Writing in the Social Sciences

A Sample Social Sciences Quiz Based on the Interview with a Sociologist

The Social Sciences

Focus of Study:   Human Activity

Assumptions Informing the Disciplines

• Generally, no one right answer (except, that is, to questions of historical fact or human physiology), but some answers, models, and interpretations are better than others: e.g., if they have better explanatory, predictive, or practical value
• Knowledge is generally cumulative
• In some cases, wording may be important in understanding, interpreting (and shaping?) reality

Typical Kinds of Writing

• Analytical essays on events, phenomena, social behaviour, people, practices, etc.
• Case studies, papers on practice
• Experimental research papers

Typical Focus, Tone, and Sources of Evidence

• Depends on the nature of the paper: the more like a scientific research paper, the more tentative the tone, the larger the focus on primary research and evidence and the smaller the focus on secondary sources (e.g., brief references within a lit. review)
• In analytical essays, secondary sources may be heavily used, with differences between accounts, models, interpretations, etc., emphasized in order to refined and improve our understanding of the thing studied
• Primary sources especially valued in history