Читать книгу An EasyGuide to APA Style - Regan A. R. Gurung - Страница 24

Our students often ask if they should use first person when writing APA-Style papers. In the previous section, we went into detail about how to avoid the passive voice. The problem is that so often students think they need to avoid first person completely, and they use third person or slip into passive voice. Consider this example:

Third person: The researchers assessed accuracy of responses usingn on leading questions.

Passive voice: Accuracy was assessed using nonleading questions by the researchers.

Which is the better choice? When writing in a scholarly voice, you need to minimize the use of first person and at the same time attempt to avoid passive voice. However, the Publication Manual (PM) also states that you should use the first person when you are describing your work. If you are the only author, then use “I”; if you have coauthors, use “we.” In the example above, using “the researchers” suggests the sentence is describing the method of another study. If you were describing your own study and you had even one coauthor, the above example would read, “We assessed accuracy of responses using nonleading questions.”

The section of your paper in which you will most likely want to use first person is the one in which you state your hypothesis. Typically, your hypothesis is included at the end of your Introduction section. Here you want to write, “I hypothesized that …” rather than “It was hypothesized….” Given that a hypothesis is essential in a scientific paper, you need to hypothesize. What you should watch out for is sentences that start with “I think….” Thinking is essential too of course, and the phrase “I think” is first person, but scientific papers rely less on opinion than peer-reviewed facts. Focus on interpreting findings and tying them together. Also, when writing your Method section or Discussion section, you will sometimes find it necessary to use first person to indicate what steps you followed to carry out your research. When writing your Discussion section, you often include your own interpretation of your findings. It certainly makes sense to use first person in that section when stating your own opinion. The rule to keep in mind is to limit the use of first person but to use it when you believe it enhances the clarity of your writing.