How to Write a Social Science Essay

Anthropology, Economics, Geography, History, Law, Linguistics, Politics, Psychology, Sociology, Philosophy.

An essay is one of the most common assignments aimed at assessing knowledge in different sciences. In order to perform the task successfully, one must consider several key issues of the preparation stage, during the writing process and after it is over. Social science essay format, preparation, and writing process have some peculiarities, examples of which we describe in this short guide. Following our helpful tips will make your social science essay paper stand out from the pile of works by other students and hopefully help you make a good grade.

Writing Social Studies Essays: Step-by-Step Guide

Before you start writing:

• Read the topic carefully and think about the material you need in order to complete the task.
• Do background reading, select the reference sources, note down the key ideas.
• Organize the ideas considering the topic discussed in all aspects in a scientific context.
• Write the outline, bearing in mind that the type of writing you are doing must be specific and concise.
• Preferably, choose the science essay format and citation style – it’ll help you keep the text consistent from the very beginning.

Writing a social science essay introduction:

• Re-state the topic.
• Provide the purpose and objectives of the essay.
• Present the scientific context of the problem.
• State the thesis of your writing.

Writing the main body of social science essays:

• Divide the main body of your essay into sections with appropriate headings.
• Prove all your points with facts and data analysis, do not use any blind statistics or quotes.
• Finish each section with a mini-conclusion.

Writing for the social sciences essays conclusion:

• Never leave your essay without an ending.
• Summarize and restate your thesis, all your mini-conclusions, and their justifications.

Potential pitfalls to avoid when writing social sciences essays:

• Do not use bullets. Develop sentences and paragraphs.
• Proofread your essay. Never turn it in as it is.
• Never use slang.
• Use appropriate style – formal, but not flowery and vague.
• Never refer to an individual by the first name only.
• Never hand in your essay without a list of references.

Try to follow this checklist while writing a social science essay and remember that in many ways, it is the same academic essay you have written many times. However, as it is now aimed at representing the scientific information, it must be even more concise, well-structured, and balanced with every assumption being appropriately supported.