Good writing in the social sciences is characterised by a precise, careful style. The writing should be compelling as a result of informative, even-handed content, not a splashy or dramatic presentation of your argument.

Effective social sciences writing uses language that:

• has an objective, impartial and impersonal tone
• avoids emotive wording or rhetorical flourishes
• is clear about whether a statement or assertion can or cannot be taken as absolute fact, using qualifying words such as possibly or according to our analysis, where appropriate
• does not universalise or overgeneralise (either over time or in a larger geographical or social context).