A content analysis of the 'Dictionary of American Biography' and the 'American National Biography' for ethnic/racial bias

The purpose of this study was to determine if ethnic/racial bias existed in biographies written about individuals living in the United States who were featured in the Dictionary of American Biography (DAB) and the American National Biography (ANB). Biographies clarify history and recreate a period or crisis where objective historical accounts alone rarely do. Using content analysis, the biographies of 20 African Americans and 20 European Americans were analyzed for ethnic/racial bias in terms of biographical technique. Identifying evaluative judgment terms (Pratt, 1972) in the biographies provided a second review of biographies for ethnic/racial biases.; African Americans were portrayed as having educational training and maintained professional careers. However, the qualitative analysis revealed that the text used to portray African Americans created subtle biased messages about them in one category constructed by Sadker and Sadker (1982) - Imbalance and selectivity bias. The DAB presented some description of the discrimination endured by African Americans; however, such acts were discussed in greater detail in the ANB. Favorable judgment terms (Pratt, 1972) were used in biographies of African Americans, as determined by Evaluation Coefficient Analysis Instrument and qualitative analysis.; To reduce the influence of ethnic/racial bias found in biographies, users should use multiple historical biographical reference sources in conjunction with other biographical sources. This combination of information provides the user richer information and a broader perspective about the challenges and successes of the biographee.