Difference between Academic Writing and General Writing

1. Academic Writing :
Academic writing refers to a piece of writing which focuses on proving a theory or viewpoint in one way or the other and emphasizes upon one specific subject. Through academic writing the writer intends to prove a theory or viewpoint in one way or the other. Mainly academic writings are based on academic findings and academic research. The writer can explain a specific subject matter by providing his/her own point of view.

Example includes suppose a professor writing on a concept related to Chemistry and that published on college’s monthly magazine.

2. General Writing :
General writing refers to any piece of writing which focuses in general subjects of writing and general papers are published for amusement of the reader. But sometimes many general topics also gives life lessons, moral, inspiration etc. There is not such specific set of audience or readers like technical writing. It is written on subjective tone and purely personal style.

Example writing any prose or story which will be published in a local magazine comes under general writing.

Difference between Academic Writing and General Writing :

S.No.	ACADEMIC WRITING	GENERAL WRITING
01.	Academic writing focuses on proving a theory or viewpoint in one way or the other and emphasizes upon one specific subject.	General writing focuses on general subjects of writing.
02.	Academic writing contains contents on specific discipline or field.	General writing contains contents on any topic or it may based on some imaginative or creative prose etc also.
03.	It follows standard structured format.	It follows artistic unstructured format.
04.	It is used in research projects, conferences papers, essays, abstracts, reports etc.	It is used in letters, emails, diaries, journal entries, magazine publish etc.
05.	It is always formal way of writing.	It may be formal or informal way of writing.
06.	It is usually has a specific set of audience/ reader who belongs to the same field on which the academic writing is based on.	General writing has no specific set of audience or readers anyone can go for any general written topics.
07.	Academic writing does not use contractions.	General writing can use contractions.
08.	Academic domain is related to any academic area/field.	General domain is related to any life in general.
09.	It focuses on more academic/subjective words related to the topic.	It focuses on more common words suitable to the general topic.
10.	In academic writing graphics, charts and numbers are sometimes used to explain the concept well.	In general graphics are sometimes included to make the writing more attractive.
11.	It always uses referencing and citation.	It does not usually use referencing and citations.
12.	For example suppose a professor writing on a concept related to Chemistry and that published on college’s monthly magazine.	For example writing any prose or story which will be published in a local magazine comes under general writing.