Without a simple, defined structure for good writing it can be difficult for an individual to be confident of his or her writing ability. The Six-Trait Writing Method, developed by Spandel and Stiggins in 1990 at the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NRWEL), outlines how teachers could teach students "specific criteria for writing." The method has been found effective in teaching students not only how to use this criteria to consistently evaluate their own writing, but to improve their own perceptions of their writing skills. The six basic traits of effective writing have been identified as: ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions. Recently, another trait, "presentation," has been added to form the 6+1 traits of writing. This topical bibliography and commentary reviews some research studies on the six traits. The bibliography/commentary finds that the Six-Trait Writing Method is a reliable reference to guide a writer through the demanding task of writing well, as well as improving his/her skills and confidence as a writer. It also finds that the model is an effective tool to assess students' writing and to scaffold students' writing skills in a systematic manner. Lists 4 Internet resources and 9 references. (NKA)