In high school, we were required to conduct science investigatory projects and write a paper about them. We were also taught how to write a scientific paper and its structure. At that time, we were strictly taught to write in the passive voice because writing in the active voice was considered unprofessional and thus frowned upon.
So, equipped with that knowledge, I brought it with me during my undergraduate thesis writing. I embraced writing only in the passive voice because that’s how I was taught and how things were done at the university. Now I realize my world was so small back then that I didn’t know any better. We did not have any scientific journal subscriptions, making my already narrow access even narrower. I can’t remember how I went through my literature review!
Anyway, everything I thought about science writing changed when I was pursuing my master’s. Studying at the University of the Philippines Diliman gave me access to thousands of journal articles from various publishers. While reading multiple scientific papers, I saw papers written in an active voice! And they were even more engaging and easy to read.
For years, I thought writing in an active voice was a sin in science writing!
Still unsure how to absorb this new knowledge, I enrolled in Writing in the Sciences, which demonstrated the power of writing in an active voice. Empowered by my new knowledge, I happily applied it to my writing, only to receive mixed feedback from various academic professionals. There was still no consensus about which voice to use in academic writing, at least in my immediate sphere of influence.
I would later learn that while some still vow in the traditional way of writing scientific papers (meaning writing them using a passive voice and shunning the use of “I” and “we”), some of my peers also embrace the active voice.
So now, my writing style would depend on the project leader I’d be working with. But if I have the liberty to choose (which is mostly the case), I would always use the active voice in my writing because it makes my paper readable and increases my accountability and authority towards my work.
If you are still writing for your thesis and wonder what structure to follow, here’s what I used during my master’s, which you may find helpful.
jessa 