You might also distinguish according to the type of publication: books, articles, entries in reference works, notes, ... See the attached page from the introduction to the "Biographical Index of Astronomy" (2nd ed., https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320130779), where much more types of biographical sources are listed. For the complete introduction and the long list of sources used, see https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320152207. For a sample page, see https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320153110.

Muhammad Farooq

There are five or even more categories of biographical narratives. See the links below:

https://www.aera.net/SIG013/Research-Connections/Introduction-to-Biographical-Research

https://edsharrow.medium.com/know-the-four-types-of-biographies-57c0053b1939

https://monroecollege.libguides.com/biographies

07 January 2021--India

Biography-Explained.

C@ Prof.Dr.Kamal Bhattacharyya

Assistant Professor of English

Dept of English

JIET-INDIA

Today the face of literature has changed because of the modern approach. Writers are not limited to writing; rather literature has taken the shape of cinema, television shows, and documentaries. Many biographies and autobiographies have been made into films. Here I shall stick to conventional Biography/Autobiography to stick to the term ‘-graphy’ an Anglicization of the suffix ‘-graphy’ directly borrowed from transliterated Greek to Latin (graphia) and French graphie. Therefore the face of change in Biography or autobiography will encompass the written form only.

Biography is something written on anyone, be it an in animated object or an ant. Therefore it generally covers the gamut of life lead by the writer. A biography may be fictitious and factitious. The biography of a book or a tree or a street dog, will definitely not portray genuine facts, thereby relies on the writer, his or her innovative pen, and experiences. As far as a wide range of studies is concerned biography may cover many a genre. It will be unwise to keep a biography under certain nomenclatures. In my opinion, the biography may be of the following categories:

Historical Fictional Biography (“The Intimate World of Abraham Lincoln” by C.A. Tripp/ “Decision Points” by George W. Bush)

Academic Biography (“John Wycliffe: Myth and Reality” by G.R. Evans/ “Mother Teresa” (1986) documentary by Ann & Jeanette Petrie)

Fictionalized Academic Biographies (“American Caesar: Douglas MacArthur 1880–1964” by William Manchester “East to the Dawn: The Life of Amelia Earhart” by Susan Butler)

Prophetic Biography: “The Story of My Experiments with Truth” Autobiography by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi)

“Autobiography of a Yogi” by Paramahansa Yogananda/ Sri Ramkrishna Kathamrita by Sri M (M stands for Sri Mahendranath Gupta)

Biography can also be categorized under the following categories also:-