The Writing Place

Joe Blow is a PhD student working under advisor Martin Nero. His interests are in 20th Chinese History with a specialization in civil rights. Through an examination of police torture in Chengdu and the political resistance it inspired, his ongoing dissertation work explores the role of local law enforcement in inspiring the Communist Revolution. Joe has a Bachelor’s degree in History from the University of South Carolina, an MA in social science from the University of Chicago, and an MA in History from Northwestern.

This example originates from an early PhD student before achieving candidacy. He mentions only in oblique terms his work and its relation to broader debates. He adds his education, but no awards, certificates or additional information. Awards and certificates should always be mentioned by early PhD candidates (if they have any). Moreover, all students should consider whether and why they mention their advisor(s) by name in their biographies. Joe could certainly benefit from mentioning Martin Nero later and foregrounding his own interests and work sooner so as to appear less subordinate.

Susan Knutsen is a historian of medieval Europe with a special interest in the religious and political history of Germany. Her current research focuses on the seemingly sudden and potentially counter-intuitive interest of both political and religious leaders in regulating speech in the principalities of Germany in the later Middle Ages. Drawing from inquisition records, criminal court cases, statutory law, ethical treatises, sermons and pastoral manuals, her dissertation asks why the bridling of the tongue occurred when it did and in the way that it did. Her dissertation, “Illicit Speech in Late Medieval Germany, 1150-1350″ argues that these developments require attention to understand not only the thoroughly sacralized political geography of the principalities but also to the relationship between speech and violence in the thought and practice of the day.

This bio concentrates completely on research, specifically the dissertation. No mention is made of previous education, awards, honors etc. Susan’s biography might benefit from including more background information, though it might also be written this way to make her sound more like an established researcher and less like a student (note that she never explicitly identifies herself as a student). She could keep the biography at its current length by eliminating some of the detail regarding her archival sources and argument. She might also consider if there is a more colloquial way of presenting her argument without relying so heavily on jargon.

Sara McNamara is a Ph.D. candidate in history with a minor specialization in International Relations. Her research uses sociological and political science methodologies to examine the changing political structures of Early Modern Europe. She holds a B.A. in History and Medieval Renaissance Studies from University of North Carolina (magna cum laude) and an M.A. in History from Northwestern University. Sara’s doctoral dissertation, “Between Contract and Conflict: Political Change in Milan, 1328-1454” examines the restraining force of formal contracts on the international environment. Beginning in the late 1320s, the political landscape of northern Italy transformed as hundreds of autonomous cities and feudal lords acquiesced to ever larger regional states. After each submission, peaceful or violent, both parties signed a written agreement designed to set the boundaries of their reciprocal relationship. By the mid-15th century, the city of Milan ruled a diverse patchwork, with some communities vertically integrated into the Milanese administration, others losing local fiscal rights while maintaining their juridical independence (and vice versa), and some elevating themselves to the role of intermediary. This dissertation seeks to understand these patterns through interdisciplinary methods, specifically quantitative geographic analysis and qualitative bargaining models.

Sara repeats her methods in both the first and second paragraph, yet provides only vagaries in both instances. As this repetition indicates the importance of methodology to Sara’s research, she might have decided to provide more detail (rather than repetition) to clarify its importance. Though unlike Example 2, Sara does a nice job of avoiding jargon, there is still a lot of historical detail that might be omitted for less specialized audiences. In addition to compensating for this lack by talking more about methods, Sara might also provide her reader with a better sense of what her research argues and/or why it is important.

Victoria Moltanbourough studies comparative economic history and is interested in the historical determinants of long-term economic development outcomes. The main regional focus of her work has been on (colonial) Asia, but she is currently doing comparative work with other parts of the world as well. Victoria received both her B.A. and M.A. from the University of Utah, and has been a visiting student in the Economics department of Washington University under the supervision of Prof. Dan C . South. Her M.A. thesis, titled Living Standards in Hong Kong in a Comparative Perspective, 1880-1945. Is Poverty Destiny?, received the first prize for ‘Best Historical M.A. thesis’ awarded by the International Institute for Social History and national newspaper ‘de Volkskrant’ (national contest (the Netherlands), Dec. 2010), and the first prize for ‘Best MA thesis in the Humanities’ awarded by the University of Utah (Sept. 2010).

Like the student in example 1, Victoria is at the start of her PhD studies and her focus is less defined. Nonetheless, she uses her biography to discuss her interests, previous work, and awards. We see how she “name drops” the name of her MA advisor (a senior scholar in the field). However, since she does so in the middle of her biography, her own work seems better foregrounded than the student in example 1.

Though there is no such thing as “wrong” or “right,” these examples and our commentary are written to get you thinking about the effects of the choices each of these authors made in his/her biography. As the following tips make clear, students should always adopt best practices within their own discipline/field.

• Avoid Jargon
• Cite achievements and grants
• Provide your dissertation title if you have one
• Provide a basic outline of large research objectives
• Mention methods and theories only if they help situate the importance/intervention of your work
• State your educational background
• Follow conventions of your discipline