Axia College
...purpose, tone, and structure affect the formatting of the memo and the paper? *A memorandum is a written document that is created in response to a specific question or problem. It contains a To*: line, a From: line, a Date: line, and a Subject: line. Sometimes, it contains a "cc" (carbon copy) line to inform someone else of the contents of the memo. A memo often presupposes that the recipient remembers the issue to be addressed, and does not restate the assigned question. The audience for a memo may be an individual, or a specific group of individuals. A memo may mention resources used to reach an answer, but does not usually have footnotes. The paragraphs of a memo are usually flush left and not indented. A memo is not signed, but the author may initial it. A memo may be informative, or persuasive. In contrast, an academic paper is written so that anyone can pick up the paper, read it, and understand not only the issue being discussed but also the research done by the person who has written the paper, and the conclusions that the person has reached. Academic papers are generally informative, and not persuasive. An academic paper has a title; an introduction; a body, which may include footnotes; and a conclusion. Some academic papers have headers (a kind of "mini title"); endnotes; and a table of contents, depending on the length of the paper. An academic paper is not signed. The paragraphs of academic papers are often indented. Quotations are indented, and sometimes italicized. The tone of both memos and academic papers depend on the intended audience, but a memo is usually used in a business setting; an academic paper is used in school.
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