What is the difference between informal and academic writing? It’s a question that even professional writers find themselves asking. Whether you’re stuck on an essay or want to improve your writing skills, this article will help you understand the answer.
What is Academic Writing?
Academic writing is formal and uses a specific style. It’s used in college and university courses, as well as in scientific papers and other types of research reports. Academic writers need to be clear, precise, and objective when they write so that their ideas can be easily understood by readers with different background knowledge or expertise.
What is Informal Writing?
Informal writing is exactly what it sounds like informal. It’s not formal or academic, but it’s also not business-focused. Informal writing can be found in blogs, emails, and social media posts–basically anything that isn’t an assignment for a class or work meeting.
Academic Vs. Informal Writing: What’s the Difference?
The main difference between these two styles of writing is their purpose.
Academic writing is meant to communicate information from one person or group of people (the writer) to another person or group of people (the reader). Academic papers are also much longer and more detailed than their counterparts. They require a specific format that must be followed closely in order to be accepted by the instructor, publication, or editor. It’s important to remember that your academic writing will be read by college professors and other professionals who are experts in their fields, meaning the language must be precise and detailed.
Informal writing does not usually require such precision because the purpose isn’t necessarily about explaining something–it’s more about conveying emotion or telling a story–allowing this type of writing to be less structured. Informal writing often uses conversational language rather than formal language (like “would” instead of “shall”), making it easier for readers who don’t want all the details or are unfamiliar with certain concepts being discussed.
How Does Editing Academic Writing Differ from Editing Informal Writing?
Editing academic writing is different from editing informal writing. In academic writing, you must ensure that your facts are accurate and that the grammar, spelling, and punctuation are correct. You also need to check for structure and organization, as well as the length of sentences.
Informal writing can be edited for word choice (or lack thereof), but in formal documents like essays or dissertations, it’s more important to ensure that all words have been used correctly with no incorrect spellings or typos.
Find the Right Editor.
Academic writing is more formal and scholarly than informal writing. That being said, not only is a keener eye needed when editing and proofreading academic writing, it is an essential step that must be completed with the right editor. Wordio’s team is trained with that level of detail in mind. Whether academic or informal, Wordio has you covered. Check out our services page at Wordio to see how our editing and proofreading services can give you that professional polish.