Strategies for Appropriately Employing Active or Passive Voice in Academic Documents
Hey there! A lot of young researchers question when and where to use active or passive voice in their research papers. Fret not, this guide will help clarify when to use which voice.
First Things First: What's the Difference?
Using active voice emphasizes the agent performing the action, like, "CRISPR edits the DNA." Using passive voice focuses on the object receiving the action, such as, "The DNA is edited by CRISPR."
So, When to Choose?
Using the right voice is essential to communicate your ideas clearly and persuasively. Active voice is more straightforward, vigorous, and easier to understand, while passive voice is formal, impersonal, and often shorter.
Section Matchups
Introduction
Use active voice to grab the reader's attention. "SARS-CoV-2 causes mild and moderate diseases," is clearer and more concise than the passive "Mild and moderate diseases are caused by SARS-CoV-2."
Results
Active voice is preferred to highlight the results. For instance, "We did not check the interactions of the proteins," instead of the passive, "The interactions of the proteins were not checked by us."
Methods
The passive voice shines in the methods section. "Total RNA was treated with DNAseI to remove contaminating DNA," focuses on the process rather than who performed it.
Remember, a combination of both voices provides a nice balance and cadence to the writing. Stick to one voice only when essential. Use passive voice in academic writing when the performer is unimportant, obvious, or unknown, or when the process or action is more important than who did it.
Here's a breakdown of voice usage in different sections to help you out:
| Section | Preferred Voice | Purpose/Notes ||-------------------|----------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|| Introduction | Active | Describe what you did, interpret results, propose implications || Methods | Passive | Focus on the procedures and techniques || Results | Passive | Emphasize findings and data || Discussion | Active | Interpret results, highlight implications || Conclusion | Active | Summarize findings and state conclusions |
Hope this helps you write like a pro and ace your research game!
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Sources:
- Majumdar, K. (2019). How to effectively use active and passive voice in research writing. Editage Insights. https://www.editage.com/insights/how-to-effectively-use-active-and-passive-voice-in-research-writing
- Clear Science Writing. (n.d.). Active Voice or Passive Voice? http://www.biomedicaleditor.com/active-voice.html
- Cerejo, C. (2013). Using the active and passive voice in research writing. Editage Insights. https://www.editage.com/insights/using-the-active-and-passive-voice-in-research-writing
- King, A. (2015). Active vs. Passive voice in academic writing:Style or substance? Consortium for Organizational Research Communication. https://corcomm.ucdavis.edu/active-passive-voice-academic-writing-style-or-substance
- Thornbury, S. (2006). Active vs. Passive voice. Macmillan Education. https://learning.macmillan.com/resources/active-vs-passive-voice-techniques-and-examples/
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