Avoiding Gender Identity and Racial Bias in Reference Writing

Awareness is Key

Racial and gender identity bias may manifest in subtle and unintended ways in reference writing. It is therefore important to be aware of common pitfalls and approach the writing process mindfully.

Tip: Take note of how you are describing a student. Would you write in the same way for a student of a different racial or gender identity?

Be aware that students for whom you are writing references may have various ways of expressing their own gender identity. For some, gender identity corresponds to the sex they were registered at birth. For others, it does not, and they may see gender identity as more of a spectrum than a binary.

Note: An important first step is always to have a conversation with your student about their application and materials. You will want to discuss with them:

• their preferred name and pronouns
• how they intend to present themselves in their application (view copies of resume and application materials, if possible)
• how they hope to be represented in your letter(s) of recommendation (projects you have undertaken together, leaderhship roles you have witnessed, etc)
• any elements of their identity the student is choosing to disclose or not disclose in the application materials
• how salient the student's identity is to this particular process

There is no expectation that you know every single detail about your own students’ identity or about gender dynamics. The “Good Practice Guidelines” are gathered with the intent of keeping you aware of some implicit gender and racial biases in the hopes that you can avoid them when writing on your students’ behalf.

Good Practice Guidelines

Reference research and publications

Mention publications and, where possible, make multiple references to research. Include these critical accomplishments in every letter.

Keep letter length in mind

Longer letters are not always better, but keep in mind that letters for men are traditionally longer than letters for women and People of Color (POC). Are you writing the same amount you would write for a student of any gender and racial identity?

Emphasize accomplishments, not effort

Make sure to mention the accomplishments of your student (“their research”, “her skills”, “his career”) more than adjectives that just describe effort. For example, “hard-working” associates with effort, but not ability.

Keep it professional

Personal life isn’t usually relevant to the application or the applicant's success unless there are personal circumstances that may have impacted their academic or professional success. In general, err on the side of professionalism, and always discuss with the student what they have/have not disclosed and what the focus of their application materials is. Use formal titles and surnames for any gender.

Stay away from stereotypes

Be mindful of whether the adjectives you choose to describe the student evoke gender-based and/or racial stereotypes.

FAQ: Words matter.

Consider the two lists of adjectives below. Be mindful in how and when you use words from the first list, and consider the second list for helpful alternatives.

Adjectives to Reconsider	Adjectives to Include
Caring	Successful
Compassionate	Excellent
Hard-working	Accomplished
Conscientious	Outstanding
Dependable	Skilled
Diligent	Knowlegeable
Dedicated	Insightful
Tactful	Resourceful
Interpersonal	Confident
Warm	Ambitious
Helpful	Intellectual

Be careful raising doubt

You want to be honest in your reference, but negative or irrelevant comments can add doubt where it isn’t needed (ex: mentioning a “challenging personality” or that “this student will become better than average”). This especially happens in letters for non-male identifying applicants and POC. Don’t add doubt unless you feel it is necessary!

We all share bias

It is important to remember that implicit gender and racial bias is present in people of all identities. Therefore, these tips can be useful for all of us in solving this age-old problem.

This page has been created with help from multiple sources, including the University of Arizona's Avoiding Gender Bias in Reference Writing; NPR's A Guide to Gender Identity Terms; and Kim Lab's Avoiding Racial Bias in Reference Writing.