An interdisciplinary approach to writing in the social sciences that teaches readers to write as it orients
them to the ways that social scientists think.
Discusses the writing process and rhetorical strategies within the context of social science inquiry.
Analyses the uses and misuses of jargon.
Features a thorough discussion of the major research tools common to all the social sciences: the experiment,
observation, the interview, and the document.
Considers the various forms of academic writing: the summary, the book review, the critical paper, the research
paper, and the essay exam.
Provides sample essays and illustrative examples drawn from leading scholars and landmark studies in the various
social sciences.
Table of Contents
I. COMPOSITION WITH CONTENT.
1. Social Science as a Distinct Form of Inquiry.
2. The Writing Process.
3. Writing and Research in the Social Sciences.
4. Rhetorical Strategies.
5. The Logical Structure of Social Science Writing.
II. THE FORMS OF SOCIAL RESEARCH.
6. The Experiment.
7. Observation.
8. The Interview.
9. The Document.
III. THE FORMS OF ACADEMIC WRITING.
10. The Summary.
11. The Critical Paper.
12. The Research Paper.
13. The Essay Exam.
APPENDICES.
A. Selective Reference Works in the Social Sciences.
B. Manuscript Form, Footnotes, and Bibliography.
C. Student Research Paper.
