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https://github.com/mxm0z/awesome-intelligence-writing

Awesome collection of great and useful resources concerning intelligence writing such as manuals/guides, standards, books, and articles
https://github.com/mxm0z/awesome-intelligence-writing

List: awesome-intelligence-writing

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Awesome collection of great and useful resources concerning intelligence writing such as manuals/guides, standards, books, and articles

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## Intelligence Writing [![Awesome](https://cdn.rawgit.com/sindresorhus/awesome/d7305f38d29fed78fa85652e3a63e154dd8e8829/media/badge.svg)](https://github.com/mxm0z/awesome-intelligence-writing)



_
Good intelligence depends in large measure on clear, concise writing. (CIA)_



:male_detective:



This is a collection of awesome resources on **Intelligence Writing** such as manuals/guides, standards, books, and articles. There are both official and community resources. The collection is aimed to those looking to improve their intelligence writing skills (including myself).



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#### Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)



- [Style Manual & Writers Guide for Intelligence Publications](https://fas.org/irp/cia/product/style.pdf)

- [Analytic Thinking and Presentation for Intelligence Producers](https://cryptome.org/cia-ath-pt1.htm)

- [Thinking and Writing: Cognitive Science and Intelligence Analysis](https://www.cia.gov/resources/csi/books-monographs/thinking-and-writing/)

- [CIA - IC Writing Style](https://contentsparks.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/cia-writing_guide2017.pdf)



Articles & News related to CIA's Style Manual & Writers Guide



- [Writing Tips from the CIA's Ruthless Style Manual](https://qz.com/231110/writing-tips-from-the-cias-ruthless-style-manual/)

- [The CIA style guide goes online: now you can learn to write like a spy](https://www.theguardian.com/world/shortcuts/2014/jul/09/cia-writers-guide-leaked-online)

- [The CIA Released Their Style Guide, and It's Absolutely Fascinating](https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/cia-style-guide)

- [Mission Grammatical: CIA Has 185-Page Writing Style Book](https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2014/07/mission-grammatical-cia-has-185-page-writing-style-book)

- [The CIA and the Power of Words](https://hyperallergic.com/136974/the-cia-and-the-power-of-words/)

- [11 Grammar Lessons From a Leaked CIA Style Book](https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/57743/11-grammar-lessons-leaked-cia-style-book)



#### Mercyhurst College - Institute for Intelligence Studies



- [The Analyst's Style Manual](https://ncirc.bja.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh326/files/media/document/analysts_style_manual.pdf)



#### Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)



- [DIA's Style Manual for Intelligence Production](https://www.governmentattic.org/23docs/DIAstyleManualIntelProd_2016.pdf) (governmentattic.org)

- [DIA's Style Manual for Intelligence Production](https://www.dia.mil/FOIA/FOIA-Electronic-Reading-Room/FileId/149619/) (dia.mil)



#### Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI)



- [ICD 203 - Analytic Standards](https://www.dni.gov/files/documents/ICD/ICD%20203%20Analytic%20Standards.pdf)

- [ICD 206 - Sourcing Requirements for Disseminated Analytic Products](https://www.dni.gov/files/documents/ICD/ICD%20206.pdf)

- [ICD 208 - Maximizing the Utility of Analytic Products](https://www.dni.gov/files/documents/ICD/ICD%20208%20-%20Maximizing%20the%20Utility%20of%20Analytic%20Products%20(09%20Jan%202017).pdf)



#### U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence

 

- [USAICoE Writing Program Resources](https://intellibrary.libguides.com/c.php?g=654854&p=6527880)

- [Enhancing Your Intelligence Writing Writing Guide for USAICoE and U.S. Army Writing](https://intellibrary.libguides.com/ld.php?content_id=53826333)



#### Department of Justice (DOJ)



- [How to Write an Intelligence Product in the Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF) Format](http://dixon.hh.se/urbi/SCADA/BLUF%20Writing%20Format.pdf)

- [Intelligence Report Writing](https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/intelligence-report-writing-criminal-intelligence-analysis-p-181)



#### Blogs



- [How You Can Write Like An Intelligence Analyst](https://zacherytysonbrown.medium.com/write-like-an-intelligence-analyst-34d06738d2ef) (Zachery Tyson Brown)

- [Intelligence Analysis Tradecraft 101: Writing Effective Intelligence](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/intelligence-analysis-tradecraft-101-writing-effective-thomas-carey/) (Thomas Carey)

- [My Fool Proof Process to Writing a Killer Intelligence Brief and Tips to Deliver Intelligence Assessments Better](http://www.intelligence101.com/my-full-proof-process-to-writing-a-killer-intelligence-brief-and-tips-to-deliver-intelligence-assessments-better/) (Intelligence 101)

- [The Three Skills Every Successful Intelligence Analyst Needs To Master: Tips on how to Write, Brief and Analyse](https://www.intelligence101.com/write-brief-and-analyse/) (Intelligence 101)

- [The Ultimate Guide to Writing Intelligence Reports - Complete with Templates & Examples](https://www.intelligence101.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-writing-intelligence-reports-complete-with-templates-examples/) (Intelligence 101)

- [Intelligence Writing](https://www.e-education.psu.edu/geog571/node/431) (Pennsylvania State University)

- [Writing a Brief](https://www.e-education.psu.edu/geog571/node/495) (Pennsylvania State University)

- [How Intelligence Analysts Can Improve Critical Thinking and Writing Skills](https://amuedge.com/how-intelligence-analysts-can-improve-critical-thinking-and-writing-skills/) (American Military University)

- [Top 10 Cybersecurity Writing Mistakes](https://zeltser.com/cybersecurity-writing-mistakes/) (Lenny Zeltser)

- [How You Can Write Better Threat Reports](https://zeltser.com/write-better-threat-reports/) (Lenny Zeltser)

- [Writing a report: the BLUF framework in Intelligence Analysis](https://www.specialeurasia.com/2023/05/11/report-writing-bluf-intelligence/) (Giuliano Bifolchi - SpecialEurasia)

- [Structuring Cyber Threat Intelligence Assessments: Musings and Recommendations](https://www.robertmlee.org/structuring-cyber-threat-intelligence-assessments-musings-and-recommendations/) (Robert M. Lee)

- [A Quick Start Guide to Writing Intelligence Analysis](https://theinteldesk.substack.com/p/a-quick-start-guide-to-writing-intelligence) (Meaghan Gruppo)



#### Quick Tips



- [6 Intelligence Writing Tips](https://www.gadintel.com/_files/ugd/2be2d6_13f33e9fa5bd4115817944451da46e32.pdf) (GadIntel - Angie Gad)



#### Articles



- [Write Like a Spy: Using U.S. Intelligence Guidelines to Reinforce the Lessons of Predictive Legal Writing](https://legal.thomsonreuters.com/content/dam/ewp-m/documents/legal/en/pdf/other/perspectives/2020/spring/2020-spring-article-4.pdf) (Joe Fore)

- [Intelligence Analysis Reports: A How-to Writing Guide](https://ahsawc.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/intelligence-analysis-reports.pdf) (Sandra Webb)



#### Guides



- [How To Write Like An Intelligence Analyst](https://s3.amazonaws.com/usma-media/inline-images/centers_research/west_point_writing_program/PDF/WPWP%20Guides/Intelligence_Writing_for_Academics.pdf) (Thea Gioe)



#### Discussions



- [How does one write reports as well as an intelligence analyst?](https://www.quora.com/How-does-one-write-reports-as-well-as-an-intelligence-analyst) (Quora)



#### Videos & Talks



- [Threat Intel for Everyone: Writing Like A Journalist To Produce Clear, Concise Reports](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqsE2coucjg) (Selena Larson - 33min)

- [Hack the Reader: Writing Effective Threat Reports with Lenny Zeltser](https://youtu.be/vwKlNZ6mxak) (Lenny Zeltser - 37min)

- [Pen-To-Paper and The Finished Report: The Key To Generating Threat Intelligence](https://youtu.be/XEmksbsrnv8) (Christian Paredes - 33min)

- [Writing Meaningful Threat Intel Reports in MISP](https://youtu.be/suDo-p3Nu5w) (MISP - 2h30min)

- [Writing Open Source Intelligence Reports](https://youtu.be/lDe8_z-UCZ4) (Mossé Cyber Security Institute - 3min)

- [Dissemination of Intelligence](https://youtu.be/x5bHZ8I6nUU?list=PL8nt2WoztgBnZvWMoculd2rPHcPMb6cBM) (Steve Barry - 28min)

- [Writing With Clarity: Simple Steps to Become a Faster, More Effective Communicator](https://youtu.be/8lnxP93ZEtk) (Darren Pauli - AusCERT - 39min)



#### Podcasts



- [How to Keep Finished Intelligence Fresh](https://www.recordedfuture.com/podcast-episode-64/) (Recorded Future)



#### Presentations & Slides



- [How to Create Meaningful Intelligence Reports](https://proceedings.esri.com/library/userconf/proc16/tech-workshops/tw_74-33.pdf) (Daniel Barnes & Mary Clawson)



#### Books



- [Communicating with Intelligence: Writing and Briefing for National Security](https://www.amazon.com/Communicating-Intelligence-Briefing-Professional-Education/dp/1442226625) (James S. Major)

- [Communicating with IntelligenceL Writing and Briefing in the Intelligence and National Security Communities](https://www.amazon.com.br/Communicating-Intelligence-Briefing-National-Communities-ebook/dp/B0BMP88XLT) (James S. Major)

- [Writing Classified and Unclassified Papers for National Security](https://www.amazon.com.br/Writing-Classified-Unclassified-National-Security-ebook/dp/B00264GM5K) (James S. Major)

- [Thinking and Writing: Cognitive Science and Intelligence Analysis](https://www.amazon.com.br/Thinking-Writing-Cognitive-Intelligence-Annotated-ebook/dp/B005AOAIGM) (Robert Sinclair)



#### Trainings & Courses



- [Threat Intelligence Writing](https://school.threatintel.academy/courses/cti-writing) (Threat Intelligence Academy)

- [Reporting for Analysts](https://i-intelligence.eu/courses/reporting-for-analysts) (I-Intelligence)

- [Analytic Writing, Reporting, Briefs, and Dissemination](https://treadstone71.com/index.php/cyber-intelligence-training/analytic-writing) (Treadstone71)

- [Introduction to Analytic Tradecraft Writing](https://www.fedlearn.com/courses/icic101/) (FedLearn)

- [Writing to the Analytic Tradecraft Standards I](https://www.fedlearn.com/courses/icic103/) (FedLearn)

- [Writing to the Analytic Tradecraft Standards II](https://www.fedlearn.com/courses/icic104/) (FedLearn)

- [Critical Thinking and Writing for Intelligence Analysts](https://isruniversity.catalog.instructure.com/browse/analysis/programs/criticalthinkingandwriting) (ISR University)

- [INTSTDS 5703 - Thinking and Writing: a Practicum for Intelligence Analysis](https://internationalstudies.osu.edu/courses/intstds-5703) (Ohio State University)

- [Critical Thinking and Analytic Writing for the Intelligence Community ](https://polisci.rutgers.edu/academics/undergraduate/course-descriptions/course-details/1452-01-790-483-critical-thinking-and-analytic-writing-for-the-intelligence-community) (Rutgers-New Brunswick University)

- [HSEC 462: Intelligence Analysis: Research Methods & Writing: Home](https://guides.lib.campbell.edu/hsec462) (Campbell University)



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#### Bonuses



- [Style Guides by Government Agencies](https://digital.gov/resources/style-guides-by-government-agencies/) (U.S. General Services Administration)

- [The Elements of Style - Strunk & White](https://www.bartleby.com/lit-hub/the-elements-of-style/) (William Strunk, Jr.)

- [Psychology of Intelligence Analysis](https://www.ialeia.org/docs/Psychology_of_Intelligence_Analysis.pdf) (Richard J. Heuer, Jr.)

- [Writing Threat Intelligence and Context Providers](https://msticpy.readthedocs.io/en/latest/extending/WritingTIAndContextProviders.html) (MSTICPy - MISP)



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#### Contribute <3



There are little public resources about this specific topic. Please feel free to contribute on this project, either by sending a PR or shooting me an email at [email protected] with suggestions of additional resources.



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#### Stargazers over time



[![Stargazers over time](https://starchart.cc/mxm0z/awesome-intelligence-writing.svg)](https://starchart.cc/mxm0z/awesome-intelligence-writing)



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#### Disclaimer



I currently work as a Cyber Threat Intelligence Analyst but **I'm not an expert on intelligence writing**. I created this collection as part of my learning process of this essential topic and as a way to share and learn with the intelligence/cybersecurity community.