Academic Vs. Professional.docx

ACADEMIC VS. PROFESSIONAL WRITING There are different requirements in writing in the disciplines and for professions because of differences in purpose. While academic writing and professional correspondence are both formal, structured forms of writing which give emphasis to the proper use of spelling, grammar, and punctuation, there are several notable differences between them. Since academic writing is commonly done in order to demonstrate the knowledge of the writer about a certain topic, its common examples – essays, reports, and research papers – are primarily concerned with the presentation of facts and issues. On the other hand, letters, proposals, and memos, which are all examples of professional writing are bound to contain some pieces of opinion since these are commonly used to convey a specialist’s expert view. The third person is used in academic writing since the author’s voice is typically passive and the concentration is on the subject matter being tackled. Meanwhile, since professional writing often includes personal opinion, the writer is more involved, and consequently, the output is often framed in the first person. Finally, since a comprehensive discussion of concepts and ideas are expected in the academe, longer sentences are allowed. However, since time is extremely valuable in the professional world, the focus is on straightforward, actionable information. Therefore, the use of short sentences in professional correspondence is a must. Evidently, the parameters for writing, whether in an academic or professional context, differ because they are determined by the purpose of the writer.

PURPOSE Academic writing is typically a research or knowledge paper in which the author uses analysis to try and increase understanding of a particular subject area. The writer will add their own opinion and often include extra wording to link ideas together. Therefore, academic writing tends to be longer than professional writing Business (or professional) writing is about to trying to communicate a message that will influence actions or opinion on a particular subject. The focus is often on hard facts with little room for the writers’ opinions. Therefore, professional writing is more concise and ‘to the point’ and, consequently, shorter that academic writing. AUDIENCE From an academic point of view, the audience are very likely to have some knowledge of the area being written about. But from a professional point of view, audience is likely to consist of multiple parties with differing knowledge levels, views and attention spans.

LAYOUT, TONE AND STYLE From an academic point of view, visual is important but not as important as Professional writing. This is because the reader(s) is likely to read the entire document. The layout and style should reflect the complexity and analysis of the area being addressed. There should be lengthy paragraphs (to allow the ideas to be developed) with long sentences and wide range of vocabulary. The tone should be inquiring to demonstrate the writer has a control over the topic and analysis. However, from a professional point of view, it is extremely likely that the audience is working under time constraints and will have other papers to read. Therefore, they will not have sufficient time to read the document in depth. Therefore, the layout of the document needs to reflect this; viz (a) a strong document structure to allow readers to skim read and to ensure they focus on the key areas and (b) simple words, short sentences, short paragraphs and visual appeal (white space, lists and subheads). Long sentences are acceptable but they can be viewed as cumbersome. Finally, the tone should reflect the message trying to be portray, the expectations of the audience and the ethos of the company. POINT OF VIEW Academic writing will be formal using the third person whereas professional writing will be less formal and can use any point of view.