GEOG 323 - Political Geography

No matter the discipline, all writers of academic material are expected to follow the same basic writing standards such as:

• writing grammatically correct, clear and concise sentences;
• using appropriate proper punctuation; and
• adhering to their assigned citation style (APA, ASA, Chicago, etc.).

Much of writing in the social sciences is dedicated to "causal arguments", which is a type of analysis that focuses specifically on how something has caused, or has led to, some particular problem. A causal argument answers a how or why question: How did things get to be the way they are? Why did something happen?

The heart of any good academic writing is a clear thesis. Per Gerring, Yesnowitz and Bird (2009), "a good thesis is new, true and significant.

Novelty.  There is no point in re-hashing standard wisdom. If it is already universally accepted that congressional committees favor particularistic constituencies then another paper with this thesis is not very interesting or useful. If, on the other hand, there is some debate on the matter, or if you are arguing against standard wisdom, it becomes a topic of interest. As a general rule, your thesis is more interesting and useful insofar as it points out things that are not readily apparent, at least to the proverbial man-in-the-street. To be sure, someone will have made your general point before, but you should try to shed new light or new evidence on the subject.  

Truth.  Truth, in the social sciences, can rarely be established beyond a shadow of a doubt. But it should be established to the best of your abilities -- given constraints on time, resources, and sources. In arguing for your thesis imagine possible responses from those who might be inclined to skepticism. How might you convert this sort of reader to your argument? Remember that in order to convince the skeptics you will need to deal not only with the evidence and arguments that support your case, but also those that do not. Omission of contrary evidence is generally damning to an argument for it suggests that the writer is not aware, or has not fully considered, the facts of the case. Thus, you need to show why these points are either wrong, overstated, or counterbalanced by opposing arguments or evidence.  

Significance.  Significance in research is also a matter-of-degrees. At the very least, you need to explain to your reader why it is important for him or her to read your essay. Conventionally, this is handled in the introductory paragraphs, where the writer links her topic to a broader concept of generally-accepted relevance (e. g. , democracy, liberty, or equality). Your thesis should matter." 

Developing a strong thesis or argument is the most important aspect of good academic writing.  Critical analysis (including method, objectivity and language) and thorough research comprise the rest.

Other sources: Walden University and OWL