reducing image sizes

[Ghost in the Shell]

i know its been covered before but i am having problems when i reduce the size of my images. im not talking about the data size but the resolution. my RAW images are in 3072x2040 and when i say downsize to a smaller res they tend to end up looking crap - i have tried the sharpen tool in CS but often i think it makes things worse. what i seem to have is a reduction in clarity (like when you zoom into an image at say 125%-150%) lines look jagged etc.

so what can you guys suggest to help. i have a nice picture to submit in the competition but after altering the RAW levels in CS and then trying to resize it it ends up looking far worse than the original... would like some help before the deadline ideally so i can submit a good entry.

thanks

 

[ChroniC]

http://www.worth1000.com/tutorial.asp?sid=161115