CIA Analyst Training Handbook (2000) [pdf]

It's mostly a style guide for writing short essays that will be read by decision-makers who are too busy to read. In reading over it, I felt like I it reminded me 50 times to lead with your bottom-line main point.

Also, be wary of any word with more than three syllables.

Best part I found were some sentences an editor had yanked out. Here are a couple (editor comments in parens):

"Production units that grow food." (Farms?)

"Inhabitants of food-deficient countries." (Hungry people?)

EDIT: *had yanked out of various analyst drafts

thearn4• 13 years ago

It doesn't seem too different in scope from the Army's intel analyst course at Ft. Huachuca. At least the reporting aspects of the job.

jakarta• 13 years ago

A better read: Psychology of Intelligence Analysis

by Richards J. Heuer, Jr.

https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intellig...

This volume pulls together and republishes, with some editing, updating, and additions, articles written during 1978-86 for internal use within the CIA Directorate of Intelligence. The information is relatively timeless and still relevant to the never-ending quest for better analysis. The articles are based on reviewing cognitive psychology literature concerning how people process information to make judgments on incomplete and ambiguous information. Richard Heur has selected the experiments and findings that seem most relevant to intelligence analysis and most in need of communication to intelligence analysts. He then translates the technical reports into language that intelligence analysts can understand and interpreted the relevance of these findings to the problems intelligence analysts face.

jtnl• 13 years ago

thanks!

lasermike026• 13 years ago

This can't be serious. We are so screwed.

gerberduffy• 13 years ago

Page 1: "One plus one equals three!"

testsheep• 13 years ago

So I am guessing that we have some people that collect data, and then others that sort through all that. God that job would suck so bad. They get to look through trash for treasure. They are pretty much dumpster divers. If I had that job, I would quit on my first day.

njharman• 13 years ago

There are people who dumpster dive for fun.

fit2rule• 13 years ago

I dumpster dive because I think its utterly criminal to throw away perfectly working equipment. Revive, recycle, re-use!

{A whole lotta oil-debt can be paid back with a return trip from the dump and a bit of patience..}

The info-gathering nature of dumpster diving still impresses me, 40 years later. Peoples' trash-cans are an open door to their rear-end, if ya know what I mean .. Don't forget to WIPE, people!

steveplace• 13 years ago

Here's a fun read from the CIA

https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intellig...

antimora• 13 years ago

I like a lot of bullet points in this document.

hacknat• 13 years ago

My least favorite bullet point:

"And we are not historians"

No shit.

kumarski2• 13 years ago

yawn. I was hoping for something with a little bit more kick.

for example:

If you enter a room, identify the tallest and shortest people, the number of exits, their dimensions, and utilize any reflective surfaces to make this possible without dying.

It seems an analyst is a paper-pusher.

klapinat0r• 13 years ago

I think you're confusing analyst with field agents.

The information you mention could be in an analysis though, but not the techniques for aquiring it.

One is writing intelligence (this), the other is gathering and collecting intel in the field (covert ops etc.)

kumarski2• 13 years ago

good point. argh.

CIA Analyst Training Handbook (2000) [pdf]

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