Becoming familiar with a discipline’s language conventions

Every discipline has a specialized vocabulary. As you read the articles and books in a field, you’ll notice certain words and phrases that come up repeatedly. Sociologists, for example, use terms like independent variables, political opportunity resources, and dyads to describe social phenomena; computer scientists might refer to algorithm design and loop invariants to describe programming methods. Practitioners in health fields such as nursing use terms like treatment plan and systemic assessment to describe patient care. Use discipline-specific terms only when you are certain that you and your readers fully understand their meaning.

In addition to vocabulary, many fields of study have developed specialized conventions for point of view and verb tense.

Point of view and verb tense in academic writing

Approaching assignments in the disciplines