This guide, “Writing and Evaluating Narrative CVs,” is the one of three resources from the Breaking Barriers to Research Funding Applications project led by the University of Surrey, funded by UKRI/BA EDI Caucus. Authored by Fabio Fasoli, Hannah Frith, Susan Hutton, and Noelia Noel, it provides evidence-based guidance on how language in Narrative CVs affects both writing and evaluation. The report analyzed 27 narrative CVs from diverse researchers (STEM and social sciences/humanities) using linguistic analysis tools to identify which linguistic features correlate with positive reviewer evaluations.
Key findings show that language expressing more agency, ownership, and affirmative statements (avoiding negation, uncertainty, and passive language) leads to more positive assessments of both CVs and researchers. The report identifies how underrepresented groups (women, ethnic minorities, LGBTQIA+ researchers, those with caregiving responsibilities or career breaks) use different linguistic patterns, and demonstrates that receiving feedback improves CV writing by prompting more language that expresses ownership and agency. It includes practical tips with before/after examples for rephrasing CV language to maximize positive evaluations, making it essential for underrepresented researchers writing narrative CVs and for institutions providing CV writing support.