1.8: Comparing Genres, Conclusion

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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.

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.