4 Characteristics of a monograph and their types

What is a monograph?

A monograph is a type of expository or explanatory document, in which a specific topic is addressed from one or more possible perspectives. Consult various sources and use support material (images, photographs, etc.), until you have exhausted the topic in question as much as possible. The term comes from the Greek mono , “one,” and graphos , “writing.”

It is a very common text in academies and in various work areas, since it offers a broad level of research, without requiring technical or specialized language. They have a variable type extension, so it is a fairly versatile format when it comes to presenting an investigation in detail.

Characteristics of a monograph

From a monograph it is expected:

1. It must be a cohesive and coherent written text, in which a clearly identified topic is addressed from a recognizable perspective, providing the reader with the necessary information to support what has been said.
2. That it has a systematic character, structured in one or different parts, in which an exhaustive and extensive treatment of the subject is offered, which represents a minimum contribution to the knowledge of the area.
3. That includes bibliographic references or any type, and that provides the reader with the necessary data to verify what has been said. This is not an imaginative text.
4. That it has a variable length, sufficient to exhaust the topic addressed. Also, it addresses said topic from an expository, objective point of view, without involving subjectivities and without trying to convince the reader of a point of view.

Types of monographs

A monograph can be of different types, depending on its central purpose:

• Compilation monograph. When it aims to bring together the main existing texts and contributions on a topic, serving as a synthesis or compilation of what others have said, although it also adds new information from its own hand.
• Research monograph. Predominant in the sciences, they focus on some type of experiment or scientific experience that requires being exposed, justified and put into context with its respective theoretical framework and previous bibliography on the subject.
• Experiential analysis monograph. Those that address in an expository (non-narrative) manner some type of non-scientific or non-experimental experience, verifiable in a practical way, although they do not constitute part of an investigation. Its use is rather limited and specialized.