Thread by @LNivisonSmith

Grants 💰
Job applications 📝
Award nominations 🏅

They can all hinge on a great recommendation letter

But no one tells you how to write one

Writing a winning recommendation letter, a thread 🧵

@AcademicChatter @OpenAcademics

Confirm you're appropriate

Recommendations reflect your relationship with the applicant. Before you write, make sure they know your view this

❌️ I’ll write you a letter

✅️ I'll write you a letter but it will only comment on your clinical work. Is that ok?

Define your relationship

Specify the type and length your relationship in the letter. This shows you have the authority to make recommendations

❌️ I work with person X

✅️ I've known person X for 5 years: as their PhD supervisor from 2018-20 then mentor from 2020 to now.

Quote assessment criteria

Make it as easy as possible for the reader to see how your recommendation is relevant to the scheme/position

❌️ Person X led the innovative project

✅️ Person X led the project, exemplifing the award criteria of "strong commitment to innovation"

Give specific examples

Instead of just listing traits of the applicant, use examples to show the applicant can apply these to relevant situations

❌️ Person X excels at teamwork

✅️ "Person X quickly made online channels so the team could communicate effectively while WFH

Objective over subjective evidence

Metrics are easier to visualise and more impactful than subjective descriptions of the applicant

❌️ Person X is an enthusiastic teacher

✅️ Person X increased student responses by 23% in only 4 weeks

Confirm eligibility

This builds trust in your recommendation as you have done due diligence. It also ensures you don't accidentally endorse ineligible applications.

❌️ <no comment>

✅️ "I confirm Person X meets the criteria of having a PhD and being a US citizen.

TL/DR

Writing recommendation letters

1. Confirm you're appropriate
2. Define your relationship
3. Quote assessment criteria
4. Give specific examples
5. Objective > Subjective
6. Confirm eligibility

If you enjoyed this thread, please RT the first tweet.

And follow me @LNivisonSmith if you are interested in

- macular degeneration research
- #WomeninSTEM
- #scicomm
- general musings from a mother trying to survive a career in #Academia