Title: United States. National War College, Course 5 - Writing Standards
WRITING STANDARDS
1.
Thesis
- A thesis is a proposition maintained by argument; in other words, it's debatable. You have to take a stand. The central idea of your paper is its thesis.
The paper must have a thesis
The thesis should be clear and stated early
The thesis must convey an important idea or issue
The thesis should advance an original point of view
2.
Substance
- The paper must have substance, which means that both the topic and what you have to say about it has essential import and significance.
The paper must communicate the military strategic significance of the thesis
The argument should be logical and clear
The argument should be well supported
The argument should address opposing points of view
Facts cited must be accurate and relevant
3.
Organization
- The paper should present a logical argument that ties the thesis and conclusion together and persuades the reader that the thesis is correct.
The argument should be clear and logical - a reader can follow it easily
The argument should integrate evidence and support well
The paper should include sufficient detail - neither too much nor too little
The paper should stick to the topic, without unnecessary excursions
The conclusion should be convincing
4.
Style
- The paper must adhere to generally accepted conventions of grammar, punctuation and spelling, and be neat in appearance, so that it expresses the argument in a clear and persuasive manner.
The paper contains good English grammar
Sentence structure is good - shorter is usually better; active voice is usually better
Paragraph structure is good - paragraphs usually deal with a single thought or topic, expressed early and discussed in the body
Word choice is good - simple, short words are usually better