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ajs-literature-positioning

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Use when positioning an American Journal of Sociology (AJS) manuscript within the literature so it reads as in dialogue with current sociology. AJS reviewers are assigned by readers who locate the paper's substantive area and method, and the journal prizes engagement with live theoretical debates. Maps the conversation; it does not write the literature review.

When to use

• Drafting or restructuring the literature/positioning section
• Addressing feedback that the paper ignores obvious work or reinvents the wheel
• Writing a Comment that engages a published AJS paper
• Deciding which debates to foreground for a generalist sociology readership
• Mapping the conversation and locating the contribution
• Diagnosing referee complaints regarding literature engagement
• Executing a positioning pass for AJS manuscripts

When not to use

• Writing the literature review
• Polishing format before checking official source maps
• Providing submission-ready advice without checking volatile rules

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