Research Writing in Political Science vs. Writing for Your Previous Classes

or Writing for Undergrads: Research Writing in Political Science vs Other Majors

[Originally written during the Spring 2023 semester.]

I received an email from a student today. They asked a question that is usually asked a handful of times every semester. So I thought it might be useful if I also explained it here. Below, I created an amalgamation of similar questions students have asked over the last ten years.

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Question: “In my previous research classes, my instructor told us central arguments were short, one sentence thesis statements at the beginning of the first paragraph of our research paper. Specifically, the thesis statement never included any research/evidence/citations. He taught me we are not supposed to present any research/evidence until later in the paper. I am super confused!”

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Answer: Your confusion makes sense! Most college students expect writing research papers for various classes will have similar formatting/structural/organizational requirements. But in academia, there are important disciplinary differences in how we write about our research.

Each discipline has a different standard for how we write about our research. English, history, and the rest of the humanities use the thesis based approach you are referring to. The natural sciences (like biology) have their own approach, and the professional sciences (like police science, forensic psychology, etc..) have their own approach.

Even within the social sciences (political science, sociology, anthropology, etc.) there can be some variation. 

Within the discipline of political science, we do not make arguments without providing empirical evidence.

The University of North Carolina Writing Center does a fantastic job of describing this in their handout about writing in political science.

“Since political scientists construct and assess theories in accordance with the principles of the scientific method, writing in the field conveys the rigor, objectivity, and logical consistency that characterize this method. Thus political scientists avoid the use of impressionistic or metaphorical language, or language which appeals primarily to our senses, emotions, or moral beliefs.

In other words, rather than persuade you with the elegance of their prose or the moral virtue of their beliefs, political scientists persuade through their command of the facts and their ability to relate those facts to theories that can withstand the test of empirical investigation. In writing of this sort, clarity and concision are at a premium. To achieve such clarity and concision, political scientists precisely define any terms or concepts that are important to the arguments that they make” (UNC Writing Center, 2023).

During the semester, you will see me stress the importance of evidence repeatedly. Political scientists do not make statements of fact, without providing empirical evidence to back it up. This means we don’t use poetic prose, dramatic metaphors, or loose generalizations to make our point. In political science, our writing is concise, clear, direct, and accurate. All of that to say, I request all students use the central argument framework discussed in the required reading from Craft of Research.

Another confusing element of all this can be figuring out what counts as evidence. Be sure to review these links, which provide more detail about primary vs. secondary research, when to provide a citation, and how to distinguish between scholarly sources and sensational publications. Most of your secondary evidence will come from political science research journals and academic books. If you are not sure what a peer-reviewed book or article is, please read this resource from the John Jay Library. If you are unsure whether a source is credible, please use the evaluation criteria on this handout.

Remember, every discipline uses different types of sources. While there are some political scientists who explore the politics of hip-hop, newspapers, social media, music videos, commercials, etc… media based research generally uses media products as a form of data (or primary data). But when conducting secondary research in your political science classes, the focus is on peer-reviewed research articles published in political science journals (for the most part).

When it comes to what counts as evidence, political science has quite a bit in common with sociology. This UNC Writing Center handout about sociological writing does a great job of explaining the relationship between your central argument and the evidence you must connect your argument to.

“Once you have developed a working argument, you will next need to find evidence to support your claim. What counts as evidence in a sociology paper? First and foremost, sociology is an empirical discipline. Empiricism in sociology means basing your conclusions on evidence that is documented and collected with as much rigor as possible. This evidence usually draws upon observed patterns and information from collected cases and experiences, not just from isolated, anecdotal reports.

Just because your second cousin was able to climb the ladder from poverty to the executive boardroom does not prove that the American class system is open. You will need more systematic evidence to make your claim convincing. Above all else, remember that your opinion alone is not sufficient support for a sociological argument. Even if you are making a theoretical argument, you must be able to point to documented instances of social phenomena that fit your argument. Logic is necessary for making the argument, but is not sufficient support by itself” (UNC Writing Center, 2023).”

While they are undergrads, many students love to write papers centered around their opinions. But in political science, we do our best to write about what we prove with data and credible evidence.

I hope this helps!

Prof MB

p.s. Don’t forget to cite all of your evidence!

All photos were taken by Dr. Alex J. Moffett-Bateau (2023), please do not use photography posted herein without written consent.