Every Year, the International Network of Analytical Sociologists awards an outstanding paper in the field with the Robert K. Merton Award.
Robert K. Merton was one of the most influential sociologists of the 20th century. His writing on the principles and importance of middle-range theory as well as his own theories of self-fulfilling prophecies and Matthew effects have been important sources of inspiration for the emergence of analytical sociology. Meton attended the first analytical-sociology/social mechanism conference held at the Royal Academy of Sciences in Stockholm in 1996, and he remained a strong supporter of analytical sociology throughout the rest of his career.
The Robert K. Merton Award for the best paper in analytical sociology is an annual award announced at the annual INAS conference. The award is based on a thorough selection process. Nominations are sought from the international scholarly community and the decision is made by a committee of leading scholars appointed at the INAS meeting.
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Robert K. Merton Award 2026
The 2026 Robert K. Merton Award Winners are: Ozan Aksoy and Aron Szekely, Making Sense of Honor Killings, published in American Sociological Review, 2025 Studies that rigorously test micro-level mechanisms to explain the emergence and persistence of macro-social phenomena are inherently valuable and deserving of publication in leading scholarly outlets. Yet some contributions are especially…