Question

There are differences between these disciplines that focus on inquiry and the targets of research, but many of the details of conducting archival research and writing reports is the same. As a student of sociology or psychology, what do you think are the key reasons for using styles of writing that are consistent across publications?  

Answer 1

Note: This response is in UK English, please paste the response to MS Word and you should be able to spot discrepancies easily. You may elaborate the answer based on personal views or your classwork if necessary.

(Answer) Archival research and report writing are both the kind of research methods that rely on gathering information from objects, people and events that have already occurred. There are several reasons as to why a researcher might apply a certain methodology. The primary reason is always the goal or outcome that is to be achieved from the project.

A government researcher might rely on a survey. This is because they might want to keep their data succinct and have a tight and focused target to achieve. For instance, a census to determine the number of Native Americans who are good at painting would not require an in-depth analysis but rather a few questions about one’s artistic pursuits.

On the other hand, if a researcher would like to know about personal experiences during World War 2, they might have to conduct interviews, view artifacts, old newspapers, read reports and other profound methods. This is how the desired outcome determines the type of research to be conducted.

The other essential element is the voice of the publication, writers or the mood of the subject. Readers digest for instance has gained a reputation for personal stories, thoughts and anecdotes. A publication like that might not do well if they shift from a very personal writing style to an objective or statistical style.

Thirdly, the publication would automatically begin to invest in the kind of writing and research that has proven to be the most successful for them so far. For instance, comic books have earned well from writing vivid stories, anomalous characters and investing in classic pulp fiction art. Since this has been successful, comic book companies have invested more in the last few years over such successful elements. The same goes for research. If a particular type of research has yielded a successful outcome that has pleased the readers, it is likely that the publication might hone that particular methodology and adopt it again.