Social Science Report: Academic Writing, Research Methods, and Skills

This report delves into the essential skills for the social sciences, focusing on academic writing and various research methodologies. It explores four types of academic writing: descriptive, persuasive, expository, and narrative, emphasizing their importance in university settings. The report then examines both quantitative and qualitative research approaches through an analysis of journal articles. The quantitative section covers interpretive quantitative methods, social enquiry, and social science research, highlighting their application in analyzing data and understanding social phenomena. The qualitative section focuses on the application of qualitative methods in understanding health equity, social inquiry, and political science, emphasizing the importance of considering perspectives and transparency in research. The report provides a detailed overview of the research methods and their impact on the findings.

SKILLS FOR THE SOCIAL
SCIENCES

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Part 1................................................................................................................................................1
Academic writing and its importance for university purpose......................................................1
Introduction..................................................................................................................................2
Part 2................................................................................................................................................2
Interpretive Quantitative Methods for the Social Sciences.........................................................2
Social Enquiry and Social change...............................................................................................3
Social Science Research..............................................................................................................3
Social sciences: vital to improving our understanding of health equity, policy and systems.....4
New materialist social inquiry: designs, methods and the research-assemblage.........................4
Transparent Social Inquiry: Implications for Political Science...................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

Part 1
Academic writing and its importance for university purpose
There are four main type of academic writings: persuasive, descriptive, narrative and
expository (Strobl and et.al., 2019). All of these academic writings play a vital role in writing
schools, colleges or universities papers.
 Descriptive writing: this writing focuses on description of objects, expression, emotions,
situation etc. this writing focuses on analysing and picturing something in words. This
academic writing focuses on conveying a deeper meaning of the object, emotion etc.
 Persuasive writing: it is one of the most generous academic writing. This type of writing is
most of the times used within schools whenever a professor wants to check how great the
student is in academic writing. This writing starts with investigation of a topic, generation of
evidence to support our opinions and convey that we are making a valid point. This type of
writing has a particular structure to be followed such as: introduction with clearly defined
thesis statement, body paragraph to support the evidence, body paragraph with conflicting
opinion discussion and conclusion.
 Expository writing: This writing focuses on evaluation of idea, evidence to support the idea
and conclusion to prove the idea. This type of academic writing is quite similar to persuasive
writing but it involves less research. Format of this writing is: thesis statement introduction,
evidence evaluation body paragraph and conclusion to prove thesis statement.
 Narrative writing: It is one of the most commonly used academic writing which is used
within schools or universities. This type of writing is focuses on telling or narrating a story,
incident or real-life situation. This type of writing is written in such a manner that it draws
the reader into the written content.
The main purpose of academic writing is to communicate (Hyland and Jiang, 2017). This type of
writing is extremely important within universities as such type of writing is the only window for
the professors to understand and evaluate their students thought, knowledge etc. it is extremely
important for the students to understand and use particular type of writing so that they can
convince their professors or readers about their thinking. It can be used as a tool for the assessors
to analyse the knowledge their students have gained about a particular subject.
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Introduction
Social enquiry can be defined as a meeting space for people who are interested in critical
enquiry into education like a social phenomenon. It focuses on questions that are social in nature
such as human behaviour, social arrangements etc. There are various skills that are required for
social science. these skills play a vital role in social enquiry or in social science (Brown and
Holmes, 2018). Skills that are required focus social enquiry are: put together reasoned arguments
and question assumptions, understanding change process of a society or of a institute, critical
evaluation of an information, communicate clearly and accurately with others, use, interpreted
and evaluate data or information, response to critical feedbacks should be positive. This portfolio
will help in analysing three quantitative and three qualitative journal articles in order to
understand difference between both the type of journal articles.
Part 2
Quantitative journal articles
Interpretive Quantitative Methods for the Social Sciences
It has been observed that quantitative social science has most of the times been dominated
by philosophy positivist approach of self-consciously. This journal articles mainly focuses on
outlining quantitative interpretative research methods (Babones, 2016). This article also helps in
explaining that most of the times such interpretative approaches are used with qualitative
approaches but it is also used with quantitative data analysis as well. Using statistical analysis
researcher has shed light on social science information using an unobservable data generation
method. This method has helped in understanding this topic in a more accurate and appropriate
manner. Analysis has been done from various perspectives. Researcher has thought and analysed
in a more reflective manner in order to understand the way in which data have come into
existence. Use of interpretative quantitative research has helped in making this research results
more meaningful and accurate. It has also helped in making this topic more applicable and
understandable. This journal articles have laid more emphasis on quantitative methods and
approaches more and its importance in analysing the data or information. This article has also
helped in understanding the effectivity of interpretivism approach as compared to positivism
approach. With the help of this journal article researcher has help-ed in understanding the way in
which quantitative journal articles can be used to shed light on unobservable data in order to
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understand the topic more clearly and accurately. It has also helped in understanding ways to
analyse different perspective of information.
Social Enquiry and Social change
As per the view of researcher Weinberg, (2017) there are two main area of interest of
sociology that are social and historical circumstances that mainly surrounds complete
development of sociology. In order to understand this study line in a more accurate manner
quantitative method was chosen. This research will be using questions based on theoretical
concept as a research methodology. Various quantitative methods have also been explained and
used in order to understand and explore scheme of sociological research in a proper and
appropriate manner. This was an appropriate method through which research in sociological
study sector can be carried out. In this research paper researcher has initially studied various
dissertations that have already been carried out within this sector. In this research researcher
have laid emphasis on different sections of society, area of concern within their social structures.
It has also helped in focusing on various problems and issues that are mainly raised by
sociological analysis of the society. Research findings of this research have been focused on this
area of research. All the obstacles that have been found in this area of research were also
identified and mechanism to accept that issue or problem were also identified. With the help of
quantitative research analysis method these different perspectives, different societies and their
structures have been explained in a better and appropriate manner. For this researcher have
analysed various questions for an appropriate data in order to identify research questions.
Social Science Research
It is a quantitative social science paper in which researcher have used quantitative research
methods and methodologies for analysis of accurate and proper results (Social Science Research,
2019). This journal article illustrates proper use of quantitative methods to test the social science
theory empirically. This journal article lays emphasis on all the methods or issues that can be cut
across traditional disciplinary lines. Quantitative methods have been used in such a manner such
that only one particular social science disciplinary line but in such a way that may have broader
range of applications of a particular area within ultimate goal of social science theory testing.
Qualitative methods have been perfect and appropriate methods through which analysis of this
social science theory could have been explained. All the research data associated with the
research paper was used to analyses and evaluate appropriateness and accuracy of the chosen
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particular social science disciplinary line. It can be said that this journal article has laid more
emphasis on analysis and evaluation of one particular social science disciplinary line using
proper social science theory rather than on focusing on various social science disciplinary lines
together. This has also helped in making research findings limited to the topic itself so that it can
help in getting appropriate results. Other than this it researcher has also focused on case
researches and methods related to it that can support findings of social science theory.
Qualitative journal articles
Social sciences: vital to improving our understanding of health equity, policy and systems
This journal article focuses on approaches of social science in relation to health policy and
system research (Daniels, Hanefeld and Marchal, 2017). This research largely focuses on social
science methods and theories for answering all the questions related to health policy field in past
decades. In order to find solutions of all the contemporary challenges in health system and
achieve sustainable goal development traditional quantitative methods and techniques have not
been used as this technique and methods do not take into account perspective of people. So in
order to reach to a conclusion and embrace complexity and suitable social chance approach that
are suitable for the task. Qualitative research methodology and techniques have been used
because this approach focus on people’s perspective and related policies. Respondents can
explain their real-life story in a better manner related to SDG implementation process. These
stories and participation of respondents has helped in understanding the research topic in a much
better and enhanced manner. Other than this participatory research methods have been used to
contribute in the research field in order to demonstrate research action and researcher’s
engagement within the study in a better and appropriate manner. All the people working within
health care system had participated in this research paper. Other than this last 15 years high
quality research paper have data have also been considered for building a base for thematic
analysis.
New materialist social inquiry: designs, methods and the research-assemblage
This journal article focuses on all the issues that are faced in research methods and design
in New materialist social inquiry (Fox and Alldred., 2015). It is one of those approaches that is
gaining interest all across social science that can be used as an alternative for constructive or
realist ontologies. This article lays emphasis on social enquiry methods and methodologies of
fundamental implications. Researcher focuses on exploring micro politics of all the research
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processes with 30 recent empirical studies such that social enquiry framework methodologies
and methods can be established. In this researcher also discuss consequences of adopting a
materialistic ontology. So it can be said this in this researcher have used qualitative research
methods in order to reach to a conclusion or to analyze the data for appropriate findings. Other
than this in order to build a foundation of the research, researcher have used various empirical
studies related to the topic.
Transparent Social Inquiry: Implications for Political Science
This study focuses on various methods that can be used to study various important topics
related to political science (Elman, Kapiszewski and Lupia, 2018). these methods plays a vital
role in reaching to a conclusion in order to study significant social implications. For this journal
article researcher have used qualitative method and theories related to it. In order to study
implications related to political science various people have participated in the study. As the
researcher thinks that sharing more information and providing more related data can help in
analysis and interpret choices that can be used to understand related choices related to the topics.
Qualitative method has also helped in increasing transparency within the answers of the
questions. This research also lays emphasis on all the difficulties faced by the researcher in order
to increase transparency of the research and opportunities created for the same. Usage of these
qualitative methods has helped the researcher in increasing the accuracy of the research and gain
more insight related to the topic. Usage of these methodologies have also helped in
understanding different point of view related to the research topic, familiarity or unfamiliarity of
people related to the topic was also known by the research due to this increased level of
transparency.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Babones, S., 2016. Interpretive quantitative methods for the social sciences. Sociology. 50(3).
pp.453-469.
Brown, G. and Holmes, J., 2018. The impact of new forms of learning space in maximising
social, enquiry based, and experiential learning-a case study of Northumbria University.
Daniels, K., Hanefeld, J. and Marchal, B., 2017. Social sciences: vital to improving our
understanding of health equity, policy and systems. International journal for equity in
health. 16(1). p.57.
Elman, C., Kapiszewski, D. and Lupia, A., 2018. Transparent social inquiry: implications for
political science. Annual Review of Political Science.
Fox, N.J. and Alldred, P., 2015. New materialist social inquiry: Designs, methods and the
research-assemblage. International Journal of Social Research Methodology. 18(4).
pp.399-414.
Hyland, K. and Jiang, F.K., 2017. Is academic writing becoming more informal?. English for
Specific Purposes. 45. pp.40-51.
Strobl, C., and et.al., 2019. Digital support for academic writing: A review of technologies and
pedagogies. Computers & Education. 131. pp.33-48.
Weinberg, E.A., 2017. Sociology in the Soviet Union and beyond: social enquiry and social
change. Routledge.
Online
Social Science Research. 2019. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.journals.elsevier.com/social-science-research >.
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