Hello everybody.
As we are in the middle of the review process for the DRS2008 conference
I thought it might be interesting to discuss some issues from the
reviewing. I'm in the very privileged position of seeing for seeing a
large number of the authors' proposals and reviewers' comments and,
while it would be wrong to talk about individual work, I feel there
might be value in looking at broader issues that come up.
One that struck me very firmly is the question of whether it is
appropriate to use the first person, "I" and "we", in writing about your
research. It is clear that some reviewers don't like it, seeing it as an
indication of lack of rigour. Some people instruct students at all
levels that they must not use the first person in essays etc so this is
not a minor question. When I Googled the topic of <academic writing
"first person"> I found a great many university student guides and other
publications on the issue, most seemed to support the careful use of
first person but a minority assert the convention of third person only.
I have given four examples below of which one is in the third person camp.
My personal view is that it is perfectly acceptable to write in the
first person, and in some cases it may be helpful. Of course it is
absolutely essential that it is done with clarity and precision, like
all aspects of academic writing, and it seems to me that using the first
person is both an important acknowledgment of the role of the researcher
in the work and a challenge to the writer's rigour. If you can write in
the first person and be completely clear about the way that you and your
actions affect and effect the inquiry then you have done yourself and
your readers a great service.
I could say a great deal more but I am interested to hear what others
have to say.
regards
Chris
PS
Here, below, are the examples that I referred to above. Incidentally, as
we are dealing with rigour I should acknowledge that four examples
picked from the first page of a Google search might not be considered a
scholarly resource. I did not go to Google expecting to find the most
authoritative publications on the topic but I felt that it was a good
way to find quickly some of the resources that Universities offer their
students. I checked that the institutions were reputable places
representing a range of different kinds of universities. Three of the
items are official guides for students and the other is an article by an
academic from a distinguished university writing in a professional journal.
Now I am aware that some people would do a similar quick trawl on Google
then present what they find as unqualified evidence of their own broad
knowledge. I must admit that I have done it myself in moments of
weakness but it is essential for us all to be clear and precise about
what we know and how we know it.
Dartmouth College, USA
Dartmouth Writing Program materials for students, 'What is an Academic
Paper' available online at
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~writing/materials/student/ac_paper/what.shtml
"Watch your personal pronouns. Students often wonder if it's OK to use
the pronouns "I" and "you" in a paper. In fact, it is OK - provided you
use them with care. Overusing the "I" might make the reader feel that
the paper was overly subjective. In fact, when a writer too often
invokes himself in the first person, he may be doing so to avoid
offering proof: "It's my own personal opinion, and I have a right to it.
I don't have to defend it." But of course, he does."
Hull University, UK
Peter Wilson, 'Study Advice Series: Academic Writing' available online
at
http://www.hull.ac.uk/studyadvice/LearningResources/StudyGuidesPDFs/acadwrit.pdf
"Write in the third person (‘it’, ‘he’, ‘they’ etc.). Avoid the first
person (‘I’, ‘me’, ‘my’ etc.) – particularly in the singular."
University of North Carolina, USA
UNC Student Handout: 'Should I use "I"?' available online at
http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/should_I_use_I.html
"In some projects, you need to explain how your research or ideas build
on or depart from the work of others, in which case you'll need to say
"I," "we," "my," or "our"; if you wish to claim some kind of authority
on the topic, first person may help you do so."
Conall Hamill, of Queens University, Belfast has written on this issue
in the context of nursing education, noting that the use of third person
has become a rigid convention in his field, with unfortunate
consequences for many students' work.
Hamill C (1999) Academic essay writing in the first person: a guide for
undergraduates. Nursing Standard, 13, 44, 38-40. available online at
http://www.nursing-standard.co.uk/archives/ns/vol13-44/research.htm
*********************
Professor Chris Rust
Head of Art and Design Research Centre
Sheffield Hallam University, S11 8UZ, UK
+44 114 225 2706
[log in to unmask]
www.chrisrust.net
Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the
future of the human race. - H. G. Wells
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