5 good reasons that you can’t outsource being a good writer, no matter what job you have
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5 good reasons that you can’t outsource being a good writer, no matter what job you have

If you’re a technical writer, marketing copywriter, or analyst, your job revolves around writing. Of course you need to write well. But why does it matter for the rest of the working world? I was recently at an innovation-focused gathering and got into a conversation with a public relations professional. When I explained what “Writing…

The hidden mental models behind the fight over the Oxford comma

The hidden mental models behind the fight over the Oxford comma

A nasty, permanent spat burns in the heart of analysts of the English language. It’s the fight over the need for the Oxford or serial comma — for example, do you really need the final comma in the phrase “passive voice, weasel words, and jargon”? Now that a court in Maine has decided a case based on the…

The Insight Debate: Words vs. Numbers

The Insight Debate: Words vs. Numbers

Moderator: Welcome to the first Insight Debate of 2017. We’ll be hearing from two distinguished purveyors of knowledge, Words and Numbers. I’m Professor Insight, your moderator. Let’s begin. On my left, I’d like to introduce Words. Since the dawn of communication — and certainly since the dawn of written communication over 5000 years ago — words have…

The best way to create a footnote or citation in print or online (Ask Dr. Wobs)
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The best way to create a footnote or citation in print or online (Ask Dr. Wobs)

Here’s my fully-optimized technique for referencing sources, developed over many years of authoring. (Yes, I am a huge book nerd.) You get to read it thanks to today’s reader question: Dear Dr. Wobs, What is the best way to cite sources or give notes in a blog or book? What format do you use to cite sources/notes…

Preparation is the key to a great research interview (Ask Dr. Wobs)
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Preparation is the key to a great research interview (Ask Dr. Wobs)

Preparation is the key to a successful research interview. Deliberate planning makes sure your time isn’t wasted — which is the concern expressed in today’s reader question. Dear Dr. Wobs: Good analysis requires research: analyzing data and interviewing people. I know how to make my research data sing. But how do I prepare for and conduct…

Fat outlines help you write without anxiety (Ask Dr. Wobs)
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Fat outlines help you write without anxiety (Ask Dr. Wobs)

When you’ve completed most of the research for a writing project, but before writing, you should create a “zeroth draft” — a fat outline. Fat outlines are both easy and helpful, functioning as an onramp to your writing process. But as today’s Ask Dr. Wobs question shows, fat outlines are unfamiliar to people. Dear Dr. Wobs: What…

The Edelman Trust Barometer shows how we’ve driven into a ditch
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The Edelman Trust Barometer shows how we’ve driven into a ditch

We are living in a portentous moment, characterized by distrust in our leaders and institutions. But what’s the context — is it measurably worse now, and what does it mean? The global communications firm Edelman has released its 2017 edition of the Edelman Trust Barometer, a global survey on exactly these topics. Edelman clearly and evocatively…