There are many differences between academic and business writing, and it is essential to know these differences to fulfil the right purpose of your writing. There are different approaches to both types of writings. There are more types of academic writings than business writing.

Academic writing is often a learning process, and business writing is supposed to be more professional. This article will help you identify the key differences and improve your writings.

1. Purpose:

The main difference is the purpose of your writing. When writing a work-related piece, you need to keep in mind that you are writing to solve a problem. Unlike the academic writing style where you usually are writing to let your professor know about how much you know and how well you grasp the concepts, and if you are prepared to implement what you have learned. In academic writing, students have to portray what they have been learning and gathering information to support their case.

Whereas business writing tells the person what to do. Business writings are more practical, and they help negotiate contracts, solve problems, propose strategies, and report. Business writings help the reader know what they have to do. In business writing, information and clarity is the key. We need information and use that information to the purpose of the ideas and get things done. It can only happen if the writing is done with clarity.

2. Audience:

Another difference worth noticing is the audience. Who is reading it, and how do they interpret it. Depending on the audience, the writing style and purpose differ. In academic writing, the writer’s main audience is the professor. The professor doesn’t normally share the student’s writing with anyone else. Also, the professor is the expert in a certain course, and they want to determine through the writing if you’ve mastered the course. They want you to showcase what you have learned.

On the other hand, business writing targets multiple audiences, and all of them might have a different background, and they all might not be experts in the field; hence the writing must be clear and easy to read. You have to persuade the audience of your message and how it is relevant to them. It will reach many people who might and might not know you. Making it difficult to write.

3. Life span:

Next is the lifespan of your documents and their usage. Business writing can be used indefinitely and have legal power. They can be used in legal proceedings and held accountably. They remain in the archives as long as the company remains. Academic writings are not like that; their life span can be 1 year or as long as your studying the course. They don’t hold any legal power and aren’t used on other occasions.

4. Responsibility:

There is more responsibility in writing the work documents because they can be misused if not written properly and carefully. To avoid that, you need the right information and word it carefully; it can cause damage to your firm or you. Hence it must be handled carefully and rechecked before proceeding with it.

Academic writings aren’t like that. They are to showcase your knowledge and skills to your professor, and it is a learning process; the teacher might help you along the way.

5. Format:

Academic writings use formal style and write with a third-person perspective. They are based on facts, and students mostly don’t use their opinions unless asked to.

Business writings use active voice and use clear, precise, and to the point writing style. They help to solve a problem and are written in a professional manner that is not too formal.

6. Length:

The length is very different for both types of writings. While writing an academic piece, you usually write a lengthy essay to showcase your skills and give as much information to support your point as possible.

But when we are writing a business piece, it must be clear, concise, and easy to understand. It should not use lengthy sentences.

7. Ownership:

The sole ownership of academic writing is owned by the student who wrote it. Failure and success only affect the student. While on the other hand, business writing affects a whole company because the writer is writing content for the business, and hence it affects not only the writer but the whole company.

8. Constraints:

Academic writings are more flexible, and students are allowed to work wherever they want and also give their honest opinion. This is not the case for business writers; they write in the office where there can be many distractions, and most often, they have to reach a deadline. And write what the employer demands without their honest opinion.

9. Process:

The academic process is not long; a student writes the essay or assignment and gives it to the professor. At the same time, business writings have to go through a long process and formalities.

10. Structure:

While writing a business report, we need a table of content, description, executive summary, and analysis, and in the end, write recommendations. But the academic essay is quite long, and it’s because they need a thesis statement, detailed body, and a conclusion. Academic writing is about what we know, and business writing is about what the reader should know.