What are the main formatting differences between the
memo and the academic paper? In what ways do audience, purpose, tone, and structure
affect the formatting of the memo and the paper?
A memo is written to people who know you through business or at least are aware of the subject about which you write. An academic paper is written for other students, instructors, or scholars and is more formal in tone.
Check these sites for more information.
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/eli/buswrite/memos.html
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/590/03/
http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/academic/mla_style.html
The main formatting differences between a memo and an academic paper stem from their contrasting audience, purpose, tone, and structure. Here's a breakdown of each factor and how they affect the formatting of these two types of documents:
1. Audience:
- Memo: Memos are typically written for internal communication within an organization. The audience is usually colleagues or supervisors who are already familiar with the subject matter.
- Academic Paper: Academic papers target a broader and more diverse audience, including scholars, researchers, and students. The audience may have varying levels of familiarity with the topic.
2. Purpose:
- Memo: Memos are primarily used to convey information, make announcements, request actions, or provide updates within an organization. They are typically brief and concise.
- Academic Paper: Academic papers aim to present a research question, investigate it thoroughly, and provide arguments and evidence to support conclusions. They are intended to contribute new knowledge to a particular field.
3. Tone:
- Memo: Memos are usually written in a more informal and conversational tone compared to academic papers. The language used can be direct and less complex due to the familiarity between sender and recipient.
- Academic Paper: Academic papers adopt a formal and objective tone to maintain credibility. The language used is more technical and specialized, demonstrating a higher level of academic discourse.
4. Structure:
- Memo: Memos typically have a concise structure, including headings such as "To," "From," "Date," "Subject," and "Message." The information is organized into paragraphs or bullet points, focusing on the main points.
- Academic Paper: Academic papers follow a more formal structure with sections such as introduction, literature review, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusion. These sections provide a systematic and comprehensive approach to presenting the research.
Regarding formatting, the following differences may be observed:
- Margins and spacing: Academic papers usually have specific margin and spacing requirements (e.g., one-inch margin, double-spacing), while memos may allow for more flexibility.
- Citations and references: Academic papers require proper citation and referencing using specific citation styles (e.g., APA, MLA). In memos, citations may not be required unless referencing internal documents or external sources is necessary.
- Document layout: Academic papers often include a title page, abstract, and table of contents, whereas memos are generally more straightforward and may not require these elements.
To get a more detailed understanding of the formatting differences, it is recommended to refer to specific style guides and formatting requirements provided by academic institutions and organizations for writing memos. These sources can provide more specific instructions and examples.