Tradecraft Essentials

Your outlook section is often the toughest to write, but is arguably the most important because you are leaving your reader with your recommendations and a possible way forward.  That

Sourcing statements enhance the credibility and transparency of your products and assists readers in making informed decisions regarding the quality and scope of the sources underlying your analysis. By including

Editing is an important step in the intelligence writing process. Think of your editor as your advocate–they are helping to make sure your document is clear, free of errors, and

We often hear the active voice is better suited for intelligence writing. But why?  In intelligence writing we need to be concise, simple and direct. We want our readers to

When drafting documents for your clients, you want to make sure you are answering client requests and questions as directly as possible. Your clients are busy and you do not

When you think about framing your intelligence product, what steps might you take to ensure your report is concise and clear, and answers your client’s questions in the most direct

How do you determine whether or not to place judgments such as “probably” or “likely” in your products?   As analysts, you owe your clients your best judgments and a possible

Depending on the topic, you probably have more information than you know what to do with. Your customers are busy and you want to ensure they take away your key