The following resources are available to help assist students with their communications goals.
A writing consultant is available to the HKS community to offer a variety of services from assisting students with policy memos, case analyses and other class assignments to helping seasoned writers polish drafts for publication. For more details or to make an appointment, see the Details & Appointments section.
A collection of writing, public speaking and digital communications resources curated from HKS communications program faculty, HKS workshop presenters, universities, and communications practitioners can be found below.
Writing Consultants (current and former HKS faculty)
During the academic year, writing consultants will offer a variety of services to the HKS community.
These free private one-on-one sessions led by current and former HKS faculty
can help you with:
- Assignments such as policy memos, case analyses, and op-eds
- Self-editing for clarity, concision, and style
- Presenting your ideas effectively to different audiences
- Improve style, structure, and argumentation
- Improve use of data and grammar
Regarding appointments, keep in mind:
- Writing consultants are not a copy editors or proofreaders.
- Consultants are not ESL Instructors. They can help international students with English grammar on a limited basis.
- Students must send material to be reviewed to Consultants at least 48 hours ahead of an appointment. Please include assignment or prompt when available.
- Last minute cancelations: If you need to cancel your appointment, please take your name off the schedule ASAP.
- Sign-up for WAITING LIST (found on Google Sheet tab of schedule) if you want to be notified of last minute cancelations. When possible, include the end date by which you need to have the meeting.
- No Shows: If a student misses 2 appointments and signs up for a 3rd, they will not be given priority.
- Drafts should be between 2-5 pages in length. Longer projects will require multiple meetings.
For appointments, sign-up on Google doc.
Writing Consultants:
Jerry Lanson, former HKS Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy
(Fall and Spring)
Online only
Jerry Lanson is a former HKS Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy where he taught "Feature Writing for Politics and Policy." Jerry was an associate professor of journalism at Emerson College and was a former acting and deputy city editor a the San Jose Mercury News.
Jerry will be available Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Schedule an appointment with Jerry Lanson here.
He can also be reached at jerrylanson@gmail.com, or by calling 781-799-7465.
Austin Bogues , HKS Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy
(Fall)
Austin Bogues is a politics editor at USA TODAY where he helps lead breaking news coverage of the 2024 campaign. Previously, he has served as commentary editor at the paper and has worked at local newspapers including the Asbury Park Press on the Jersey Shore, and the Daily Press Media Group in Hampton Roads, Va. He was a 2020-21 fellow with the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University. He is a 2008 graduate of Hampton University, in Hampton, Va., where he majored in Broadcast Journalism. In 2023, he graduated from the Harvard Divinity School with a Master of Religion and Public Life, where he concentrated on religious understandings of societal and political polarization.
James Geary , HKS Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy
(Spring)
James Geary is an Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School. He has also taught at Bennington College, Harvard Extension School, and Tufts University and has been an Ida Beam Visiting Professor at the University of Iowa. He is the former deputy curator of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard, where he edited Nieman Reports. Before joining the Nieman Foundation, he worked as a journalist in Europe for more than 20 years, including a decade with Time, where he was editor of the European edition of the magazine. Geary is the author of Wit's End: What Wit Is, How It Works, and Why We Need It, I Is an Other: The Secret Life of Metaphor and How It Shapes the Way We See the World, Geary's Guide to the World's Great Aphorists, the New York Times bestseller The World in a Phrase: A Brief History of the Aphorism, and The Body Electric: An Anatomy of The New Bionic Senses. He has performed, given talks and conducted writing workshops at, among other venues, TED, Live from the New York Public Library, the Bread Loaf Writer's Conference, the Sun Valley Writer’s Conference, the Edinburgh Book Festival, the Hay-on-Wye Festival, the Genoa Science Festival, the Chautauqua Institution and the Seoul Digital Forum.
Schedule an online or in-person appointment with James Geary here.
Public Speaking Consultant
A public speaking consultant is available to the HKS community to offer individual support and assistance for upcoming presentations and speeches.
Jill Slye (founder & principal of A Sounding Board, and an instructor in many Harvard Communities), is available to meet with HKS students. Meetings (online and in-person) are designed to be a safe space for students to practice, learn new techniques, and hone their public speaking skills.
For appointments, sign-up on Google doc.
Peer Writing Tutors
The HKS Library's Peer Writing Tutors are back! Trained by an HKS faculty member, Peer Writing Tutors provide individualized support for HKS students working on writing projects.
Peer Writing Tutors can help you:
- Self-edit for clarity, concision, and style
- Structure an argument to present your ideas effectively
Peer Writing Tutors are not copy editors or proofreaders, meaning they will not provide line-by-line editing on otherwise completed projects.
Peer Writing Tutors are available for in person or virtual appointments during the following times:
- Mondays, 3:00-5:00pm
- Wednesdays, 3:00-5:00pm
- Thursdays, 12:00-2:00pm
Writing Resources
- Becoming a Better Writer| Greg Harris
- 4 Quick Tips to Improve Your Business Writing | Lauren Brodsky
- Tips for Writing Analytic Research Papers| Marie Danziger
- The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition (University of Chicago Press, 2017).
- The Associated Press Stylebook (Basic Books, 2020).
- Fowler, H.W. A Dictionary of Modern English Usage, (Oxford University Press, 2004).
- Strunk, William, Jr., and E.B. White. The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition (Longman, 1999).
- Tarshis, Barry. Grammar for Smart People (Pocket Books, 1992).
- Warriner, John E., and Francis Griffith. English Grammar and Compositions, Complete Course (Harcourt Brace, 1963.)
- Zinsser, William. On Writing Well, 30th Anniversary Edition, (Harper Perennial, 2006).
- Basic Primer on Punctuation (*and click on Top Ten Tips)| thepunctuationguide.com
- Resources for Editors of Scholarly Journals: Editing 101 | University of Kansas Libraries
- Some Basic Guidelines for Starting to Edit | Jeffrey Seglin
- How to Edit Your Own Writing and Others | Greg Harris
- Using Reverse Outlines|Jeffrey Seglin
- Steps for Revising Your Paper| Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (OWL)
HKS Policycast with Lauren Brodsky and Todd Rogers
Making Data Meaningful | UN Economic Commission for Europe
- NEW! HKS Student Policy Review
- Guidelines for a Successful Op-Ed Pitch| Alex Green
- How to Pitch a Journal or Magazine Article | Greg Harris
- Sampling of Publication Outlets for Students | Jerry Lanson
- Publishing your Scholarship | Library
- Google-Top Publications (Public Policy & Administration) | Communications Program
- How to Write a Book Proposal | Sample Book Proposal |Greg Harris
- How to write a policy brief | IDRC - CRDI
- Policy Briefs | The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- HKS Policy Memo Resource website| Explore policy memos for the U.S. and abroad. Learn policy writing best practices and expectations.
- How to Write a Policy Memo | Lauren Brodsky
- How to Write a Policy Memo That Matters | The University of Chicago, Harris School of Public Policy
- Video - How to Write an Op-ed| Jeff Seglin
- How to Write an Op-ed| Jeff Seglin
- How to Write an Op-ed | Nick Kristof
- How to Write an Op-Ed, Classic Op-Ed Structure | Jeff Seglin
- CALL TO ACTION: How Write Op-eds that inspire Change | Alex Green
- Make Better Arguments, Including in Your Op-eds | Scott Jennings
- Guidelines for a Successful Op-Ed Pitch| Alex Green
- How to Complete a Group Writing Assignment over Zoom, Fast Company, 12/2020| Lauren Brodsky, HKS Lecturer
- Writing Group Essays | Thompson Writing Program, Duke University
- Collaborative Writing Strategies | UNA Center for Writing and Excellence
- Group Writing | The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Collaborative Writing Resources | UCONN Writing Center
- Six Tips for Effective Writing Groups | Faculty Focus
- PAE Handbook| Harvard Kennedy School
- Award Winning PAE's | Harvard Kennedy School
- To Find Past HKS PAE's or SYPA's| Harvard Kennedy School
- Structuring Your PAE or SYPA as a White Paper or Briefing Book| Communications Program
- Structuring a PAE or SYPA | Luci Herman
- Writing White Papers for Impact | Steven Strauss
- Guidelines for Successful Policy Analyses | Marie Danziger
- How to Write an Executive Summary| Lauren Brodsky
- Briefing Book Guide| Communications Program
- Criteria for Effective Briefing Books| Communications Program
- Generic Components of Briefing Books| Communications Program
Harvard Kennedy School has published very clear guidelines regarding the need to cite words and ideas you have borrowed from other sources. Please review the HKS Academic Code for information regarding citations.
The Harvard Kennedy School Library's Citation Style Guide & Tools links to resources including the American Psychological Association (APA) format, and information for citing web resources.
Public Speaking Resources
Join Harvard's Crimson Toastmasters and gain public speaking experience and feedback.
Members meet the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month.
To find out more, visit their website -
Crimson Toastmasters Club (toastmastersclubs.org)
- Advocating a Controversial Position |Marie Danziger
- Articulating a Vision or Mission |Marie Danziger
- Campaigning for Election |Marie Danziger
- Guidelines for Consensus-Building |Marie Danziger
- Guidelines for Interactive Persuasion |Marie Danziger
- How To Be Persuasive |Marie Danziger
- Stand Up: How to Advocate for Your Ideas, Compel and Audience, and Make them Laugh | Terri Trespicio
- How to Deal with a Hostile Audience | Holly Weeks
- Delivering Bad News | Holly Weeks
- How to Give a Successful Press Conference | Pete Wilson
- Communicating in a Crisis | Genevieve Fraser
- Building Trust | Marie Danziger
- Creating a Speaker Persona | Holly Weeks
- Dealing with Emotion | Marie Danziger
- Five Steps towards More Successful Public Speaking | Marie Danziger
- Fly-Swatter Techniques | Marie Danziger
- How Listeners Think | Marie Danziger
- Introduction to Public Speaking | Holly Weeks
- Markers for Public Speaking | Marie Danziger
- Mental Models for Public Speaking | Marie Danziger
- Some Characteristics of Eloquence | Marie Danziger
- Some Thoughts about Expressing Values | Marie Danziger
- Some Rhetorical Uses of Metaphor | Marie Danziger
- Ten Ways To Generate New Ideas | Marie Danziger
- The First 60 Seconds | Marie Danziger
- User-Friendly Speech Frameworks | Holly Weeks
- Speaking with Clarity | Genevieve Fraser
- Be a Media Influencer | Terri Trespicio
Digital Communications & Social Media Resources
- Designing High-Impact Data Visualizations Slides | Hong Qu
- Data Storytelling Resources | John Wihbey
- Design Principles for Data Visualization | Jess Cohen-Tanugi
- A Quick Guide to Using Audacity | Ken Gagne
- Blog Like a Journalist: Establishing Your Voice in the Digital Age | Dan Kennedy
Channeling Frustration to Change the World | Ashley Spillane
- Documentary Production | Franco Sacchi
- Tips for Shooting Video B-Roll and Cut Aways | Franco Sacchi
ESL Resources
The Communications Program is not designed to replace English as a Second Language (ESL) courses, but if in-depth assistance is desired, there are a few services available locally:
- Academic Resource Center (ARC) at Harvard University - ESL Consultations
- The Cambridge Center for Adult Education on Brattle Street offers short, intense ESL assistance.
These websites also contain useful ESL resources:
- EdX Course - English Grammar and Style
- Improve your English grammar, essay and persuasive writing with this introductory college writing course.
- EdX Course - Rhetoric: The Art of Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking
- Gain critical communication skills in writing and public speaking with this introduction to American political rhetoric.
- Purdue University: ESL-specific exercises
- University of Richmond Writing Center.
- UMass-Boston open courseware course for free on Critical Reading and Writing.
- MIT open courseware course for free on Writing and Reading the Essay.