Unlike a traditional CV where you list achievements with bullet points, a narrative CV requires you to write in paragraphs. This means the quality of your writing is crucial. With strict word limits (typically 1,000-2,000 words for the entire CV), every single word must earn its place. Poor word choices, vague language, or passive constructions waste precious space and weaken your impact.
You’ve learned the OCAR structure, gathered your examples across the four modules, and understood how to build narratives at multiple levels. Now it’s time to refine the language to make your narratives powerful and clear. Here are 5 stages for you to work through.
1. Use the active voice
The passive voice obscures who did what and makes your contributions feel vague or impersonal.
- ❌ Passive: “A visual devising framework was developed over six months”
- ✅ Active: “I co-developed a visual devising framework over six months”
The active version immediately shows your role and involvement, whereas the passive version suggests the framework somehow emerged spontaneously.
2. Choose verbs that convey success
Generic constructions like “worked on” or “was involved in” waste words and undersell your contribution. Verbs like show and do are weak. Strong, specific verbs demonstrate impact.
Here are some examples by module type:
Module 1 (Generation of ideas): developed, created, established, designed, published, authored, built
“I developed and launched a browser-based tool” (not “I worked on a tool”)
Module 2 (Development of others): mentored, trained, supervised, facilitated, coached, championed, established
“I initiated a monthly practice-as-research reading group” (not “I was involved in starting a reading group”)
Module 3 (Research community): reviewed, organised, convened, contributed, advocated, led
“I completed 15-20 peer reviews annually” and “served as Associate Editor” (not “I did peer reviews and was on the editorial board”)
Module 4 (Broader impact): influenced, partnered, delivered, secured, translated, engaged, presented
“I secured £3,000 from a local charitable trust” (not “Funding was obtained”, or “I got funding”)
3. Be confident without overdoing it
Be authoritative about your genuine contributions, but don’t overclaim or exaggerate.
Tentative language undermines your credibility and wastes words:
❌ “I tried to improve the review process”
✅ “I streamlined the review process”
❌ “I helped with organising the seminar series”
✅ “I co-organised the seminar series”
Reviewers can spot exaggeration, and it damages your credibility. You’re an academic researcher, not a candidate on The Apprentice.
❌ “I revolutionised peer review in my field”
✅ “I developed guidance that improved review quality, reducing decision times by 25%”
❌ “I single-handedly transformed departmental culture”
✅ “I led a working group that developed frameworks that improved departmental culture”
4. Acknowledge collaboration appropriately
Be clear about your role while crediting others. For example:
“Working with a local Deaf theatre company, I co-developed a visual devising framework” - This acknowledges the collaboration while clearly stating your contribution.
“As a member of the departmental ECR committee, I co-organised a career development seminar series” - The phrase “as a member of” provides context, while “I co-organised” claims appropriate credit.
Clarity about your role builds credibility with reviewers. They need to understand precisely what you contributed. For individual narrative CVs, use “I” not “we”. You can see in the examples above that the context is collaborative, but the researcher clearly situates themselves within it.
- ❌ “The team achieved significant results”
- ✅ “As project lead, I coordinated the team’s efforts, resulting in…”
💡 The CRediT taxonomy helps you describe the key types of contributions typically made to the production and publication of research outputs such as research articles.
5. Be precise and specific
Specific details make your examples credible, memorable, and impactful. You’re telling a story, backed up by facts. Numbers, timeframes, and feedback demonstrate the impact of your work. For example:
- ❌ “The tutorials were widely accessed” (vague)
- ✅ “My tutorials have been accessed over 5,000 times across 40 countries” (specific)
Generic descriptors like “significant,” “various,” or “several” are a wasted opportunity. For example:
❌ “significantly improved”
✅ “reduced processing time by 40%”
❌ “well-received feedback”
✅ “85% of participants rated the workshop ’excellent'”
❌ “various stakeholders”
✅ “community organisations, policymakers, and healthcare practitioners”
Editing Checklist
Use this checklist when reviewing your draft:
Voice and verbs:
- Have I used active voice throughout?
- Are my verbs specific and impactful (not generic like “worked on” or “was involved in”)?
- Have I avoided weak phrases like “helped with” or “tried to”?
Attribution:
- Is it clear what I did versus what collaborators did?
- Have I used “I” consistently for individual CVs?
- Have I acknowledged collaborations appropriately without diminishing my role?
Confidence and accuracy:
- Am I claiming credit confidently for my genuine contributions?
- Have I avoided overclaiming or exaggeration?
- Are my statements factually accurate and verifiable?
Precision:
- Have I included specific numbers and outcomes where possible?
- Have I avoided vague qualifiers like “significantly,” “various,” or “several”?
- Can reviewers clearly understand the impact of my work?
Word economy:
- Given the strict word limit, does every word deserve its place?
- Have I cut redundant phrases (e.g., “on a regular basis” → “regularly”)?
- Could any sentence be tighter without losing meaning?
Next Steps
Strong, precise language combined with the OCAR structure creates compelling narratives that help funders understand your impact. Review the annotated examples to see these language principles in action:
For the complete process of developing your narrative CV, see How to Write a Narrative CV. Every word in your narrative CV is precious. Make each one count.