essay about humanities and social sciences

A Short Handbook for writing essays in the Humanities and Social Sciences

(8 reviews)

Dan Allosso, Bemidji State University

Salvatore F. Allosso

Copyright Year: 2019

Publisher: Minnesota Libraries Publishing Project

Language: English

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Reviewed by Aaron Lefkovitz, Professor, City Colleges of Chicago on 5/4/22

This writing manual the author wrote and used for decades at the University of California, Davis is very comprehensive. It reviews multiple aspects of how to get started with writing, such as analyzing texts and taking notes, discovering a topic,... read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This writing manual the author wrote and used for decades at the University of California, Davis is very comprehensive. It reviews multiple aspects of how to get started with writing, such as analyzing texts and taking notes, discovering a topic, preparing for discussion, creating a thesis, ordering evidence, building an argument, coherent paragraphs, effective sentences, appropriate words, revising, and a revision checklist. Also, it has a valuable appendix and even references to such philosophers as Aristotle, so it is comprehensive in both a practical and theoretical sense.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The content of A Short Handbook for Writing Essays in the Humanities and Social Sciences is accurate, error-free, and unbiased. This can be read in the “Analyzing Texts, Taking Notes” section, where the author begins with unbiased, clear questions, such as “what is a text?” The author then goes on to quote from such sources as author W.H. Auden (1907-1973), English-born poet and man of letters who achieved early fame in the 1930s as a hero of the left during the Great Depression.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

A Short Handbook for Writing Essays in the Humanities and Social Sciences does represent relevance and longevity, in the sense that its chapters can be carried down from one generation to another without much variation, for example read in the “Discovering a Topic, Preparing for Discussion” chapter. Here, the author mentions that texts students work with at the college level of their education are mostly givens, as far as English classics, History primary and secondary sources that are important to understand a particular event and period, as well as the ways texts were chosen out of multiple texts in that they fit together and lead to a particular place.

Clarity rating: 5

There is a great deal of clarity in A Short Handbook for Writing Essays in the Humanities and Social Sciences, as this text makes difficult subjects easier to understand for most students, simplifying such potentially daunting topics as “creating a thesis”. In this chapter, the author asks a variety of questions, including what interpretation is the author trying to persuade the reader is valid, what are the reasons for this interpretation, how is the interpretation different from other interpretations, and what part of the text will be examined and emphasized, as well as what are the author’s assumptions and potential objections. These clear questions provide a sense of clarity for the reader and add to the text’s strengths.

Consistency rating: 5

This text is very consistent. Each chapter starts with an interesting quote that frames the chapter narrative in a compelling way. Then, the chapters start with very first-hand/direct testimony given to readers who can read the paragraphs in a way that is meant to speak to them rather than use jargon and difficult to understand sentences. Chapters follow similar structures in terms of longer paragraphs followed by definitions and clear statements that function to provide additional information with regards to the content and theme of the chapter discussed.

Modularity rating: 5

A Short Handbook for Writing Essays in the Humanities and Social Sciences does have easily and readily divisible sections that are useful to the reader in that they break up the narrative and provide all sorts of additional information in an aesthetically pleasing way that can be assigned at different points within the course. There are not enormous blocks of text without subheadings and the text does not seem to be overly self-referential. Instead, there are all sorts of references and data from disparate sources that provide for an interesting and informative read.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

This text is full of effective, concise, and clear sentences, and is organized well in terms of the ways chapters are structured, starting with a quote that has a particular relevance to the chapter theme, including boxed reminders that set themselves apart from the general narrative, and including various bullet points and examples from literature.

Interface rating: 5

Everything that I have read in this textbook signals that it is indeed free of any kind of significant interface issues, including navigation problems, distortion of images/charts, and any other display features that may distract or confuse the reader.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

Additionally, the text seems to be free of grammatical errors even as it does seem to contain some spacing issues but that could be on my computer only.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

As far as the text’s cultural relevance, it does seem to rely quite heavily on dead White European philosophers, from Aristotle to Wittgenstein, to add to and accentuate a point, however it is not offensive in the sense that it does not go out of its way to denigrate a particular race, ethnicity, or other cultural background.

This text does a fine job of introducing students to basic essay writing in the Humanities and Social Sciences, its brevity functioning as a strength in that it keeps things fairly simple while adding philosophical and historical contexts to stay academic as well as relevant and consistent.

Reviewed by Megan Anderson, Assistant Professor, Limestone University on 12/7/21

With only 9 chapters, this text does not cover every essay writing skill students need, but it does include focus on the higher order elements of writing. read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 3 see less

With only 9 chapters, this text does not cover every essay writing skill students need, but it does include focus on the higher order elements of writing.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

As the title suggests, the content is sparse, but it appears accurate.

While there are various theories on the teaching of writing in terms of pedagogy, writing skills do not really change in the sense of timeliness. The examples used are relatively common references from history and literature.

Clarity rating: 4

Again the content is minimal, but the material is written in a clear, easy-to-understand manner that would work for even first-year students.

The text is consistent in terms of terminology and framework, and even tone.

Modularity rating: 3

Each chapter is very short so they are easily assignable. And while there are headers, each chapter appears as one long page. Splitting up the content into just a few pages and spacing out the material a little more would be preferential.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 2

While I believe that the text covers many of the essential elements of writing, the chapters appear out of order to me. I would have the chapter on "Effective Sentences" before the one on "Coherent Paragraphs". It is also problematic to me to have a chapter on "Ordering Evidence, Building an Argument" listed before the chapters on basic writing components.

Interface rating: 3

The interface could be easier to navigate. There is no next button to move to easily move from chapter to chapter and to access the nine chapters, you have to click on a plus sign linked to what is called "I. Main Body". It is not very difficult to figure out, but it is just not as thought out as it could be. Like having a Roman Numeral I without a Roman Numeral II is a little odd. It also cannot be saved as a printable PDF.

I do not see any grammatical issues.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

While I do not see any references that are culturally insensitive, there is also no real attempt at diversity or inclusion. Examples are really all from canonical texts, meaning white male authors, like Shakespeare, Hemingway, and Melville.

Reviewed by Anthony Accardi Jr, Adjunct Professor, Middlesex Community College on 5/30/21

In the text "A Short Handbook for Writing Essays in the Humanities and Social Sciences" by Salvatore and Dan Allosso the authors present a simple, easy to follow guide for students to use when organizing, planning, researching, and writing an... read more

In the text "A Short Handbook for Writing Essays in the Humanities and Social Sciences" by Salvatore and Dan Allosso the authors present a simple, easy to follow guide for students to use when organizing, planning, researching, and writing an essay. In addition to essay structure, the authors also provide help with the “basics of effective writing”, including paragraph writing, sentence writing and avoiding common grammatical errors.

The concise format of the text requires that the author’s stay “right on point” which they do effectively and accurately.

By following each step outlined in this text, a student would undoubtedly improve his/her essay writing skills. Each topic the authors address is relevant to the development of a good essay. The strong emphasis put on the steps for writing an essay make this text a guide students will surely refer to again and again throughout their academic careers.

The conversational style used by the authors makes this text easy to read and understand. Most students find writing a nerve-racking ordeal. The authors deal with this by using straightforward language to explain concepts and reinforce the explanations with simple, easy to understand examples.

The authors have designed a textbook consistent from chapter to chapter and "as a whole". In general, each chapter begins with a quote from a famous author about writing, followed by an explanation of the chapter’s topic, followed by a working example. The authors' down to earth writing style is consistent in every chapter of the text.

The short length of the chapters makes them ideal to be read as individual assignments and their compartmentalized structure is suited well for associated writing assignments.

The structure of this text is one of its strongest points. The authors have organized the chapters in a logical order that students should follow when writing an essay.

The text interface is easy to navigate with no issues noticed.

The text is free of grammatical and syntactic errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

The authors have created a text that shows an awareness of the need for cultural sensitivity and is inoffensive and completely class appropriate. . The Chapter titled “Appropriate Words” touches on avoiding the use of “Sexist Language”, which indicates concern for gender respect. Improvement could be made by using a more diverse group of authors for the opening chapter quotes.

I think this text is an excellent source for helping students understand the basic steps needed to write a good essay.

Reviewed by Aerie Bernard, Adjunct Faculty, Humanities, College of DuPage on 4/20/21

This short text provides an approachable primer for novice essayists and reminder of standard practices of academic writing for more experienced writers. Rather than go into great depth, the chapters briefly outline the process of writing academic... read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

This short text provides an approachable primer for novice essayists and reminder of standard practices of academic writing for more experienced writers. Rather than go into great depth, the chapters briefly outline the process of writing academic essays at the high school or undergraduate level. The text is comprehensive in that it is organized linearly to guide the writer from taking notes and developing a thesis through writing drafts and revisions. There is no index or glossary provided; however, the table of contents and short chapters ensure that the text is easy to navigate.

The content is accurate and error-free. The text is written by educators who attempt to address what they identify as common errors in student writing. As such, the bias present reflects a preference for standard English and traditional structure in academic writing.

Because the text focuses on standard practices in academic writing such as writing strong topic sentences, creating arguable theses, and avoiding passive voice, I doubt the text could become obsolete anytime soon. The text speaks to current trends in academic writing by including tips such as how to use gender neutral language and gears itself towards the high school and undergraduate level by modeling and promoting the use of a conversational tone in academic writing. Short, well-organized, worksheet-like chapters allow plenty of room for one to add to, update, or adapt this text.

The authors advise student essayists to use language and style that illustrates “genuine human conversation.” The text successfully models a balance of accuracy of language with a conversational tone. It is a pleasant read.

The text is consistent in its use of terminology, framework, and voice.

Short chapters with limited scope provide introductions and jumping off points for further discussions and activities related to academic writing in the humanities and social sciences.

The chapters are arranged to illustrate a start to finish approach to writing essays. Each chapter focuses on an element of essay writing. The organization is clear and logical.

Interface rating: 4

I had no difficulty accessing or reading the text online with my laptop and my phone. I was not as successful viewing the EPUB as a download to my phone. The text was too small in Bluefire reader and the app would not allow viewing at a larger font size. I do not know if the limitation was due to the EPUB or the reader app.

I did not notice any grammatical errors.

The text addresses the importance of avoiding problematic language in academic writing in the chapter “Appropriate Words” and cautions that writers avoid repetition and wordiness, cliches, jargon, pop culture references, empty words, words with contested meanings, code words, and overextended/mixed/misapplied metaphors. I notice the absence of resources, strategies, and discussions about words relating to race, ethnicity, background, or identity. Also, examples throughout the text are primarily Western, male, and white. Steps towards inclusiveness are present, such as strategies for gender neutral writing, but there is room for improvement.

Reviewed by Sarah Fischer, Assistant Professor, Marymount University on 2/1/21

The book is *short* and useful. It gives excellent advice for how students can and should select strong evidence, how to write effective openings and closings, and discusses many common grammatical errors. However, the book does not spend enough... read more

The book is *short* and useful. It gives excellent advice for how students can and should select strong evidence, how to write effective openings and closings, and discusses many common grammatical errors. However, the book does not spend enough time on how to organize the body of an essay or how to organize sentences within a paragraph.

This book is well-researched and contains no errors (in terms of subject matter, usage, or grammar).

Very relevant, especially because so many books on writing are long, and the longer they are the less likely students are to read them. This book does very impactful work in a very limited number of pages.

Clarity rating: 3

The book is very clear and accessible for professors and advanced students. Many of the examples from English and History papers utilized in the book would be quite difficult for many first-year students to follow, however.

Formatting is quite consistent; terminology is consistently and appropriately used.

Sections of this book are small, easy to understand, and not overwhelming for any level of student to read.

This book's organization flows in a logical way.

I did not notice any interface issues.

I did not notice any grammatical errors in the text.

The authors took care to be culturally sensitive.

A few short exercises at the end of each section, which instructors could create for their classes, would help students practice the book's lessons as sort of intermediary step between reading about possible pitfalls and working on their own to eliminate issues from their writing.

Reviewed by Deirdre Sullivan, Adjunct Faculty, English Department, Berkshire Community College on 6/27/20

A Short Handbook for Writing Essays in the Humanities and Social Sciences by Salvatore Allosso and Dan Allosso is a comprehensive and concise work on how to write good essays on the humanities and the social sciences by clearly defining the... read more

A Short Handbook for Writing Essays in the Humanities and Social Sciences by Salvatore Allosso and Dan Allosso is a comprehensive and concise work on how to write good essays on the humanities and the social sciences by clearly defining the definitions of those disciplines. I have not seen many indexes and/or glossaries with these online books, so I don't think it is really necessary for the comprehension of the text.

The content was accurate, without error, and unbiased in its content, syntax, and point of view.

I think the light tone, conversational style, and relevance to all who practice the art of writing is both timely and long-lasting. There is a universal appeal to this approach, and while language is always changing, the rules for written work have more longevity.

The book is written in such a way as to engage even the most reluctant reader into a kind of conspiratorial allegiance on how to approach the art of reading well and writing with lucid accuracy, technical prowess, and enlightened awareness.

The text incorporates terminology into the structure and framework of its chapters with clarity and consistency.

The text is proportionate to reasonable reading and writing assignments. In each chapter, there is a clear way of recognizing and analyzing concepts on writing for use toward student outcomes in a writing course.

This text is logically organized to support and sustain its thesis and the thorough exploration of its guiding elements.

There are no significant interface issues, problems with navigation, or distractions to confuse potential readers.

There are no grammatical errors to my reckoning.

The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. The book embraced multi-culturalism with quotes, questions, and persuasive argument as to how a writer must be objective, open-minded, and thoroughly engaged in standing by their work.

I really loved the conversational style between authors and readers. This father-son duo has clearly taken delight in sharing their love of the world through the art of writing. I really liked the quotes they chose to support their ideas. Perhaps one day, I will use their book in my composition classes. A truly remarkable discovery!

Reviewed by Dayle Turner, Professor, Leeward Community College on 6/27/20

The text covers fairly well the important considerations of writing essays for humanities and social sciences courses. The authors assert their intention of taking students “step-by-step through the process of writing essays for an upper-level... read more

The text covers fairly well the important considerations of writing essays for humanities and social sciences courses. The authors assert their intention of taking students “step-by-step through the process of writing essays for an upper-level high school class or a college course.” The steps of which they speak include analyzing texts, note-taking, formulating essay topics, creating theses, ordering evidence, building arguments, writing coherent paragraphs, composing effective sentences, using appropriate diction, and revising. The text lacks an index and glossary and the inclusion thereof would certainly strengthen the comprehensiveness of the work.

The content of this text is accurate and the steps covered are mostly applicable for first-year college students and high school juniors and seniors.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The content appears up-to-date. Text is devoid of visual imagery, making it potentially less appealing to contemporary/millennial students, but its structure invites relatively easy updating, and all links were accurate.

The text is mostly clear and provides adequate examples to explain the application of material discussed in each chapter.

Consistency rating: 4

The text's consistency would be excellent if an index and glossary were included.

Modularity rating: 4

This text is organized in such a manner that students can be assigned short readings without having to jump hither and yon between chapters or different parts of the book.

There are nine chapters in the text. They are presented in a logical and purposeful order. Critical reading and note-taking comes first while a revision checklist is available at the end. This makes sense as it is important to provide students with suggestions for information-gathering and revision.

The interface is free of any distracting issues. The text is mostly easy to navigate.

I noticed no grammatical errors.

The text successfully represents a variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds. Examples are sensitive and free of stereotypes.

This book would have been beneficial to me as an undergraduate. Most of what it covers are things I had to learn by experience, and the quality of my earliest scholarship would have been much improved with the benefit of these lessons. The text has value as a supplementary or recommended material, particularly for students whose plans include graduate school or writing-intensive professions. Students who are most prepared will get the most out of it, but the text also offers good examples

Reviewed by Matilda (Tillie) Yoder, Librarian, Goshen College on 7/10/19

The scope of this text is very clearly outlined in its title - it aims to guide students through the process of writing essays for humanities and social sciences courses. The Allossos succeed in creating a work that does just that, discussing... read more

The scope of this text is very clearly outlined in its title - it aims to guide students through the process of writing essays for humanities and social sciences courses. The Allossos succeed in creating a work that does just that, discussing techniques and strategies for writing well but assuming that readers will have a reasonable familiarity with English grammar. Contents included how to develop ideas, how to formulate effective arguments, how to identify weak points in writing, and how to revise effectively. It is worth noting that the authors are not concerned with formatting, emphasizing the writing process and not the finicky details of citation structure, title page layout, or font size.These issues are easily addressed on a great many websites and reference works; more concerning is that there is no real discussion of plagiarism or how to manage citations and references, which is an important part of any humanities or social sciences essay that requires research and not a single text.

There is no glossary or index for this work, though the table of contents lays out chapter topics very clearly. An index would be quite useful for instructors and students wanting to use the book in its entirety. Similarly, a reference list with links to related works and websites might also be of use for those who would like more in-depth information on particular techniques not elaborated on in this short work.

The content of this guidebook is accurate, although its narrow focus does mean that is not comprehensive (and it does not intend to be). The strategies outlined in it are standard practice and are conveyed succinctly. Quoted authors are all referenced by name but not in any further detail; simple citations for these quotes would model best practices for the students reading the material.

The content of this guidebook is general enough in nature to remain relevant for some time. The examples given throughout the book reference works of classic Western literature or established understandings of history that American schools are likely to continue to teach - Shakespeare’s plays, the history of slave uprisings in the Americas, the Civil War, and Hemingway all feature. Notably, references are only discussed in the context of example passages, and so no knowledge of the events or plots is necessary to understand what the authors are saying.

The Alessos practice what they preach in this instance, writing directly and clearly. Jargon is almost non-existent, and where it does exist it is always defined and explained. Concepts are clearly illustrated with multiple examples and outlined step by step. The overall vocabulary and level of writing is appropriate for students in grade 11 or above.

Key terms are used continually throughout this work; in particular, the authors emphasize the importance of unity, coherence, and emphasis in effective writing. Vocabulary terms are introduced and used consistently, although alternative terms are listed to ensure understanding.

This guide could be easily divided into distinct sections useful for a wide variety of classes throughout the humanities and social sciences. History and English classes would find it particularly relevant, but introductory writing teachers, writing tutors, and academic support offices would also find much that is useful here. The sections on how to construct a thesis and the revision checklist are particularly applicable to me in my work as a writing tutor. I can see myself having students read specific sections of this book depending on what their particular roadblocks to writing are.

The organization of this text is logical, beginning with the process of note-taking and brainstorming, and moving on to persuasive argument building, thesis construction, essay structure, writing, and revision. The revision checklist at the end of the textbook is also organized in such a way that it leads students to look for major issues in their writing before the minor ones.

Overall, the guidebook displayed well and is easy to navigate. There are no images included, and although images are not strictly necessary for this sort of topic, I believe that the text would benefit from some formatting changes. Some of the lists could use better visual clues in their subdivision, and example paragraphs would benefit from being presented in a diagram format where specific portions could be highlighted and remarked on more directly. Unfortunately, this title is not available in PDF format, which would be useful for anyone wanting access to the book without an internet connection. Epub format would be useful as well.

I noticed no grammatical errors or typos in this text.

All references to culture in this text appear in example writing passages. Because of this, no deep understanding of the referenced work or work is needed, because it is the writing and not the content of the passage that is the focus. However, almost all of the references included are focused on classic works concerning Western literature and history (Kafka, Dostoyevsky, Beowulf, etc.). A broadening of examples would be welcome, but as it stands the text is inoffensive and reflects what is taught in many English classes in American schools.

Table of Contents

• Getting Started Writing
• Chapter 1: Analyzing Texts, Taking Notes
• Chapter 2: Discovering a Topic, Preparing for Discussion
• Chapter 3: Creating a Thesis
• Chapter 4: Ordering Evidence, Building an Argument
• Chapter 5: Coherent Paragraphs
• Chapter 6: Effective Sentences
• Chapter 7: Appropriate Words
• Chapter 8: Revising
• Chapter 9: Revision Checklist

Ancillary Material

About the book.

A retired master teacher of English and Comparative Literature teams up with his son, a History professor, on a new version of the writing manual he wrote and used for decades at the University of California, Davis.

About the Contributors

Dan Allosso , Bemidji State University

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These essays are usually some type of analysis or interpretation which require that you develop a thesis and then prove that thesis in the body of the paper. These are the types of papers (in contrast to lab reports or marketing proposals) closest to the style you have written in high school and UNIV 190. However, avoid doing some of the things that are common in high school papers: 1) data dumping, 2) spending too much space on summary 3) using a strict five-paragraph structure or 4) using an unintegrated comparison or counterargument.

Thesis driven

Because these papers are thesis driven, you must spend time and attention on your thesis. Here are some of the most common problems:

• Ensuring that the thesis addresses the prompt
• Ensuring that the thesis is analytical or interpretive so that it is not simply a fact, but is a unique position that you’re staking out and will need to defend.
• Ensuring you are using the right style for your class. Some professors and fields prefer very bald styles: e.g. “In this paper, I argue…” They may also ask for an outline of the paper with the thesis. E.g. “I will first define the term, then demonstrate….” While other professors and fields require that you NEVER use words like “In this paper I argue…” nor give an outline. In the humanities, that is considered extremely bad style.

Analyzing a topic requires that you consider all of the following and then focus only on those which are the most appropriate:

• Comparison – consider what you main idea/thesis can be compared to. It is useful to compare to something completely different and to something quite similar. If a large portion of your paper requires comparison, be sure to use an integrated comparison. Don’t just talk about one item in one paragraph and the other item in another. Compare both according to some point in EACH paragraph.
• Classification–this is an extension of comparison. You classify when there are many similar items to compare. It is also a sort of vertical comparison. What broader or more general category does your idea/topic belong to?
• Cause/Effect, Reason/Result — Look for relationships
• Problem/Solution — This can be related to cause/effect or to comparison. What caused the problem? What effect will the solution have? Compare the alternative solutions to decide which is best.
• Ethos/Pathos/Logos/Kairos — Have you analyzed your topic from all perspectives? Ethos = Credibility including your analysis of the counterarguments, Pathos = Values, Logos =Reason, Kairos=Timeliness/Current Relevance
• try to use three different pieces of evidence to support each major point
• use examples of specific actions, people or places
• use quotes–be sure to integrate these by adding a sentence before or after to explain how you are using the quote as evidence. Many students make the mistake of paraphrasing or rephrasing the quote. That is not useful and doesn’t count as explanation. In fact, if you can paraphrase it, then there’s no point in quoting it. You use a quote because the words that author used are exactly the right words; i.e. there’s no better way to say it. In fact, you may use some space to explain why those words are so great.
• use numbers or facts

Writing, Reading, and Research at Monroe Community College

All write: writing in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.

In college, you will read complex texts, analyze these texts and their contexts, and then construct arguments that focus your analyses. The larger goal is for you to gain exposure to real-world conversations, as well as the critical reading and thinking skills necessary for participating in these conversations.

The thesis-driven essay dominates writing in the humanities.  So, for example, in a literature class you might study a particular text and then be asked to construct and defend individual arguments about that text. You generally write for an audience of other college-level students who have studied the same text, sometimes synthesizing scholarly arguments with your own to foster a broader dialogue about the text’s aesthetic, cultural, and/or metaphysical value. You are expected to read accurately, think independently, bring multiple sources together, and defend your insights with logic and evidence. Again, the larger goal is for you to recognize and enter real-world conversations, encouraging consideration of the different ways texts and their contexts matter.

Maria Brandt, English Faculty

Social Sciences

All disciplines use critical thinking and a process of inquiry and reasoning to attempt to understand the world around us. In the social sciences, such as the disciplines of sociology, anthropology, history, political science, economics, psychology, and geography, students use content-specific knowledge and the scientific method to examine the human or social world. Through writing, you are encouraged to ask “big” questions, think deeper, analyze and synthesize empirical data, and formulate relevant solutions to real world issues. Students engage in meaningful research at micro- and/or macro-levels, and may choose a variety of methodological approaches. Whether you are engaged in formal writing (perhaps  writing a research paper) or informal writing (perhaps writing in a journal or recording observations), you are engaged in the process of ordering your experience and communicating knowledge in a systematic way.

Nayda Pares-Kane, Sociology Faculty

Natural Sciences

In the natural science and engineering disciplines, students are typically expected to conduct hands-on research and then present their findings in a laboratory report. Reports are frequently very structured, and most include sections that provide background information gleaned from primary sources, a description of the research methods and results, and an explanation of the researcher’s analysis and conclusions regarding the validity and reach of the experiment. Another common writing expectation for students in the natural science and engineering fields is the production of a laboratory or field journal detailing observational and experimental data. The goal of these types of writing assignments is to convey accurate, factual information to other researchers so that they could replicate your experiments to validate your conclusions.

MaryJo Witz, Biology Faculty

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Humanities vs Social Sciences: Difference and Comparison

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Most individuals tend to confuse themselves when distinguishing between the two terms- Humanities and Social Sciences. This is because both these terms are comparable areas of study that cover diverse aspects of human conduct and their association with the community, like law, sociology, economics, politics, psychology, and linguistics.

Key Takeaways Humanities are academic disciplines exploring human culture, including literature, philosophy, history, and the arts. Social sciences study human behavior and societies, encompassing sociology, psychology, economics, and political science. Both areas seek to understand the human experience, but humanities focus on cultural expression and values, while social sciences use empirical methods to analyze societal structures and patterns.

Humanities vs Social Sciences

Humanities and Social Sciences are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture. Humanities study language, literature, philosophy, history, and the arts. The Social Sciences fields study society, human behaviour, and relationships between individuals and groups.

The study of humanities is believed to be more rational than the study of social sciences. Humanities is a discipline of science that helps tackle the customs, heritage, culture, and values of the community and questions the factors that make an individual human.

On the contrary, in the middle of natural sciences and humanities lies the study of Social science. Social science is a subdivision that includes diverse subjects like psychology, law, administration, political science, economics, history, archaeology, criminology, education, and anthropology .

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Comparison Table

What is Humanities?

Humanities refer to a sub-division of science which provides individuals with a clear-cut study of the outlook of human culture and society. The study of humanities began in ancient Greece.

Under humanities, the study of culture is considered to be an extensive subject of study. Humanities likewise study literature, history, art, archaeology, religion, politics , law, etc.

Other than occupational, educational studies that provide intellectual knowledge is listed under humanities. The subject of Humanities also includes music, theatre, visual arts, etc.

What is Social Sciences?

Social science refers to a branch of science dedicated to the scientific study of an individual’s society and the relationships different individuals have within society. Social science was previously referred to as the study of sociology, which was initially considered the earliest community-based study.

The diverse subjects included in Social sciences like civics, demography, economics, welfare, history, media studies, geography , environmental studies, nursing studies, psychology, and so on are connected to human cultures or societies in either one way or another.

Social scientists use social sciences to create awareness about society and help define science in a modern way. Social sciences differ from humanities as it deals with a more scientific approach.

Social sciences require a lot of research to be done, like taking surveys, and this research is known as social research. Certain subjects are considered under humanities, and social sciences, such as history, law, politics, etc., and many more issues are being created every since.

Main Differences Between Humanities and Social Sciences

• Humanities are a more subjective approach, mainly based on philosophies and assumptions. Social sciences are an objective approach since it is based on reality and facts of society.
• Under humanities, an individual mainly studies human nature and cultures, such as traditions and heritage. Under social sciences, an individual mostly tries to discover the differences between pure sciences and humanities.
• Humanists do not need to conduct surveys and research to study humanities since humanities adopt a more analytical approach. For the analysis of social sciences, it is an essential task for social scientists to conduct research and surveys since social sciences focus mainly on observations and hypotheses.
• Humanities are not concerned with marketing policies or policy implementations. Social sciences are concerned with marketing strategies and policy implementations since much research is conducted to help the prevailing market conditions.
• Humanities are considered to be introduced during the ancient Greek civilization and viewed as an older subject of study than social sciences. Social sciences have new subjects developing every day and are newer methods of approach in dealing with human nature and culture.

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Fudan Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences

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Fudan Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences (FJHSS) is a peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes research papers across all academic disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. The Journal aims to promote multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary studies, bridge diverse communities of the humanities and social sciences in the world, provide a platform of academic exchange for scholars and readers from all countries and all regions, promote intellectual development in China’s humanities and social sciences, and encourage original, theoretical, and empirical research into new areas, new issues, and new subject matters. Coverage in FJHSS emphasizes the combination of a “local” focus (e.g., a country- or region-specific perspective) with a “global” concern, and engages in the international scholarly dialogue by offering comparative or global analyses and discussions from multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary perspectives. The journal features special topics, special issues, and original articles of general interest in the disciplines of humanities and social sciences. The journal also invites leading scholars as guest editors to organize special issues or special topics devoted to certain important themes, subject matters, and research agendas in the humanities and social sciences.

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The dynamics of debt bondage in pakistan: causes and consequences.

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Political Meritocracy Based on Public Reason

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Interreligious Testimonial Dialogue in the Immanent Frame of a Secular Age

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Positive Affect, Positive Evaluation, or Positive Functioning? Bringing Positive Psychology into the Dialog of Effectuation

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On the Relationship Between Factor Loadings and Component Loadings When Latent Traits and Specificities are Treated as Latent Factors

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We call for papers to respond to the emerging challenges in urban governance, and intend to provide a platform for scholars in the research areas across the world to engage in academic exchanges and discussions on the topics and jointly contribute to our better understanding of the issues in the contemporary world today.

Call for Papers: Big Data, AI, and their impacts on Governments in China and around the World

Big Data and artificial intelligence will have a profound impact on governments in China and around the world, and therefore on the global governance. We call for papers to respond to the issues and challenges, and intend to provide a platform for scholars in the research areas across the world to engage in academic exchanges and discussions on these topics and jointly contribute to our better understanding of the issues in the contemporary world today.

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We publish a wide range of open access journals in Humanities and Social Sciences . We invite you to learn more about the journals, view their metrics, explore our research articles, get to know our excellent author's services, and submit your research. 

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• Research and trends in STEM education: a systematic review of journal publications published in   International Journal of STEM Education
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• Towards a motivational design? Connecting gamification user types and online learning activities  published in  Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning
• Reliance on emotion promotes belief in fake news published in Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications
• The measure of socioeconomic status in PISA: a review and some suggested improvements published in   Large-scale Assessments in Education
• Household factors associated with infant and under-five mortality in sub-Saharan Africa countries published in  International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy
• A new approach to social inequality: inequality of income and wealth in South Korea published in  The Journal of Chinese Sociology

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How the humanities can prepare students for jobs in any field

Studying humanities creates a more well-rounded person, says ASU dean

Jeffrey Cohen is the dean of humanities in The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Arizona State University. Photo by Charlie Leight/ASU News

As the dean of humanities in The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Arizona State University, Jeffrey Cohen knows better than most the value of humanities training.

How it helps prepare students for a variety of careers.

How it teaches students to have empathy and to be good listeners. 

How it gives students a worldview that helps them connect with others.

Whether a student is interested in medicine, tech, big business — really, anything — Cohen said, humanities training will help them excel at their jobs. 

ASU News spoke with Cohen about the value of humanities and the new courses that are being offered this coming school year.

Note: Answers have been edited for length and/or clarity.

Question: Why do you believe a humanities degree will help students as they embark on their careers, no matter the field they’re in?

Answer: It’s funny. These days students think that if they get a certain degree, they’ll get a job. The heavens will open and all will be clear, and all will work out. In fact, most students have to prepare themselves for a job market they don’t even know. In some ways, there’s no use training yourself for a specific job. What you really want is a wide training that prepares you to be ready to go for whatever comes down the line. 

I was thinking about this recently with the number of jobs in (artificial intelligence). These were not even a possibility a few years ago, but many of our humanities majors fit seamlessly in to the AI field because they’re ready to go because of their deep training in language and because their wide interdisciplinary training made it so that jobs that didn’t exist when they got their degrees were there for them.

Q: Is that what people maybe don’t understand, that a humanities degree can lead you down so many different career paths?

A: When I was a kid, I used to think that you had to choose a job and then work your entire life towards it. I think what happens is you think there is one job out there and you’ll spend your life at that job. That isn’t true. In fact, most people these days should plan on between eight and 12 different jobs, and those different jobs are their career. So, really, the question to ask is what kind of training can make it so that I’m capable of going from job to job and well equipped with skills. 

I think humanities are really well situated to enable anyone to get the skills they need for a shifting career landscape.

Q: Why is that?

A: Because among the things that we emphasize in the humanities are things like how to write well, how to present well, how to make good arguments, how to do good research, how to be a good collaborator, how to be a visionary, how to think of the world at its best and move toward that, and how to live a good life. 

I think that's a question we don't ask enough, right? We focus so much on how to live a life where we have enough resources. How do we live a really good and satisfying life? Well, philosophers have answers to those kinds of questions. 

Q: Can you give a couple of examples of how humanities training has helped people in their careers?

A: One of my favorite students is Phillip Pipkins .  Phillip came here not knowing what to do. He was a first-generation student raised by a single mom. Phillip found in film and media studies, which is one of our humanities disciplines, a way of thinking about framing stories and being able to ask questions and explore the world. He’s gone through a series of careers. Most recently, he is a venture capitalist. If you ask Phillip, what is it about your humanities training that allowed you to succeed, he would say it’s the ability to tell a story. He can tell a compelling story and get people to buy into the ventures that he needs them to buy into. 

Another person I think about a lot is Amanda Ventura. Amanda is now a public affairs manager at Waymo. There were no robot-driven cars when she was an English major. But she was well equipped to move into a company that needed somebody who could use the skills that she learned as an English major, put them into practice and really thrive in a competitive world.

Q: Can you explain how humanities training could help someone entering, say, the medical field?

A: One of the pillars of the new ASU medical school is a grounding in humanities, and humanities faculty are helping to build the curriculum for future doctors who will also be engineers. Why do they need humanities? Being able to connect with people is a humanities-based skill. 

The other thing I’ll say is that humanities is built on expanding your world. Someone who studies the humanities does serious work in the study of a culture that isn’t your own. You’ll learn a language that isn’t the language you grew up with. Your horizons will broaden as a result.

Video by EJ Hernandez/ASU News

Q: Why do you think there’s a perception that a humanities degree isn’t worth what it once was?

A: I think at this moment, we’ve made a grave mistake, which is to think that students need to study in a discipline that’s aligned with one job. There’s a way in which humanities are old-fashioned. They come from the past and they teach us to regard deeply everything that humans have done and dreamt for centuries. To be in touch with the ways in which we’ve been the same cultures and species, and the ways in which we’ve differed. I think that opens up the mind and makes things possible. 

Another important humanities skill is world-building. By world-building, what we really mean is being able to imagine the world differently configured than the one that we seem to receive. And to think about a more just version of that world, a world where more things are possible for more people.

Q: What is new in humanities studies this fall?

A: One of the things we’re most proud of is an array of new humanities programs. We will always be dedicated to things like history, philosophy, linguistics, English, film and media studies. But we’re adding to that. We’ll be in the second year of a new degree in culture, technology and environment. We have a new degree coming out on global citizenship that really focuses on the study of language. We have a new degree in narrative studies because storytelling is just as important to, say, the novels of yesteryear as it is to digital gaming. We have another degree that should be launching soon on sports society and the contemporary experience. And new certificates on things like Holocaust and genocide studies and public history. 

These are times when we need to remember the lessons of the past, and we’re dedicated to making sure that people never forget and have learning opportunities.

Q: It sounds like no matter what you come to ASU for in terms of a degree, there’s value in humanities training because it makes you a more well-rounded person.

A: It’s important to have this knowledge. No matter what you’re studying, whether it’s engineering or biological science or sociology, you name it, you will gain something by coming into a humanities class. In fact, you’ll find a community. I’ll even predict that you’ll have a class that you will remember the rest of your life.

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©2024 Dr Rey Ty. Qualitative Empirical Social Science Research Paper Outline. Note: NOT for Humanities or Philosophy Papers.

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©2023 Rey Ty. Academic Research, Writing, Presentation, and Publication.

Academic Research, Writing, Presentation, and Publication A Step-by-Step Guide TABLE OF CONTENTS 5 LIST OF TABLES 13 LIST OF FIGURES 14 Sample Schedule of Workshops on Academic and Research Writing 15 INTRODUCTION 16 Rationale for this Publication 16 My Credentials 16 Objectives of This Manual 16 How to Use This Manual 17 Note of Caution 17 CHAPTER 1: How to Write an Academic Paper in the Social Sciences 18 Academic Paper Writing Is Rigorous 18 Examples of an Academic Paper 18 Examples of Non-Academic Papers 18 Workshop on Titles 18 Tips for the Title of Your Paper 19 Sample Title Improvement 19 Notes 19 Outline for a Short Academic Paper 20 Outline for a Longer Paper, Thesis, or Dissertation 20 Diagnostic Workshop on Writing an Academic Paper 21 Workshop on Theories 22 Common Problems in Writing Your Proposals for Your Academic Paper 22 Research Alignment Template to Organize Your Paper 23 Proposed Outline for Your Academic Research Paper 24 Notes 25 Common Sense that Is Not So Common 25 How to Write a Winning Proposal 25 Sample Research Alignment 27 Postcolonial Feminist Theory: Past Contributions, Gaps, and Future Possibilities 27 Hip Hopping and Rapping: Cultural Renaissance for Whom and at Whose Expense? 28 Twin Solitudes: Reunification of Cyprus through Transformative Education 28 Struggles for Women-Inclusive Leadership in Toraja Church in Indonesia and the Evangelical Church of Vietnam: Agency and Structural Change 29 Human Trafficking: Advocacy for the Human Rights of Trafficked Persons 30 Muslim Perspectives on Conflict Resolution and Interfaith Peacebuilding in the Philippines: Implications for U.S. Muslims 30 Rohingya Refugee Crisis: Peace and Religious Politics in Conflict -- Context, Problems, and Solutions 30 Nature and Society: Crisis of Climate Change and Eco-Justice in Our Common Home 32 Contending Approaches to Refugee Services 33 Weaving Together the Lives of Refugee Women:Traditional and Alternative Refugee Services 33 International Political Economy: Neoliberalism vs. Eco-Justice—From Corporate Globalization to Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security 33 Note of Caution 34 Food for Thought: Is a Quantitative Paper Better than a Qualitative Paper? A True Story 34 Research Alignment Workshop Exercise 35 CHAPTER 2: Bad Writing, Good Writing, Excellent Writing 36 Critical Thinking and Critical Writing (W. Perry) 36 Faulkner on Learning How to Write Well 36 Bad Writing: Substance 36 Good Writing: Substance 36 Critical Thinking 36 Outcome-Based 37 Bad Writing Style 37 Examples of Bad Academic Writing Using Passive Voice You Must Avoid 37 Tenses 38 Critical Thinking Cheat Sheet 38 Standards of Good Writing 39 British Civil Servant Standard (Gowers) 39 Faulkner on the Best Training for Writing 40 Faulkner on Titles 40 Hemingway 40 Orwell on Democratic Writing 40 Why Conduct Research and Write about Them? 40 Note of Caution 40 U.S. Academic Standard (Strunk) 40 Simple Rules in Writing 41 Guidelines for Good Writing 41 Bad Writing < Good Writing < Great Writing 46 Note of Caution 46 CHAPTER 3: Research Process 47 What is the Purpose of Research? 47 Before You Write, Certain Things Must First Come to Mind 47 Stages of Research 47 Some General Considerations in Research 47 CHAPTER 4: Philosophy, Methodology, and Research 49 Lay Down Your Positionality 49 Things to Consider in Your Choice of Methodology 49 Ontology or the Basic Question of Philosophy 50 Methodology 50 The Chicken and the Egg 51 Change Element 51 Structures 52 Dialectics 52 Chronos or Time Element 52 Epistemology and Research 53 Epistemology of Positivist and Post-Positivist Research 54 Note of Caution 55 CHAPTER 5: Research Paradigms from which All Theories Are Derived 56 Philosophy of Science 56 For Your Paper, How Do You View the World? 56 Table 15: Four General Paradigms 57 Table 17: Considerations in Research Paradigms 57 Sources of Knowledge and Points of View 58 CHAPTER 6: Writing in Different Fields 59 Different Fields 59 Historical Research 59 Social and Political Philosophy 59 Sociological Research 59 Note of Caution on Tautology in Definition of Terms 60 Theology 60 CHAPTER 7: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Research Designs 61 What Is the Purpose of Your Research? (Thompson & Hickey, 2002). 62 Three Major Types of Research Designs 63 What Kind of Research Do You Plan to Conduct? 63 Note of Caution 63 Babchuk & Badiee (2010): Choice of Qualitative or Quantiative Research Design 63 Qualitative Research 63 Why Choose Qualitative Research Design? 63 Babchuk & Badiee (2010): Characteristics of Qualitative Research Design 64 Babchuk & Badiee (2010): Qualitative Research 64 Creswell (2007): Five Qualitative Approaches 64 Creswell (2013) & Lichtman (2013): Five Traditions of Qualitative Research and Related Key Terms 64 Denzin and Lincoln (2005): Interpretive Paradigms 65 Glesne (2011, p. 16): Five “Interpretive Traditions of Qualitative Inquiry” 65 Hatch (2002): Five Research Paradigms 65 Neuman (2011): Alternative Ideal Types of Approaches to Social Sciences 65 Meriam (2009): Four Philosophical Perspectives 65 Merriam (2009): Six Approaches 65 Richards and Morse (2013): Five Qualitative Research 65 Qualitative Research (Bogdan & Biklen) 67 Comparing and Contrasting Three Types of Research Designs 68 Note of Caution 68 CHAPTER 8: Choice of Research Design to Use (Thompson & Hickey, 2002) 70 Qualitative Design 70 Types of Quantitative Designs 70 Quantitative Design 70 Mixed Methods 71 No Matter What 71 Ensuring Validity in Quantitative and Qualitative Research Designs 72 Note of Caution 72 Some Underlying Ideologies (Creswell 1998) 73 CHAPTER 9: Levels of Measurement 75 Measurement 75 Purpose of Measurement 75 Note of Caution 75 Forced-Choice Item 75 Rating 75 Rating Scale 76 Ranking 76 Category Rating Scale 76 Examples of Category Rating Scale 76 Numerical Rating Scale 76 Examples of Numerical Rating Scale 76 Graphic Rating Scale 76 Example of Graphic Rating Scale 77 Parametric Tests 78 Non-Parametric Tests 78 Some Statistics 78 Mode 78 Median 78 Mean 78 Standard Deviation 78 One-Way ANOVA 78 One-Way Multivariate Analysis of Variance 79 Regression Analysis 79 Structured and Unstructured Observations 79 Fully Structured Observation Instrument 79 Fully Unstructured Observation Instrument 79 CHAPTER 10: Literature Review 83 What is the Purpose of Having a Literature Review 83 What Kinds of Literature to Use? 83 Where to Search for Literature? 83 How to Search for Literature? 83 Literature Review Guidelines 83 Literature Review (Torraco) 84 How Can the Literature Review be Useful and Serve Your Academic Paper? 85 How to Present Your Fresh Integrated Understanding from the Literature (Torraco) 85 Sample of a Figure Summarizing the Three Parts of a Literature Review 85 Workshop Exercise on Literature Review Alignment 85 Conceptual and Logical Structure and Presentation of Your Ideas 85 Methodology 86 Data Collection Research Methods (Bogdan & Biklen, 1998) 86 CHAPTER 11: Research Presentation 89 How to Prepare a Good PowerPoint Presentation 89 Note of Caution 89 CHAPTER 12: How to Structure Your Paper in Different Fields: Education, Philosophy, and Social Sciences 93 Organize Your Thoughts and Tell a Story 93 Anthropology 93 Cultural Studies 93 Economics 93 Ecumenism 93 Education 93 Environmentalism 93 Feminism 93 Women’s Studies 93 English Language 93 Health 93 History 93 Human Rights 93 International Relations 93 Journalism 93 Law 93 Linguistics 93 Literature 93 Peace Studies 93 Philosophy 93 Philosophy of Ideas 93 Policy 93 Politics 93 Politics 93 Public Administration 93 Public Policy 93 Religion 94 Science, Technology, and Society 94 Social Change 94 Sociology 94 Structural Functionalism 94 Systems Analysis 94 Theology 94 Urban Planning or City Planning 94 World Religions 94 Get the Idea? 94 Qualitative Research 94 Quantitative Research 94 Historical Research 94 Philosophical Research 94 Theoretical Research 94 CHAPTER 13: Theories in Research 97 General Theories 97 When do you use a theory? 97 When do you not use a theory? 98 How to Use Theories? 98 Note 98 Examples for Qualitative and Quantitative Research 98 Illustration, Figure, Analytic Framework, Chart, or Concept Map 98 Sample 2: Proposed Analytic Framework and Findings 99 Sample 3: Analytic Framework for Political Science 99 Research Coherence, Research Alignment, or Research Congruence Matrix 99 CHAPTER 14: Ethics in Research 101 Research Ethics Workshop Exercise 101 Requirements 102 Sample Ethics Board Compliance Form 102 Sample Consent Form 107 CHAPTER 15: Research Publication 108 CHAPTER 16: Writing a Good Abstract 109 Sample 1 109 Sample 2 110 Last but Important Pieces of Advice 110 CHAPTER 17: Summary of the Research Process 111 Research Process 111 A Typical Research Outline 112 Workshop Exercise to Get a Bird’s Eye View of Your Paper 113 CHAPTER 18: Pre-Defense, Defense, and Post-Defense 114 Pre-Defense Preparations 114 Defense Work 115 Post-Defense Work 115 INDEX 116

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