Differences Between Academic & Personal Writing

Academic writing relies on a defined structure for formatting an essay, high school book report, college research paper or master’s thesis. The language is formal, unlike the more casual language of journalism that must be understood by a wider audience. Unless your report is about slang words, don’t use them in writing that will be read by college-educated instructors.

A well-formatted paper without scholarly content is not academic writing. Be original, but back it up. Support your ideas and insights with thorough research and analysis. Scholarly writing demands the use of credible and accurately cited research sources. If footnotes are required, use your school's recommended writing style guide to format each footnote.

Using excessive adjectives and complex sentences to impress the reader with what you think sounds like academic writing might end up just sounding awkward, confusing you and the reader. The great American writer Mark Twain’s advice was: “As to the adjective, when in doubt, strike it out.”