Entries are now open for the 2026 SAANZ Student Sociology Communication Competition. The award consists of $200 for the best entry, and $50 for the runner up, which will be presented to the creators of two submissions that are considered by the judging panel to best represent communication of a sociological concept. Entries close 5PM Thursday 20 August.
To be eligible to enter, you must:
- be enrolled in a degree at a New Zealand tertiary institution.
- be a current student member of SAANZ.
- be enrolled in sociology or a related discipline where you are considered to be using a sociological perspective.
- All entries must be accompanied by evidence of enrolment status. (An email from a Head of School or supervisor will suffice.)
Entries could be …
- a blog post (up to 1500 words)
- a small poster (no larger than A3)
- a short video (no more than 10 minutes)
- a short podcast (no more than 10 minutes)
- a reasonably small submission in another format
Include any relevant discussion about the execution of the piece or your target demographic. Further entry criteria and guidelines for effective communication are provided over the page. The winning essay will be announced via the SAANZ mailing list and newsletter, and entries will be shared via SAANZ’s social media and website.
Email entries to:
Java Grant (University of Auckland)
java.grant@auckland.ac.nz
Further information:
Evaluation criteria
- Sociological theme/tone
- Engaging!
- Get to the point and bring your audience with you.
- Make effective use of your chosen format.
- Clear argument or discussion
- Media-text must be easy to understand for the target audience.
- Consider spelling, grammar, etc.
- Original content (or adapted from your own existent work).
Judges can disqualify any entry they deem to not meet the entry criteria.
Guidelines for effective communication
- Who are you speaking to? Students? Laypeople? Politicians? Activists?
- Can the audience understand your message within the first 30 seconds/three paragraphs?
- Do your draw the reader/viewer in with tension, questions, or conflict?
- Is there a clear sociological thesis or message that threads through the piece?
- Did you avoid jargon (or explain it, if it is used)?
- Are you telling a story beyond listing facts or statistics? Why does it matter?
- Is there a beginning, middle, and end that flow smoothly?
- Does it sound human (connecting emotionally without over-explaining)?
- Did you use metaphors, stories or analogies to help bridge academic ideas and everyday life?
Examples of effective research communication
- Blog post: A piece that begins with a relatable question – ‘Why are young people so anxious today?’ Then transitions into data on labour precarity, climate anxiety and identity politics. Written in short paragraphs, with some humour or personal reflection, and clear links to sociology.
- Poster: A clean, minimalist A3 with a bold headline – ‘Housing is a human right: Then why can’t we afford one?’ With a few well-placed statistics, a clear thesis, and a QR code to a short explainer video.
- Video/Podcast: A five-minute spoken word commentary or short documentary that hooks the viewer with a real-life anecdote before diving into a sociological explainer (e.g. gender norms, class inequality, surveillance tech).
Format fit
- If it’s a video, does it make good use of the format beyond being just a filmed essay?
- If it’s a poster, can the audience grasp the key message at a glance?
- If it’s a blog post, does it read like an engaging online article, rather than a recycled assignment?