Discourse Community Analysis

Brandy Hendon

ENG 3310-01

9-16-11



Discourse Community Analysis Rough Draft



         The political science community is made up of many different types of people from diverse backgrounds, which is one of the many things that makes it a great choice to pursue a career in. Because of the strong analytical and communication skills that are developed in school, the job opportunities for the political science major are virtually endless. In addition to the varying beliefs and core values that we hold, there are also a large variety of specific jobs that can be had within the discipline—there is something for anyone that enjoys politics, government, or civics in general.

         Within the political science community, there are multiple forms of communication; however, one of the largest areas is in research. While the genres can span from commentary to blogs to law briefs, research encompasses an enormous amount of the full scope of political science—whether it be polling numbers in an election to analyzing the number of wrongful convictions that occur in the United States each year and what the causes for those convictions are, research is constantly being conducted and evaluated by peers within the community.

         Typically in political science writing we use the Modern Language Association (MLA) style, but when reporting research findings and analysis, we often add in charts, graphs, and tables to explain our hypothesis. Because we often use previous research to assist in our studies, it is common to cite several other peer reviewed research articles within our own work. In “Convicted but Innocent: Wrongful Conviction and the Criminal Justice System,” which was published in Law and Human Behavior in 1988, Arye Rattner of the University of Haifa cited not only three United States law cases, but also thirteen other research studies and peer reviewed articles to help make his case. Rattner showed how others within the political science community have contributed to the ongoing battle regarding wrongful convictions. By using previous research and scholarly articles, Rattner was able to logically lay out his method for the study which leads the way to the results of his findings. Following the results, the discussion and implications section informs the reader what can be done to help minimize the number of wrongful convictions if the proper steps are taken. There is a strong chance that Rattner's research could be used in future studies on this subject, confirming how important peer reviewed scholarly articles are to the discourse community.

         It is absolutely imperative that any articles that we include in our own writing be scholarly in nature if we are to have our work be viewed as accurate, verifiable, and authentic. Someone reading a study that expounds on previous scholarly research, and can make progress in the field, will view the work as valid if it appears trustworthy because of the sources that have been used. In his study, Rattner describes using qualitative and quantitative analysis as well as the Case Survey Method because it “has been found useful in analyzing historical and legal documents from the social science perspective (Dunn and Swierzeck, 1977),” which lends to the credibility of his research.

         When writing within the political science discourse community, there may be numerous opportunities to write within a variety of genres. When given the chance to write or perform a research study, I would highly recommend—if possible—selecting a subject in which the writer is not only knowledgeable, but also cares about. In doing so, our work is portrayed in a more honest way that appears more credible and valid to the reader. When the reader can “feel” the writer's excitement and passion for the subject, they will become more interested in what they are reading because it will be much easier for them to connect with the writing.

Works Cited

         Rattner, Arye. "Convicted but Innocent: Wrongful Convictions and the Criminal Justice System." Law and Human Behavior 12.3 (1988): 283-93. JStore. Web. 10 Sept. 2011.