Linguistic Biases in Letters of Recommendation for Radiation Oncology Residency Applicants from 2015 to 2019.

ABSTRACT: We aimed to investigate whether implicit linguistic biases exist in letters of recommendation (LORs) for applicants to radiation oncology (RO) residency. LORs (n = 487) written for applicants (n = 125) invited to interview at a single RO residency program from the 2015 to 2019 application cycles were included for analysis. Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) software was used to evaluate LORs for length and a dictionary of predetermined themes. Language was evaluated for gender bias using a publicly available gender bias calculator. Non-parametric tests were used to compare linguistic domain scores. The median number of the LORs per applicant was 4 (range 3-5). No significant differences by applicant gender were detected in LIWC score domains or gender bias calculator (P > 0.05). Howe

SUBMITTER: Chapman BV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7591242 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature