ABSTRACT
Concluding Chapter 23 (‘Writing up social research’) of his Social Research Methods Alan Bryman offers some extremely useful points about effective written communication, about clarity in writing, about rhetoric.
Good writing is probably just as important as good research practice. Indeed, it is probably better thought of as a good research practice.
Clear structure and statement of your research questions are important components of writing up research.
Be sensitive to the ways in which writers seek to persuade us of their points of view.
The study of rhetoric and writing strategies generally teaches us that the writings of scientists and social scientists do more than simply report findings. They are designed to convince and persuade.
The emphasis on rhetoric is not meant to imply there is no external social reality; it merely suggests that our understanding of that reality is profoundly influenced by the ways it is represented by writers.
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We need to get away from the idea that rhetoric and the desire to persuade others of the validity of our work are somehow bad things. They are not. We all want to get our points across and to persuade our readers that we have got things right. The question is – do we do it well? Do we make the best possible case? We all have to persuade others that we have got the right angle on things; the trick is to do it well. So when you write an essay or dissertation, do bear in mind the significance of your writing strategy.
(Bryman 2001: 473–4) What's Next?Reflecting on the advice and the example of George Orwell, the Plain English Campaign, Alain de Botton, Ernest Hemingway, and Alan Bryman, prepare a list of statements to guide your own communication practice.
