Original Source: D. McCloskey, "Economical Writing," Economic Inquiry 23(April 1985): 187-222.
This version: Thomas L. Wyrick, The Economist's Handbook: A Research and Writing Guide. Minneapolis/St. Paul: West Publishing, 1994, p. 65.
Absolutely no one is impressed by a sentence they cannot understand. The quality of your economic logic is what counts, not big words or complicated sentences.
Easy writing makes difficult reading. Revise your words if you want others to read them.
Cut material no matter how brilliant you consider it, if it does not advance the topic of your paper.
When possible, place the main idea (emphasis) of each sentence at its end.
Once you have stated in direct terms what you intend to do in your paper, do it. Many of the things that people write do not move the discussion along to its ultimate objective, but merely take up space.
Delete the word "is" whenever possible and rewrite the sentence using an active verb.
Discuss the supply and demand for gasoline, rather than the supply and demand for good X.
It is far better to repeat a word than to use synonyms and confuse your reader. Repetition of important terms adds cohesion to your writing.
Doublets are two words that mean essentially the same thing, used alongside each other in a sentence. Using the same ideas or phrases when a single or solitary one would do is a certain and sure-fire way of writing an unreadable and confusing report. Pick the best word and use it; do not say everything twice.
In most cases "the" will do nicely. Instead of saying "this," try repeating the word it represents instead.