I just graded a bunch of papers. A reminder that good analytical writing is one of the greatest challenges undergraduates face. Here’s a tip or two (more to come). Clarity is king. If the reader can’t understand what you are trying to say, the paper fails. This means not only that the argument and the sequence of thought must make sense, but that each sentence must make sense. Actually, each word must make sense! And so it’s in the interest of the writer to select words that most precisely and unambiguously convey what the writer has in mind; it’s best to avoid fancy vocabulary that sounds impressive, but doesn’t do the trick. An example. Some students will use the word ‘simplistic’ instead of ‘simple,’ when they mean simple – more syllables, more letters…it must be better! Unfortunately it has a different meaning… (Which is?) One other thing on word selection. Spell Check is a trap. Here’s an example from the papers I just graded (the assignment, by the way, was to assess the historical accuracy of the film “Gladiator”). A student wrote ‘providence’ instead of ‘province’ – you can see the comic possibilities here, I am sure – a student who, needless to say, knows the difference perfectly well. Since ‘providence’ was correctly spelled, it was not highlighted. The student was, unfortunately, counting on spell check to identify more than simple spelling and so proofread his paper only cursorily. A confession, by the way. I don’t like writing. I love reading, researching, putting a thesis together, but not writing. It’s difficult work that requires considerable discipline, attention, and practice. (Pretty much like any worthwhile skill, now that I think of it…) But it is so, so, so important, not only in college but in any sort of endeavor that requires us to analyze ideas and information and convince others of the accuracy of our analysis. More soon.