What is the Difference between article writing and Academic Writing?

It is very common for people to assume that writing an academic piece of work is the same as writing a simple article. However, this assumption would be wrong. The style, type of information required and the structure are different.

The purpose of this article is not to compare or contrast academic writings with articles but to explain what comprises each type of writing.

The aim of an academic piece is to present original research on a topic using evidence from other scientific literature whilst communicating it clearly enough for specialist and non-specialist audiences to understand.

In order to complete an academic paper, researchers need comprehensive knowledge in their field which is then utilized in explaining the importance and organization of ideas throughout their work. In addition, they must always cite relevant and appropriate sources and avoid making assumptions about the reader’s knowledge of a topic.

On the other hand, an article is generally written for general public consumption and often contains advice or ideas on a particular subject. The structure of an article would be similar to that of a chapter in an academic text book as it will include such things as: objectives, introduction, methodology (for research based articles), results and discussion. However, there are many types of articles which focus on explaining social phenomena by using empirical evidence from primary sources. Articles also tend to be shorter than academic pieces and therefore cover less topics in greater detail. They may also steer clear from discussing opposing arguments and identifying issues surrounding them (although this depends on the type of publication).

What to take away:

The purpose of this article is not to compare or contrast academic writings with articles but to explain what comprises each type of writing. The aim of an academic piece is to present original research on a topic using evidence from other scientific literature whilst communicating it clearly enough for specialist and non-specialist audiences to understand. In order to complete an academic paper, researchers need comprehensive knowledge in their field which is then utilized in explaining the importance and organization of ideas throughout their work.

In addition, they must always cite relevant and appropriate sources and avoid making assumptions about the reader’s knowledge of a particular subject. On the other hand, an article is generally written for general public consumption where writers include advice or ideas on a particular subject. Articles also tend to be shorter than academic pieces and therefore cover less topics in greater detail. They may also steer clear from discussing opposing arguments and identifying issues surrounding them (although this depends on the type of publication).

Differentiating Opinion/Editor Editorial Pieces, Online News articles, and Academic Journal Articles

In today’s fast-paced world of online news and social media sites, it is vital that readers are aware of the differences among various types of online publications. An article found on a website may seem to be a legitimate source for information but it can be difficult to determine whether the article was written by a journalist or an academic researcher. In order to properly assess the validity of an article’s claims, there needs to be a clear understanding of what differentiates these three types of online sources: opinion/editorial pieces, online news articles, and academic journal articles.

Opinion/Editorial pieces are not necessarily limited to newspapers and magazines, but they lack a formal tradition and their publication history can vary widely.

Online news articles may be found on websites such as CNN or Fox News; however, unlike opinion/editorial pieces or academic journal articles, online news articles do not occur in print form. Not only does this make it difficult to date such articles accurately (because there is no print edition), but it also makes it impossible to conduct a library-style citation search because the author’s name does not appear anywhere in the article itself.

Academic journal articles are often published by professors at colleges who wish to disseminate new scientific or scholarly knowledge. Since academic articles are governed by a peer review process, only the best research is published in these journals. Although some may consider academic journal articles to be too dense for non-academics to read, their studies are usually backed by long periods of accurate data collection and statistical analysis.

Opinion/Editorial pieces write for readers who want to hear a particular personal or political message; online news articles report current events; and academic journal articles disseminate new scientific knowledge

1. The age and tradition of publications: Opinion/Editorial pieces (may be found on websites such as CNN or Fox News); Online News Articles (CNN or Fox News) ; Academic Journal Articles (academic journals)
2. The type/genre of writing used: Opinion/Editor Editorial Pieces (personal message) ; Online News Articles (report current events) ; Academic Journal Articles (disseminate new scientific knowledge)
3. The manner of disseminating information: Opinion/Editorial pieces (for readers who want to hear a particular personal or political message); Online News Articles (current events); Academic Journal Articles(peer review process, best research published in these journals, dense articles for non-academics, accuracy and long periods of data collection and statistical analysis).
4. The purpose for which the article was written: Opinion/Editorial pieces talk about a particular personal or political agenda; Online News Articles report on current events to inform their audience; Academic Journal Articles disseminate new scientific knowledge.
5. How each article cites sources: Opinion/Editorial pieces may or may not have a bibliography; Online News articles often do not have a bibliography, but the author’s name and date of publication is provided at the end of each article in parenthesis when quoting from other sources. Academic journal articles contain a bibliography.