Writing in the first person

Some Social Sciences researchers use the first-person singular, the “I”, as a matter of course. Others tend to prefer impersonal sentence constructions, such as e.g.: “This paper examines the question of whether …”. Some refer to themselves in the third person as “the author” or “the writer.”

What counts as “academic writing” cannot be decreed – by anyone – but is constantly “in flux” and depends on the reference group of colleagues who either accept “such things” or frown upon them.

– Gerhard Riemann

Very personal texts, e.g. in the style of autoethnography, which offer deep insights into one’s own experiences and feelings and may partly confuse or even unsettle readers, would not have been imaginable some time ago in the context of Social Sciences journals.

It depends on the context

It is not only about whether authors use or avoid the word “I”, but also about what and how much they reveal about themselves.

When reconstructing and discussing one’s own field research experiences, it can be particularly important and lead to new insights to describe in personal words what was difficult, required effort, or was experienced as chaotic. And in such cases, it makes more sense to write: “I became nervous and started stuttering when the client pressed further”, instead of “The author of this report showed signs of nervousness and experienced word-finding difficulties when the client asked additional questions.”

It always depends on the context and the purpose pursued with a text: A self-reflective ethnographic report, in which one engages with one’s own experiences and aims to make them transparent, is different from a literature discussion or a research proposal.

The range of academic language

It is important, on the one hand, that students do not freeze in awe before the supposed academic language but form their own impression of the range of Social Sciences texts and the respective linguistic and stylistic means.

There is no single rule for academic language. To avoid being intimidated and disempowered, it helps to read Social Sciences literature yourself rather than relying only on “exam-relevant PowerPoint slides”.

It is also important to clarify with your lecturers how personal or impersonal the texts should be in their view – and that, of course, includes the question of using “I”.

The lecturers at the Faculty of SW have very different academic socializations, and that is a good thing.

Students should never cultivate the false belief that a certain way of writing is not available to them just because they are still students or only aspiring social educators. They can use their minds just as much as lecturers.

– Gerhard Riemann

Frequently asked questions

Der Beitrag When May I Write “I”? erschien zuerst auf Online Writing Lab.

How did the observations and experiences arise?

Are the observations random, or were they made in a purposeful, methodically controlled, and systematical way? Ideally, you will have documented your observations and reflected on your experiences in writing. Including these written records, for instance in the appendix, helps the reader understand why you have reached these conclusions.

It is important that you always cite the source of the information here as well.

In observations or experiences, you alone are the source of the information.

If, for example, you refer to files or internal concepts and work aids from the institution in field reports, you must also clearly indicate your sources. Make your sources explicit with wording such as “I observed …”, “This information comes from the case file …”.

How do I integrate observations and experiences?

You can use observations and experiences e.g. to illustrate. In this case, it is often sufficient to present only the relevant content – without background information and possibly even without providing written proof. Alternatively, you can use your own experiences to develop a question or thesis.

Make sure not to make impermissible generalizations that distort the findings.

Your own observations and experiences are always subjective and therefore limited in their validity, because you observe only parts of individual cases, which makes generalization extremely difficult.

Not like this: In practice, clients regularly arrive late for consultation appointments.

Better like this: In my experience, clients frequently arrived late for consultation appointments.

Never leave your reports or observations uncommented, but explain what they represent. Your own interpretation does not automatically arise from the presentation of your experience.

As always: discuss questions and details with your lecturers.

An example of the relevance of own observations

Frequently asked questions

Der Beitrag How Do I Prove my Own Observations and Experiences in the Text? erschien zuerst auf Online Writing Lab.