Using the First Person
One question that many students ask is whether they are 'allowed' to use the first person in their essays and assignments i.e. to include phrases such as:
In this essay I will outline the main evidence for…
I think that in order to answer this question it is important to …To some extent, opinion is divided on this one. There are still some researchers and lecturers who think that it is inappropriate to use 'I' or 'We' within a piece of academic writing. However, within the social sciences there are many well-respected authors who use the first person.
However, if you are uncomfortable about using the first person then there are a number of phrases that can be useful. For example:
This essay will focus on/describe/argue…
It will be argued that…
It will be suggested that…
Whilst there is not space in this essay to discuss in any detail…
This essay seeks to address two important questions…There are plenty more examples and it is worth paying attention to how other writers find ways to avoid using the first person. Even if you do use the first person from time to time, you should avoid using phrases such as:
I think that…
In my opinion…
I believe…
I would guess..The following phrases provide better alternatives:I have demonstrated that…
I would suggest that…
From the evidence presented above it follows that…
I would argue that…Remember that in a sociological essay you are not being asked about your personal views and opinions, you are being asked to engage with, and provide an analysis of, a body of academic research and literature on a specific topic.