I got the term paper brief but I’m not sure who the audience is — how should I adjust my tone and sources?

Write for an educated general audience that is curious but lacks specialized training, which means you should prioritize clarity and narrative flow over dense academic jargon. Since the brief specifies a popular science magazine format, your tone should be engaging and accessible, yet still rigorous enough to respect the subject matter. You don’t need to strip away all formality; instead, aim for a conversational professionalism that invites readers in rather than lecturing them. For instance, if you’re discussing social stratification, avoid dry definitions and instead use relatable examples that show how class impacts daily life, keeping sentences varied and active. Regarding sources, you must absolutely keep citations, but integrate them smoothly into the text rather than using heavy footnotes or endnotes that disrupt the reading experience. Most popular magazines use a simplified parenthetical style or a brief reference list at the end, so check if your professor has a preferred citation format, but generally, you can skip complex academic apparatuses like extensive bibliographies unless explicitly asked. Headings are usually acceptable and often encouraged in magazine-style writing to break up text and guide the reader, so use them to structure your argument logically. The key is to balance intellectual credibility with readability, ensuring your sociological insights feel relevant and immediate to someone who isn’t a specialist. By focusing on storytelling and clear explanations, you’ll meet the assignment’s goal of making complex ideas accessible without sacrificing academic integrity.