. Whether you’re publishing a blog, submitting a research paper , or even just writing an important email, there are a few techniques you can use to make sure it’s error-free: Take a break : Set your work aside for at least a few hours so that you can look at it with fresh eyes. Proofread a printout : Staring at a screen for too long can cause fatigue – sit down with a pen and paper to check the final version. Use digital shortcuts : Take note of any recurring mistakes (for example, misspelling a particular word, switching between US and UK English , or inconsistently capitalizing a term), and use Find and Replace to fix it throughout the document. If you want to be confident that an important text is error-free, it might be worth choosing a professional proofreading service instead. If you’ve gone over the word limit set for your assignment, shorten your sentences and cut repetition and redundancy during the editing process. If you use a lot of long quotes , consider shortening them to just the essentials. If you need to remove a lot of words, you may have to cut certain passages. Remember that everything in the text should be there to support your argument; look for any information that’s not essential to your point and remove it. To make this process easier and faster, you can use a paraphrasing tool . With this tool, you can rewrite your text to make it simpler and shorter. If that’s not enough, you can copy-paste your paraphrased text into the summarizer . This tool will distill your text to its core message. Cite this Scribbr article If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator. Caulfield, J. (2023, December 08). The Writing Process | 5 Steps with Examples & Tips. Scribbr. Retrieved August 29, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-writing/writing-process/ Is this article helpful? Jack Caulfield Other students also liked, how to create a structured research paper outline | example, quick guide to proofreading | what, why and how to proofread, academic paragraph structure | step-by-step guide & examples, get unlimited documents corrected. ✔ Free APA citation check included ✔ Unlimited document corrections ✔ Specialized in correcting academic texts Knowing The Differences Between Academic And Creative Writing Post a Comment Contact form. 149 IMAGES Academic Vs. Creative Writing: What You Need to Know Before You Teach A Complete Guide to Creative Writing You Need Academic Vs. Creative Writing: What You Need to Know Before You Teach Difference Between Academic Writing and General Writing Academic Vs. Creative Writing: What You Need to Know Before You Teach Academic Vs Creative Writing VIDEO Scribendi: Editing and Proofreading for English Documents How to Advance Your Writing when i taught people to write in universities Difference Between Creative Writing Vs Content Writing AI & Creative Technologies Wicked Problems: AI, Ethics, Ecologies COMMENTS Academic Writing vs. Creative Writing: Understanding the Key Differences The main distinction between academic writing and creative writing is the reason for the writing. In a formal and objective way, information, facts, and knowledge are communicated through academic writing. It is employed to investigate and examine a certain subject or problem and to give arguments supported by facts. Academic Vs. Creative Writing: What You Need to Know Before You Teach Academic Vs. Creative Writing Difference #2: Intended Audience. Academic writing is typically aimed at a more specialized and educated audience. For students, the intended audience for most of their academic writing will be teachers, professors, and fellow students. If they pursue academics, they may one day write for peer-reviewed journals or ... 5 Key Differences Between Academic Writing & Creative Writing Now, let's explore the key differences between the two types of writing in detail. 1. Style. The style of writing is one clear difference between academic and creative articles. While creativity is not bound by any specific style or pattern, you have to stick to certain parameters in academic content. Academic writers should always abide by ... Academic Writing Vs. Creative Writing: Understanding The Differences The Difference Between Academic Writing and Creative Writing. Academic writing and creative writing are two very different types of writing that serve distinct purposes and adopt unique characteristics. Let's look at the primary differences between them: Purpose. Academic Writing: The primary purpose is to inform, explain, argue, or analyse ... Academic Writing vs. Creative Writing Academic writing must be taught, but rarely is; creative writing is optional, but is almost always the focus of writing curricula.Creative writing focuses on story-telling and recounting personal experiences. Its students author fiction and poetry—using style, voice, and technique to make their writing entertaining, smart, and packed with ... PDF ACADEMIC WRITING Academic Writing "Writing" is usually understood as the expression of thought. This book redefines "writing" as the thought process itself. Writing is not what you do with thought. Writing is thinking. Better living through interpretation: that's the promise of academic writing, which is a foundational course in most schools because ... Creative Writing vs Academic Writing Published on July 2, 2024 by Paige Pfeifer, BA . Revised on August 15, 2024. The main difference between creative writing vs academic writing is that writers are free to express themselves however they want when writing creatively, while academic writing provides a set of constraints the writer must stay within. Academic Writing and Creative Writing Academic writing involves entering a conversation and trying to convince the other side that you are correct through specific rhetoric and an intentional argument. You produce good academic writing by creatively coming up with a way to convince your reader that you are correct. This construction requires creativity because writing is a science ... Academic Writing An academic writing style refers to the semantic and textual features that characterize academic writing and distinguish it from other discourses, such as professional writing, workplace writing, fiction, or creative nonfiction. Learn about the discourse conventions of the academic community so you can write with greater authority, clarity, and ... 1a. Creativity in academic writing While creativity is essential to all stages of academic writing, creative writing and academic writing do have major differences, largely due to the intent and audience of the work. For example, creative writers use narrative techniques, such as suspense, to engage the reader's attention and imagination. Academic Writing Style Academic writing refers to a style of expression that researchers use to define the intellectual boundaries of their disciplines and specific areas of expertise. Characteristics of academic writing include a formal tone, use of the third-person rather than first-person perspective (usually), a clear focus on the research problem under ... Creative Writing Vs. Technical Writing Vs. Academic Writing The Writing Process: Differences and Similarities. Now that we've explored various career paths, let's delve into the writing process and examine how different styles share similarities and distinctions. Whether you're working on creative, technical, or academic writing projects, certain aspects of the writing process remain consistent ... What Is Academic Writing? Academic writing is a formal style of writing used in universities and scholarly publications. You'll encounter it in journal articles and books on academic topics, and you'll be expected to write your essays, research papers, and dissertation in academic style. Academic writing follows the same writing process as other types of texts, but ... How Academic Writing Differs from Other Forms of Writing Academic writing must display objectivity. It's often best that academic writing avoids rhetorical tactics, like sweeping generalizations and emotional arguments, as this will ensure the highest degree of objectivity expected from academic writing. At its core, academic writing should be clear, succinct, and objective; the exact criteria for ... Reflections from a Young Writer: Academic vs. Creative Writing The difference is, people are less likely to harshly critique creative writing than they are academic writing. Outside of academia, poetry that is based on personal perceptions of the world does not lend itself to formal criticism. My creative writing communities value the act of sharing over the need for critique, which is in direct contrast ... DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CREATIVE AND ACADEMIC WRITING Another difference between academic writing and creative or personal writing is the presence of pressure due to time restraints. In timed essays, ones writing situation may greatly change. There is no time to brainstorm or procrastinate, so being able to organize ideas quickly is essential. PDF CREATIVE ACADEMIC WRITING Abstract. To some, the genres of academic and creative writing might be regarded as opposites, the 'yin' and the 'yang' of the writing world, as it were. Such a belief might be based on the fact that creative writing in any manifestation (e.g., poetry, fiction) generally has more rhetorical freedom with which to fulfil its primary ... What Is Academic Writing? Definition, Types, and Features Academic writing is a writing style used by and for people in academic settings. This type of writing targets readers who attend or work in schools, colleges, universities, and research institutions, such as students, professors, and researchers. Academic writing is one of the first skills that a student learns after starting school. The difference between academic and professional writing: a helpful One of the key differences between academic writing and business writing is the goal of each endeavor. Because the readers are often students, professors, or scholars in academic writing, the goal is to present and analyze information on a specific subject and increase understanding. With professional writing, the goal is generally to ... What are the similarities between academic writing and creative writing? Academic writing and creative writing both benefit from a creative approach and smart writing tools. In addition, they both typically follow the basics of English writing even though creative writers can bend or break the rules. Writing Tools. Paraphrasing Tool. Paragraph Rewriter. 6.1 Academic writing Developing a coherent argument and position in academic writing is often done in the stages before and after you start writing.Planning helps prevent your ideas from wandering, and redrafting can help identify and sharpen up your argument, so it is good to allow enough time for these stages in longer pieces of work. The Writing Process Table of contents. Step 1: Prewriting. Step 2: Planning and outlining. Step 3: Writing a first draft. Step 4: Redrafting and revising. Step 5: Editing and proofreading. Other interesting articles. Frequently asked questions about the writing process. Knowing The Differences Between Academic And Creative Writing Knowing the difference between academic, and creative writing is very important. Both writing styles work in opposite ways. Academic writing is structured, concise, focused, and evident with the help of evidence. The main purpose of academic writing is to develop the reader's understanding. This writing style has a formal tone and style as well. Writing a book for real people: On giving the psychology of giving away Taking an evidence-based approach to communicating with the public about work and psychological science through writing, speaking, and social media, most recently, I have enjoyed creating a monthly newsletter, Granted, where I share my favorite new insights and weigh in on reader questions, and hosting a podcast, WorkLife, where I go into unconventional workplaces and integrate research to ... assignment essay homework paper phd report resume speech