Can you use 1st person in a research paper

To refer to the results in this context is incorrect and should be avoided. To make it more appropriate, the above sentence can be revised as follows:. The second person point of view uses pronouns that refer to the reader.

The reason behind using the second person is to engage the reader. You will want to buy a turkey that is large enough to feed your extended family. Before cooking it, you must wash it first thoroughly with cold water. Although this is a good technique for giving instructions, it is not appropriate in academic or scientific writing.

The ones that refer to individuals are as follows:. The researchers determined that there was not enough sample material to conduct the assay.

The third person point of view is generally used in scientific papers but, at times, the format can be difficult. We use indefinite pronouns to refer back to the subject but must avoid using masculine or feminine terminology. For example:. The nurse must ensure that he or she has a large enough blood sample for his or her assay.

As mentioned earlier, the third person is generally used in scientific writing, but the rules are not quite as stringent anymore. It is now acceptable to use both the first and third person pronouns in some contexts, but this is still under controversy. Schultz presented several opinions on whether the author viewpoints differed. However, there appeared to be no consensus. In studying American popular culture of the s, the question of to what degree materialism was a major characteristic of the cultural milieu was explored.

In our study of American popular culture of the s, we explored the degree to which materialism characterized the cultural milieu. As I observed the communication styles of first-year Carolina women, I noticed frequent use of non-verbal cues.

A study of the communication styles of first-year Carolina women revealed frequent use of non-verbal cues. Avoiding the first person here creates the desired impression of an observed phenomenon that could be reproduced and also creates a stronger, clearer statement. As I was reading this study of medieval village life, I noticed that social class tended to be clearly defined. This study of medieval village life reveals that social class tended to be clearly defined. Although you may run across instructors who find the casual style of the original example refreshing, they are probably rare.

The revised version sounds more academic and renders the statement more assertive and direct. In this example, there is no real need to announce that that statement about Aristotle is your thought; this is your paper, so readers will assume that the ideas in it are yours.

But here are some general guidelines. But conventions seem to be changing in some cases—for instance, when a scientific writer is describing a project she is working on or positioning that project within the existing research on the topic. While your audience is generally interested in your perspective in the humanities fields, readers do expect you to fully argue, support, and illustrate your assertions. Personal belief or opinion is generally not sufficient in itself; you will need evidence of some kind to convince your reader.

The question of whether personal experience has a place in academic writing depends on context and purpose. But sometimes you might need to explicitly situate your position as researcher in relation to your subject of study.

Or if your purpose is to present your individual response to a work of art, to offer examples of how an idea or theory might apply to life, or to use experience as evidence or a demonstration of an abstract principle, personal experience might have a legitimate role to play in your academic writing. The authors confirm this latter finding. Does the term refer to Jones et al. We confirm this latter finding. The APA encourages using personal pronouns for this context.

The social sciences broaden this scope to allow discussion of personal perspectives, irrespective of comparisons to other literature.