Blog Journeys of a Lifelong Learner

On writing formal papers:

• Realistically budget study time with the entire topic in view.
• Tolerate the absence of detailed information for the sake of overall progress.
• Record notes in the same medium as the one use for the final deliverable.
• Think in terms of targeted points rather than in lengthy paragraphs.
• Create and complete small milestones within the context of the larger project.
• Revise frequently, but only after having prepared a basic deliverable.
• Document citation information while recording general notes.

On writing in general:

• Maintain a consistent flow of thought throughout a sentence and paragraph.
• Avoid the use of multiple parallel but distinct arguments within a single sentence.
• Evaluate the readability of a sentence by reading it aloud.
• Use an Oxford comma when list ambiguity is a potential problem.
• Aim for clarity, not cleverness.

The author of this post is keenly aware that he does not exemplify these concepts in his own practice, but he is actively working to remedy that problem.