Our research article entitled "External review letters in academic promotion and tenure decisions are reflective of reviewer characteristics" dives into the significant role that external review letters (ERLs) play in the promotion and tenure (P&T) process. The study examines 995 ERLs submitted at various institutions as part of 195 candidates' portfolios at an R1 university. Examining the relationship between positive votes at the department, college, and university levels. Specifically, looking at ERL linguistic features, letter writer characters, and candidate characteristics may affect the likelihood of a candidate receiving a promotion. Results show writer characteristics are more strongly related than candidate characteristics to ERL linguistic features associated with P&T decisions at the department and university levels. Following these findings, we suggest recommendations for policymakers and call for a revision in ERLs' role in the P&T process.
