Writing in Sociology

You will learn about

• Writing tips
• Citation and Referencing
• Academic integrity
Writing Tips
We write to
• express ourselves
• communicate (with others)
• improve our thinking
• develop our analytical skills
• reveal the complexity and specificity of our social world by
-interpretation and explanation
-comparison and contrast
• Writing depends on learning
 ”learning at the higher levels is dependent on having attained
prerequisite knowledge and skills at lower levels” (Shabatura, 2013)

But one can improve writing with

Continuous practice and
Critical thinking
Writing tips
• Read the question carefully
• Make your points clear and precise
• Give relevant examples and illustrations
• Express NOT what you know BUT what is asked to write
• Show logical relations between the sentences and paragraphs
• Use key sociological concepts in your written work wherever appropriate
• Consider a variety of reasonable ways of looking at the issue
• Use appropriate transitional words and critical vocabulary
• Follow citation and referencing rules of a particular style
• Clarify the questions/ issues you are focusing on
• Do not jump to conclusions very soon
• Be reflective and reflexive
• Plan ahead
Citation and Referencing
• To collect/ learn necessary information (follow Socrates’s
word: the only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing)
• To prepare yourself to face questions from readers (if you
have evidence/research findings, you answer questions
confidently)
• To acknowledge others’ ideas and give credit to other
researchers’ work (this is how you show that you are a
responsible student)
Examples

• (Orwell, 1949, p. 45).

• (Cottrell, 2013)

• (Giddens, Duneier, Appelbaum, & Carr, 2018)

• (Giddens et al., 2018)

• Shabatura, J. (2013, Sept 27). Using Bloom’s Taxonomy to Write Effective

Learning Objectives. University of Arkansas.
https://tips.uark.edu/using-blooms-taxonomy/
Academic Integrity
• Academic integrity is the commitment to and demonstration of
honest and moral behavior in an academic setting. This is most
relevant at the university level as it relates to providing credit to
other people when using their ideas. In simplest terms, it requires
acknowledging the contributions of other people. Failure to
provide such acknowledgement is considered plagiarism
(University of North Carolina Writing Center).
Five pillars of Academic Integrity

• Honesty
• Trust
• Fairness
• Respect
• Responsibility

Source:
https://www.unl.edu/gradstudies/connections/five-pillars-academic-int
egrity
Links

• https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_fo
rmatting_and_style_guide/general_format.html
• https://writingcenter.unc.edu/esl/resources/academic-integrity/#:~:te
xt=Academic%20integrity%20is%20the%20commitment,the%20contri
butions%20of%20other%20people.
• https://sociology.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/documents/student
_services/writing_guide/Writing%20for%20Sociology%20Guide%20Se
cond%20Edition.pdf
References
• Shabatura, J. (2013, Sept 27). Using Bloom’s Taxonomy to Write
Effective Learning Objectives. University of Arkansas.
https://tips.uark.edu/using-blooms-taxonomy/