The Quick Fix Guide to Academic Writing

Phillip C. Shon received his M.A. and Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from the University of Illinois (Chicago); he also holds an M.A. in linguistics and a B.A. in philosophy from Northeastern Illinois University (Chicago). He is currently a Professor of Criminology at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology where he teaches courses in homicide and criminological theory. He is the author of How to Read Journal Articles in the Social Sciences (2nd ed.). London: Sage, 2015; Language and Demeanor in Police-Citizen Encounters. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 2008; Respect, Defense, and Self-Identity: Profiling Parricide in Nineteenth-Century America, 1852-1899. New York: Peter Lang, 2014. He is a co-editor (with Dragan Milovanovic) of Serial Killers: Understanding Lust Murders. (eds). Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press, 2006. Phil grew up in Chicago. He no longer hides the shame of being a Cubs fan, and has completely forgotten Game 6 of the 2003 National League Championship Series. He is patiently awaiting the Chicago Bears to come up with a sequel to the "Super Bowl Shuffle" before they return once more to the Promised Land.

Chapter 1: Understanding the "Big" and "Little" Errors in Your Paper "Big" Errors "Little" Errors Chapter 2: What Am I Supposed to Do In My Paper? The Lone Wolf Claim Formulating a Research Question Types of Writing Assignments Chapter 3: How to Synthesize the Literature Organizing your own RCOS Interpreting RCOS: A Student Example The Infiniteness of Synthesis Chapter 4: How to Develop a Critique of Previous Literature Critiquing Ice Cream, Hamburger, and a Movie Three Questions that Lead to an Appropriate Critique of Previous Literature A Haven for CPLs and GAPs Chapter 5: How to Produce a Claim Differentiating between ROF and ROA The Citationality of the ROF and ROA Building an Argument and Creating Main Sections The Scope of Claims in Non-empirical Papers Chapter 6: How to Write an Abstract, Introduction, Discussion, and Conclusion How to Write an Abstract How to Write an Introduction How to Write a Discussion How to Write a Conclusion A Note on Data and Methods Chapter 7: Conclusion: A Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Model of Social Science Writing

At last! A text that supplies the student with specific tools for the specific requirements for reading and writing in the social sciences. -- Joseph Finnerty This book incorporates a unique framework through which students in social science programmes can make sense of the academic expectations surrounding reading and writing in their courses. Explained in a clear and logical manner, this framework is strongly linked to the learning needs of the student-the more I read, the more I want to try it. -- Mark Gillespie This book provides a readable guide to structuring academic writing with the benefit of annotated reading. It is written with humour and a "pulling no punches" style. -- Joanna Nichols This is an excellent book that provides clear advice not only on how to read, but also how to write academically and will be useful to undergraduate and masters students alike. The codes and the way that information is presented is reader friendly - the book can be used as a reference book or read cover to cover. I suspect for many people it will be both. -- Pete Allison This is an easy to read book with a valuable insight into the structure and content of academic writing...I certainly found it valuable in developing my ability to write particular sections of social science papers. And, as a marker, the 'big' and 'small' errors code sheets enabled me to provide a more detailed feedback to students. -- Caroline Ford