How to Get Started

Select a topic. This may be narrowed down by your Capstone Instructor, Principal Investigator, or NGA reviewers and experts.

Formulate Your Research Plan

• Topic statement (1-2 sentences describing your topic and area of interest)
• Application of GEOINT in your research
• Estimated timeline for research and written production completion
• Please email your proposed topic and short research plan or manuscript to the Tearline team

Contact Information

tearline@nga.mil

Tearline Hardcopy Brochure

Download a PDF copy of Tearline submission instructions as well as the features and benefits of publishing in Tearline to post in school common areas or pass out at conferences or classes.

Tearline and Quality Writing

Tearline has a large and diverse audience. In addition to internal usage inside the federal government, Tearline has a sizeable external audience that also cites and consumes its transparent content. For example, the LA Times, Bloomberg Businessweek, Yahoo News, Newsweek, Foreign Affairs, Wired, and others have cited Tearline articles. Since Tearline's audience is large and diverse, quality content written to the "educated outsider" is essential to its success.

For writers and authors with less experience with professional and technical writing such as college students, before your topic submission, please review this presentation on quality writing titled "Writing Good." This presentation contains tips and lessons on thesis statement development, active voice construction, coherence, cohesion, clarity, concision, and audience assumptions.