Awesome Intelligence Writing
December 4, 2025 · View on GitHub
Awesome Intelligence Writing
A curated collection of resources on Intelligence Writing
Good intelligence depends in large measure on clear, concise writing. — CIA
Contents
- Official Manuals & Guides
- Articles & Blog Posts
- Quick Tips
- Guides
- Videos & Talks
- Podcasts
- Presentations
- Books
- Trainings & Courses
- Bonus Resources
- Contributing
📋 Official Manuals & Guides
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| Style Manual & Writers Guide for Intelligence Publications | The foundational CIA style guide |
| Analytic Thinking and Presentation for Intelligence Producers | Guide on analytical presentation |
| Thinking and Writing: Cognitive Science and Intelligence Analysis | Cognitive approach to intel writing |
| CIA - IC Writing Style (2017) | Updated IC writing style guide |
Articles about CIA's Style Manual
- Writing Tips from the CIA's Ruthless Style Manual — Quartz
- The CIA style guide goes online: now you can learn to write like a spy — The Guardian
- The CIA Released Their Style Guide, and It's Absolutely Fascinating — HubSpot
- Mission Grammatical: CIA Has 185-Page Writing Style Book — ABC News
- The CIA and the Power of Words — Hyperallergic
- 11 Grammar Lessons From a Leaked CIA Style Book — Mental Floss
Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)
| Resource | Source |
|---|---|
| DIA's Style Manual for Intelligence Production | Government Attic |
| DIA's Style Manual for Intelligence Production | DIA Official |
Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI)
| Document | Description |
|---|---|
| ICD 203 - Analytic Standards | Standards for analytic products |
| ICD 206 - Sourcing Requirements | Requirements for sourcing in disseminated products |
| ICD 208 - Maximizing Utility of Analytic Products | Guidance on product utility |
U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence
Department of Justice (DOJ)
Mercyhurst College - Institute for Intelligence Studies
📝 Articles & Blog Posts
Analyst Perspectives
| Article | Author |
|---|---|
| How You Can Write Like An Intelligence Analyst | Zachery Tyson Brown |
| Intelligence Analysis Tradecraft 101: Writing Effective Intelligence | Thomas Carey |
| A Quick Start Guide to Writing Intelligence Analysis | Meaghan Gruppo |
Intelligence 101 Series
- My Fool Proof Process to Writing a Killer Intelligence Brief
- The Three Skills Every Successful Intelligence Analyst Needs To Master
- The Ultimate Guide to Writing Intelligence Reports — with templates & examples
Academic Resources
- Intelligence Writing — Pennsylvania State University
- Writing a Brief — Pennsylvania State University
- How Intelligence Analysts Can Improve Critical Thinking and Writing Skills — American Military University
Cyber Threat Intelligence
- Top 10 Cybersecurity Writing Mistakes — Lenny Zeltser
- How You Can Write Better Threat Reports — Lenny Zeltser
- Structuring Cyber Threat Intelligence Assessments — Robert M. Lee
- Writing a report: the BLUF framework in Intelligence Analysis — Giuliano Bifolchi
Academic Papers
- Write Like a Spy: Using U.S. Intelligence Guidelines to Reinforce Predictive Legal Writing — Joe Fore
- Intelligence Analysis Reports: A How-to Writing Guide — Sandra Webb
💡 Quick Tips
- 6 Intelligence Writing Tips — GadIntel (Angie Gad)
📖 Guides
- How To Write Like An Intelligence Analyst — Thea Gioe (West Point Writing Program)
💬 Discussions
🎬 Videos & Talks
| Title | Speaker | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Threat Intel for Everyone: Writing Like A Journalist | Selena Larson | 33 min |
| Hack the Reader: Writing Effective Threat Reports | Lenny Zeltser | 37 min |
| Pen-To-Paper and The Finished Report | Christian Paredes | 33 min |
| Writing Meaningful Threat Intel Reports in MISP | MISP Project | 2h 30min |
| Writing Open Source Intelligence Reports | Mossé Cyber Security Institute | 3 min |
| Dissemination of Intelligence | Steve Barry | 28 min |
| Writing With Clarity: Simple Steps | Darren Pauli (AusCERT) | 39 min |
🎧 Podcasts
- How to Keep Finished Intelligence Fresh — Recorded Future
📊 Presentations & Slides
- How to Create Meaningful Intelligence Reports — Daniel Barnes & Mary Clawson
📚 Books
🎓 Trainings & Courses
Professional Training
| Course | Provider |
|---|---|
| Threat Intelligence Writing | Threat Intelligence Academy |
| Reporting for Analysts | I-Intelligence |
| Analytic Writing, Reporting, Briefs, and Dissemination | Treadstone71 |
Government Training (FedLearn)
- Introduction to Analytic Tradecraft Writing
- Writing to the Analytic Tradecraft Standards I
- Writing to the Analytic Tradecraft Standards II
University Programs
| Course | Institution |
|---|---|
| Critical Thinking and Writing for Intelligence Analysts | ISR University |
| INTSTDS 5703 - Thinking and Writing: a Practicum | Ohio State University |
| Critical Thinking and Analytic Writing for the IC | Rutgers University |
| HSEC 462: Intelligence Analysis Research Methods & Writing | Campbell University |
🎁 Bonus Resources
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| Style Guides by Government Agencies | U.S. General Services Administration |
| The Elements of Style | Strunk & White — Classic writing guide |
| Psychology of Intelligence Analysis | Richard J. Heuer, Jr. |
| Writing Threat Intelligence and Context Providers | MSTICPy Documentation |
🤝 Contributing
There are limited public resources on this specific topic. Contributions are welcome!
Ways to contribute:
- Submit a Pull Request with new resources
- Open an Issue with suggestions
- Email suggestions to:
intelwriting.fm7ja@passinbox.com
Please ensure your submissions follow the existing format and are relevant to intelligence writing.
📈 Stargazers
Disclaimer
I 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 and as a way to share with the intelligence/cybersecurity community.