Writing with Sweet Clarity

In this book, criminologist and experienced educator John E. Eck draws on decades of academic and professional writing experience to provide an analytical toolkit for clear professional writing. This book focuses on the essential objective of clarity, and addresses topics seldom addressed in other books, such as ethics beyond plagiarism; writing with co-authors; organizing complex ideas; using analytics to improve writing; crafting strong beginnings and endings; using examples and metaphors; and integrating tables, charts, and diagrams. As universities continue to demand writing-intensive courses in the social sciences, this book is indispensable in university settings and throughout a professional career. The reader will use the practical advice, examples, and exercises in this book to master a method for clear writing unimpaired by stereotypical academic jargon. The book will help both new and seasoned researchers seeking to translate their work into a clear and accessible presentation for both professional and lay audiences. Designed for and field-tested with graduate and advanced undergraduate students, this lively and easy-to-read book will work for courses taught in criminology, sociology, geography, and other social sciences, and will enable scholars to extend and broaden the impact of their research.

John E. Eck is a Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati. There he teaches courses in policing, crime prevention, and writing. He also studies and writes about ways to reduce crime at extreme crime places. John received his master's of public policy from the University of Michigan and his PhD. in criminology at the University of Maryland. Before joining academia, John led the research operations at the Police Executive Research Forum in Washington, DC. He then headed the evaluation unit at the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. His writing appears in over 150 books, chapters, journal articles, and prescriptive guides for the police, public, and researchers around the globe. In 2001, John assisted the United State District Court, Southern District of Ohio, in developing the Cincinnati Collaborative Agreement. This agreement is a blueprint to reduce police-community conflict and violence. He and his wife live in Ohio and Maine, where he enjoys stone sculpting.

PART I - THINKING ABOUT WRITING; 1. Introduction; 2. The Ethics of Useful Writing; 3. A Writing Process; PART II - PREPARING TO WRITE; 4. Writing with Others; 5. Getting Started; PART III - WRITING; 6. Order; 7. Words; 8. Sentences; 9. Paragraphs and Longer Passages; 10. Examples, Analogies, and Related Matters; 11. Beginnings; 12. Endings; PART IV - WHEN WORDS ARE NOT ENOUGH; 13. Tables; 14. Graphs; 15. Diagrams; PART V: REWRITING & REVISING; 16. Editing; 17. Reviews; PART VI - THE END OF THE BEGINNING; 18. Future