Using the First Person in Research Writing

 The use of personal pronouns (I, my, or we) in scholarly writing is an area of great contention in academia. Some say that the use of personal pronouns is a way of asserting your writer's voice. However, others will discount the use of personal pronouns as inappropriate.

Your course textbook (Ridley, 2008) suggests that one way to assert your writer's voice is to use personal pronouns in your scholarly writings. Additionally, the APA Style Manual recommends using "I" rather than the third person. However, the use of personal pronouns is often discouraged in academic writings.

In this assignment, you will explore the pros and cons of using personal pronouns in research writing.

Tasks:

On the basis of the course readings and the literature that you have reviewed for this course, in a minimum of 200 words, post your responses to the following:

• What are the pros and cons of using personal pronouns in scholarly writing?
• Why would most academic institutions not permit the use of these pronouns?
• Do you agree or disagree with this perspective that institutions hold? Why or why not?