Should I use the first-person pronoun in my academic text?
The first-person singular pronoun (‘I’) is normally avoided in research papers. This is because a lot of research is done in collaboration with other researchers, so the first-person plural (‘we’) is more appropriate.
Things are different when writing a PhD thesis, which is an individual effort. In this case, it is acceptable to use the pronoun ‘I’ to describe what you did in your work, or to reflect on your findings. But remember that the writing should still be neutral and objective.
In a journal article, unlike a PhD thesis, what the researcher(s) have done is less important than the methodology, results and conclusion that are reported. Nevertheless, using ‘we’ is acceptable and very common in STEM disciplines. For instance, if you want to report an analysis you have done, both ‘we performed a mixed-effects modeling analysis’ and ‘a mixed-effects modeling analysis was performed’ are possible.
If you are not sure which pronoun you should use for your text, or whether you should use a pronoun at all, ask yourself the following questions:
- Am I writing a journal manuscript or a PhD thesis?
- If I am writing a journal manuscript, were other researchers involved in the work I am reporting?
- If I am writing a PhD thesis, is the sentence I am writing about reporting something I have done?
Should I use the second-person pronoun in my academic text?
The second-person pronoun (’you’) should be avoided in academic texts. This applies to both the singular and plural forms. Addressing the reader directly is casual, and academic writing should be formal or at least neutral. Using ‘you’ may also give the wrong impression that you know the reader personally, or are able to infer their positions or opinions.
Unlike the first-person pronoun, the second-person pronoun is also not advised in your PhD thesis. It is best avoided in any type of academic or scientific text. It may be acceptable in an oral presentation at a conference, but even that can depend on the context.
Instead of using ‘you’ in your scientific text, think of nouns or proper nouns as alternatives. If you are making a generalization, consider using the impersonal pronoun ‘one’. Or even better, consider rephrasing entirely. For example:
- As you can see in Table 2, participants reported average levels of wellbeing.
- As can be seen in Table 2, participants reported average levels of wellbeing.
- In many countries, you have incentives to buy electric cars.
- Many countries have developed incentives to buy electric cars.