Academic writing is a special sphere different from other writing contexts. Academic (formal) writing has a number of requirements, like: formal order or structure in which to present ideas, support ideas by properly made citations, particular ‘tone’, traditional conventions of punctuation, grammar, and spelling. Finally, formal writing should be objective.
In order to write objectively it is important to be concerned with facts and avoid personal feelings or biases. Being objective also means fairness. As an independent researcher a writer has to show both sides of an argument and avoid making value judgements through the use of words such as “wonderful”, “pretty”, etc. An objective work sounds professionally and believable.
Another key practice intended to make your writing professional and objective is avoiding personal pronouns when necessary. Writing impersonally is a key to make your writing believable and unbiased. For example, readability improves when a writer uses “It could be argued that…” instead of “I think…”. “The studies show that…” instead of “I believe…” or “They say…”. Writing impersonally also means to use citations to express your views, e.g. “Thompson (2012) believes that…”.
Formal writing discourages the use of first or second person (‘I’, ‘we’, ‘you’, etc.). These pronouns diminish the objective tone of formal writing. Instead, it sounds as though a writer has a limited, personal view of the issue under discussion, rather than a view of the broader picture. In some circumstances, however, it is appropriate to write in the first or second person, according to the writing style, requirements and the discipline. For example, reflective writing relies on personal experience.
