Political Science (Government & International Politics)

Analysis of Scholarly Writing in the Field of Political Science

Each academic writing style, format, and structure is unique to that field. With a focus on domestic and international politics, this essay analyzes the genre and standards of scholarly writing in the field of political science.

Complexities of Government and International Politics

One who chooses to major in government and international politics must develop the ability to analyze analytically the complexity of both domestic and foreign issues, political issues, and processes. In this area, associations between nations and the activities of foreign organizations like the World Bank are investigated, along with political behavior and institutions. NATO and United Nations, and international actors like NGOs, terrorists and other Multinational Corporations.

The Genre of Scientific Research Report

The genre that seems to be prevalent in this field is a scientific research report. This is very important because political science is scientific in nature. Despite the fact that political scientists are inclined to debate and disagreement, majority agree that the discipline is a genuine science. Therefore, this requires emulation of the objectivity and the methodological rigor that is typical in hard sciences like chemistry or biology. The scientific research genre engages the political scientists in revealing the relationships that underlie political events as well as conditions. It is therefore, through these revelations that one can try and state the general principle concerning the manner in which the of politics works. This genre is very important because its aims makes the writing to be conceptually unbiased, precise and founded on empirical evidence (The University of North Caroline 1). The field of Government and International Politics requires explanations, thereby requiring the writer to get involved in analysis to answer the “Why?” question. Therefore, there are various expectations in this field. Like in scientific research, the political science papers have a distinct format that they follow. The research paper should have an introduction that gives the reader the background information of the topic, a statement of problem and the basic outline of the entire paper, a discussion of methodology, a review of literature, analysis of the findings of the research and summary of the results of the research (Taylor 3). First, it is worth noting that the writer has to develop and test a hypothesis so as to come up with a theory. In a research model that is designed to test a hypothesis, one is supposed to clearly note the dependent and the independent variable. Because political scientists constructs and assess theories based on the principles of scientific method, writing in the field should convey objectivity, rigor, logical consistency and objectivity (Mariotti 3).

Flexible Formats and Writing Expectations

There is no strict requirement for any format of the final product because writing basically depends on the level of writing one is supposed to conduct. There are some tasks that will only require the writer to describe. For example, when writing a brief for a Constitutional law, the writer’s goal entails describing the case’s facts as well as the current issue, the principle or legal rule in place, the manner in which the principle is applied to the case as well as the finding of the case. Some assignments may require an explanation, while others may be prescriptions of policies, theories course of action and other related topics (Roberts 1).

Expectations in Political Science Writing

There are other expectations that exist for writing in the discipline of political science, especially in the field of Government and International Politics. The writer is required to be persuasive. Although persuasion is apparent in prescriptive tasks where one is asked to advocate a policy, one should not neglect this aspect in other tasks. Moreover, clarity in expression is also very important to the writing concerning political science. For example, in the introduction of a paper, the cope as well as the purpose of the paper should be identified explicitly, as well as paying attention to the general structure of the work. In addition, when mixing the varied perspectives of writers in own writing, one is required to display synthesis as well as evaluation of ideas. This is an important requirement because it helps the writer to understand what the author intended and critically apply the ideas in the work (Mariotti 5).

Effect of Writing Expectations on Personal Writing

These writing expectations have affected my writing in the field of Government and International Politics positively. Other than persuading my audience with the elegance of my prose, I have learnt how to persuade through my command of facts as well as my ability to relate the facts to theories that can potentially withstand the test of empirical investigation. I am now clear and concise, which I believe I have achieved through my capability to follow the rules and define terms and concepts precisely when making an argument. As I continue writing and gaining experience in the standards of writing in my field, I believe that my future papers will be suitable for the respective audience and my writing prowess will advance.

Works Cited

Mariotti, Shannon. About Writing in Political Science. 2014. Web. 12th September. 2017

Roberts, Dave. Writing in the disciplines: Political Science. 2007. Web.2st Sep. 2017 http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb/polisci/intro.html

Taylor, Jeffrey. Writing in Political Science: Advice from a Recent Graduate Student. 2013. Web.2st Sep. 2017 https://umdwritingfellows.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/politicalscience_writingguide.pdf

The University of North Caroline. Political Science. 2017. Web.2st Sep. 2017 http://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/political-science/