Group Writing

Writing can be challenging under any circumstances, but group writing, like anything we do in a group, presents unique challenges involving communication, timing, and maintaining a consistent tone throughout the document.

At the same time, working in a group can be a great way to bring ideas to the page.

We recommend planning, assigning different people to different sections as needed, capitalizing on each author’s strength, and having one or two people (as well as an outside set of eyes) view the document as a whole when you are ready. For an NPS-specific overview with tips, please see our "Writing in Teams" materials (slides).

For more on the benefits and challenges of group writing, please see the following links. 
 

Group Writing Links

• Video (1:06) on online collaboration: "Real-Time Collaboration in the Online Classroom," former U.S. Army Major Brad Bertinot, from Military Times
• Handout (printable): "Group Writing," UNC Chapel Hill Writing Center
• Webpage (printable, 2 pages): "Collaborative Writing Strategies," University of North Alabama
• Video (4:17): "Group Writing," James Madison University Writing Center, part one of a series
• NPS thesis: "Play Well with Others: Improvisational Theater and the Homeland Security Environment," Andrew Phelps, 2009
• We also recommend searching for "collaboration" in the NPS thesis archive to learn more about NPS-specific applications.