From the guide
News & guidance
Notes on choosing a prompt, meeting the rubric, and preparing for Defense Day.
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Three Analytical Frameworks That Turn an HIR Essay Into an Argument (2026)
Levels of analysis, structured comparison and mechanism tracing: three international-relations frameworks that give an HIR Contest essay real analytical spine in under 1,200 words.
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The 7-Week HAWC Summer Cycle Plan: A Week-by-Week Schedule to the Aug. 31 Deadline (2026)
August 31 is exactly seven weeks away. A week-by-week working schedule for the HIR Academic Writing Contest Summer cycle: research, drafting, revision and final QA.
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Citing Sources in an AP-Style HIR Essay: Attribution Without Footnotes, Inside 1,200 Words (2026)
AP Style has no footnotes, so HIR essays cite in the sentence. How in-text attribution works, building a lean reference list, and the citation mistakes that cost credibility.
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Scoping ‘Global Culture in the Digital Era’: How to Narrow a Broad HIR Theme Into One Defensible Thesis (2026)
HIR's Senior Theme A is enormous. Use a five-step funnel to turn 'Global Culture in the Digital Era' into a narrow, defensible thesis that fits 1,200 words.
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From First Draft to 55-Point-Ready: An HIR Essay Revision System for Non-Native Writers (2026)
A five-pass revision protocol for ESL students: fix structure, sharpen analysis, clean AP Style and US spelling, and stay on the right side of HIR's AI ban.
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How to Choose an HIR Topic by Discipline: Using the 13 Categories to Scope a Defensible Essay (2026)
HIR lists 13 subject categories. Use a discipline lens to narrow a broad theme into one defensible topic, plus which angles travel for China-based writers.
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Anatomy of a Winning HIR Paragraph: How to Turn Evidence Into Analysis (2026)
HIR scores 'use of evidence' and 'analysis of evidence' separately. Dissect the five-move paragraph that wins both, so you stop describing and start analysing.