CONVENTION ANALYSIS PROJECT IN SOCIOLOGY
CONVENTION ANALYSIS PROJECT
IN SOCIOLOGY
by
Anonymous Student
Mark E. Messer
ELI 83 Fall 2003
December 9, 2003
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CONVENTION ANALYSIS PROJECT IN SOCIOLOGY
CONVENTION ANALYSIS PROJECT IN SOCIOLOGY
ABSTRACT
This survey investigates the nature of academic writing in sociology and how to write
academically using relevant data. Specifically, it presents an in-depth account of writing in the
field of sociology. It is important to understand how professionals write in a research field.
This survey involved six journal articles and two dissertations. It also compared and analyzed
the submission guidelines of two journals. Though these limited samples, it shows how
writers can develop their academic writing.
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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Statement of Problem
It is essential for graduate students to be familiar with academic writing. Almost every
day, graduate students are required to produce various kinds of academic writing, such as
short essays, research proposals, critiques, theses, and dissertations. This provides them with
opportunities to write academic essays. However, it does not guarantee that students can
organize their writing or write according to a required style, such as MLA or APA. There is
lack of opportunities for students to learn about writing. Therefore, students have to learn how
to write academically by themselves.
Practice makes perfect – or does it? It is particularly difficult for international students
to learn to write academically, because they lack ability in English. The Convention Analysis
Project aims to show students how to write academically.
Purpose of Study
The Convention Analysis Project aims to investigate what academic writing is and how
to write academic papers, taking into account the audience, the purpose of writing, format,
style, structure, and organization. The objective is to understand academic writing in
sociology. My goal is to develop my academic writing skills through the Convention Analysis
Project. Therefore, this paper is written according to the rules of academic writing.
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Significance of Study
This survey investigates the nature of academic writing in sociology and how to write
academically using relevant data. This study also aims to achieve an understanding of
sociology in general. Sociology is broad enough to be classified into several fields. Therefore,
this study aims to achieve an in-depth understanding of a specific field. It is important to
understand the specific ways professionals write in this research field.
CHAPTER 2
METHODS
Research Design
This study uses four methods, based on CAP 1A/B, CAP 2, CAP 3A/B, and CAP 4.
CAP 1 aims to analyze writing in the major academic journals in the field. In CAP 1A, the
writer is required to analyze three separate articles in major journals in terms of their
formatting, organization, audience, and purpose. The researcher repeats this process in CAP
1B, using three additional articles. CAP 2 involves analyzing journal submission guidelines.
The researcher chooses two major journals in the field and compares and analyzes their
guidelines. CAP 3 has two components. CAP 3A involves an analysis of model papers held by
the department; CAP 3B involves a detailed analysis of the language in these model papers.
CAP 4 involves interviews with experts. The researcher asks a senior classmate about writing
in sociology. This section also reviews the findings of CAP 1, 2, and 3. It involves an
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inspection of various sources and an examination of their titles, references, questions, tables
and figures, audiences, purposes, length, language, footnotes, spacing, abstracts, and text.
Sample
This survey considered six journal articles and two dissertations. It also considered the
submission guidelines of two journals.
Survey procedures
This survey used the guidelines and methods of CAP 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Analysis of submission guidelines
The survey analyzed and compared submission guidelines on length, language,
footnotes, spacing, abstracts, text, figures and tables, and references.
Analysis of journal articles
The researcher selected six journal articles and considered their audience, purpose,
source, titles, sections, references, quotations, tables, and figures. First, an analysis of the
audience was carried out to identify the target audience. Second, an analysis of the purpose of
each article involved finding a paragraph or sentence that stated the purpose. Third, an
analysis of sources considered the format for listing the author, year of publication, the article
title, the journal name, and the volume and issue. Fourth, an analysis of the titles considered
what kinds of titles were used and whether they were informative, simple, and original. Fifth,
an analysis of the sections aimed to identify the sections the articles were divided into. If they
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were divided into sections, the researcher analyzed the difference between headings and
subheadings. Sixth, an analysis of references aimed to investigate the system of citation used.
Seventh, an analysis of quotations considered how the text included quotations from the
sources listed in the reference sections. Finally, an analysis of tables and figures aimed to find
out what types of data were used in the articles and dissertations.
Analysis of dissertations
The researcher selected six journal articles and two dissertations according to the
researcher’s research interests, and the advice of the faculty and a senior classmate. This
survey considered the articles’ titles, sections, references, quotations, and tables and figures.
Interview
A senior classmate was interviewed to discuss what the research had found about
academic writing in sociology.
CHAPTER 3
RESULTS
Analysis of submission guidelines
The researcher analyzed two journals’ submission guidelines on length, language,
footnotes, spacing, abstracts, text, figures and tables, and references. Neither journal specified
a set length for each article, but the articles in each journal tended to have a similar number of
words. Neither journal specified a language that articles had to be written in but both appeared
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to require submissions to be in English. This was because they were published in the United
States. Footnotes did not have a consistent style but both journals discouraged the use of
footnotes. Sociological Forum said that footnotes should be avoided when possible. Footnotes
that were necessary should be numbered consecutively using Arabic numbers and should
appear at the bottom of the appropriate page with a line above them to set them off from the
text. A numeral in superscript should appear in the text. The Journal of Sociology and Social
Welfare also discouraged footnotes. If footnotes were essential, they should appear on a
separate sheet after the last page of references. The two sets of guidelines made it clear that
footnotes should be avoided in sociological articles. Abstracts were usually about 100 words
long. A list of four or five key words appeared directly below the abstract. Fifth, it was
essential to avoid stereotypes based on gender or disability. For example, the Journal of
Sociology and Social Welfare required submissions to be worded in a way that was gender
neutral. It suggested using plural pronouns and truly generic nouns. When writing about
disabilities, people should not be made synonymous with their disabilities. Disabilities should
not be magnified. Figures and tables should be numbered with Roman numerals and referred
to by number in the text. Each table should be on a separate page and its title should appear
above it in the center of the line. Explanatory footnotes should appear in superscript,
lowercase letters below the table (Sociological Forum, 2003). References were to be listed
alphabetically at the end of the paper. Citations in the text should provide the name and year
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and appear in parentheses. References and citations should follow the guidelines of the
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Fourth Edition (1994). That
is, references should follow APA style.
Analysis of journal articles
An analysis of journal articles was performed. First, the articles were intended for an
academic audience – researchers, professors, and graduate students majoring in sociology.
They were written not for people studying sociology but for academics and used sociological
jargon, concepts, and methodology. Thus, the articles were written in a sociological style.
Second, the title and introduction gave the purpose of each article (Ruiz, 2002; Herd &
Harrington, 2002; Dunham & Dietz, 2003). Third, references followed the format of the
American Sociological Association (ASA). ASA format is required for manuscripts for
publication in ASA journals. Students are also instructed to use ASA style when writing
research papers. However ASA style seems to be based on APA style. In fact, many
sociologists use APA style. Therefore, it is important to learn the details of APA style. Fourth,
all the titles are informative. They make it clear what topic is being covered, which methods
were employed in the survey, and which independent and dependent variables were used. The
titles also make it easy to understand the purpose of the articles. Fifth, articles are divided into
an abstract, an introduction, a literature review, a section on methodology, a discussion, and a
conclusion. For example, it is clear that a form of IMRD (introduction, method, results,
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discussion) is employed in journal articles (Ruiz, 2002). Sixth, the style of references is ASA.
As noted earlier, ASA style is based on APA style. So the format for references is similar to
APA style. Tables and figures must follow strict submission guidelines.
Analysis of dissertations
This survey involved an analysis of two dissertations: A meta-analysis of quality of life
in older adults (Elaine M. Hapshe, Texas Women’s University, 1994) and Elder Caregiving:
the impact on paid job performance (Judy L. Singleton, University of Cincinnati, 2001). An
analysis was carried out of the dissertations’ titles, sections, references, quotations, and tables
and figures.
First, both titles were informative. It was clear that A meta-analysis of quality of life in
older adults was about the quality of life of elder adults and that it used a meta-analysis. In
other words, the title of the dissertation revealed what it covered and what methods were used.
It was clear that Elder Caregiving: the impact on paid job performance was about how the
burden of caregiving affected performance in paid work. The title suggested that the
subjective and objective burden of caregiving was the independent variable and paid job
performance was the dependent variable. In other words, the title of the dissertation revealed
the topic and the research design.
Second, both dissertations were divided into the following sections: abstract,
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introduction, literature review, methodology, results, discussion and conclusion, and
references and appendix. Both abstracts were less than 500 words long and provided a general
overview. The introductions were divided into the following sections: statement of problem,
background of problem, purpose of study, and significance of study. These titles can vary
from dissertation to dissertation, but the contents of the sections are the same. It is clear that
the introduction needs to explain the topic of the dissertation, the background to the topic, and
the purpose and significance of the survey. It is clear that IMRD, as defined by Swales and
Feak (2001), is the common format for dissertations.
Third, both dissertations included a list of sources in the reference section. Both also
used quotation marks. For example, Singeton wrote, “Gorey et al. (1992: 414) concluded that
it was ‘reasonable to assume that at least 8 percent of the work force had some elder care
responsibilities.’”
Fourth, both dissertations included tables and figures with statistical data. For example,
Singleton’s dissertation included a summary table for one-way analysis of variance of arriving
late to work as a function of caregiving status, a summary table for one-way analysis of
variance of leaving work early as a function of caregiving status, and a hierarchical regression
analysis summary (Singleton, 2001). These tables and figures appeared in each chapter. That
is, they were not placed in the appendix. Placing them next to the relevant text made them
easier to understand. The two dissertations did not appear to differ in this respect.
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CONVENTION ANALYSIS PROJECT IN SOCIOLOGY
Interview
The researcher interviewed a senior classmate, Ms. Ayano Yamaguchi, about how to
write an academic paper. Briefly, social sciences papers consist of an introduction, a literature
review, a methodology section, results, and a discussion and conclusion. These can be divided
into conceptualization and operationalization. The former aims to identify the main problem,
to provide a statement of the problem and the background to it, and to explore the theoretical
significance of the problem. It is also necessary to conduct a literature review. The latter aims
to define the research hypotheses, research questions, rationale, and methods and to
investigate how to achieve accurate findings. Ms. Yamaguchi agreed with the writer’s findings.
As noted above, the organization referred to by Ms. Yamaguchi can be defined as IMRD.
Therefore, IMRD is suitable for academic papers.
CHAPTER 4
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
Discussion
This section provides conclusions based on the results.
First, IMRD is the appropriate style for academic writing. All articles and dissertations
consist of an introduction, a description of methods, a description of the results, and a
discussion. In other words, academic papers are written in the form of IMRD as defined by
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Swales and Feak (2001). Of course, academic papers are organized in various ways and take
various forms, but they are all divided into an introduction, a description of methods, a
description of the results, and a discussion. It is clear that IMRD is the appropriate format for
academic writing. Specifically, it is important in sociology to mention the research hypotheses
or research questions and the rationale behind them in a methodological section. A good paper
describes the relationship between them. This gives validity to the following analysis and
results.
Second, APA style is the basic style. Sociological journals require ASA style, but it is
clear that ASA style is based on APA style. Moreover, sociologists use APA style as well.
Therefore, it is beneficial to learn the details of APA style.
Third, it is important in sociology to link the literature review and methodology. The
literature review should relate to the research hypotheses, the rationale behind them, and the
methodology employed. Therefore, it is essential to carry out a systematic review of previous
studies.
Fourth, discussion sections take a common pattern: first, they state the points that
consolidate the researcher’s survey; second, they explain the limitations of the researcher’s
survey; and third, they identify useful areas for further research (Swales & Freak, 2001). For
example, the discussion section of Singleton’s dissertation consists of a summary of the
findings, a reflection on the study’s strengths and limitations, and suggestions for future
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research (Singleton, 2001).
Limitations of study
While the present research has provided insight into how to write academic papers, and
investigated their audience, purpose, format, style, structure, and organization, it has
limitations. These concern the generalizability of its results. The generalizability of this
survey is limited in several ways, because of the small size of the sample and the sampling
method. General conclusions should not be based on a small sample. Also, the results should
not be assumed to apply to the field of sociology as a whole, because the sampling was based
on the writer’s research interests.
Conclusion and Future Directions
This study suggests several future activities to develop academic writing skills. This
study has provided information about how to write academic papers. The findings have
benefited the writer and will help with writing academic essays, theses, and dissertations.
Therefore, it is possible for the writer to develop academic writing skills by using the results
of the survey.
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REFERENCES
Abigail, C. Saguy. 2002. “Making Citizens, Making Gender: The Importance of
National Context.” Sociological Forum. 17 (3)527-535.
Dunham, C. Chorn & Dietz, Bernadette E. 2003. “If I’m Not Allowed to Put My Family
First: Challenges Experienced by Women Who Are Caregiving for Family Members with
Dementia.” Journal of Women & Aging. 15(1):55-69.
Hepshe, Elaine M. 1994. A meta-analysis of quality of life in older adults. Texas
Women’s University. Dissertation.
Herd P. & Meyer. M. Harrington. 2002. “Care Work: Invisible Civic Engagement.”
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Gender & Society. 16 (5) Oct: 665-688.
Liat, Kulik. 2002. “Perceived Effects of Voluntarism and Marital Life in Late
Adulthood.” Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare. XXIX (2): 35-51.
Margarita, A & William Freudenburg. 2003. “The Paradoxes of Modernity: Scientific
Advances, Environmental Problems, and Risks to the Social Fabric?” Sociological Forum. 18
(2): 193-211.
Ruiz, Dorothy S. 2002. “The Increase in Incarcerations among Women and Its Impact
on the Grandmother Caregiver: Some Racial Considerations.” Journal of Sociology and
Social Welfare. 29 (3) Sept: 179-197.
Singleton, Judy L. 2001. Elder Caregiving: The Impact on Paid Job Performance.
University of Cincinnati. Dissertation.
Swales John M. & Feak Christine B. 2002. Academic Writing for Graduate Students.
Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press
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