---
name: ajs-writing-style
description: Use when shaping the prose, structure, and citations of an American Journal of Sociology (AJS) manuscript to AJS's own author-date house style (NOT the ASA Style Guide). AJS rewards theoretically ambitious, generalist-legible writing and has specific notes/references conventions. Polishes the writing; it does not invent content.
---

# Writing & House Style (ajs-writing-style)

AJS uses its **own author-date house style** — documented in the AJS Manuscript Preparation pages and
Formatting PDF — **not** the ASA Style Guide that ASA journals (e.g., ASR) require. This is a frequent,
avoidable mistake. Beyond mechanics, AJS prose should be **theoretically ambitious and legible to a
generalist sociologist**. Verify current style details on the live prep pages (待核实; UChicago Press
pages are 403 to automated fetch).

## When to trigger

- Polishing the manuscript before `ajs-submission`
- Formatting citations, notes, and references to AJS house style
- A reader said the writing was "for specialists only," "buried the contribution," or "mis-styled"
- Converting a draft formatted in ASA or another style into AJS house style

## AJS house-style mechanics (verify on the live prep pages / PDF)

- **In-text citation:** **author-date**, name + year in parentheses; **"et al." for three or more
  authors**. (This is AJS's own format — confirm forms against the live pages; it is *not* the ASA
  Style Guide.)
- **Notes:** an **acknowledgment note on the cover sheet marked with an asterisk**; **substantive
  notes start at "1"** in the text; **footnotes or endnotes are both acceptable**.
- **References:** full reference list required; periodical entries give full author name, date, article
  title, periodical title, volume, and inclusive pages.
- **Manuscript format:** **serif typeface (e.g., Times Roman) ≥11 pt (preferably 12), double-spaced,
  ≥1-inch margins**.
- **Sections order (post-text):** notes, references, tables, figures, appendices — in that order.

## Write for the discipline (AJS voice)

- **Lead with the contribution.** State the theoretical payoff early; do not make a generalist reader
  excavate it.
- **Explain, don't gesture.** Define field-specific terms; a comparativist or ethnographer should be
  able to follow a quantitative paper, and vice versa.
- **Concision over length.** AJS has **no fixed word cap** but explicitly encourages concision, and
  **referees may need more time for papers over ~18,000 words** — long is allowed, not rewarded.
  (待核实 — confirm current length norms.)

## Anti-patterns

- Formatting to the **ASA Style Guide** and assuming AJS accepts it (it has its own house style)
- Padding to "feel like an AJS paper" — length is tolerated, not a virtue
- Jargon a generalist sociologist cannot follow
- Burying the theoretical contribution in the discussion section
- Identifying self-references that break double-blind anonymity (see `ajs-submission`)

## Output format

```
【House style】AJS author-date (NOT ASA Style Guide)? citations + notes + refs conform? [Y/N]
【Format】serif ≥11pt, double-spaced, ≥1in margins? [Y/N]
【Contribution stated early】[Y/N]
【Generalist-legible】terms defined; cross-method reader can follow? [Y/N]
【Concision】tight; over ~18,000 words justified? [Y/N]
【Next】ajs-data-and-transparency
```

## Supplementary resources

- [`../../resources/external_tools.md`](../../resources/external_tools.md) — reference managers and AJS CSL style
- [`../../resources/official-source-map.md`](../../resources/official-source-map.md) — AJS house-style and manuscript-preparation pages