First-person pronouns in academic writing
-
Dogukan Duman
- November 8, 2023
There are many different perspectives on using first-person pronouns (I, we, our, etc.) in academic writing among various disciplines. While many experts advise using first-person pronouns even in fields of science, there is no consensus.
The lack of an available guideline could complicate your writing process or editing as an editor, as you may wonder which disciplines allow using first-person pronouns or under what circumstances it is acceptable to use them.
When to use first-person pronouns
First-person pronouns can be seen everywhere in academic writing, like personal statements and statements of purpose. Here are some other ways you can use first-person pronouns as helpful agents.
Example of academic writing with first-person pronouns
Sea level rise poses a substantial threat to low-lying locations, according to my First-person pronoun study on the consequences of climate change on coastal populations. In my First-person pronoun research, I First-person pronoun polled people from a tiny island settlement and interviewed local leaders.
When ringing an appropriate tone
- To create intimacy between the author and the reader of a complicated text so that the reader will continue reading
- To use cautious language (“We suspect that…”)
- To be helpful for claims that the reader may not be ready to accept ("I believe that…")
- To create a “teacher-beginner” relationship with the pronoun “I” and to emphasize the equality with the pronoun “we.”
- To highlight the author’s proficiency in the related field
- To prevent a tacit assumption (“I observed that…”)
When planning a text
- To direct the reader to an argument by organizing the text (“First we will…”)
- To show a procedure and methodology (“I first experimented with…")
When presenting a contrast with other sources
- To distinguish the author’s work (“Since prof. X researched y, we will study…”)
- To dispute with other researches (“My new work highlights the missing points of the previous works.”)
- To represent a previous work (“In addition to my previous work, this research will…”)
When talking about claims and actions
- To pinpoint personal opinions, claims, thesis statement (“According to my findings, I can suggest…”)
- To explain a long-term procedure (“Over the course of six months, we analyzed…”)
Controversy and different fields
Even though you can use first-person pronouns in some cases, it is still a controversial issue with various approaches among disciplines. Usually, social sciences such as psychology, sociology, and political science are considered “soft” fields.
In contrast, the sciences like physics, astronomy, and biology are considered “hard” fields, and the acceptability of first-person pronouns varies between the two.
Traditionally, hard fields have been abstaining from using first-person pronouns in order to:
- Preserve objectivity (e.g. the results of research should not change when done by anyone)
- Not turn the attention from material to author, as it is the priority
- Create the distance between the author and the results
Often, passive voice (e.g. “it is suggested that…”) is used in hard fields to abstain from using the first person. However, there is a rising trend of using the first-person as scientific writers discovered that overuse of passive voice might be causing ambiguity.
First-person pronoun creates clarification among the actors of a sentence with its clearer syntax, which is more beneficial to preserve objectivity and keep the attention in the material. Furthermore, the importance of self-promotion using first-person pronouns has increased since there is a growing competition in academics.
Editor’s guidelines
Now that you know first-person pronouns can be found in any discipline, keep in mind that their use is different in every discipline. For instance, collaborative fields might have to use “we,” while others might stick with “I.” You should also consider the material of the field to determine the frequency of first-person pronouns.
A writer’s native language might also determine whether you should use first-person pronouns at all. For example, while using the first person with a native English writer (US & UK English), avoid adding pronouns with a French writer.
Now, let us help you decide whether you should add or avoid first-person pronouns in any given writing.
Differences among disciplines
Determine whether your paper (essay, research paper, etc.) fits into hard or soft fields. Although we established that they no longer completely avoid using first-person pronouns, writers are still inclined to use them less in hard fields than in soft fields. Here is a table of differences between them.
Although we can’t say that disciplines in sciences can never use first-person pronouns, it is clear that there are apparent distinctions between hard and soft fields. So avoid using unnecessary first-person pronouns when editing a discipline from hard fields.
The importance of context
First-person pronouns can help differentiate which argument belongs to whom when an author disagrees with a different source. So, the more references are given to other sources, the more appropriate it is to use them.
Important
It is also acceptable to use first-person pronouns more in certain sections, such as the in which you introduce the author’s project.For example, the methods section of a paper thoroughly presents an experiment and can include first-person pronouns for clear description as well (e.g. “I experimented with 20 participants…”)
Key takeaways
Here are some general rules when dealing with pronouns.
- You shouldn’t excessively use first-person pronouns as the focus of attention should be the work rather than the author.
- Whenever using the first-person, investigate each pronoun to see if they are beneficial (i.e. add meaning). For instance, saying “I think” is considered useless as it is clear that the author shares their thoughts. When in doubt, check the list of appropriate ways to use first-person pronouns provided above.
- Although the trend is shifting, hard fields still use first-person pronouns less than soft fields. Therefore, when studying different fields, make sure you don’t use the same amount of first-person pronouns. Don’t forget that when it comes to hard fields, your pronouns should serve to make the work clearer.
- Be careful not to change or add the wrong pronoun to a piece as an editor. For example, when a paper says, “The work has been done…” it may mean that either the work was done by other researchers, or the author is talking about their work. In which case, you can add the pronoun “we.”
- Consider the difference between “I” and “we.” If a document is made collaboratively, it may be more proper to use “we” when adding pronouns.
- Always be aware of the author’s writing style in different type of texts. If the author deliberately chooses not to use the first-person, respect the author’s style preference and not add when revising the work.
