the difference between essay and article

• Key Differences

Know the Differences & Comparisons

Difference Between Article and Essay

An article is nothing but a piece of writing commonly found in newspapers or websites which contain fact-based information on a specific topic. It is published with the aim of making the reader aware of something and keeping them up to date.

An essay is a literary work, which often discusses ideas, experiences and concepts in a clear and coherent way. It reflects the author’s personal view, knowledge and research on a specific topic.

Content: Article Vs Essay

Comparison chart, definition of article.

An ‘article’ can be described as any form of written information which is produced either in a printed or electronic form, in newspaper, magazine, journal or website. It aims at spreading news, results of surveys, academic analysis or debates.

An article targets a large group of people, in order to fascinate the readers and engage them. Hence, it should be such that to retain the interest of the readers.

It discusses stories, reports and describes news, present balanced argument, express opinion, provides facts, offers advice, compares and contrast etc. in a formal or informal manner, depending upon the type of audience.

For writing an article one needs to perform a thorough research on the matter, so as to provide original and authentic information to the readers.

Components of Article

• Title : An article contains a noticeable title which should be intriguing and should not be very long and descriptive. However, it should be such that which suggests the theme or issue of the information provided.
• Introduction : The introduction part must clearly define the topic, by giving a brief overview of the situation or event.
• Body : An introduction is followed by the main body which presents the complete information or news, in an elaborative way, to let the reader know about the exact situation.
• Conclusion : The article ends with a conclusion, which sums up the entire topic with a recommendation or comment.

Definition of Essay

An essay is just a formal and comprehensive piece of literature, in which a particular topic is discussed thoroughly. It usually highlights the writer’s outlook, knowledge and experiences on that particular topic. It is a short literary work, which elucidates, argues and analyzes a specific topic.

The word essay is originated from the Latin term ‘exagium’ which means ‘presentation of a case’. Hence, writing an essay means to state the reasons or causes of something, or why something should be done or should be the case, which validates a particular viewpoint, analysis, experience, stories, facts or interpretation.

An essay is written with the intent to convince or inform the reader about something. Further, for writing an essay one needs to have good knowledge of the subject to explain the concept, thoroughly. If not so, the writer will end up repeating the same points again and again.

Components of the Essay

• Title : It should be a succinct statement of the proposition.
• Introduction : The introduction section of the essay, should be so interesting which instantly grabs the attention of the reader and makes them read the essay further. Hence, one can start with a quote to make it more thought-provoking.
• Body : In the main body of the essay, evidence or reasons in support of the writer’s ideas or arguments are provided. One should make sure that there is a sync in the paragraphs of the main body, as well as they,  should maintain a logical flow.
• Conclusion : In this part, the writer wraps up all the points in a summarized and simplified manner.

Key Differences Between Article and Essay

Upcoming points will discuss the difference between article and essay:

• An article refers to a written work, published in newspapers, journals, website, magazines etc, containing news or information, in a specific format. On the other hand, an essay is a continuous piece of writing, written with the aim of convincing the reader with the argument or merely informing the reader about the fact.
• An article is objective in the sense that it is based on facts and evidence, and simply describes the topic or narrate the event. As against, an essay is subjective, because it is based on fact or research-based opinion or outlook of a person on a specific topic. It analyses, argues and criticizes the topic.
• The tone used in an article is conversational, so as to make the article easy to understand and also keeping the interest of the reader intact. On the contrary, an essay uses educational and analytical tone.
• An article may contain headings, which makes it attractive and readable. In contrast, an essay does not have any headings, sections or bullet points, however, it is a coherent and organized form of writing.
• An article is always written with a definite objective, which is to inform or make the readers aware of something. Further, it is written to cater to a specific niche of audience. Conversely, an essay is written in response to a particular assertion or question. Moreover, it is not written with a specific group of readers in mind.
• An article is often supported by photographs, charts, statistics, graphs and tables. As opposed, an essay is not supported by any photographs, charts, or graphs.
• Citations and references are a must in case of an essay, whereas there is no such requirement in case of an article.

By and large, an article is meant to inform the reader about something, through news, featured stories, product descriptions, reports, etc. On the flip side, an essay offers an analysis of a particular topic, while reflecting a detailed account of a person’s view on it.

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Anna H. Smith says

November 15, 2020 at 6:21 pm

Great! Thank you for explaining the difference between an article and an academic essay so eloquently. Your information is so detailed and very helpful. it’s very educative, Thanks for sharing.

Sunita Singh says

December 12, 2020 at 7:11 am

Thank you! That’s quite helpful.

Saba Zia says

March 8, 2021 at 12:33 am

Great job!! Thank u for sharing this explanation and detailed difference between essay and article. It is really helpful.

Khushi Chaudhary says

February 7, 2021 at 2:38 pm

Thank you so much! It is really very easy to understand & helpful for my test.

Dury Frizza says

July 25, 2022 at 8:18 pm

Thanks a lot for sharing such a clear and easily understood explanation!!!!.

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The Difference Between an Article and an Essay

• An Introduction to Punctuation
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In composition studies , an article is a short work of nonfiction that typically appears in a magazine or newspaper or on a website. Unlike essays , which often highlight the subjective impressions of the author (or narrator ), articles are commonly written from an objective point of view . Articles include news items, feature stories, reports , profiles , instructions, product descriptions, and other informative pieces of writing.

What Sets Articles Apart From Essays

Though both articles and essays are types of nonfiction writing, they differ in many ways. Here are some features and qualities of articles that differentiate them from essays.

Subject and Theme in Articles

"A useful exercise is to look at some good articles and name the broader subject and the particular aspect each treats. You will find that the subject always deals with a partial aspect examined from some viewpoint; it is never a crammed condensation of the whole.

"...Observe that there are two essential elements of an article: subject and theme . The subject is what the article is about: the issue, event, or person it deals with. (Again, an article must cover only an aspect of a whole.) The theme is what the author wants to say about the subject—what he brings to the subject." (Ayn Rand, The Art of Nonfiction: A Guide for Writers and Readers , ed. by Robert Mayhew. Plume, 2001)

"An article is not everything that's true. It's every important thing that's true." (Gary Provost, Beyond Style: Mastering the Finer Points of Writing . Writer's Digest Books, 1988)

Article Structure

"There are five ways to structure your article . They are:

- The inverted pyramid - The double helix - The chronological double-helix - The chronological report - The storytelling model

Think about how you read a newspaper: you scan the captions and then read the first paragraph or two to get the gist of the article and then read further if you want to know more of the details. That's the inverted pyramid style of writing used by journalists, in which what's important comes first. The double-helix also presents facts in order of importance but it alternates between two separate sets of information. For example, suppose you are writing an article about the two national political conventions. You'll first present Fact 1 about the Democratic convention, then Fact 2 about the Republicans, then Fact 2 about the Democrats, Fact 2 about the Republicans, and so on. The chronological double-helix begins like the double helix but once the important facts from each set of information have been presented, it then goes off to relay the events in chronological order...

"The chronological report is the most straightforward structure to follow since it is written in the order in which the events occurred. The final structure is the storytelling model, which utilizes some of the techniques of fiction writing, so you would want to bring the reader into the story right away even if it means beginning in the middle or even near the end and then filling in the facts as the story unfolds." (Richard D. Bank, The Everything Guide to Writing Nonfiction . Adams Media, 2010)

Opening Sentence of an Article

"The most important sentence in any article is the first one. If it doesn't induce the reader to proceed to the second sentence, your article is dead. And if the second sentence doesn't induce him to continue to the third sentence, it's equally dead. Of such a progression of sentences, each tugging the reader forward until he is hooked, a writer constructs that fateful unit, the ' lead .'" (William Zinsser, On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction , 7th ed. HarperCollins, 2006)

Articles and Media

"More and more, article content written for printed media is also appearing on digital devices (often as an edited version of a longer article) for readers who have short attention spans due to time constraints or their device's small screen. As a result, digital publishers are seeking audio versions of content that is significantly condensed and written in conversational style. Often, content writers must now submit their articles with the understanding they will appear in several media formats." (Roger W. Nielsen, Writing Content: Mastering Magazine and Online Writing . R.W. Nielsen, 2009)

Writer's Voice in Articles and Essays

"Given the confusion of genre minglings and overlaps, what finally distinguishes an essay from an article may just be the author's gumption, the extent to which personal voice , vision, and style are the prime movers and shapers, even though the authorial 'I' may be only a remote energy, nowhere visible but everywhere present. ('We commonly do not remember,' Thoreau wrote in the opening paragraphs of Walden , 'that it is, after all, always the first person that is speaking.')" (Justin Kaplan, quoted by Robert Atwan in The Best American Essays, College Edition , 2nd ed. Houghton Mifflin, 1998)

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The Difference between an Essay and an Article

Imagine opening your favorite entertainment magazine or your local newspaper and finding a collection of essays. How long, in that case, would the money you spend on magazines and newspapers be considered part of your entertainment budget?

Articles can be informative and not all of them are entertaining. However, it's more likely to find articles in magazines that offer entertainment for readers than an essay.

The most notable difference between an essay and an article is the tone. Essays traditionally are subjective pieces of formal writing that offers an analysis of a specific topic. In other words, an essay writer studies, researches, and forms a factually-based opinion on the topic in order to inform others about their ideas.

An article is traditionally objective instead of subjective. Writing an article doesn't always require that an opinion to be formed and expressed, and there's no requirement that an analysis be offered about the information being presented.

Scroll through a copy of Cosmopolitan, National Geographic, and today's edition of your local newspaper, and you'll get a sense of how articles can be structured in numerous different ways. Some include headings and subheadings along with accompanying photos to paint a picture for the reader to form their own thoughts and opinions about the subject of an article.

Essays, however, have more strict guidelines on structure depending on which type of essay a writer has chosen. Traditionally, readers will see an introductory paragraph that presents a thesis statement, body paragraphs with topic sentences that relate back to and flesh out the thesis, and a conclusion with the author's take on the information presented.

Entertainment Factor

While narrative essays can tell entertaining stories, it is articles that are most often included in magazines and newspapers to keep their subscribers informed and reading.

It's up to the writer of an article what message they want to convey. Sometimes that message is informative and sometimes it's humorous. For an essay writer, it's all about learning as much as possible about a topic, forming an opinion, and describing how they came to that opinion and why.

You're not likely to find essays in entertainment magazines. A person seeking in-depth information on a subject is going to seek out an essay, while a person looking for an entertaining piece of writing that allows them to draw their own conclusions will be more likely to seek out an article.

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The terms “essay” and “article” are often used interchangeably by many people, but there is a distinct difference between the two. While both essays and articles are written to inform readers, there are some key differences between the two.

Essays are typically longer and more in-depth than articles. They are usually written to present an argument to persuade readers of a certain point of view. Essays are usually structured in an organized and formal manner, with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Essays often focus on analysis, argument, and persuasion rather than simply providing information.

In contrast, articles are generally more concise than essays. They are written to give readers a broad overview of a topic or issue. Articles are typically written in a more informal and conversational style, and they are often broken up into different sections to make them easier to read. The focus of articles is usually on providing information rather than analysis or persuasion.

Another key difference between essays and articles is how the material is referenced. Essays often require in-text citations and a bibliography to back up the writer’s argument. Articles, on the other hand, typically do not require such citations and bibliographies.

In conclusion, although essays and articles are written to inform the reader, the two have many differences. Essays are longer, more in-depth, and focus on analysis, argument, and persuasion. Articles are shorter, more concise, and focus on providing information. How the material is referenced also differs between essays and articles. Understanding the differences between the two will help ensure you can create the type of writing appropriate for your particular assignment.   

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Home » Education » Difference Between Article and Essay

Difference Between Article and Essay

Main difference – article vs essay.

Articles and essays are two forms of academic writing. Though there are certain similarities between them, there are also distinct differences between them. These differences are based on the format, purpose and content. Before looking at the difference between article and essay, let us first look at the definitions of these two words. An essay is a piece of writing that describes, analyzes and evaluates a particular topic whereas an article is a piece of writing that is included with others in a newspaper or other publications. The main difference between article and essay is that an article is written to inform the readers about some concept whereas an essay is usually written in response to a question or proposition .

What is an Article

An article is a piece of writing that is included with others in a newspaper, magazine or other publication . It is a written composition that is nonfiction and prose. Articles can be found in magazines, encyclopedias, websites, newspapers or other publications; the content and the structure of an article may depend on the source. For example, an article can be an editorial, review, feature article, scholarly articles, etc.

What is an Essay

An essay is a piece of writing that describes, analyzes and evaluates a certain topic or an issue . It is a brief, concise form of writing that contains an introduction, a body that is comprised of few support paragraphs, and a conclusion. An essay may inform the reader, maintain an argument, analyse an issue or elaborate on a concept. An essay is a combination of statistics, facts and writer’s opinions and views.

Article is a piece of writing that is  included with others in a newspaper, magazine or other publication.

Essay is a short piece of writing on a particular subject.

Article is written to inform the readers about some concept.

Essay is generally written as a response to a question or proposition.

Articles follow heading and subheadings format.

Essays are not written under headings and subheadings.

Articles do not require citations or references.

Essays require citations and references.

Visual Effects

Articles are often accompanied by photographs, charts and graphs.

Essays do not require photographs.

Articles are objective as they merely describe a topic.

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Difference Between Article and Essay

College writing is divided into two types: articles and essays. Despite a few resemblances, they also have significant distinctions respectively to each other. These disparities are premised on layout, intention, and information. Prior to delving into the distinction between those assignments, we should first examine their meanings. Continue reading to understand all terminology and ideas on how to approach creative writing.

• 1 General Definitions
• 2 Key Rules of an Article
• 3 The Concept of an Essay
• 4 Bottom Line

General Definitions

Most essay examples are seen as written paperwork that explains, examines, and validates a specific topic. They have a predefined word limit and basic structure. This is why many students look for 100% free essays online to get the best grades. On the contrary, an article is a text that is published alongside other posts in a magazine or other periodicals. The primary distinction between our assignments is that the former is written to spread awareness regarding a particular idea. Whereas the latter is drafted in answer to an inquiry or assertion.

The tonality shown in the article is engaging. It makes the text simple to grasp while also maintaining the attention of the audience. You have to prepare detailed information explaining each aspect of the mentioned topic. On the other hand, an essay employs an academic and intellectual style. Despite the official manner, you must include your opinions here. It is crucial to disclose these to open the issue for discussion. No wonder these are so prominent in education.

Key Rules of an Article

This editorial is a form of reporting that appears alongside other posts in a journal, reviews, or other press. It follows a factual and documentary composing pattern. Media, dictionaries, webpages, advertisements, and other blogs also may contain these writings. The layout and information of this text may differ depending on the origin. An opinion column, evaluation, showcase post, university paperwork, and so on are all examples of articles.

Yet, the primary objective of this writing stays unchanged. You have to educate the viewers regarding the relevant themes. Some other prominent factor of such publications is that they generally adhere to a header and sub-header template. This method allows people to comprehend the ideas discussed in the article quickly. This composition can also differ in terms of the kind of data it displays.

These pieces of evidence are generally portrayed objectively. The author’s goal here is to characterize the subject rather than convince the audience to accept his viewpoint. Quotations and bibliography are not required here. Photos, diagrams, and infographics are frequently included to accompany the article summarizer better.

The Concept of an Essay

This assignment is a type of literature in which you classify, assess, and appraise a specific subject or problem. It is a quick, precise type of communication that includes an opening, a body with a few supporting chapters, and a summary. Here you should give an overview, support an assertion, analyze a problem, or expound on a theory. Understand that this text must be a collection of statistical data, evidence, and the author’s thoughts and viewpoints.

An essay can be classified into different categories. Those include storylike, explanatory, convincing, adversarial, interpretive types, and so on. The intent and material of the document can vary depending on the kind you choose. For instance, if you are composing a literary piece , you should focus on the format and the storyline that will pique the viewers’ curiosity. But, you must be more responsible if you are drafting a confrontational or convincing thesis. Provide solid data and evidence to back up your assertion.

Additionally, essays do not follow headings and subheadings. You have all the right not to use images here. Besides, you should keep it contextual since you analyze and critique an issue. Remember to prepare a reference list with appropriate quotations. Another tip is to check for the required word limit for your work. Keep that in mind when composing the text since it can affect your marks at school.

Bottom Line

As a student, you may feel overwhelmed with the wide variety of paperwork you have to do. Be sure to spend some time choosing the perfect essay format. You can always ask for help from your supervisor or friends. Learning the established rules of writing will bring you success in the long run. All pupils strive to get the best grades possible. So, best of luck!

Article vs. Essay — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Article and Essay

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What’s The Difference Between An Article, A Paper, And An Essay? (Detailed Analysis)

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School and college life revolves around different types of writing, including opinion articles, review articles, research papers, and essays. Each of these has a different length, structure, and level of research.

You can write articles on various topics and niches if you gather enough information. It is possible to format an interview into an article so that it can be published in a magazine or online publication.

A paper, on the other hand, is longer than an essay or article, and one must follow a specific sequence. There is an abstract at the beginning, followed by a paragraph, a conclusion, and citations at the end. 

There are a few paragraphs in the essay, all of which should be transitioned smoothly. The purpose of the essay is to persuade the reader through your logic and ideas. Different types of essays require different thoughts and writing processes. 

This article is all about differentiating between an article, paper, and essay, so if it interests you, stick around while we explore these topics.   Let’s get into it .

Page Contents

What Is An Article?

Articles are read by thousands of people around the globe and are generally written to educate people about something they’re unaware of. They are either published on an online website, magazine, or newspaper.

In the article, the writer expresses his or her perspective on a certain topic. The articles, mainly, are written to make people aware of a particular topic. 

What Is A Paper? 

The purpose of writing a research paper is to fill the gaps other authors left while writing on a similar topic.

There’s a structure that one must follow while writing a paper . Before writing a paper, make sure you’ve read the relevant papers.

Another important step is knowing your audience. It’s worth noting that the papers have a different outline of the paper than the essay or article. 

Structure of the Paper 

• Introduction
• Literature review
• Methodology
• References 

Steps To Write A Paper 

• First of all, you need to pick a topic that you’re interested in. Choosing a topic you’re not interested in is never a good idea. 
• Read at least five relevant papers. There’s no need to read the papers thoroughly; you should only go through the abstract part, the introduction paragraph, and the conclusion.
• Write down the findings and gaps that you can work on. Most of your writing covers areas that other papers do not cover. 
• The paper always starts with an introduction. Your thesis statement also goes here. 
• Since the body part of a paper is almost 8 to 12 pages, you can add as many paragraphs as you want. 
• In the end, you conclude your findings and give references to the sources. 

What Is An Essay?

The word essay originates from the Latin word ‘exagium’ which refers to the presentation of the case .

An essay is all about giving a verdict on the issue after looking at all sides of the topic with an open mind. However, you need to consider all the evidence . 

Essay writing comes with tremendous benefits. It builds a habit of looking at topics from various angles. Additionally, you get an opportunity to express your opinion after thorough research. 

There are three parts to the essay: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. 

Introduction 

One has to catch the reader’s attention from the first line of the introduction. The purpose of this is to arouse curiosity, which then leads your readers to read more.

In the introduction section, you give a little bit of an overview of the topic you’re writing about. It gives readers an insight into what’s coming next .

This would prevent most people from reading the bottom of your essay. Therefore, it’s really important to keep your audience hooked and curious.

Starting the introduction with some statistics or research findings is the best way to accomplish this. The most important thing to write in the introduction is the thesis statement. 

When writing a paragraph in the body section, it’s important to keep sentences linked with each other. They must be coherent.

There should also be backing to your ideas from some relevant studies or sources. The best way to do this is by citing quotations, statistics, and research papers.

Additionally, you should never include irrelevant data in your essay. 

The conclusion part includes a summary of the whole essay. You also write your findings or main points in this section of the essay. 

Is the Article Different From The Essay? 

There is always a thesis statement in an essay, along with reliable sources supporting the argument whereas an article solely represents your idea or opinion.

You’ll see very few articles that are written to persuade someone, while essays are only meant to persuade the readers. 

The tone and the structure of the article are indeed different from the essay. The articles are written in simple English, so users of all ages will be able to understand them.

The length of both pieces of writing also differs. There is no limit to the word count when writing an article. An essay can be as long as a page or as short as a paragraph.

It is recommended that an essay be between 1500 and 2000 words in length. 

Articles, Papers, and Essays: Differences and Similarities

• Articles, papers, and essays have different purposes in academic and professional writing.
• Articles inform readers on diverse topics. They engagingly present the author’s viewpoint. They’re often found in magazines or online platforms.
• Research papers have sections like abstracts, introductions, reviews, methodologies, findings, and conclusions. They aim to fill gaps in the literature .
• Essays look at different sides of a topic. They give a conclusion backed by facts and careful thinking.
• Articles can be long or short and can be written in many different ways. Papers need a lot of research and must sound serious and smart. Essays use smart arguments to convince people.
• These are different types of writing with different lengths, tones, and reasons for writing. Essays try to convince people of something. Papers are written to share information. Articles give people information that’s easy to understand.
• Knowing these differences is crucial. It helps you communicate well especially when you’re doing school or college work.
• There are different types of academic writing. Each type has its purpose. They each have different ways to make things easy to understand.
• When you get the little details of these types of writing, it makes it easier to understand how they work. This helps both in school and at work.

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What’s The Difference Between An Article A Paper And An Essay

Table of Contents

When it comes to writing, you may wonder what the difference is between an essay, article, and paper. Even the most experienced writers sometimes confuse these terms, but once you understand what they represent, you’ll be able to choose which kind of writing suits your purposes best. With a little help from an essay writer service, you can be certain that each one of your pieces of writing will be polished and ready to impress upon completion.

Introduction

There are three main types of academic writing: essays, articles, and papers. While these categories are similar, there are some major differences. This post will help you identify what separates these terms from one another. Here’s a quick breakdown of each type of academic writing.

Essay vs. Article vs. Paper

Why are they different? What’s in a title? We hear them used all of the time interchangeably in different contexts, but what makes these three so different from one another? To understand how essay writing differs from articles and papers, we need to look at how each differs from another. So let’s get started by exploring some of their main differences: Essay vs. Article vs. Paper – Key Differences 1. Length 2. Subject Matter 3. Author 4. Purpose 5. Audience.

Essays are typically 1–3 pages long. Articles vary in length but run longer than essays. Papers typically range from 10 to 15 pages or more. It’s important to note that essay writer services have very different writing styles. Some writers write with a conversational tone, while others use a formal style for essays and articles. The best way to figure out which type of writing fits your needs is by looking at samples of their work or asking them about their process.

  The three types of writing are intended for different purposes. The purpose is often reflected in both length and tone. For example, a paper is generally longer than an essay or an article because it must be more comprehensive. It also tends to be more formal because it’s intended to be read by experts in a particular field (e.g., doctors reading a medical journal). On the other hand, an essay is usually shorter than a paper because it doesn’t have to cover as much ground and can take a more casual tone since it’s not necessarily directed at experts. Finally, articles tend to fall between essays and papers in terms of length, formality, and audience (i.e., they’re generally shorter than papers but longer than essays).

The difference between essays, articles, and papers can be found in the audience. In other words, you will write them for different people and in different situations. If you need to explain something (from a textbook or another piece of writing) or if you are explaining a procedure to someone new to that topic, then your best bet would be to write an essay. Alternatively, if your purpose is simply to inform someone about something they might find interesting, articles would do just fine. Finally, if you want to share some information with a large group of people with similar interests, then a paper would be your choice. So which one should you choose? It depends on what exactly it is that you want to achieve with your writing.

Subject Matter

There are a few distinct differences in subject matter for these different types of written work. Essays should be focused and concise; articles cover a broader scope. For example, if you were writing about gun control in America from a historical standpoint, your essay would focus on one distinct period throughout American history (likely before modern times), while your articles could each look at a different time during which gun laws were passed, enacted or changed. Papers are similar to essays in that they have a narrow focus, but papers typically take on more of an academic tone than essays do. Papers may also have footnotes, bibliographies, and other citations within them. It’s important to note that there isn’t always a clear distinction between essay and paper; some papers can even read like essays!

Unlike essays and articles, papers do not focus on a single topic. Papers are meant to convey complex information that may have been derived from numerous sources of information. Papers are also typically longer than essays or articles, ranging from five to more than 20 pages in length. This makes papers a relatively demanding form of academic writing. While essays often focus on personal reflections or observations, papers delve into specific topics with objective research findings drawn from secondary sources such as newspapers, journals, or books. An essay writer can be anyone who writes essays for money. An essay writer can be someone who has experience working with students in high school, college, or university-level institutions.

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Difference between Article and Essay

When it comes to academic writing, two terms that are often used interchangeably are article and essay. While they share some similarities, such as being written pieces of work, they also have some distinct differences that are important to understand.

Let’s start with a comparative table to highlight some of the key differences between articles and essays:

Now that we have an idea of the differences between the two, let’s explore what an article is. An article is a piece of non-fiction prose that is written for the purpose of informing, persuading, or entertaining a wide range of readers.

It can cover a variety of topics, from science and technology to politics and culture. Articles can be found in newspapers, magazines, and online publications, and can range in length from a few hundred words to several thousand.

Articles are typically structured with headings, subheadings, and sections to make the content easier to read and navigate. They also rely heavily on research and data to support their claims and arguments, and are written in an objective and factual style.

On the other hand, an essay is a piece of non-fiction prose that presents a specific argument or idea. Essays are typically shorter than articles and are written for an academic audience, such as professors or classmates.

They are structured with an introduction, body, and conclusion, and rely on research and data as well as personal experience or opinion.

Unlike articles, essays are written in a subjective and persuasive style, with the goal of convincing the reader of the writer’s argument or idea. Essays can cover a wide range of topics, from literature and philosophy to science and social issues.

In conclusion, while articles and essays share some similarities, such as being written pieces of non-fiction prose, they also have some distinct differences that are important to understand.

Articles are typically longer, structured with headings and subheadings, and written in an objective and factual style, while essays are typically shorter, structured with an introduction, body, and conclusion, and written in a subjective and persuasive style for an academic audience.

Understanding the differences between these two forms of writing can help you determine which one is appropriate for your specific needs and goals.

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Kinds of argumentative academic essays and their purposes

Published on November 5, 2014 by Shane Bryson . Revised on July 23, 2023.

Most of the time, when your supervisors and others talk about academic essays what they mean is essays that present well-reasoned points of view on various topics . This article explains some essential kinds of these essays—exegetical, discursive, expository, and argumentative—and outlines their key differences and similarities. We’ll call the group of them “persuasive essays,” since they all require you to persuade your reader in some way.

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Table of contents

Kinds of persuasive academic essays, difference between persuasive academic essays and standard scientific articles, differences between kinds of persuasive academic essays, other interesting articles.

Exegetical essays persuade your reader to interpret a theory in a certain way and show your ability to understand and accurately explain difficult ideas.

Discursive essays persuade your reader to see the different sides of a debate in a certain way and present your ability to compare different approaches to a topic.

Expository essays persuade your reader that your opinion is the right one and that you are a competent critical thinker.

Argumentative essays persuade your reader to see something new in a field of research and to see that you have some authority in that field.

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One thing that separates a persuasive academic essay from a standard scientific article or an article in a newspaper is that the author’s point of view plays a more obvious role. Whereas a scientist is taught not to present the facts as she sees them but as anyone can see them, an essayist always presents information from a certain point of view (usually her own), even if she usually avoids referring to herself in the text.

The different kinds of persuasive academic essays are distinguished by the different things they do, but also by the prominence of the author’s point of view. The following tables presents the differences.

What all persuasive academic essays do

The first thing to notice is that, while essay assignments do sometimes ask for one or the other of these types of essay, often persuasive academic essays will need to mix these styles. For example, in order to properly situate her view in the current literature on a topic, the author of an argumentative essay will sometimes need to present a brief exegesis of someone else’s view. Many other combinations are possible, and the argumentative essay, especially, may draw on each of the other three styles.

Second, each of these academic essay forms is argumentative, even though we call only one of them “the argumentative essay.” In fact, you should keep in mind that, speaking loosely, people sometimes do refer to all of these as “argumentative essays.” This term is not entirely inaccurate, since they all require skillful treatment of argumentation, and they all require you to persuade your reader of something.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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Shane Bryson

Shane finished his master's degree in English literature in 2013 and has been working as a writing tutor and editor since 2009. He began proofreading and editing essays with Scribbr in early summer, 2014.

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The Difference between Academic Paper, Article and Essay

• October 27, 2020
• Academic Help , Assignment help , Assignment Writing Service , Education , Essay Help , general awareness , general knowledge , informative blogs , Some Advice , Tips

No matter at what level of education you are; whether it is middle school education, a high school one or graduate level, you are going to need some good academic writing skills in all stages of your professional as well as educational endeavors to actually get past them. At some point or another, students are told to write such assignments for their assessments so that they can score well in their academics. This helps them benefit with their overall academic performance, where exams alone are not the only factor for final accreditation.

Let’s take a quick look on the fundamental distinction between the three most important aspects of writing because only after knowing the difference between an academic paper , essay and article , you’ll be able to draft them in the right format. Read the blog further to know more about it-

So, let’s begin with the essays first. Essay writing is the most common form of writing that is provided to students on a daily basis. One good thing about essay writing is that everyone reading this blog is surely aware of the format and skill for writing an essay for their academics. You might have encountered one before, so there’d be no worries regarding its writing process. Back in elementary schooling, it used to be something like five paragraphs, which required your personal experiences and thoughts, also known as personal essay writing. Apart from this, the essay writing task might have been assigned to you with the motive of simply assessing your analytical, expressive and observatory skills.

In technical terms, essays are mostly written in a narrative form, which can be either technical/investigative or emotional. One of the most well-known features of an essay is its creativity. Creativity is where the writer tends to put in some extra-unique effort for writing to put highlight upon the vividness aspect of your write-up. To some extent, essays can also be rhetoric and persuasive, without much of the material for back up. This doesn’t mean that you simply regard it under the category of fiction. Academic essays are as reliable as research papers and articles for writing. The only distinguishing feature between an essay and an article is that a writer of an essay might go up to some extent where it can save the consistency and creativity of the narration. This can also mean that the writer is taking a short break from few academic rules and making unrecognizable compromises in your piece of writing. Whereas, when we write an article or a research paper, going bland can be an excuse for less authenticity in your writing.

Diving into our next aspect for writing, academic paper – is it just a paper or there’s a good name for it? Well, academic paper writing is perhaps the most misunderstood kind of aspect in today’s realm. To some, it may sound effortless and easy-going act of writing, but in reality, it demands the most intellect brain and physical labor because it is nothing less than a research paper. The smallest of all detail of your academic paper can change the whole outlook of your writing. This is the kind of power it holds to bring change in the society with words. The ones who can master the art of writing academic papers are no less than doctors of the subject. In simple terms, academic papers are extremely descriptive in nature, bringing in a full-length and sophisticated disclosure of a particular subject. This kind of writing lacks emphasis on narration when it comes to comparing it with an essay.

Wondering, what ponders or creates interest in the minds of writers for writing articles ? Well, the article is just a mere piece of research paper that is very similar to its intensity and consistency aspect. When it comes to writing a research article, it is very informative and extremely technical in nature. Articles are generally published in different journals for contributing it to the world of the on-going research and well-founded literature of a subject. These articles are further assessed and evaluated by fellow researchers but without any disclosure of their identities.

So, these aspects help create a clear distinction between the academic paper, article and essay writing features. Apart from this, if you ever need help in any such kind of writing for your academics, feel free to contact our online academic writing services for professional help and guidance.

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Academic vs Non-Academic Articles

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Academic vs. Non-Academic: What's the Difference?

The majority of your research will require academic and scholarly articles. Many students struggle with trying to determine what an academic source, or article, is.

Academic articles   are written by professionals in a given field. They are edited by the author's peers and often take years to publish. Their language is formal and will contain words and terms typical to the field. The author's name will be present, as will their credentials. There will be a list of references that indicate where the author obtained the information they are using in the article.

Academic articles can be found in periodicals similar to the Journal of Psychology, Childhood Education, or The American Journal of Public Health.

The following link is an example of an academic article.  Experimental educational networking on open research issues; Studying PSS applicability and development in emerging contexts .

This article is considered academic because the language is very formal and genre-specific, there are two authors and their credentials are listed (these are found at the end of the article), and most importantly there is a list of references.

Non-academic articles are written for the mass public. They are published quickly and can be written by anyone. Their language is informal, and casual and may contain slang. The author may not be provided and will not have any credentials listed. There will be no reference list. Non-academic articles can be found in periodicals similar to Time, Newsweek, or Rolling Stone.

As a general rule religious texts and newspapers are not considered academic sources. Do not use Wikipedia as an academic source. This website can be altered by anyone so any information found within its pages cannot be considered credible or academic.

The following link is an example of a non-academic article.  Marketing News's Writers Rules

This article is non-academic because the language is very casual and includes some examples of slang, there is an author, but they chose to write anonymously so there are no credentials provided for the author, and no references were included to show where the author obtained their information.

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Difference between Paragrah and Essay

A paragraph refers to a self-sufficient writing unit that is being created for multiple types of sentences. All the sentences are to be arranged in a more systematic manner for conveying the perspective of the author. In addition, all the lines should be coherent with one another and an ideal form of the paragraph should be starting with an introductory sentence, which is followed by the text body which explains the given topic and should have a specific concluding sentence.

An essay is a formal and comprehensive piece of literature that describes a particular issue or topic analyzed and discussed. It refers to a short amount of writing on a particular subject. Mainly students in their academics are asked to write essays on some topics as a response to a question or proposition. It does not have a specific readership in mind. Through essays, the writer or narrator expresses his or her personal views or opinion on a particular topic or a question and it is based on an educational and analytical tone. Let’s take an example and understand what an essay is clearly suppose a school student has an exam and in the question paper, he has been asked to write something explaining Floods in India which is an example of an essay. 

Difference Between Paragraph and Essay

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