Research writers frequently wonder whether the first person can be used in academic and scientific writing. In truth, for generations, we’ve been discouraged from using “I” and “we” in academic writing simply due to old habits. That’s right\u2014there’s no reason why you can’t use these words! In fact, the academic community used first-person pronouns until the 1920s, when the third person and passive-voice constructions (that is, “boring” writing) were adopted–prominently expressed, for example, in Strunk and White’s classic writing manual “Elements of Style” first published in 1918, that advised writers to place themselves “in the background\u201d and not draw attention to themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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In recent decades, however, changing attitudes about the first person in academic writing<\/a> has led to a paradigm shift, and we have, however, we’ve shifted back to producing active and engaging prose that incorporates the first person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, “I” and “we” still have some generally accepted pronoun rules<\/a> writers should follow. For example, the first person is more likely used in the abstract<\/a>, Introduction section<\/a>, Discussion section<\/a>, and Conclusion section<\/a> of an academic paper while the third person and passive constructions are found in the Methods section<\/a> and Results section<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this article, we discuss when you should avoid personal pronouns and when they may enhance your writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The following examples compare the impact of using and avoiding first-person pronouns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To understand the effects of global warming on coastal regions, changes<\/span> in sea levels, storm surge occurrences and precipitation amounts were examined<\/span>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n [Note: When a long phrase acts as the subject of a passive-voice construction, the sentence becomes difficult to digest. Additionally, since the author(s) conducted the research, it would be clearer to specifically mention them when discussing the focus of a project.]<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2192<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n We examined<\/mark>\u00a0changes in sea levels, storm surge occurrences, and precipitation amounts to understand how global warming impacts coastal regions.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n [Note: When describing the focus of a research project, authors often replace “we” with phrases such as “this study” or “this paper.” “We,” however, is acceptable in this context, including for scientific disciplines. In fact, papers published the vast majority of scientific journals<\/mark> these days<\/mark> use “we” to establish an active voice.<\/mark>\u00a0Be careful when using “this study” or “this paper” with verbs that clearly couldn’t have performed the action.<\/strong>\u00a0For example, “we attempt to demonstrate” works, but “the study attempts to demonstrate” does not; the study is not a person.]<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n From the various data points we have received<\/span>, <\/span>we observed<\/span> that higher frequencies of runoffs from heavy rainfall have occurred in coastal regions where temperatures have increased by at least 0.9\u00b0C.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n [Note: Introducing personal pronouns when discussing results raises questions regarding the reproducibility of a study. However, mathematics fields generally tolerate phrases such as “in X example, we see…”]<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2192<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n Coastal regions<\/mark>\u00a0with temperature increases averaging more than 0.9\u00b0C\u00a0experienced<\/mark>\u00a0higher frequencies of runoffs from heavy rainfall.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n [Note: We removed the passive voice and maintained objectivity and assertiveness by specifically identifying the cause-and-effect elements as the actor and recipient of the main action verb. Additionally, in this version, the results appear independent of any person’s perspective.]\u00a0<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n In contrast to the study by Jones et al. (2001), which suggests that milk consumption is safe for adults, the Miller study (2005) revealed the potential hazards of ingesting milk. The authors confirm<\/span> this latter finding.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n [Note: “Authors” in the last sentence above is unclear. Does the term refer to Jones et al., Miller, or the authors of the current paper?]<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2192<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n In contrast to the study by Jones et al. (2001), which suggests that milk consumption is safe for adults, the Miller study (2005) revealed the potential hazards of ingesting milk. We confirm<\/span> this latter finding.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n [Note: By using “we,” this sentence clarifies the actor and emphasizes the significance of the recent findings reported in this paper. Indeed, “I” and “we” are acceptable in most scientific fields to compare an author’s works with other researchers’ publications. The APA encourages using personal pronouns <\/a>for this context. The social sciences broaden this scope to allow discussion of personal perspectives, irrespective of comparisons to other literature.]<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n For more general advice on how to use active and passive voice in research papers, <\/a>on how to paraphrase<\/a>, or for a list of useful phrases for academic writing<\/a>, head over to the Wordvice Academic Resources pages<\/a>. And for more professional proofreading services<\/a>, visit our Academic Editing<\/a> and Paper Editing Services<\/a> pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\nCan You Use “I” in a Research Paper?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
It’s Okay to Use First-Person Pronouns to:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The First Person Should Be Avoided When:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Usage Examples<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Example 1 (First Person Preferred):<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Example 2 (First Person Discouraged):<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Example 3 (First Person Preferred):<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Other Tips about Using Personal Pronouns<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Wordvice Resources<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n