professional meaning essay

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What Does Professionalism Look Like?

• Gretchen Gavett

It may depend on where you’re from.

When we talk about “professionalism,” it’s easy to fall back into the “I know it when I see it” argument.

• Gretchen Gavett is a senior editor at Harvard Business Review.

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Ensuring Professional Success

By  Michael A. Matrone

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In January, at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, I attended a small conference for the Graduate Career Consortium’s Southern Regional members. Among the engaging discussions, the conversation turned to professionalism. By professionalism, I refer to professional behavior in the workplace, not ethics or the responsible conduct of research, although the two are intimately intertwined with professionalism. During the discussion, a conference attendee from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine informed the group of their professionalism policy , a series of “recommendations regarding what it looks like to act professionally.”

The policy got me thinking about how we learn professionalism. The dictionary defines professionalism as “the skill, good judgment and polite behavior that is expected from a person who is trained to do a job well.” What struck me about the definition was “expected.”

Are we expected to know what constitutes skill, good judgment and polite behavior for our work environment and profession? After all, the transition from student and trainee to professional can be a culture shock. Are we expected to know implicitly and abide by adages like “Do unto to others …” or “If you don’t have anything nice to say …”? If so, then our expectation is that professionalism is experiential -- learned by observation, role modeling or from our own mistakes as we make them. In my opinion, one cannot rely solely on experiential learning, as without an explicit and consistent curriculum and standards of measurement, expectations of professionalism become assumptions of professionalism. And as another adage goes, “Never assume, because when you assume, you make an ass out of u and me.”

Anecdotally, my own professionalism education, from undergraduate to postdoctoral, was purely experiential. Professionalism was not in the course catalog, nor was I was told explicitly what was expected of me. And I admit, most likely as a result of my temperamental and uninhibited Northeast upbringing , I learned purely through trial and error -- i.e., the hard way. In one instance, in graduate school, I replied to a departmental email with what I thought was great wit and humor but was in reality poor judgment and impropriety. Needless to say, I offended my colleagues, landed in the department chair’s office, made a formal apology and now know better.

Perhaps in response to trainees like me, didactic training in professionalism may be the new normal. A cursory Google search reveals many online and classroom-based seminars and courses designed to teach you how to act professionally. Similarly, according to the National Postdoctoral Association, which lists the fourth of six core competencies for postdoctoral training as professionalism, 59 percent of higher education institutions offer training in interpersonal skills, as reported in its Institutional Policy Report 2014.

Graduate medical education seems to be following a similar trend. For example, the University of Washington employed a competency rating form to evaluate professional behavior among their urology program residents before and after a professionalism training lecture. Participants scored higher and more consistently following the intervention, “suggesting that residents were more consistent in their professional behavior and/or the faculty observation of resident professional behaviors was more focused.”

How do you, as a graduate student or postdoctoral scholar, gain the professionalism skills you need? Clearly, one way is to seek out didactic professionalism training, perhaps specific to the field you wish to pursue. But what if your career path is yet to be defined or you do not have access to such focused training?

My suggestion is to treat professionalism not as a set of behavioral expectations to be learned, but as tools to advance your career. Though career planning is a personal process, it is not accomplished in isolation. To advance, you must interact with others, and the manner in which you do so affects your professional reputation. You can acquire behaviors associated with professionalism by training in the skills used to relate effectively with others. I recommend that you:

Enhance your emotional intelligence to interact professionally. Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify and manage your emotions and those of others, often measured in terms of your emotional quotient. Emotional-intelligence skills involve harnessing and regulating your own emotions, allowing you to apply them toward specific tasks. Such skills can also help you identify the emotions of those around you, influencing your interactions both personally and professionally in matters of collaboration, conflict resolution and leadership. To learn more, refer to the work of Daniel Goleman, a psychologist and foremost authority on behavioral science and emotional intelligence. Twice nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, he has written extensively on emotional intelligence in the workplace.

Adopt a time-management strategy to plan professionally. Regardless of the career path you take, the ability to allocate your time wisely will allow you to fulfill your obligations and complete projects in a timely manner. It is important to remember, however, that a time-management strategy must also consider how your actions affect the time of those with whom you work. As some of the components of this strategy, you should:

Treat all of your commitments with equal importance. Whether a one-on-one with your supervisor or a training session led by an instructor, treat equally all meetings to which you have committed to attend. The party with whom you are meeting may have invested considerable time in preparation. Not attending or canceling without notice is not simply disrespectful -- it may disqualify you from being invited or included in the future.

Renege with dignity. It is a given that unexpected events occur that may affect our commitments -- we get sick, our cars break down, flights get canceled. If you find yourself in a situation outside of your control that requires you to renege on your commitment, take responsibility. Send a note expressing your regret that you are unable to fulfill your commitment.

Know when to say no. As you manage your career, you will set short-term objectives and long-term goals to help you advance on your career path. Undoubtedly, new opportunities will arise, and you will need to determine those that will guide you on your path and those that will deter you on it. If the latter, it is much more gracious to decline than to commit to something in which you may not be completely invested.

Participate in communication training opportunities and then practice communicating. In order to embody professionalism, you need to communicate like a professional -- both on paper and verbally. The best way to become a better communicator is to practice communicating. Writing about and presenting your research at a conference is one obvious way, but many other opportunities exist, such as joining a Toastmasters club or attending networking events to learn the language of a field in which you are interested. Universally, some sound advice that you should consider is to:

Use business-appropriate language. Consider my story as the cautionary tale and be aware of how the reader may interpret your written communications. The written word lacks inflection and audible tone, so be sure that other people won’t misinterpret your message. In addition, not everyone will share the same sense of humor; in fact, what is humorous to you may be offensive to others.

Be clear and concise in your requests. Many people approach making requests by building a case or argument first and then asking their question at the end. The best piece of advice I’ve ever received for such communications was to reverse that order. Ask first, to be clear about what is being requested, and then build your case or argument, if necessary.

Be aware of your nonverbal communication. Just as your words must convey a professional tone, so too must your appearance and body language. Regardless of the attire that your workplace requires, keeping a clean and well-groomed appearance ensures that colleagues notice you for your expertise. In addition, your body language may convey more than you intend. Though I do not believe that one body position conveys one specific meaning (e.g. folded arms as a sign of frustration), be aware of how your body language conveys your overall demeanor.

The core of the Vanderbilt professionalism policy is that positive professional interactions gain respect and rewards, helping you advance in your career, whereas negative interactions limit future opportunities, holding you back. Seeking training in professionalism will help ensure the former, but didactic training may not prepare you for every situation. If you find yourself in unfamiliar territory where you question how to act, simply ask what is expected, or seek advice from peers, in order to turn the implicit into the explicit.

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Professionalism Essay

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The pillars of professionalism, why is professionalism important, challenges in upholding professionalism, cultivating professionalism, navigating the challenges of professionalism, the global dimension of professionalism.

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The Concept of Professionalism Essay

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According to the general definition (American College Dictionary), a person is in a profession if he or she is making a living out of it; or put more simply, drawing monetary benefits out of it. But is everyone who is in a profession a professional? By the same source, professionalism is defined as “standing, practice, or methods of a professional as distinguished from an amateur .” There are many instances where a person in a profession is not a professional according to the criteria of professionalism. A good example is sports, where the attitude of many players can be defined as nonprofessional although they are making money in sports. Sports celebrities almost always face criticism more for this very reason, their nonprofessional attitude. Although the criteria differ between professions, they have some basic common characteristics. A professional has formal and technical education in the profession, mastery over the theoretical knowledge, and the capacity to apply the theoretical knowledge to the practice. He or she has the expertise, developed primarily by the education and training and then by the experience he or she has gained from working in the profession. But what actually defines a professional is one’s professional attitude. Dedication, motivation, commitment to cause, and progressive thought towards one’s profession set one apart from non-professionals.

Professionalism in more technical fields gains more importance as more responsibility lies with the professionals. Such professions demand sacrifice and prioritizing the interest of those they serve above their own (Bumgarner et al. 28). This definition encompasses the characteristics of professional behavior that relate to sacrifice, compassion, sympathy, altruism, duty, and integrity. Teaching and medicine are examples where professionalism on the part of teachers and doctors is critical to those whose care is entrusted to them. In such cases, there are many stakeholders who can gain or lose a lot depending on the professional attitude of these professionals. In any such profession, the primary interest of professionals is allied with community or public interest. Consequently, they bear great responsibility in keeping this interest. For this very reason, there are systems to verify the competence of the professional members. One has to be updated and informed about improvements, innovations, developments, and requirements of the profession. Commitment to continuous learning about one’s profession is another defining characteristic. The mere experience of working alongside theoretical knowledge no more stands as a certificate to being a professional. There are instances where the theoretical knowledge is evolving steadily, such as accountancy and pharmacy, where new standards are set frequently, and practical knowledge of the application of these standards is crucial to the validity of one’s professional practice.

In addition to characteristics of theoretical and practical knowledge, self-development is needed to keep oneself equipped for changing situations. According to Christopher Day, ‘Reflection’ has a strong role in the ever learning process of a professional (Day 83-93). Also, confrontation is necessary alongside reflection for professional development in any organization. Day also considers the effect of organizational culture on the developmental capacity of reflection and confrontation. The workplace culture is vital in defining the professional attitudes of individuals. A culture driven by commitment and dedication to knowledge, learning, and practice is more likely to draw better professional behavior from its participants. Research and study for self-development are essential at the organizational level. The extent to which confrontation is beneficial is also defined by the organizational culture.

Bibliography

Bumgarner, Gary W., Alan R. Spies, Scott Asbill, and Valerie T. Prince. Using the Humanities to Strengthen the Concept of Professionalism among First-professional Year Pharmacy Students. In: American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education . 2007; 71(2): 28.

Day, Christopher. Reflection: a necessary but not sufficient condition for professional development. Published in : British Educational Research Journal, Volume 19, Issue 1 1993 , pages 83 – 93

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Professionalism Essay | Essay on Professionalism and Importance of Professionalism at Work Essay

July 22, 2021 by Prasanna

Professionalism Essay: From a career perspective, professionalism is defined as the ability to consistently achieve high standards, on and off the job. However, the exact definition may vary according to different sectors or industries. For instance, maintaining proper professionalism might mean dressing appropriately for the job. In other industries, professionalism may refer to treating customers with respect – before and after-sales. It could also be something as simple as a policy for a social media platform. However, it is important to understand that professionalism does not mean following rules and regulations blindly. Instead, it refers to a set of values that are considered ethically and morally correct. Such values are never written down or formally expressed, but it is the duty of every employee to understand and follow the same.

Employers always seek professionalism in the workplace. However, the actual meaning of “professionalism” seems to vary according to industries and companies. So how does one define the term “professionalism?” Professionalism is not something that can be quantified – instead, it could be seen as a quality that every working professional is expected to have. Others may define professionalism as the ability to consistently achieve high standards in their specific field of work. Others suggest professionalism refers to specific workplace rules or policies – such as formal attire, policies on social media usage, punctuality, customer interaction etc. However, we can identify certain attributes and consider them as the pillars of professionalism. We shall explore these pillars in more detail.

You can read more  Essay Writing  about articles, events, people, sports, technology many more.

Knowledge: Keeping yourself updated with the latest and up-to-date knowledge is not just a preference but a necessity in today’s job market. Employers may also actively seek candidates with the latest industry knowledge rather than qualification. This is due to the fact that relevancy has more scope when compared to qualification. Moreover, employers, as well as the employees, need to understand every aspect of their business to ensure maximum productivity. Important facets of business include the design and processes of goods and/or services, the latest trends and industry practices, and awareness of the competitors and their actions.

Competence: One of the most important pillars of professionalism is competency. If your skills and abilities match the requirements of the job, you are said to be competent. Granted, competency does not come easy – it takes hard work and perseverance. Integrity: Integrity prevents you from compromising values that are upheld by your or the organization. This also implies that an employee is trustworthy and dependable.

Conscientiousness: Conscientiousness is a quality of wishing to do one’s tasks and responsibilities thoroughly. However, this does not imply working long hours mindlessly. This is because working long hours can quickly burn you out – causing an overall decline in productivity for that period. Instead, the primary focus must be to work smart and achieve targets consistently and effortlessly.

Respect: This is one of the most important pillars of professionalism. It implies that you respect other people’s values and uphold them through politeness and courtesy. Respecting not just your client, but also your peers goes a long way to building a stable career. It also ensures that there is no friction or other unwanted consequences in the workplace. There is also an age-old saying that states “earn respect by showing respect.” Hence, respect needs to be shown to other people regardless of differences or opinions.

Confidence: This is one of the primary factors that impact a person’s ability to lead and motivate others. Confidence does not come naturally to most. Instead, most will have to step out of their comfort zone and face their fears. It is also one of the most difficult things one can do in a professional setting. This is due to the fact that getting into a comfort zone is quite easy, and years would have passed without gaining any useful skills or achievements.

Emotional Intelligence: Staying calm and composed is integral in a work environment. Without a composed mind, it can be difficult to make sound decisions. Also, work pressure can negatively affect one’s life, hence, emotional intelligence is one of the pillars of professionalism. Emotional intelligence (EI)  also allows one to show empathy – which is the ability to understand how another person feels and experiences the world around them.  EI is also a crucial skill to build rapport, make friends and gain trust with other people in your organisation. To sum up, professional skills alone are not enough to grow in a corporate setting.

Strong Work Ethic: Employers do not usually tell what is wrong or right in most situations. However, one must be able to recognize the difference between the two and always choose the ethically correct route – even if doing so may not be favourable. Research has also shown that employees who are ethically positive and are driven by principles of fairness and decent tend to have increased morale and also showcase consistently better performance in the workplace. In the long run, companies with such types of employees can also improve their corporate image as well as their long-term success. In conclusion, professionalism is an important aspect that everyone should strive to adopt. It can ensure faster growth, richer work life and also impart important ethics and morals.

FAQ’s on Professionalism Essay

Question 1. What is Professionalism?

Answer: Professionalism is defined as the ability to consistently achieve high standards, on and off the job.

Question 2. What are the Pillars of Professionalism?

Answer: There are many pillars of professionalism the most important are:

• Strong Work Ethic
• Conscientiousness
• Emotional Intelligence

Question 3. What are the Characteristics of a Professional?

Answer: A professional must showcase the following characteristics to be successful in their career: Knowledge, confidence, strong work ethics, respect, conscientiousness, emotional intelligence and competence.

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Encyclopedia

Writing with artificial intelligence, professional writing – how to write for the professional world.

• © 2024 by Joseph M. Moxley - Professor of English - USF , Julie Staggers - Washington State University

Professional writing is fundamentally  transactional: usually if you are writing it is because you are trying to solve some kind of a problem . Your  audience — the people you are writing to — probably need to do something in response to your writing. They may not be expecting your writing . They probably don’t want to read your writing . Your writing is interrupting their day. So, if you’re gonna bother them you need to make it worth their time. Learn about the style of writing that characterizes the texts of professional writers in workplace writing contexts. Master the discourse conventions of professional communities of practice.

What is Professional Writing?

Professional writing refers to writing that helps get work done in business, industry, government, non-profit, and civic settings.

Whether it’s a brief office memo or a complex technical report, professional writing is action-oriented and aims to solve problems within or between organizations and publics. While some professional writing is performed by writing professionals — e.g., people whose main job is to write, such as technical writers or social media managers — most professional writing is done by professionals who write . Students often struggle with the transition from academic to professional writing due to the fundamental differences in the writing styles of these two discourse communities :

• Professional writing is transactional and action-oriented, typically used in work contexts to achieve practical outcomes. Professional writing demands clear , concise communication aimed at specific goals like informing, persuading, or instructing , often requiring a more direct and less theoretical approach than academic writing.
• Academic writing  refers to the  writing style  that researchers, educators, and students use in scholarly publications and school assignments. .

Related Concepts

• Elements of Style
• Professionalism
• Structured Revision
• Styles of Writing
• Workplace Writing

Why Does a Professional Writing Prose Style Matter?

Readers, especially critical readers who perceive documents from a particular interpretive framework, have particular expectations regarding

• how texts should be shaped, which genres, media, and channels of communication
• how knowledge claims should vetted to ensure they are authoritative .

Professionals in various fields adhere to established norms (aka discourse conventions) for generating knowledge that is considered to be authoritative . These norms and practices are deeply influenced by the historical research traditions and established discourse practices of their fields, as well as by the introduction of emerging technologies. These technologies offer new possibilities for exploring topics, thereby expanding the methods and approaches available to researchers.

Communication and learning are social processes.

Communications that fail to account for the reader’s expectations are unlikely to be read. They will be tossed aside, dumped into the recycle bin along with other writer-based prose .

What Are the Defining Characteristics of Professional Writing?

Clarity is job #1. It’s the first priority of any subject matter expert. If you are not clear — if you cannot express yourself with the level of detail your audience needs to understand your message — your readers may not understand your message, nor will they swayed by it.

Works that lack clarity are called “ writer-based discourse ” in writing studies , the academic field that studies writing, rhetoric, and composing.

Conciseness – Brevity

Professional communicators know less is more when it comes to facilitating clarity in communication . Knowing that every word can be misinterpreted, knowledge workers are careful to cut the vague words from their sentences .

In professional settings, where time equates to money, readers seek information efficiently, prioritizing speed and clarity over elaborate exposition. Consequently, professional writing emphasizes conciseness, employing active voice, a deductive organizational structure , and short paragraphs that focus on a singular main idea . This approach ensures that readers can quickly access and understand the necessary information without wading through unnecessary detail.

Professional writers tend to navigate complex ethical landscapes. Professional writers adhere to ethical, policy, and legal standards. Professional writers in workplace settings have public and legal obligations in the form of liability, copyright , trademark, and liability laws.

Professional writers present information in a way that does not mislead or manipulate the audience.

Professional writers are careful to respect copyright and intellectual property conventions. They are careful to follow expected citation conventions when paraphrasing, quoting, and summarizing the ideas of others..

Professional writers are careful to avoiding plagiarism and the misrepresentation of others.

Professional writers use language that is respectful and sensitive to ageism, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status of others.

Recommended Readings

• Ableist Language – Disability Metaphors – Disability Studies
• Critical Disability Studies
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Audience-Driven

Your readers are unlikely to take your work seriously if your communications fail to account for what your readers know about topic–and how they feel about it. (See interpretation )

The audience for professional writing tends to be coworkers, clients, employers. Typically in workplace discourse the audience is less informed about the topic than the write. Professional writers write from the persona and rhetorical stance of expert. They use visual language to present information as simply as possible. Texts deemed “professional” respond to the needs and interests of their target  audience (e.g., readers, listeners, or users ).

Professional writers determine what they need to say and how they need to say it by analyzing how familiar their audience(s) is with their topic , research methods , and current scholarly conversations on the topic. They engage in audience analysis to determine the genre and media that are most likely to met their target audience. They question

• what their audience thinks about the topic
• how their audience perceives or sees the topic
• how their audience feels about the topic
• what they want their audience to do .
• Document Planner
• Rhetorical Analysis

Readers and users of technical documents need to be confident that they can rely on the information being provided. Your ethos and the ethos of your company is always on the line, and never more so than when you are producing documents for external audiences. Lying, misrepresenting the facts, or ignoring the counterarguments an audience holds dear seldom helps a company prosper.

When revising , editing , or proofreading , you need to check and double check your facts. Check all of the details for accuracy. Avoid lawsuits! Ensure you have included all of the information the audience needs.

In the context of effective professional writing, accuracy refers to the precise and correct use of language, data, and information.

Professional writers maintain their integrity in professional contexts by ensuring that all facts, figures, and details are verified and true, and that language is used appropriately to convey messages without ambiguity or error.

Accuracy is crucial in professional writing as it builds credibility and authority with the audience , whether it’s for academic , technical, business, or any other formal communication.

Writers achieve accuracy by thoroughly researching their topics, cross-checking facts, using reliable sources, and reviewing their work for errors in grammar , spelling , and punctuation .

Accuracy in professional writing demonstrates a commitment to truthfulness and reliability, making it a fundamental attribute for writers aiming to communicate effectively and maintain their integrity in professional contexts.

Comprehensive

Professional writers achieve comprehensiveness by weaving their analysis into the broader “conversation of humankind,” demonstrating an awareness of the historiography of their topic . This attribute means they not only present a thorough exploration of the subject, incorporating all relevant dimensions and perspective , but also position their insights within the context of existing scholarship.

By tracing the evolution of ideas and acknowledging the contributions of previous scholars, professional writing showcases a depth of engagement with the topic that goes beyond surface-level analysis. This approach ensures that the text is not just informative but also deeply connected to the continuum of intellectual inquiry, reflecting a nuanced understanding of the subject’s history, its key contributors, and the methodologies that have shaped its development.

Comprehensiveness, therefore, is not just about the breadth of coverage but about situating one’s work within a larger scholarly dialogue , enriching the text with layers of context and meaning.

Research-Based , Substantive

Professional writers engage in strategic searching to investigate a topic . They are intellectually open . They consider counterarguments . They may employ textual research methods and engage in argument and persuasion.

When professional writers engage in research , they question the currency, relevance, authority, accuracy of information . They engage in rhetorical analysis and textual analysis to question the purpose of the research, from the investigator’s perspective .

Professional writers often engage in a variety of research methods, including Empirical Research Methods , Informal Research Methods , Mixed Research Methods , Qualitative Research Methods , or Quantitative Research Methods .

Readers of professional texts expect writers to support their claims with evidence . They distinguish fact from news and opinion . They expect more than anecdote and informal observation.

Accessibility involves presenting information in a manner that is easily digestible, using language that is straightforward and avoiding unnecessary jargon or technical terms that could alienate readers unfamiliar with the subject matter.

Accessibility entails structuring content logically, with clear headings , concise sentences , and a coherent flow of ideas , making it easier for readers to follow the argument or narrative .

Writers achieve accessibility by considering the background knowledge and interests of their intended audience . They tailor their approach – such as appeals to ethos , pathos , or logos — to be audience sensitive. They work to make their messages reader-based as opposed to writer-based.

When writers and speakers ensure their communications are accessible, they are able to reach a broader audience. By prioritizing accessibility, professional writers bridge the gap between expert knowledge and public understanding, contributing to a more informed and engaged community.

Collaborative (formally or informally)

In professional contexts, projects often require the collective expertise of multiple stakeholders, including writers, subject matter experts, designers, software developers, and clients, to create documents that meet specific business objectives. This collaborative approach ensures that the final product is comprehensive, accurate, and tailored to the needs of its intended audience , reflecting the diverse perspectives and skills of its contributors.

In contrast, academic writing tends to be more solitary. Individual authors or small research teams may toil away on a manuscript for years before sharing it with others and having it published.

Visually Appealing

The texts of subject matter experts in professional writing tend to be highly visual. Wherever possible, professional writers leverage the power of visual language to engage the interests and passions of the audience.

• Data Visualization – Information Visualization – The Art of Visualizing Meaning For Better Decision-Making
• Design Principles – The Big Design Principles You Need to Know to Create Compelling Messages
• Elements of Art – How to Leverage the Power of Art to Make Visually Compelling Documents
• Elements of Design – Master the Fundamentals of Visual Composition
• Page Design – How to Design Messages for Maximum Impact
• Universal Design Principles – How to Design for Everyone
• Usability – How to Research & Improve Usability
• Visualization – Visual Representation

Professional writers employ multiple media. They may embed videos and illustrations in their texts. Their texts may be primarily visual, such as data visualizations and infographics.

Problem-Oriented

Professional writers tends to be problem-oriented. Professional writers helps organizations and readers solve problems .

Professional writers tend to employ deductive order and deductive reasoning . In cover letters , abstracts , executive summaries and introductions, they tell the reader what the text is about and how it’s organized. They craft their texts to facilitate scanning .

What Textual Practices Are Common to Both Professional & Academic Prose Writing?

A professional writing style shares many characteristics with an academic writing prose style : both of these styles of writing aspire for brevity , flow , simplicity , unity and clarity in communications .

Academic and professional writers share many information literacy perspectives : they value openness and strategic searching . They know when they need information, where to get information, how to assess information, and how weave the work of other researchers into the fabric of their arguments . They value critical literacy practices : They are conversant with the research methods , the knowledge-making practices , that their audiences expect them use in order to propose or test a knowledge claim .

And, in most academic and workplace contexts , knowledge workers are expected to conform to discourse conventions of Standard Written English and Standard Spoken English , including

• attributions for evidenceo
• citation styles tied to particular disciplinary communities (e.g., MLA , APA , Chicago)
• organizational schema
• punctuation

Not surprisingly, style is a concern for readers across discourse communities : knowledge workers from both academic and professional writing camps abhor vagueness , unsupported claims , and a lack of organization . No one likes a sentence that goes on and on in multiple directions. People don’t want to be bored or confused.

What Are 8 Major Differences Between Academic and Professional Writing?

While professional writers share some values and practices with academic writers, they ultimately approach discourse situations in 8 unique ways.

Relationship to Audience

Much of the academic writing assigned in high school and college settings assumes the teacher as examiner role. When teachers serve in the role of examiner , they are checking to see whether you can demonstrate what you know or have learned .

Outside of schoolwork, however, the audience for academic writing tends to be subject matter experts and others interested in basic research on a topic . Members of different academic communities — such as the arts, engineering, or medical communities — engage in strategic searching in order to review peer reviewed research on topics of interest. Because they study different topics in different situations , discourse communities develop their own unique jargon , discourse conventions , and research methods .

Relationship to Topic

Academic writing is largely about problematizing and exploring ideas.

Professional writing is fundamentally transactional: usually if you are writing you are doing so because you are trying to solve some kind of problem. Your audience — the people you are writing to — probably need to do something in response to your writing. They may not be expecting your writing. They probably don’t want to read your writing. Your writing is interrupting their day. So, if you’re gonna bother them you need to make it worth their time: your work must be clear , substantive , properly attributed , and evidence based .

Formatting & Use of Visual Language

Academic writing tends to focus on traditional alphabetical language. Academic texts often have longish sentences and paragraphs. They are written from the assumption that the reader has an interest in their topic.

Professional writing, in contrast, assumes readers are not reading for pleasure. They assume technical readers are reading to understand something or to get something done. Thus, professional writing emphasizes visual elements more than academic writing.

To engage the curiosity and interest of their audience, professional writers

• Consider the Audience’s Needs Professional writers visual design should cater to the audience’s preferences and needs, making information not only accessible but also appealing to them.
• Use Visual Language to Communicate Professional writers incorporate visuals into their their texts, such as charts, graphs, and infographics. This makes complex information more accessible and easier to understand at a glance.
• Incorporate Images and Videos Professional writers use visual language to communicate, such as photographs, flowcharts, or infographics.
• Employ Typography Strategically Professional writers break longer paragraphs down into parts. They use headings, subheadings, bullet points, and varied font styles and sizes to organize content, draw attention to key points, and improve readability.
• Adopt Layouts That Enhance Readability Professional writers use space effectively to avoid clutter , allowing the reader’s eye to rest and making the document easier to navigate.
• Design for Accessibility Professional writers are careful to ensure that visual elements are accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. This includes using alt text for images and ensuring that color contrasts are sufficient for readability.

Sentence Structure & Sentence Patterns

Academic writers may communicate in long, complicated sentences and long paragraphs. It’s not unusual in professional-peer review journals, to see paragraphs that are 300 to 500+ words long.

In contrast, professional writing embraces simplicity , space, visual language, and simple sentence patterns.

Related Resources: Sentences | Sentence Types

In terms of channel or media , professional writers exhibit greater flexibility and are less tied to traditional discourse conventions than their academic counterparts.

Professional writers often adapt a single message for dissemination across various media, tailoring the content to suit the specific affordances and limitations of each platform. This adaptability allows them to effectively reach and engage their target audiences through the most appropriate channels, whether it be social media, blogs, reports, or presentations.

Conversely, academic writers primarily operate within established scholarly formats such as academic essays, research articles, and book reviews.

Point of View + Perspective

Academic writers may write from the first person to share their experiences and thoughts. In turn, when writing memos in workplace situations, professional writers may also use the first person. Thus, point of view, by itself, is not a measure of academic v. professional writing.

However, in general, primarily due to the distinct purposes and audiences their writing serves, academic and professional writers do adopt different rhetorical stances :

• Academic Writing is primarily oriented towards contributing to scholarly discourse — what is often called “ the conversation of humankind. ”  Academic writing is characterized by rigorous analysis, citation of peer-reviewed sources, and a focus on contributing new knowledge within a discipline. It often adheres to specific formatting and stylistic conventions (e.g., APA, MLA) and values objectivity, precision, and complexity, emphasizing argumentation supported by evidence.
• Professional Writing, while also valuing objectivity and evidence-based argumentation in many contexts (such as technical, legal, and scientific communications), is generally more diverse in its aims and formats. It seeks to achieve specific, practical outcomes, such as persuading customers, instructing users, or facilitating business operations. Professional writers adapt their rhetorical stance — their tone, style, and structure — to fit the immediate needs of their audience.

Related Resources

Point of View | Perspective | Rhetorical Stance

Organization

Professional Writing is nearly always employs a direct approach when it comes to organization: professional writers clarify their purpose for writing upfront–sometimes in the first sentence or paragraph .

In contrast, an indirect approach to organization leads with relevant, attention-getting details that do not directly state the purpose of the document. Most often, in business and technical communication, indirect organization is employed when the writer is delivering bad news or anticipates an audience that is resistant to the main message and may require some persuasion.

Professional writers use cover letters , abstracts , executive summaries , and introductions to emphasize key points, arguments , methods , findings, interpretations and conclusions . They don’t hold off on the best arguments till last or keep the reader guessing about why they are being given information .

• Inductive Order, Inductive Reasoning, Inductive Writing
• Deductive Order, Deductive Reasoning, Deductive Writing
• Sentence Order within Paragraphs
• Topic Sentence

Brevity - Say More with Less

Clarity (in Speech and Writing)

Coherence - How to Achieve Coherence in Writing

Flow - How to Create Flow in Writing

Inclusivity - Inclusive Language

The Elements of Style - The DNA of Powerful Writing

Recommended

Academic Writing – How to Write for the Academic Community

Structured Revision – How to Revise Your Work

Credibility & Authority – How to Be Credible & Authoritative in Research, Speech & Writing

Citation Guide – Learn How to Cite Sources in Academic and Professional Writing

Page Design – How to Design Messages for Maximum Impact

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The Concept of Professionalism: Professional Work, Professional Practice and Learning

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• Julia Evetts Ph.D. 4  

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For a long time, the sociological analysis of professional work has differentiated professionalism as a special means of organizing work and controlling workers and in contrast to the hierarchical, bureaucratic and managerial controls of industrial and commercial organizations. But professional work is changing and being changed as increasingly professionals (such as doctors, nurses, teachers, social workers) now work in employing organizations; lawyers and accountants in large professional service firms (PSFs) and sometimes in international and commercial organizations; pharmacists in national (retailing) companies; and engineers, journalists, performing artists, the armed forces and police find occupational control of their work and discretionary decision-making increasingly difficult to sustain.

The paper begins with a section on defining the field of professional work, professional practice and its learning. The paper continues with a second section on the concept of professionalism, its history and current developments. The third section of the paper considers the changes, challenges and opportunities of the practice of professional work within employing organizations. The fourth section of the paper identifies some of the important contributions made by researchers on professional work to public policy developments, assessment and evaluation.

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Evetts, J. (2014). The Concept of Professionalism: Professional Work, Professional Practice and Learning. In: Billett, S., Harteis, C., Gruber, H. (eds) International Handbook of Research in Professional and Practice-based Learning. Springer International Handbooks of Education. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8902-8_2

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Your instructor may specify a range for acceptable scores. Before submitting, ensure your work contains enough of your own original writing compared to quoted material to fall within your instructor's accepted range. 

Consult your syllabus, follow assignment instructions, contact your instructor directly, or review your institution's overarching policies on what counts as an acceptable similarity score before you submit. Every school, instructor, or assignment could very well have a different amount of matching text that is considered acceptable.

How does Turnitin identify student collusion?

Collusion is typically identified when a student's work matches with another student's submission on the same assignment or to previously submitted papers. Consider the following scenario:

Eric acquired a copy of his classmate Jane's paper. Eric submits Jane's paper as his own and receives a similarity score of 25%. Jane, who originally wrote the paper, submits her work a few days later and receives a 100% similarity score.

Turnitin can identify that collusion has taken place in this scenario by running a final similarity check against all submitted assignments after the due date. This ensures that every student is subject to the same level of scrutiny, regardless of when they submitted their assignments.

Similarity • SimCheck

In this guide:

Similarity score scenarios

The percentage range is 0% to 100% with the possible similarity groupings being:

• Green : 0% matching text
• Blue : 1-24% matching text

A high similarity score does not always suggest that a piece of writing has been plagiarized, just as a low similarity score does not always indicate that no plagiarism has occurred. Consider the following scenarios:

• Submitting a document of considerable size could result in a 0% similarity score with a report that still contains matches. This is because the similarity score has been rounded to 0%, rather than being exactly 0%.
• You may have submitted multiple drafts of the same paper to your institution's private repository, meaning your final draft has resulted in a score of 100%. To avoid this issue, we advise that you only submit your final draft to the private repository.
• An individual within your institution has managed to acquire a copy of your document. They submit this document to the institution's private repository and receive a similarity score of 25%. You submit your original document a week later to the private repository but receive a 100% similarity score.
• Which version of the Similarity Report am I using?

Articles in this section

• Accessing the Similarity Report and Similarity Score
• Student overview of the new Similarity Report experience
• Navigating the student Similarity Report
• Using exclusions and filters
• Using multicolor highlighting in the classic Similarity Report view
• Downloading a Similarity Report as a student
• Generating a new Similarity Report after resubmission

The Supreme Court curbed federal oversight of schools. It's a big deal.

Eight current and former staffers at the u.s. education department expressed dismay over a recent supreme court decision they fear will blunt major regulations affecting k-12 schools and colleges..

Andrew Davis wanted protection after other students carved homophobic slurs into the door of his college dorm room.

Sydney Greenway hoped to avoid spending a week's grocery money on another textbook. 

Tashiana Bryant-Myrick sought relief from the student debt hobbling her family's future. 

For years, the U.S. Department of Education has been able to intervene to some degree in these scenarios. But a Supreme Court decision handed down just over a week ago reined in the agency's power to help everyday people. The news came as important deadlines loom for schools to implement key regulations, many of which now stand on shakier legal ground.

Three current and five former Education Department staffers, some of whom were not authorized to speak publicly, told USA TODAY they were dismayed by the ruling, which they fear will blunt the agency’s ability to oversee the American education system.

“I’m really, really nervous about what this means,” said Amy Laitinen, a former senior policy adviser on higher education in the Education Department and the White House. “I don’t think there’s any doubt that it will be bad for students and taxpayers.” 

Education policy in the United States is primarily hammered out by state and local governments . When it comes to taking federal action – including to keep LGBTQ+ students safe, textbook costs down and student loan debt under control – Congress is generally slow to pass new regulations. (The main federal law overseeing colleges hasn’t been comprehensively reauthorized since 2008.)

Helping students often falls to the bottom of lawmakers' to-do lists. In that vacuum, the Education Department's role overseeing schools, especially colleges, has only expanded.

The department handles nearly $2 trillion in federal student loan debt and protects students and teachers from discrimination, including the antisemitism and Islamophobia that roiled campuses this year amid the Israel-Hamas war. During the Obama and Biden administrations, the agency has demonstrated a greater willingness to clamp down on predatory colleges . When it screws something up – such as delivering college financial aid, which devolved into a crisis this year – the ripple effects can be devastating.

All of that authority may now be jeopardized by the ruling in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo. On June 28, the high court’s conservative justices rejected a 40-year-old precedent known as "Chevron deference,” a standard set by the 1984 case Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council, which gave federal agencies latitude to clarify ambiguous laws passed by Congress. 

Read more about the Loper decision: Supreme Court curbs power of federal regulators, overturning 40-year precedent

On the heels of a different verdict that could preclude those same agencies from imposing fines, the justices dramatically recast the balance of government power away from the executive branch. Officials immediately began panicking that the Education Department might lose some of its capacity to address real-life problems through regulation.

Even before the decree was handed down, lower court judges in several states over the past few weeks were separately halting key Education Department policies, including rules affecting student loan borrowers, LGBTQ+ students and sexual assault survivors. 

The National Education Association, the largest union for educators, warned that students nationwide would “pay the price” for the demise of Chevron deference. Meanwhile, conservatives and for-profit schools have rejoiced at the ruling, which they consider a long-overdue blow to big government. 

“No agency has overreached more in exceeding congressional authority than the current U.S. Department of Education,” said Jason Altmire, the president of the group Career Education Colleges and Universities, which represents the interests of for-profit colleges. 

Supporters of the verdict, including Republicans in Congress, argued federal regulators have become too powerful. They praised the Supreme Court for transferring more authority to the judicial branch to interpret vague laws.

The Education Department declined to comment directly but cited a statement from Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, who scolded the Supreme Court for “yet another deeply troubling decision that takes our country backwards.” 

How the ruling will affect schools will depend largely on how judges handle forthcoming legal challenges. If the federal judiciary’s recent decisions are a harbinger of what's to come, the Biden administration’s agenda for American schools could be in serious trouble. 

Vanessa Miller, an assistant professor of education law at Indiana University Bloomington, said that although federal regulations have long been vulnerable to litigation, the Supreme Court just made them even weaker.  

“We don’t really know how it’s going to unfold,” she said. “That’s the complicated and scary part.” 

Protections for LGBTQ+ students threatened

College brought Andrew Davis a sense of stability he had never experienced before. 

When he arrived in the fall of 2020 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, about three hours from his rural hometown, it was one of the first times in his life he had consistent food and housing. With a generous financial aid package in hand, he knew he’d be relying on the school a lot. 

By October of that year, that stability began to crumble. Other students started harassing Davis, who identifies as queer and nonbinary. A lot of the behavior took place outside his dorm room, where he said they would carve slurs into the door and dump their trash. Sometimes, in the middle of the night, he could hear speakers blasting anti-queer insults.

“I didn’t have anywhere else to go,” said Davis, now 22. 

He filed a complaint against his peers under Title IX, a federal statute that prohibits sex-based discrimination on school campuses. The law was reinterpreted during the Trump administration in a way critics said bolstered the rights of people accused of sexual assault and harassment. Under former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, the department raised the burden of proof for victims. 

Davis’ case didn’t meet evidence standards and was dismissed, he said. He watched hopefully as the Biden administration set out to reverse those Trump-era rules while pushing to codify protections that would prevent discrimination against LGBTQ+ students like him. 

In April, the Education Department finalized part of its long-awaited rewrite of Title IX, quelling the anxiety of victim advocates who had grown restless after waiting years for change. The new guidance would officially expand the statute to include sexual orientation and gender identity in its definition of sex-based discrimination. 

The revised rules are supposed to take effect nationwide on Aug. 1, but lawsuits brought by Republican attorneys general in multiple states have placed them in a holding pattern in many parts of the country. A federal judge in Kansas, for instance, issued yet another preliminary injunction this month blocking implementation of the revised Title IX rules in four states. The ban applied to all the schools attended by the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, too.

Shiwali Patel, a former attorney in the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights, now with the National Women’s Law Center, found the broad scope of that ruling troublesome. 

“Opponents of civil rights and Title IX have really stopped at nothing,” she said. 

Student debt relief in jeopardy

Tashiana Bryant-Myrick, a 36-year-old California mom, was the first in her family to attend college. She now works in higher education, advising young people from marginalized groups.

But her decision to work in academia came with a hefty price tag – she owes tens of thousands of dollars on her student loans.

“We can’t build generational wealth as a young Black family and try to plan for our future with our child,” she said, “because we really don’t know what is going to happen.” 

She hoped student loan forgiveness would make her life easier, but she is uncertain about whether the Education Department's efforts will ultimately help her.

Since taking office, President Joe Biden has made student debt relief the centerpiece of his education policy agenda, forgiving roughly $170 billion for nearly 5 million Americans. In his State of the Union address this year, he credited himself with having “fixed” two major student loan repayment programs. 

Those aggressive, controversial and wildly expensive actions have made a sizable difference in many lives, especially for older borrowers who felt stuck after paying back loans for years. 

It wasn't long before the debt cancellation butted up against an unfriendly court system. The Supreme Court last summer struck down Biden’s most ambitious plan to provide $400 billion in debt relief to tens of millions of Americans. The now-defunct program would have canceled up to $20,000 in student loans for a broad swath of the population. 

"This fight is not over," Biden vowed in a White House news conference following the June 2023 decision. 

Since those roadblocks, the administration has pursued different avenues for student debt relief. Most of them, however, rely to some extent on the deference historically given to federal agencies like the Education Department to implement laws passed by Congress.

“At the end of the day, none of this is good for students,” said Daniel Zibel, vice president of the National Student Legal Defense Network, a group that advocates for borrowers. 

Numerous legal challenges have set in motion a game of regulatory pingpong that paused – and then resumed – one of Biden’s signature student loan initiatives, which calculates payments based on borrowers' incomes. Miguel Cardona, Biden’s education secretary, has routinely referred to that program as the “most affordable repayment plan ever.” 

Recent preliminary injunctions on the program issued by federal judges in Kansas and Missouri forced the Education Department to place about 3 million borrowers in forbearance, temporarily halting their bills. A three-judge panel has since granted the Biden administration’s request to stay one of those bans. Three states asked the Supreme Court on Tuesday to take up the plan's legality.

The volatile nature of the litigation doesn't bode well for Biden's student debt relief agenda surviving the courts in the long run. 

Biden administration ramps up college oversight

When Sydney Greenway was starting her second semester at Wayne State University in Detroit, she noticed a $50 charge on her account. Greenway, now 21, didn’t remember paying $50 for a textbook. 

She soon learned that her school was enrolled in a program that allowed her to be automatically billed for certain course materials (the goal was to bring prices down for every student on a larger scale). Greenway was certain she could have found a used copy of the book at a cheaper price. 

“It was a week of groceries for me,” she said of the $50 charge. “It’s not insignificant.” 

Biden has made it clear to his advisers that the administration’s student loan relief efforts must be coupled with a broader strategy to bring down the soaring cost of college. A key tactic in that approach includes reining in often unpredictable expenses for food and textbooks.

One regulation the administration is championing would give students more of a direct say in how they pay for course materials. The rule prompted fierce pushback from the publishing industry, which has argued the policy will only raise prices for students.

Click here for a deep dive on textbooks: A fight over college textbook prices is leaving students unsure whom to believe about costs

Some of the main college oversight changes crafted by the Biden administration would tighten up college accreditation standards, particularly for online and for-profit schools. Others would eventually force schools to disclose whether their programs provide students a good return on investment. Another rule would prevent colleges from pocketing some of the extra federal money low-income students use to pay for food.

For any of these regulations to affect real people’s lives, the Education Department has to go through a lot of red tape. Though the specter of court challenges has always plagued government staffers who write those rules, they now worry their efforts will face even more scrutiny – and students will have to wait longer for the help they need.

Conservatives, for-profit advocates celebrate

Overturning Chevron was the culmination of a decadeslong push by conservatives to dismantle what they have deemed the " administrative state ." 

Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican on a congressional committee overseeing education policy, sent letters June 30 to more than half a dozen agencies, including the Education Department , insisting they explain how they plan to comply with the Supreme Court’s ruling.

He gave Cardona’s agency until the end of next week to respond. The GOP senator said he was pleased to see the “unfettered power” of federal bureaucrats finally being curbed. 

In the Supreme Court's majority opinion, Chief Justice John Roberts concluded that it's the job of the judicial branch of government to interpret the law. Deferring to federal agencies, he wrote, "is simply not necessary to ensure that the resolution of statutory ambiguities is well informed by subject matter expertise."

The dissenting justices disagreed harshly . Justice Elena Kagan, a member of the court's liberal minority who worked in the Clinton administration decades ago, fretted over the consequences of leaving complex policy decisions up to judges. Shutting out the federal government’s vast reserve of experts would come at a cost, she warned.

“In every sphere of current or future federal regulation,” she wrote, “expect courts from now on to play a commanding role.”

Contributing: USA TODAY data and graphics reporter Sara Chernikoff

Zachary Schermele covers education and breaking news for   USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at [email protected]. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele .

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George clooney pens op-ed calling for biden to step aside.

“He saved democracy in 2020,” wrote the longtime Democrat who helped fundraise for the president. “We need him to do it again in 2024.”

By Kevin Dolak

Kevin Dolak

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On Wednesday,  The New York Times  op-ed section  published a blunt essay  from George Clooney , in which the actor and director, one of Hollywood’s more engaged political players, forcefully argues for President Joe Biden to step aside in his campaign for reelection and allow a new candidate to take on Donald Trump in November.

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“Was he tired? Yes. A cold? Maybe,” Clooney wrote of the debate performance that has sent Democrats into a panic and that is now dividing the party. “But our party leaders need to stop telling us that 51 million people didn’t see what we just saw. We’re all so terrified by the prospect of a second Trump term that we’ve opted to ignore every warning sign. The George Stephanopoulos interview only reinforced what we saw the week before. As Democrats, we collectively hold our breath or turn down the volume whenever we see the president, who we respect, walk off Air Force One or walk back to a mic to answer an unscripted question.”

Clooney writes that while it may seem unfair to point out Biden’s perceived cognitive decline given his advanced age, “it has to be fair” because Democracy is at stake. He asserts that running Biden at the top of the ticket will not only lose the Democrats the presidency, it will cost them the House and Senate majority, which is within the grasp of both major parties in November; Clooney says that every single senator and congressional representative that he has spoken to privately agrees with this prediction.

“We Democrats have a very exciting bench,” Clooney asserts. “We don’t anoint leaders or fall sway to a cult of personality; we vote for a president.”

The Oscar winner for the political thriller  Syriana  and nominee for  Good Night, and Good Luc k, which follows the conflict between journalist Edward R. Murrow and U.S. Sen. Joseph McCarthy, floated the idea of several prominent Democrats stepping up to lead the ticket in November. Clooney suggests in the essay that the nominating process at the 2024 Democratic National Convention could “enliven our party and wake up voters.”

In closing, Clooney gives Biden credit for steering the nation away from the paths of the Trump administration and says he must repeat the feat.

“Joe Biden is a hero; he saved democracy in 2020,” he wrote. “We need him to do it again in 2024.”

According to a news story on the op-ed that The New York Times published Wednesday, two sources said that the gala fundraiser was planned around Clooney’s schedule — not Biden’s — and the event’s timing demanded that in a short window of time, Biden fly from a Group of 7 gathering to California and back to Washington. Following the debate, Biden explained his dismal performance as the result of a cold and jet lag.

Roberts and Kimmel, along with Jeffrey Katzenberg and Steven Spielberg, have not yet commented on whether Biden should stay or step aside , despite several influential celebrity Democratic donors like Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings, media mogul Barry Diller, Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel and millionaire Disney heiress Abigail Disney calling on the Democratic party to replace Biden on the ticket.

In response to Clooney’s op-ed later on Wednesday, Michael Douglas, a longtime Biden supporter who hosted a Hollywood fundraiser at his home for the president in April, said he too was “deeply, deeply concerned” about Biden’s reelection prospects after the debate, but he stopped short of withdrawing his support for Biden for 2024.

Following up on he r monologue in support of Biden on Monday’s show, The View ‘s Whoopi Goldberg said that she continues to support th president — even when Douglas and her   cohost Joy Behar said that Biden should have focused on Trump’s lies during the debate. To that notion, a flummoxed Goldberg said, “But then when he does that…You know, you can’t win in this game. I really feel bad for him. If he can’t do the job and we see he can’t do the job, then he’s gotta go, but until I can see that, I’m going to support him.”

Jackie Strause contributed to this story.

July 10, 10 a.m. Updated to include Michael Douglas’ The View quotes.

July 10, 11 a.m. Updated to include details about the planning of the Clooney-hosted fundraiser.

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Cheng pei-pei, ‘crouching tiger, hidden dragon’ and ‘come drink with me’ actress, dies at 78, donald trump accepts gop nomination, recounts assassination attempt: “i will not back down”, bob booker, writer-producer on ‘the first family’ comedy album, dies at 92, adidas faces backlash for bella hadid ad selling retro 1972 olympics sneakers , ashlee simpson confirms new music is on the way.

Frequently asked questions

What is an essay.

An essay is a focused piece of writing that explains, argues, describes, or narrates.

In high school, you may have to write many different types of essays to develop your writing skills.

Academic essays at college level are usually argumentative : you develop a clear thesis about your topic and make a case for your position using evidence, analysis and interpretation.

Frequently asked questions: Writing an essay

For a stronger conclusion paragraph, avoid including:

• Important evidence or analysis that wasn’t mentioned in the main body
• Generic concluding phrases (e.g. “In conclusion…”)
• Weak statements that undermine your argument (e.g. “There are good points on both sides of this issue.”)

Your conclusion should leave the reader with a strong, decisive impression of your work.

Your essay’s conclusion should contain:

• A rephrased version of your overall thesis
• A brief review of the key points you made in the main body
• An indication of why your argument matters

The conclusion may also reflect on the broader implications of your argument, showing how your ideas could applied to other contexts or debates.

The conclusion paragraph of an essay is usually shorter than the introduction . As a rule, it shouldn’t take up more than 10–15% of the text.

The “hook” is the first sentence of your essay introduction . It should lead the reader into your essay, giving a sense of why it’s interesting.

To write a good hook, avoid overly broad statements or long, dense sentences. Try to start with something clear, concise and catchy that will spark your reader’s curiosity.

Your essay introduction should include three main things, in this order:

• An opening hook to catch the reader’s attention.
• Relevant background information that the reader needs to know.
• A thesis statement that presents your main point or argument.

The length of each part depends on the length and complexity of your essay .

Let’s say you’re writing a five-paragraph  essay about the environmental impacts of dietary choices. Here are three examples of topic sentences you could use for each of the three body paragraphs :

• Research has shown that the meat industry has severe environmental impacts.
• However, many plant-based foods are also produced in environmentally damaging ways.
• It’s important to consider not only what type of diet we eat, but where our food comes from and how it is produced.

Each of these sentences expresses one main idea – by listing them in order, we can see the overall structure of the essay at a glance. Each paragraph will expand on the topic sentence with relevant detail, evidence, and arguments.

The topic sentence usually comes at the very start of the paragraph .

However, sometimes you might start with a transition sentence to summarize what was discussed in previous paragraphs, followed by the topic sentence that expresses the focus of the current paragraph.

Topic sentences help keep your writing focused and guide the reader through your argument.

In an essay or paper , each paragraph should focus on a single idea. By stating the main idea in the topic sentence, you clarify what the paragraph is about for both yourself and your reader.

A topic sentence is a sentence that expresses the main point of a paragraph . Everything else in the paragraph should relate to the topic sentence.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

• It gives your writing direction and focus.
• It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

The thesis statement should be placed at the end of your essay introduction .

Follow these four steps to come up with a thesis statement :

• Ask a question about your topic .
• Write your initial answer.
• Develop your answer by including reasons.
• Refine your answer, adding more detail and nuance.

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

An essay isn’t just a loose collection of facts and ideas. Instead, it should be centered on an overarching argument (summarized in your thesis statement ) that every part of the essay relates to.

The way you structure your essay is crucial to presenting your argument coherently. A well-structured essay helps your reader follow the logic of your ideas and understand your overall point.

The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

The vast majority of essays written at university are some sort of argumentative essay . Almost all academic writing involves building up an argument, though other types of essay might be assigned in composition classes.

Essays can present arguments about all kinds of different topics. For example:

• In a literary analysis essay, you might make an argument for a specific interpretation of a text
• In a history essay, you might present an argument for the importance of a particular event
• In a politics essay, you might argue for the validity of a certain political theory

At high school and in composition classes at university, you’ll often be told to write a specific type of essay , but you might also just be given prompts.

Look for keywords in these prompts that suggest a certain approach: The word “explain” suggests you should write an expository essay , while the word “describe” implies a descriptive essay . An argumentative essay might be prompted with the word “assess” or “argue.”

In rhetorical analysis , a claim is something the author wants the audience to believe. A support is the evidence or appeal they use to convince the reader to believe the claim. A warrant is the (often implicit) assumption that links the support with the claim.

Logos appeals to the audience’s reason, building up logical arguments . Ethos appeals to the speaker’s status or authority, making the audience more likely to trust them. Pathos appeals to the emotions, trying to make the audience feel angry or sympathetic, for example.

Collectively, these three appeals are sometimes called the rhetorical triangle . They are central to rhetorical analysis , though a piece of rhetoric might not necessarily use all of them.

The term “text” in a rhetorical analysis essay refers to whatever object you’re analyzing. It’s frequently a piece of writing or a speech, but it doesn’t have to be. For example, you could also treat an advertisement or political cartoon as a text.

The goal of a rhetorical analysis is to explain the effect a piece of writing or oratory has on its audience, how successful it is, and the devices and appeals it uses to achieve its goals.

Unlike a standard argumentative essay , it’s less about taking a position on the arguments presented, and more about exploring how they are constructed.

You should try to follow your outline as you write your essay . However, if your ideas change or it becomes clear that your structure could be better, it’s okay to depart from your essay outline . Just make sure you know why you’re doing so.

If you have to hand in your essay outline , you may be given specific guidelines stating whether you have to use full sentences. If you’re not sure, ask your supervisor.

When writing an essay outline for yourself, the choice is yours. Some students find it helpful to write out their ideas in full sentences, while others prefer to summarize them in short phrases.

You will sometimes be asked to hand in an essay outline before you start writing your essay . Your supervisor wants to see that you have a clear idea of your structure so that writing will go smoothly.

Even when you do not have to hand it in, writing an essay outline is an important part of the writing process . It’s a good idea to write one (as informally as you like) to clarify your structure for yourself whenever you are working on an essay.

Comparisons in essays are generally structured in one of two ways:

• The alternating method, where you compare your subjects side by side according to one specific aspect at a time.
• The block method, where you cover each subject separately in its entirety.

It’s also possible to combine both methods, for example by writing a full paragraph on each of your topics and then a final paragraph contrasting the two according to a specific metric.

Your subjects might be very different or quite similar, but it’s important that there be meaningful grounds for comparison . You can probably describe many differences between a cat and a bicycle, but there isn’t really any connection between them to justify the comparison.

You’ll have to write a thesis statement explaining the central point you want to make in your essay , so be sure to know in advance what connects your subjects and makes them worth comparing.

Some essay prompts include the keywords “compare” and/or “contrast.” In these cases, an essay structured around comparing and contrasting is the appropriate response.

Comparing and contrasting is also a useful approach in all kinds of academic writing : You might compare different studies in a literature review , weigh up different arguments in an argumentative essay , or consider different theoretical approaches in a theoretical framework .

The key difference is that a narrative essay is designed to tell a complete story, while a descriptive essay is meant to convey an intense description of a particular place, object, or concept.

Narrative and descriptive essays both allow you to write more personally and creatively than other kinds of essays , and similar writing skills can apply to both.

If you’re not given a specific prompt for your descriptive essay , think about places and objects you know well, that you can think of interesting ways to describe, or that have strong personal significance for you.

The best kind of object for a descriptive essay is one specific enough that you can describe its particular features in detail—don’t choose something too vague or general.

If you’re not given much guidance on what your narrative essay should be about, consider the context and scope of the assignment. What kind of story is relevant, interesting, and possible to tell within the word count?

The best kind of story for a narrative essay is one you can use to reflect on a particular theme or lesson, or that takes a surprising turn somewhere along the way.

Don’t worry too much if your topic seems unoriginal. The point of a narrative essay is how you tell the story and the point you make with it, not the subject of the story itself.

Narrative essays are usually assigned as writing exercises at high school or in university composition classes. They may also form part of a university application.

When you are prompted to tell a story about your own life or experiences, a narrative essay is usually the right response.

The majority of the essays written at university are some sort of argumentative essay . Unless otherwise specified, you can assume that the goal of any essay you’re asked to write is argumentative: To convince the reader of your position using evidence and reasoning.

In composition classes you might be given assignments that specifically test your ability to write an argumentative essay. Look out for prompts including instructions like “argue,” “assess,” or “discuss” to see if this is the goal.

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

An argumentative essay tends to be a longer essay involving independent research, and aims to make an original argument about a topic. Its thesis statement makes a contentious claim that must be supported in an objective, evidence-based way.

An expository essay also aims to be objective, but it doesn’t have to make an original argument. Rather, it aims to explain something (e.g., a process or idea) in a clear, concise way. Expository essays are often shorter assignments and rely less on research.

An expository essay is a common assignment in high-school and university composition classes. It might be assigned as coursework, in class, or as part of an exam.

Sometimes you might not be told explicitly to write an expository essay. Look out for prompts containing keywords like “explain” and “define.” An expository essay is usually the right response to these prompts.

An expository essay is a broad form that varies in length according to the scope of the assignment.

Expository essays are often assigned as a writing exercise or as part of an exam, in which case a five-paragraph essay of around 800 words may be appropriate.

You’ll usually be given guidelines regarding length; if you’re not sure, ask.

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What to Know About J.D. Vance, Trump’s Running Mate

The 39-year-old from Ohio was best known as the author of the memoir “Hillbilly Elegy” before his election to the Senate in 2022.

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By Maggie Astor

• July 15, 2024

Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio, the newly announced running mate to former President Donald J. Trump, has gone on a rapid journey over the past eight years from best-selling author and outspoken Trump critic to one of Mr. Trump’s staunchest defenders and, now, his would-be second in command.

Before running for office, Mr. Vance, 39, was known as the author of “Hillbilly Elegy,” a best-selling memoir recounting his upbringing in a poor family that also served as a sort of sociological examination of white working-class Americans. The book was published the summer before Mr. Trump’s election in 2016, and many readers looked to it after his victory as a sort of guide to understanding Mr. Trump’s support among white working-class communities.

Mr. Vance himself harshly denounced Mr. Trump during his 2016 campaign. But by 2022, he had embraced Mr. Trump, winning a crowded Republican Senate primary with his backing and becoming a reliable pro-Trump voice in Congress.

Here is more on Mr. Vance’s background and views.

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