Content writing and academic writing both have been touching new limits in the present era. Although both are confused with being the same, there are critical differences between the two. Academic writing is more related to academic contents, say particular subjects and the kinds of assignment one has to deal with. Most homework helpers, subject writers, and academic writers come under this area.
While content writing is more creative. One can write content on travel, makeup, and any particular genre which comes under the creative aspect. Website content writers, bloggers, and creative writers come under this area. Now that you know the critical definitional differences between the two, here are some of the significant differences which make academic writing different from content writing:
1) Writing style is different
When it comes to academic writing and content writing, both have very different writing styles. In academic writing, one has to deal with more assignments such as dissertations, research paper topics, coursework, and thesis papers. All of these come with a general structure that needs to be followed.
But in the case of content writing, one can shape up a structure that can either make a blog or an article more attractive. Here one has the scope to create their own structure and define it the way one wants. But, of course, both structures vary a lot, starting from their way of organization to word limit too.
2) Images serve a different purpose
Since academic writing is related to academic subjects here, the pictures must be similar. Most pictures are diagrams, flow charts, and results after analysis. These; pictures are a way to describe the subject in detail or state answers to a quest.
Whereas in content writing, the pictures are used to attract and hook the readers. Whenever you open a website, you will see that well-performing web pages have attractive images. This is done to keep the readers on the page. The serves more as an attractive feature rather than providing any value to the topic.
3) Citation is a must in academic writing
Citation is the part stating links to the sources used to come up with the information in the paper. This is mainly done in the case of academic writing. One needs to provide links to all the data and information which has helped them frame the topic. This is done for several reasons, one of the primary reasons is to avoid plagiarism which means copying someone else’s work, and to give full credit to the original writer. These citations also allow the reader to refer to the original writer’s work for more information on the subject.
This is not mandatory when it comes to content writing. Of course, giving credit is always appreciated, but since most contents are individual topics or used for recreational purposes, it does not require any citations.
4) Academic writing is more formal
By now, you might have guessed that the academic form of writing is more formal. This is because academic assignments are submitted to universities and professors, so they must be formal. Therefore, every sentence written in the task should have a purpose and precise meaning.
An informal tone can be maintained in the case of content writing. Here one can state information in the way they want and find their general audience who likes their writing style. Hence, it won’t be wrong to say that it allows one to not only find their voice but also to give their thoughts a voice through their writing.
5) Creativity is limited
Much creativity is restricted in academic writing due to the above reasons. Creativity involves freedom of speech which is not offered in academic writing. Every sentence here needs to be logical without any personal opinion or judgment.
In content writing, one has the right to be creative not only with their content but also with titles and pictures. This freedom of expression is one of the primary reasons why most academic writers try to switch their careers to content writing.
6) Academic writing involves an explanation
Since academic writing is involved subject knowledge, it requires lengthy explanations. Her long sentences are entertained, which is not done in the case of content writing. Many crucial points come under different subjects, and one can take up the entire space to state evidence on the matter, real-life examples, and all essential data about the subject.
Since content writing is more in the creative zone, here short sentences are appreciated. On the other hand, no reader would love reading lengthy posts as the majority of us have a small attention span. So here, more data has to be delivered in a very simplified form without taking up much space.
7) Content writing is best for freshers
To be an academic writer, one has to have subject knowledge. Therefore, academic writing is not a place for writers to make mistakes since it is mainly related to a particular subject and knowledge. Therefore, you cannot state wrong or incomplete data as it can lead to severe mistakes. This is rarely inexperienced people are welcomed in this zone.
But in content writing, even fresher can do a good job. The topic here is comparatively easy and is quite fun to work on. If you hated studying in school then, academic writing is not for you. Most freshers start their writing journey with content writing as it is less critical.
Academic writing is fun only if you love to read and write. Content writing is more of promotional and recreational writing for websites and blogs. Academic writing comes under the form of content writing, but their purposes are quite different. Academic writing is strict and has more rules which is not the case with content writing keeping it simple.
However, if you need some time to think about which you want to pick then you can become an online paper editor and still be attached to both of these fields until you make up your mind.
Author bio
Jenna Walsh is a lecturer at the University of Colorado. She has done a master’s in biology and has offered coaching classes on it to students for over 6+ years. Currently, she is working at MyAssignmenthelp.com as an homewo0kr helper to help biology students with their problems.
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