Guidelines for letters of recommendation from linguistics staff

There are many different reasons you might want a member of staff in Linguistics to write a letter of recommendation for you or fill in appropriate parts of an application. You may want to apply to a MPhil or PhD programme, to a funding body (e.g. the AHRB, ORS, Gates Trust), or for a job or research position. Whatever the reason, and whatever your level (i.e. undergraduate, MPhil, PhD), the checklist below will help you to make the letter-writing process as easy as possible.

What makes a good recommendation? Your referees need time to compose a letter, and they already have many other demands on their time (teaching, conferences, meetings, paper-writing, writing other letters of recommendation, etc.). They will also need to know about your recent WORK and EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT - it's a common mistake to assume that your referee knows you so well that you don't need to tell them anything about yourself and your work. The following checklist aims to help you avoid common pitfalls.

Checklist Give the following to your letter writers:

• An up-to-date C.V.
• A brief STATEMENT (1-2 lines) of why you are applying for the award or university.
• The DEADLINE and all relevant application materials.
• A statement about the PROCESS of recommendation:
  • Should the referee wait to hear from the target organization?
  • or should the referee need to give a sealed letter to the applicant?
  • or should the referee need to send a sealed letter separately? If the latter:
  • Give the full title and postal ADDRESS of the person to whom the reference is to be posted, preferably in electronic form.
• A way to CONTACT YOU if anything goes wrong/is missing (preferably a phone number and an e-mail address).
• ANYTHING ELSE that will help your referee write a letter for you.
• If you are applying to a university: Your STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/INTEREST or dissertation proposal.
• If you are applying for funding: Your RESEARCH STATEMENT.

Your referee has many demands on their time, so:

• Ask your referee to write you a letter AT LEAST 1 MONTH (if at all possible) before the letter is due.
• Give your referee your application materials AT LEAST 2 WEEKS before they are due.
• Offer to MEET with your referee to talk about your work and progress.
• Ask your referees how you should CONTACT them if you need to inform them of any changes to your application (don't assume you'll reach them quickly by e-mail).
• Ask your referee when they will be UNAVAILABLE (this is especially important during holidays).

Frequently Asked Questions Q: How many letters of recommendation can I ask my referee to write? A: Usually referees are willing to write several letters of recommendation (they can often adapt one letter to serve several applications with only minor alterations). However, it is a good idea to give your referees all your applications at the same time. Don't give them several applications in dribs and drabs over several weeks - this makes it far more difficult for referees to arrange their time to write your letters and fill out your applications.

Q: Are my lecturers obliged to write me letters of recommendation? A: No. They are not paid to do so - letter writing is done in their spare time. However, lecturers are usually willing and even happy to write letters - it is a positive thing for their students to gain funding or positions in academic departments. However, remember that your lecturers may refuse to write your letters of recommendation. They may do so for many reasons, including (a) they may feel that they do not know you or your work well enough, (b) they may not have the time to do so, (c) you may not have given them enough time to write a letter, or (d) they may feel that they cannot write a supportive recommendation given either your achievements, their knowledge of you, or their opinion of the appropriateness of the organization to which you are applying. Be prepared for such an eventuality.

Q: Who should I ask to write letters of recommendation for me? A: Letters of recommendation have to include specific knowledge of the applicant. Therefore, choose referees who know you and your work well. Also think about the politics of letter writing: who will be a more impressive referee? Does the organization you are applying to know the referee? What are the referee's qualifications (e.g. do they have a PhD? Are they on the staff of a department?).