| What
is a biographical precis? A detailed definition and explanation to get you started in using this versatile writing format. |
| How
will my biographical precis be evaluated? |
| How
do I write a biographical precis? Text instructions |
| How
do I write a biographical precis? Interactive tutorial (requires Flash plugin) |
| Can
I see an example of a biographical precis? Of course. Three are available: - Hypatia - Douglass - Lao Tzu - Annotated Example |
| What
is the assignment? -Aquaintance -Influence -Myself |
| How do I submit my assignments? |
| How
do I read for this format? a printable reading guide to help you read and write for the biographical precis format. |
| How
do I write well-formed citations and references? |
Definition
The biographical precis is a highly structured five to eight sentence
paragraph that records the essential elements of an individual’s
biography with an emphasis on their influence on the world. The information
given in a biographical precis includes, the person’s name, their
life period, their national or social affiliation, the major fields with
which they are identified, the field(s) to which they contributed, the
titles of their major works or accomplishments, descriptions of the contributions
that they made to each relevant field, a quote that belongs characteristically
to (or about) that person, and a statement of what aspects of that person
remain to be learned about. Each of the five to eight sentences requires
specific information. It is necessary to adjust the grammar of each sentence
to properly convey the information contained.
Purpose
The primary purpose of the biographical precis is to provide a means by
which any thinking person may produce a concise and accurate account of
another person’s influence on the world. History is the expended
story of individuals. An educated mind must have a sense of what key people
have thought and done, and what difference they made. The biographical
precis offers a method by which an individual’s effort can be researched
and presented in a brief, informative way. A complete biographical precis
can be written onto a single page or even an index card. By collecting
and saving these encapsulated records of research, you can quickly develop
a working knowledge of significant historical figures in any area of human
endeavor. Most important, the biographical precis must be performed to
become personal knowledge. Reading precis will give the same information
as can be had by books and web pages. The key is to put the information
together in a way that makes sense to you. When that is accomplished,
the knowledge gained will be yours rather than a mere reflection of someone
else’s writing. The biographical precis form must be learned and
practiced, but what is learned by it is a way of understanding how people,
their ideas, and actions transform the world.