Clear Thinking

 Writing is your thought process, in a document. If you think clearly, you will write clearly, so if your paper is wandering, it is because your thoughts are not focused. Conversely, if you have "thought it through," it will be obvious in your writing.

Characteristics of Clear Thinking

• It is organized. It follows a road map, in an orderly progression. It does not go "four-wheeling" all over the countryside.
• It is logical. It starts with a premise; gives strong, valid evidence to make reasoned arguments, and forms pertinent conclusions that follow from that evidence.
• It makes transitions. It does not make leaps, but rather builds sentence-bridges to connect the ideas.
• It asks questions of itself. Have I overstated? understated? Does my argument consider all of the other positions, or the nuances?
• It accepts boundaries. The scope of a paper, argument or conclusion has limitations. Clear thinking recognizes these and acknowledges them up front. I am doing this. I am not doing that . . .

Clarify your thoughts before writing in order to write more quickly, more fluidly and in order to produce work that makes a genuine contribution.