using we in academic writing

using we in academic writing

The Importance of Avoiding the Use of “We” in Academic Writing

1. Introduction

This essay suggests the use of first person singular “I think that…” rather than using plural “we think…”. This holds the same amount of personal feel as “we” without including the reader. It shows that the writer has researched enough to have his or her own opinion about a topic. Another similar approach at avoiding “we” is to use the passive voice. This is often warned against by teachers, although in some cases it is okay and can very effectively explain argument which is ultimately its goal. It is important to ask the teacher where it is alright to use the passive voice, as there are many different forms of passivity, some which are quite unclear and not objective at all. An essential way to avoid using “we” is providing solid evidence that is relevant to the subject at hand. This will keep the argument firm and objective. A clear fact is that arguments which use “we” tend to deviate away from the topic in an effort to provide a circumstance where the argument is relevant. This can often confuse the reader and lead to them disagreeing with the point, unsure of what was just read. And most importantly using “we” can be avoided by the simple technique of knowing when it is alright to relate to the reader. This can hold importance when a writer is trying to show a difficult to swallow argument, or when showing a result of something that holds true to everyone. It is very easy to simply stray into using “we” all the time and thus losing the objectivity the paper was intended to hold.

People use “we” to show they are in with the crowd, agreeing with others on a similar level. Using “we” is including the reader, and is almost considered talking “at” the reader. People don’t think about it, but using “we” can give an unsure tone in writing. Sometimes it gives the impression that the writer is unsure of him or herself, and although they are saying everyone does this, such as when talking about procrastinating, “We put things off till the last minute”, it can be somewhat of an indirect confession. Using “we” can also give a conversational tone to the paper. Some people may think that this is a good thing because it keeps the paper from being too boring. The fact is that a conversational tone, especially if it is not a funny paper, takes away from the credibility of the writer. This is important because wanting to relate to the reader on the level of the difficulties of the paper is what using “we” stems from. The most important reason not to use “we” is that it takes away from the objectivity of the paper. The academic paper is an informed argument, and when using “we” a writer is blurring the lines between an informed argument and his or her personal opinions. Using “we” is often important when trying to explain difficult situations or opinions in a more relatable manner, and this is not a bad thing. The next few sections will discuss ways in which an informed argument can still use personal voice yet avoid using “we”.

This essay is mainly about the “we”-less approach and its effectiveness. There will be discussed many reasons why “we” should be replaced and how replacing “we” can benefit the writer. This essay will go into the do’s and do not’s of writing an academic paper, which is crucial to achieving the ultimate goal, receiving an A in the class. “We” can come off as casual, and students need to realize there is a time and place for everything.

2. The Impact of Using “We” in Academic Writing

We will now look at the problem from the angle of how its removal can improve the language of academic papers. The use of “we” in this context often refers to the author and the reader, since the author is arguing that the reader should agree with the points he is making. The actual meaning is very similar to “I” since the author is the one putting forward the argument. The problem occurs when the author uses “we” to refer to an undefined group of people, possibly to society in general. Usually, the author is not attempting to make statements which apply to every single person in the world, so the meaning is closer to “some of the people” or “one might” yet this is not what “we” actually means. This can lead to confusion over the intended meaning and possible misinterpretation. If “we” is taken to mean everyone, and the statement is not one which is necessarily true for all people, the author is stating a falsehood. By bringing the reader to include himself in “we,” the author may be trying to make the reader more sympathetic to the argument, yet he has actually put words into the reader’s mouth. Although removing “we” in all these instances may be difficult to find suitable replacements, the distinction in meaning will make the writing more precise. This is something which is especially important in the field of the sciences. An interesting example of the overuse of “we” by scientists has been documented by M. Elizabeth Weichel in her 2008 paper “I’m not sure we really do want a strong public voice”: Published scientific research and the role of government employees in the United States. She identified a trend in scientific writing to use “we” when talking about negative results. E.g. “When testing the hypothesis the new drug was no more effective than a placebo, we found that the drug did not contribute to the well-being of patients.” Although this use of “we” to soften the blow of a negative finding can be seen as a characteristic of this type of writing, it is not a favor to the reader or to precise language. The meaning here is the same as “I” and it is far more direct to state it as such.

3. Alternatives to Using “We” in Academic Writing

Sentence fragments are yet another way to avoid pronouns said to cause much difficulty since fragments are short and do not give need to reveal who or what has done the action.

Another way to avoid using personal pronouns is to make everything plural. Since “we” is a first person singular pronoun, switching to a first person plural would be using “our”. Unfortunately, using first person plural still presents problems with coming off as inconsistent. Switching to a second person pronoun avoids confusion since second person singular and plural having the same word. The only downside is that it completely changes who you are referring to. This may also occur if one uses further articles such as “This was good, a success” as opposed to “That was good, a success”.

In active voice, the subject is doing the action. With passive voice, the subject is acted upon, showing the events as more important than those who are doing it. Using passive voice, sentences now have direct objects acted upon by the subject, which can also be omitted. Omission of the subject in certain sentences can completely remove the need for any type of pronoun. For example, “Most Americans are influenced by the media. They are not aware of it” can be rewritten in such a way to remove all pronouns. An alternative to this is changing the second sentence into a clause acting as direct object of the first. “Most Americans are influenced by the media, unaware of its effects.” By having a clause act as a direct object, you can further avoid any pronouns.

By now it should be clear that using “we” in academic writing is inconsistent. There are several ways to avoid using personal pronouns in your writing. The first and most often used alternative to using “we” is to switch to the passive voice. Some professors require its use for writing in the belief that it keeps the writing focused on the events being described.

4. Guidelines for Writing in an Impersonal Tone

3. Avoid making emphatic comments about your position. For example, instead of saying “Obviously, limiting the use of the first person in an academic paper is the best course of action”, try “limiting the use of the first person in an academic paper is the best course of action”.

2. Avoid using the first person. For example, instead of writing “I have chosen my words carefully”, write “one would have chosen their words carefully”. Also, some instances of the second person perspective can be confused with the first person and should also be avoided.

1. Use a persuasive tone in your response. Always keep in mind that you are trying to persuade others to see your point of view. Your writing will be most persuasive if you can show your reader that you have considered your position from all perspectives.

It is possible to write in a predominantly impersonal style by following these guidelines:

5. Conclusion

It is said that two heads are better than one. Keep this in mind when teaming up with a partner or formulating a study group for each of these activities. These are logical steps that lead to Skip Downing’s explanation of the “Accountable Talk” model. Using this model, two people exchange thoughts on the subject. This exchange, when effectively executed, will reveal discrepancies between the two people’s understandings of something. This ultimately leads to “the essence of critical thinking and learning”. Through clarification and improvement, we are able to share knowledge so complete and concise that it reduces a certain topic to its simplest terms. With a partner, articulate a plan and stick to it. Whether the task at hand is a writing or science assignment, research has shown that when students take the time to verbalize the steps of the project, the quality and depth of the project improve. And finally, if both of you are aiming for the highest understanding and achievement, question one another and subject one another to a ‘cross-examination’. Remember that the goal is not to pinpoint the partner’s intellectual inadequacies or to defend one’s own thinking to the end, but instead to reach complete mutual understanding.