We tend to throw the word "bias" around a lot in our daily conversations and it tends to carry a very negative connotation most of the time. But let's take a look at what bias really means:
Bias: a predisposition, prejudice, or generalization about a group of persons based on personal characteristics or stereotypes. It can also mean more general tendencies to think, speak, or act based on preconceived and/or unexamined beliefs.
Implicit bias: Refers to the attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner. These biases, which encompass both favorable and unfavorable assessments, are activated involuntarily and without an individual’s awareness or intentional control. Residing deep in the subconscious, these biases are different from known biases that individuals may choose to conceal for the purposes of social and/or political correctness.
Confirmation Bias: The selective collection of evidence, is the tendency to seek and interpret information and other evidence in ways that affirm our existing beliefs, ideas, expectations, and/or hypotheses. Therefore, confirmation bias is both affected by and feeds our implicit biases. It can be most entrenched around beliefs and ideas that we are strongly attached to or that provoke a strong emotional response.
Microaggressions: The everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, which communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalized group membership. In many cases, these hidden messages may invalidate the group identity or experiential reality of target persons, demean them on a personal or group level, communicate they are lesser human beings, suggest they do not belong with the majority group, threaten and intimidate, or relegate them to inferior status and treatment. Microaggressions are rooted in ideologies such as racism, classism, sexism, cissexism, ableism, ageism, heterosexism, and colonialism, as well as other discriminatory belief systems.
Credit for some of the content of this page: Facing History and Ourselves. Lesson 3: "Confirmation and Other Biases."
Design Bias: Researchers may engage in poorly designed research, which could increase the likelihood of bias. Poor research design may occur when the research questions and aims are not aligned with the research methods, or when researchers choose a biased research question.
Selection or Participant Bias: Research that relies on recruiting or selecting participants may result in selection or participant bias in a number of ways. For instance, participant recruitment might unintentionally target or exclude a specific population, or researchers may not appropriately account for participant withdrawal.
Analysis Bias: Researchers may unknowingly bias their results during data analysis by looking for or focusing on results that support their hypotheses or personal beliefs.
Publication Bias: Not all research articles are published. Publication or reporting bias occurs when publishers are more likely to publish articles showing positive results or statistically significant findings. Research showing negative results may be equally important to the contribution of knowledge in the field but may be less likely to be published.
Conflict of Interest: Bias in research may occur when researchers have a conflict of interest, a personal interest that conflicts with their professional obligation. Researchers should always be transparent in disclosing how their work was funded and what, if any, conflicts of interest exist.
This content is inspired and informed by the following resources: Smith J, Noble H. Bias in research. Evidence-Based Nursing 2014;17:100-101.; Research Bias; Academic Integrity: Avoiding Plagiarism and Understanding Research Ethics: Research Ethics (University of Pittsburgh Libraries)
Just as you have learned to check what you write for spelling, grammar, and wordiness, practice reading your work for bias. The guidelines for bias-free language contain both general guidelines for writing about people without bias across a range of topics and specific guidelines that address the individual characteristics of age, disability, gender, participation in research, racial and ethnic identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and intersectionality.
Check out the Confronting Bias Research Guide from the University of Arkansas about tips for reducing Bias in your writing.
Beyond Bias (Ebook) by 
Bias Interrupted (Print Book) by 
Everyday Bias (Print Book) by 
An Introduction to Implicit Bias (Print Book) by