As reference requests for graduates appear in our inboxes, I thought I’d share this one page poster on “Avoiding Gender Bias in Reference Writing”.  I find it a useful aide memoire when writing a reference and reducing gender-biased language that might (unconsciously) creep into my letters.  We know to ‘emphasise accomplishments’ and ‘avoid giving personal information’ in our references (which are highlighted in the document).  However, based on research that underpins the content of this poster I’m also avoiding the use of adjectives such as ‘hard-working’, ‘diligent’ and ‘conscientious’ to describe women graduates which perpetuate stereotypes and can be potentially damaging to their selection. If you find yourself describing your women graduates in this way, “Avoiding Gender Bias in Reference Writing” has a useful list of alternative ‘adjectives to include’ such as ‘accomplished’, ‘knowledgeable’ and ‘resourceful’.  Check it out…!