A Monograph is used to treat a Specific topic in a methodical and complete way. It can be differentiated from an article mainly by its extension.
The term comes from the Greek, being composed by the word Monkeys what does it mean only And the word Graphein what does it mean Writing . This clearly denotes the intention of this type of writing, which will be spread on a single topic, clearly and with information supported.
The monograph Covers a wide variety of subjects, and can be written in various fields, although it is especially used in the academic field, in various areas of knowledge.
For example, the arts, the natural sciences and exact, and most commonly in the social sciences, where the investigative work is constant, and the monograph provides a form of documentation.
However, when referring to a monograph in some areas, the definition may vary. The case of the monograph in biology , Where you can talk about a Taxonomic monograph , Where an extensive and detailed study is carried out on a taxon (group of related organisms).
Similarly, when talking about a monograph on the arts, some book publishers refer to a monograph as the compilation of several works by a single artist, as opposed to compilations of works by various artists in the same book.
In addition, in the United States, Food and Drug Administration Require the publication of a monograph for the regulation and authorization of substances, which explains the safety of the use of distributed products.
It is worth mentioning the use of librarians and experts in book classification to monographs, who define it as a complete and complete non-serial publication in a volume (a book) or a finite number of volumes, which would result in As opposed to the magazines or newspapers, although it can generate confusion with respect to the encyclopedias.
Treatment of general or specific topics
An author can write a subject related to the plastic arts, for example, a monograph of surrealism according to Salvador Dali , Without this being a book where the works of that painter are collected; But where we talk about the surrealist movement and Dalí's conception of it, with theoretical or investigative support.
Documentation of discoveries
The monograph, in addition to its evident purpose to transmit information on a specific subject, is also an important tool, although not always taken into account, for the documentation of discoveries or achievements of different academic areas.
Thus, an advantage presented by the monograph is its similarity with the articles, although of considerably greater extension and greater theoretical and / or scientific support in its sources, which makes it a more accessible document, or more direct than a research work as The theses, which require a much more rigorous process at the time of writing.
In a monograph, the author may present greater authority on the subject matter, because unlike the theses, monographs are not a collection of research papers, although they may be used as references and endorsements .
Thus, in a research monograph, the subject will be discussed based on other works previously done, but preferably something new will be added to the subject.
For example, if you are going to talk about contemporary music , Other works on the subject will be taken as reference, but the author can provide a new perspective or information on the subject.
Synthesis of other works
In addition, the monograph may be written based on a topic or research already treated, without necessarily contributing anything new to the subject, but serving as a synthesis of this, and that can be used later as a reference.
It has also been considered the use of the monograph as a complement of considerable importance in the academic framework, to be used as a complement, and not as a substitute, for scientific publications in newspapers.
This is because the desire for immediacy when it comes to publishing a new scientific achievement or finding in the mass media may detract from the latter, although it is often published in newspapers, magazines and other specialized media.
In this sense, the publication of a monograph next to the scientific article will mean a more detailed treatment of this, and in many cases a more elaborate work, outside the desire for immediacy and for a greater extension.
CONCLUSIONS
Thanks to the rapid advance of the internet and the possibilities to transmit and obtain information, the writing of monographs (along with other scientific and research works) have been benefited, due to the greater ease of transmitting the document in a massive way and without depending on the filter Of an editorial.
However, this creates the possibility of a greater number of monographs written without sufficient rigor, a product of inexperience or the possibility of publishing a work for free, which can be overcome by doing a critical reading and with sufficient criteria to judge the Quality and credibility of said contribution.
Thus, the monograph represents a means of documentation in which contributions and knowledge of considerable importance can be captured on any subject and with great possibility of scope due to its similarity with the articles, which allow the reader to delve into a specific subject in a concrete way .
References
- The monograph. Retrieved from www.helsinki.fi
- Monograph. (2017, July 9). Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org
- Monograph. (2017, July 9). Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org
- Taxonomic Monograph. (2017, January 5). Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org
- That is a monograph. Retrieved from www.monografias.com.