FREE INQUIRY in Creative Sociology Volume 7,2 November 1979 105 THE CURRICULUM VITAE AS A DATA vitae as a short account of one's SOURCE career and qual ifications prepared typically by an applicant for a Albeno P. Garbin position. Obviously, the content University of Georgia of the vita will influence the re­ search area that can be explored, Ronald G. Stover and the topical content is likely Clemson University to vary, since a standard format is not followed. Nevertheless, the I NTRODUCT ION Arch i va I data re­ scope of the subject ma tter tends present on major form of unobtrus­ to be broad. The topics usually ive measure which are compiled described, as applicable are: independently of the influence of date of birth, marital status, num­ the sociological observer. Webb ber of children, educational back- (1966) classified archival data in ground, employment history, two types. The first type includes awards, honors, grants, and fel­ public records, such as actuarial lowships; membership in honorary records, political and court re­ societies, and professional associa­ cords, government documents, and tions, and publication of articles, mass media records and publica­ books, chapters, and research re­ tions. The second type inc I udes ports. THE USE OF VITAE The pri va te records, such as i nsti tu­ authors used vitae as a data tional records, correspondence sou rce i n des i g n i n gast u d y of fi les, reports, and personal docu­ the career pa tterns and con t i ngen­ ments. Public records are general­ cies of sociologists chairing or ly prepared for some audience, headi ng graduate departmen ts of while private records are restric­ sociology. A major concern of the ted, and normally, are not prepar­ sociology chairperson study was ed for an audience. For the most to determine if certain patterns part, archival data have been characteri ze the careers of depart­ under-uti I i zed by sociologists mental chairpersons as a group, (Smith 1975). According to Webb, and as subgroups, when controls about 90 percent of a II beha v iora I are app I ied for a number of vari­ science research has been based ables, pertaining to personal char­ on interviews and questionnaires. acteristics and institutional affili­ Here, we examine one type of ation. The vita's potential to pro­ arch ivai data, the curri cu I um vide data bearing on a variety of vitae, also called a professional research problems becomes appar­ resume, biographical sketch, or ent in the following research ques­ personal or professional history. tons: To our knowledge, the curriculum 1. What is the relation between vitae has not been used as a the prestige of the chairperson's data source. The curriculum vitae doctorate, as measured by the pre­ represents a combination of pri­ stige of the university where the vate and public archival data. It degree was obtained, and: is a personal document, developed 1.1) the number of years required for a particular audience. Other to achieve the chairperson posi­ treatises on the use of personal tion; documents do not mention the vita 1 .2) whether or not the cha i rper­ as a potential data source (All­ son serves at a major or minor port, 1942; Gottschalk et al., 1945; university. Webb et al. 1966). However, cur­ 2. What areas of specialization ricula vitae are viable as a data are most represten ted by cha i r­ source for sociologists interested persons? in occupations and careers, and 3. I s there a tendency for cha i r­ generally, for the sociology of sci­ persons to be recruited internally ence. or externally? Webster defines a curriculum 4. Is it the professional FREE INQUIRY in Creative Sociology Volume 7,2 November 1979 106 orientation or the administrative which will assist in identifying orientation which seems more im­ possible occupational study portant in explaining the ascen­ groups. This guide to the nation­ dance into chairperson positions. al and world organ izations con­ 5. What relation exists between tains detailed descriptions of such career conti ngencies as sex many organizations in areas such and age, and the point in one's as: trade, business, commercial, car'eer a person assumes the cha i r agricultural; legal, government, responsibi I ities? public administration and mili- 6. Is the post-chair productivity tary; health and medical; public pattern characterized by a contin­ affaris, scientific, engineering uity of the pattern existing prior and technical; educational, cultur­ to the service as chairperson? al; and social welfare. 7. What is the relation between Many of these organizations are geographical and career mobility? concerned with occupations. For our purpose, pertinent information ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES on each association included mem­ I deal I y the researcher should bership, size, key word for the combine the curriculum vitae with association's field of interest, a other unobtrusive measures and brief description of the types of the more tradi tiona I i nterv iew and membership, publications, whether questionnaire data gathering n1eth­ a d i rector y i s pub lish ed, the ods. Like most arch i va I data, the chief official, with the address curriculum vitae provides observa- and telephone number. Information t ional i nfornlati on on "who", on membership size and directory "what", "when", and "how", but establish the size of the popula­ used alone, would not answer que­ tion universe and the names and stions of "why" (Smith, 1975). addresses of prospect i ve samp Ie Our chairperson study used two members. Having the membership other data sources: the "Guide to list permits orderly sampling proc­ Graduate Departments of Sociology, edures. Infomation about the key 1974 (ASA), and the Directory of administrative person is useful if Members of the American Sociologic­ the researcher follows the wise al Association~ 1975/1976. The use practice of securing a letter of of multiple methodologies for tri­ endorsement for the planned re­ angulation, as a cardinal resea­ search operation. rch principle, has considerable If the occupational group is rnerit in its own right (Denzin,­ well chosen, each member proba­ 1970)" An added advantage is bly keeps current copies of the that the vita usually contains the vita which can readily be mailed. home and office telephone number The very simplicity of this proced­ ofthe 5 U b j ec t , W hieh fac iii tate s ure encouraged compliance with telephone contact if other data our request for a copy of the are required. current vita in our sociology Upper level white collar person- chairperson study. The final res­ nel belonginSJ to the profession- ponse rate, after a second request al, semi-professional, mana.gerial letter, was 74 percent, which com­ and officer categories are more pares well with other mailed ques­ likely to maintain resumes, but tionnaire studies of academicians. workers lower in the prestige stru­ For example, a recent national cture probably do not. A prelim­ study of college and university inary canvass of those represent­ facu I ty had a 49 percen t response ing the proposed study group rate (Dutton et al 1975) shou I d be rnade to insure tha t Almost all of the vitae submitted vitae are common to the mernbers. in the sociology chairperson study There is also a valuab Ie source were current. In several cases, book, titled: Volume 1, Encyclope­ entries were penciled in the mar­ dia 'of Associations (Fish 1977), gin to update the vita. Members FREE INQUIRY in Creative Sociology Volume 7,2 November 1979 107 of other occupational groups may Gottschalk L., & C. Kluckhohn, not be as di I i gent as these heads R. Angell 1945 The use of Person­ and chairpersons, but generally, al Documents in History, Anthropo- the curriculum vitae contributes logy, and Sociology. New York, an informati ve and favorab Ie pre­ Social Science Research Counci I. sentation of self. There is reason Smith H.W. 1975 Strategies of Soc­ to believe the information contain­ ial Research. Englewood Cliffs, NJ ed in curricula vitae is very ac- Prentice Hall. curate. The vita is a succinct Webb E., D. Campbell, R. summary of one's professional Schwartz, L. Sechrest 1966 Unob­ background, experience, and qual­ trusive Measures: Nonreactive Re­ ifications. It is the credential for search in the Social Sciences. Chi­ employment. If it became known cago, Rand McNally. that a candidate misrepresented hi msel f, the resu I ts cou I d be very (Continued from page 4. damaging. In addition, profession­ LUNDAHL, References) al ethics mandates honesty in the preparation of curricula vitae. Kub Ier-Ross, E. 1969 On Death Comparatively, there is little and Dying New York, Macmillan. doubt tha t a person is I ess Ii kel y Lundwall, N.B. The Vision. Salt to give false data on a vita, Lake City, Bookcraft. than in an interview, or on a Moody, R.A. 1975 Life After Life questionnaire. Covington, Georgia, Mockingbird. The final advantage of the 1977 Reflections on vita, as a data source, is that it Life After Life. Cov i ngton Geor­ does not have the reacti ve meas­ gia, Mockingbird. u remen t e f f ect t hat i stypica I of Noyes, R.,& R. Kletti 1976 Depe­ many personal documents. I t is rsonal ization in the face of I ife-t­ also free of other problems of hreatening danger: a description. the more traditional methods of Psychiatry 39,19-27. research, such as interview res­ O'Dea, T.F. 1957 The Mormons. ponse set, where conventional, ra­ Chicago, Univ. of Chicago Press. ther than factual answers are giv­ Osis, K.& E.