Dictionary of
Unitarian &
Universalist
Biography
Contact Page
Notes for Contributors
Standard Information Form
Instructions for the Standard Information Form
No DUUB article will include all of the information contained in the answers to this questionnaire. Unrecorded details, however, act in any writing as a background, or setting, which conditions and shapes the facts given in writing. Moreover, the extra information may be of great help to your editor.
Please fill out answers to all of the relevant questions, including both facts you intend to include in your article and information that you plan to omit. Please document your answers with appropriate bibliographic references, using standard style.
Filling out the answers to these questions may be helpful to authors in preparing to write. So answer this questionnaire before you write. Significant gaps may indicate need for more research. Use any amount of space you require to fill out this form. Some questions may require short essay-style or paragraph answers. Any level of doubt in an answer should be indicated, eg. if a date is not certain. If several distinct answers are documentable, give them all, along with the source(s) of each. Indicate when the answer to a question is unknown.
Note: U/U means Unitarian and/or Universalist, or Unitarian Universalist.
Standard Information Form
- Name (answer any that are relevant)
- full birth name
- married name(s)
- most well-known name
- alternative name(s)
- nickname(s)
- short version(s) of name
- titles (aristocratic, educational, ecclesiastical)
- Vital data
- full birth date (y-m-d)
- birthplace
- full death date (y-m-d)
- place of death
- floruit dates (if birth and/or death dates not available)
- citizenship(s)
- minority, ethnic or other group identified with, if relevant
- partner(s), with date(s) of marriages(s) or union(s)
- Family data
- religious upbringing
- parents, if U/U
- siblings, if U/U
- spouse, if U/U
- children, if U/U
- other family relationships to famous U/Us
- U/U affiliation
- nature: specify Unitarian, Universalist, unitarian, universalist, proto-unitarian, proto-universalist, anti-trinitarian, Unitarian Universalist, etc.
- minister, religious educator, other religious professional, layperson, non-member
- short description of theology, including characteristic quotes, if possible (non-religious professionals only)
Items d) through l) below are for non-religious professionals only - location of U/U church membership(s), including dates of membership
- location of churches attended as non-member
- frequency of attendance at U/U churches as non-member, including dates
- nature of religious self-identification, including quotes if possible
- attitude towards organized U/Uism, including quotes, if possible
- attitudes of U/Us towards this person (claim of the tradition)
- other religions/denominations claiming this person
- judgment of relative strength of claims in i) and j)
- relationships with known U/Us and/or U/U circles
- cause of death, if related to religious belief, practice, statement, or affiliation
- Questions about religious professionals only
- full date and occasion of licensing/fellowship
- full date and occasion of ordination(s) (national traditions about the beginning of ministry may vary; for example, British Unitarians were not ordained starting in late 18th century. Give most appropriate occasion, if known)
- denomination(s) of previous ministry(ies)
- locations, titles, and dates of U/U settlements or posts
- seminary(ies), theological school(s)
- degrees and dates of professional religious training
- mentor, place, and dates of informal training/apprenticeship
- place and date of first sermon, teaching assignment etc.
- denominational titles, roles, including dates
- local church achievements
- achievements in the larger movement or denomination
- social and reform achievements
- honorary degrees, prizes and awards received, including dates
- writings (title, date, type of writing, its significance) (give brief summaries of three most significant works)
- church-related organization(s) founded or co-founded
- place in movement or denominational history
- other career(s)
- description of theology, including quotes
- reception of theology and/or religious contribution by contemporaries
- changes over time in others' perception of theology and/or religious contribution
- current evaluation of theology and/or religious contribution
- Other careers (for others than religious professionals or for religious professionals who had a significant non-religious career)
- profession(s), including dates
- jobs, positions, including dates
- highest education level achieved
- colleges, universities
- degrees, including dates
- informal training/apprenticeship, including dates
- achievements
- honorary degrees, prizes and awards received, including dates
- writings (title, date, type, significance) (Give brief summaries of three most significant works)
- art works, musical compositions etc. (title, date, type, significance)
- inventions, creations, including dates and brief descriptions
- organization(s) founded, or co-founded, including some elaboration on role in founding
- single most important achievement
- place in history
- Effect of religious affiliation or belief on life on achievements, including evidence
- Historiographical context: changing reputation (if a very well-known person and the issue is relevant)
- Sources
- materials used in preparation of the article, in standard bibiographical form (please flag especially valuable items and those used extensively)
- archival deposits of letters, diaries, manuscripts, works etc.
- published biographies, in standard bibiographical form
- pictures, with description, source and any copyright issues (include scannable originals or already scanned electronic files)
- include photocopies of short but important critical documents not easily or only locally available
