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1.8: Comparing Genres, Conclusion

  • Page ID
    5567
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    Even though the previous pages all were about cars in some way, you no doubt realized they were very different in tone, style, and quality.

    Let’s take a closer look at each.

    Example 1

    “Electric and Plug-in Hybrids,” by George Crabtree, came from OpenStax CNX, a textbook publisher.

    OpenStax CNX logo

    Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\)

    The full source demonstrates some features common to textbooks:

    • clearly stated learning outcomes for each section
    • formal tone
    • direct language
    • definitions of key terms
    • no in-text citations, though references may be included at the end of a chapter
    • images to help illustrate the topic

    A textbook’s primary goal is to educate readers.

    Example 2

    “Will the Tesla Model 3 recharge the U.S. electric vehicle market?” by David Keith, came from The Conversation, an online news source.

    The Conversation logo

    Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\)

    The full article demonstrates some features common to journalism:

    • most important information appears near the opening of the article
    • reports facts
    • quotes and interviews from experts on the topic
    • no in-text citations, no citations at the end
    • embedded links to related sources
    • images to help illustrate the topic

    A news article’s primary goal is to inform readers.

    Example 3

    “Cannibalism in the Cars,” by Mark Twain, came from a collection of his short stories, Sketches New and Old.

    Blue leather cover of Sketches Old and New book

    Figure \(\PageIndex{3}\)

    The full story demonstrates some features common to literature:

    • introduces characters
    • follows a narrative sequence of events, revealing a plot
    • includes description to set scene
    • may use first-person, second-person, or third-person voice
    • uses dialogue to convey what characters say to one another
    • no in-text citations, no citations at the end

    A work of literature’s primary goal is to entertain readers.

    Example 4

    “Hybrid vehicle” came from Wikipedia, the well-known online encyclopedia.

    Wikipedia logo, showing sphere made up of puzzle pieces

    Figure \(\PageIndex{4}\)

    The full story demonstrates some features common to reference material:

    • highly structured and organized text, using headings and sub-headings
    • factual content
    • includes in-text citation (or footnotes) and a list of References at the end
    • embedded links to related sources
    • historical information
    • images to help illustrate the topic
    • formal tone
    • clear and easy to read

    A reference work’s primary goal is to inform readers.

    Example 5

    “The Influence of Intersections on Fuel Consumption in Urban Arterial Road Traffic: A Single Vehicle Test in Harbin, China,” by Lina Wu, Yusheng Ci, Jiangwei Chu, and Hongsheng Zhang, came from PLoS One, an online academic journal.

    PLoS One logo

    Figure \(\PageIndex{5}\)

    The full article demonstrates some features common to academic journal content:

    • highly structured and organized text, using headings and sub-headings
    • describes an experiment or an analysis, including the authors’ findings and interpretations
    • includes in-text citation (or footnotes) and a list of References at the end
    • advanced vocabulary, specific to the field of study
    • images to help illustrate the topic

    An academic journal article’s primary goal is to distribute new ideas to readers.


    1.8: Comparing Genres, Conclusion is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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