Instructions for Writing Summaries
A) Summaries should be written in a Google Document and (usually) include the following:
1) Basic background on the issue, including specific constitutional amendments, legislation/programs, etc.- Example: “Climate change is currently one of the most debated topics in American politics and is defined by NASA as “a change in the usual weather found in a place” and/or “a change in the Earth's climate.””
2) The contested points of the issue
- Example: “Most of the debate centers around whether climate changed is caused or enhanced by human activity or not.”
3) The reasoning for both sides of the argument and the current status of the debate.
- Example: “Those who contest initiatives aiming to combat climate change tend to view such efforts as harmful to businesses and the economy and/or an overreach by the federal government. Those who support these initiatives often argue that they will improve the economy and human health in the long term.”
Note: Most issues should include all three of these components, but some such as “2016 Presidential Election” may not. “2016 Presidential Election” isn't really even an issue so much as it is a topic. Featured Issues that are more topical may not involve points 2 and 3 but almost every selected issue/topic should involve point 1.
B) Using third party resources
1) In your summaries, try to include relevant statistics and factual information where possible.- Example: “defined by NASA as “a change in the usual weather found in a place” and/or “a change in the Earth's climate.””
- Example: “According to 2014 Department of Homeland Security estimates, roughly 11 million undocumented immigrants are living in the United States.”
- Example: “The second amendment states that "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."”
2) Common resources for third party information
- Government websites (Government Archives, NASA, NOAA, etc.)
- Our partners (Politifact, Factcheck, Open Secrets, etc.)
- Special interest group mission statements (Vote Smart)
- Polls (Gallup, Pew, etc.)
- National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)
C) Things to avoid
1) Dating the issue: state the date of stats, for instance, such that the description does not become untrue at a later point2) Associating parties with stances on issues
D) Proofreading/approving summaries
Summaries should be proofread for grammatical errors, spelling errors, and partisanship first by the Director of Research, then the Development and Communications department. They are very subject to accidental partisanship. Researchers should make sure to be as objective as possible and be very careful as to not display any unintended bias. Summaries are subject to final approval by the National Director (as of August 2016).E) Submitting summaries
Summaries should be converted to .csv format (one column for title and one column for text) and submitted to IT using mantis. If you don’t already have an account, create one.F) Other notes
1) Summaries should be no longer than 1,000 characters in length.2) Summaries should be in layman’s terms, or roughly at a 7th grade reading level.
