How to create a perfect 2:1 standard sociology essay
Just like in the case of other types of essay, knowing how to write a sociology essay requires research and good organisational skills on your behalf. Every step you take requires a bit of attention, if you truly want to impress your examiner and readers. This article will show you how to write a sociology essay by explaining every development stage you must go through.
Let us start with the bibliography. No matter where you look for materials, at the library or consulting online websites, you come across a vast number of sociology books and articles. Therefore, you must carefully select the most useful and trustworthy ones for your desired topic, a process that needs to be performed by taking into consideration several rules: firstly, select recently published sources; you do not want to write your paper based on outdated information. Secondly, find out how the expert community regards the chosen materials; sociology is not a hard science, thus expect to encounter different points of view regarding various subjects. One who knows how to write a sociology essay will read as much material as possible in order to back up his or her opinions with convincing arguments. Cite your references properly, thus building a stronger case for your perspective on the chosen subject of your essay.
Structure
Having a good structure for your sociology essay will increase your credibility and reputation in the field – an easy and pleasant to read paper presenting your arguments in a logical and cohesive manner is bound to make a good impression. In order to learn how to write a sociology essay, begin by writing an outline that delimits every stage and section, so that you can expand on each one by using the data from the gathered materials. Select your materials carefully, and highlight important quotes and passages on which you can sustain your thesis.
When learning how to write a sociology essay, a well-written introduction will help you a great deal, drawing the reader's attention to the problems you raise and the answers you offer; moreover, a good introduction makes the audience more receptive to your conclusions if you offer compelling statistical data as well as relevant examples.
The next section should present your subject in greater detail, also enlarging on what sociology experts have to say about it. Present every point of view upon the chosen topic, citing the sources accordingly. It is ideal to show as many for and against arguments for your thesis. If your debating skills are good, and you bring good arguments to back up your opinion, the audience will be convinced of the importance of your study; this will consequently lead to a higher mark. Furthermore, avoid veering off course, sticking to your subject at all times. Soft sciences offer some space for personal opinions, so, in this regard, you will be allowed a greater degree of flexibility than the one offered by hard sciences such as physics, chemistry or mathematics. Pay attention to the language you use: a student who knows how to write a sociology essay uses jargon expressions and few figures of speech in his or her writing style.
After expanding on the subject and analysing what experts have said about it, presenting case studies will strengthen your arguments. You have a considerably greater chance of convincing your readers with real-life cases than with logical arguments, as people respond better to hard facts. Any relevant piece of data is welcome for sustaining your opinion, so try to enlist as many examples as you can come across.
The last section of your sociology essay is the conclusion. After recapping all what you have written in your paper, theories, sources, case studies and your own opinions, draw the line and justify your point of view by using all the data you have offered. A student who knows how to write a sociology essay needs to clarify any remaining issue. It would be a good idea to ask a friend to read the paper before handing it in; ask him or her whether he can think of additional questions regarding your subject, questions you could answer and include in your conclusions section, or perhaps use the Academic Sciences proofreading services. Finally, state how your paper might have practical applications (where possible) and how it might contribute to further relevant studies in sociology. However, avoid introducing new themes or ideas, because this will make the reader perceive your essay as incomplete.
Revising your work
Finishing your sociology essay does not mean you can just hand it to your examiner. The revision stage is just as important; no matter how confident you are with your writing skills, there is always room for improvement. First of all, go through all you have written once or twice, keeping an eye out for errors and tweaking ambiguous sentences for a more coherent text. Make sure that no idea within your outline has been left out of the discussion, or presented too briefly. At the end, ask a friend to read your essay out loud, so you have an idea about what it's like to be in the reader's shoes. Your paper should have a good flow of ideas in order to score a high mark.
Grammar is another aspect requiring attention. Spell-check software is not something to avoid, regardless of how confident you are regarding the use of English. Knowing how to write a sociology essay means using the correct format; the Harvard format is the most asked for in sociological studies. By referencing your sources appropriately, you avoid the risk of being accused of plagiarism, and your paper will be better regarded during examination. The Harvard format uses the formula ‘(Author, Year: Page)' for referencing, and this is usually regardless if you use direct quotations or paraphrase sections of text (check with your university, as some prefer alternative methods). Furthermore, list your bibliography in alphabetical order, and mention the author, publisher, full title, and cited pages in your bibliographical list. For journal articles, include also the title of the journal and the part number. If you have consulted on-line sources, such as http://www.sociology.ox.ac.uk/ or http://www.sociology.cam.ac.uk/, mention the exact URL together with the date in which you have accessed the respective website.
Once your work is revised, edited and formatted accordingly, you may proceed to handing it in. If you follow the indications presented in this article about how to write a sociology essay, you will surely make a good impression to your examiner.
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