Tips for writing a good recommendation letter
Bias exists in letters of recommendation, and it is reflected in the language used to describe and evaluate different candidates for countless opportunities in academia. Professional organizations are becoming more aware of this issue, and are pursuing avenues to address it. This paper discusses the...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspas.2023.1114821/full |
| _version_ | 1797943939722903552 |
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| author | Angeline G. Burrell McArthur Jones Kate A. Zawdie John C. Coxon Alexa J. Halford |
| author_facet | Angeline G. Burrell McArthur Jones Kate A. Zawdie John C. Coxon Alexa J. Halford |
| author_sort | Angeline G. Burrell |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Bias exists in letters of recommendation, and it is reflected in the language used to describe and evaluate different candidates for countless opportunities in academia. Professional organizations are becoming more aware of this issue, and are pursuing avenues to address it. This paper discusses the type of information, that is, useful to have on hand when writing a recommendation letter, the structure of the letter, a process to follow for proof reading, when to say no, a compilation of additional resources, and tips for people asking for recommendation letters. Specifically, we discuss common grammar mistakes, the purpose of each portion of the letter, and ways conscious and unconscious bias can influence wording and structure. This paper is intended to provide a single place where people can go to learn all of the basics needed to write a strong recommendation letter, as currently available letter writing resources in the space physics community tend to focus on one aspect of letter writing. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T20:32:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b1469e9343494e99867e26bbc7abfa20 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-987X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T20:32:03Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-b1469e9343494e99867e26bbc7abfa202023-01-25T05:50:31ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences2296-987X2023-01-011010.3389/fspas.2023.11148211114821Tips for writing a good recommendation letterAngeline G. Burrell0McArthur Jones1Kate A. Zawdie2John C. Coxon3Alexa J. Halford4Space Science Division, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, United StatesSpace Science Division, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, United StatesSpace Science Division, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, United StatesDepartment of Mathematics, Physics, and Electrical Engineering, Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United KingdomIonospheric, Thermospheric, Mesospheric Laboratory, Heliophysics Division, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA, Greenbelt, MD, United StatesBias exists in letters of recommendation, and it is reflected in the language used to describe and evaluate different candidates for countless opportunities in academia. Professional organizations are becoming more aware of this issue, and are pursuing avenues to address it. This paper discusses the type of information, that is, useful to have on hand when writing a recommendation letter, the structure of the letter, a process to follow for proof reading, when to say no, a compilation of additional resources, and tips for people asking for recommendation letters. Specifically, we discuss common grammar mistakes, the purpose of each portion of the letter, and ways conscious and unconscious bias can influence wording and structure. This paper is intended to provide a single place where people can go to learn all of the basics needed to write a strong recommendation letter, as currently available letter writing resources in the space physics community tend to focus on one aspect of letter writing.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspas.2023.1114821/fullrecommendation lettersbiasequityinclusionspace physics |
| spellingShingle | Angeline G. Burrell McArthur Jones Kate A. Zawdie John C. Coxon Alexa J. Halford Tips for writing a good recommendation letter Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences recommendation letters bias equity inclusion space physics |
| title | Tips for writing a good recommendation letter |
| title_full | Tips for writing a good recommendation letter |
| title_fullStr | Tips for writing a good recommendation letter |
| title_full_unstemmed | Tips for writing a good recommendation letter |
| title_short | Tips for writing a good recommendation letter |
| title_sort | tips for writing a good recommendation letter |
| topic | recommendation letters bias equity inclusion space physics |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspas.2023.1114821/full |
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