The Sociology Writing Center seeks to support analytical writing in our major and advance departmental learning goals. We believe that writing is an effective means to both: (1) promote understanding of the sociological perspective (appreciating how a variety of social phenomena affect individuals, groups, and institutions); and (2) develop and enhance analytical skills for assessing sociological arguments and applying them to empirical evidence.

Writing Center Appointments

Like other writing centers on campus, we offer one-on-one "tutoring" services, primarily through scheduled appointments (30 minutes in length).  These appointments are open to all undergraduate students taking sociology courses, are assignment-focused, and are intended to help students with all stages of the writing process. In keeping with our departmental learning objectives, we do not provide editing and proofreading services.  However, we may indicate problematic grammatical and stylistic patterns and refer students to online resources.

To schedule an appointment, please contact the sociology advising office on the second floor of Savery Hall (203).  You can sign up in person at the front desk, or call the office to request and appointment at 206-543-5396 .  Please specify that you want a "Writing Center" appointment and indicate which course you are taking. Please bring a copy of the assignment instructions and a printed copy of your draft (if you have one written) to your appointment.

Writing Resources for UW Sociology Undergraduates

Writing Papers that Apply Sociological Theories or Perspectives

Tips for Writing Analytical Papers

Information on Academic Honesty/Plagiarism

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Writing Sociology Papers

UC Berkeley, Writing for Sociology Guidebook

Other UW Writing Resources

During the academic year, there are numerous writing resources available on campus, including the following centers:

• The Odegaard Writing Center has peer tutors available by appointment Sundays 1:30-9pm; and Monday-Thursday 12-9pm. You can view available times and sign up on their site.
• The CLUE Writing Center offers help on a drop-in basis from 7pm to midnight Sunday-Thursday in Mary Gates Hall.
• The Instructional Center (IC) helps students write papers, and also study for exams.  Open daily from 8:30-5pm.

Additional Online Writing Resources

There are also many writing resources available on the internet, including:

• For a variety of handouts and materials, see these other pages:  U of North Carolina Writing Center Handouts,
• Writing thesis statements: See materials @ U of North Carolina, U of Indiana and U of Wisconsin.
• Writing an Introduction (U of North Carolina)
• How to organize and structure an academic paper and revising your first draft (Dartmouth Writing Center)
• Make your writing direct and concise. Here's help avoiding passive voice (text), and a video about passive voice (both from U of North Carolina); and Lanham's method (4 easy ways to fix passive/wordy writing).
• Help with sentence structure - avoiding sentence fragments and run-on sentences (U of North Carolina)
• Writing help for non-native English speakers -- a comprehensive collection from Purdue.