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Appropriate Use of First Person and Avoiding Bias

Beth Oyler, Writing Specialist

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• Download slides• View recordinghttp://

writingcenter.waldenu.edu/415.htm

• Questions box• Access captioning

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Agenda

First person or personal pronouns: I, me, my

• Appropriate uses

• Inappropriate uses

Bias

• Objectivity

• Ways to avoid bias

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Use of First Person: Background

Allowed by both Walden and APA

Section 3.09 in APA Manual

Walden Handbook, p. 176, 178

Only when appropriate

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Considerations

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When to Use the First Person

Avoid “the author” and “the researcher”

• The author talked to the principal.

→ I talked to the principal.

• The researcher will develop a management plan.

→ I will develop a management plan.

• The author sent the surveys to the participants.

→ I sent the surveys to the participants.

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After-school programs can be essential to students’ physical fitness, as well as their education. Gortmaker (2012) found that when physical fitness was integrated with after-school programs, students’ activity levels increased by 10 minutes. The researcher will use this model to implement a similar program in the researcher’s school district. By continuing the author’s focus on physical fitness in educational after-school programs, the author will show the effectiveness of integrating the two focuses.

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After-school programs can be essential to students’ physical fitness, as well as their education. Gortmaker (2012) found that when physical fitness was integrated with after-school programs, students’ activity levels increased by 10 minutes. I will use this model to implement a similar program in my own school district. By continuing Gortmaker’s focus on physical fitness in educational after-school programs, I will show the effectiveness of integrating the two focuses.

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When to Use the First Person

• This paper will examine…

→ In this paper, I will examine…

• This section will explore…

→ In this section, I will explore…

Avoid Anthropomorphism:

Attributing human actions to nonhuman things.

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When to Use the First Person

→ I will do this…

→ I will show that…

→ I will summarize this…

→ I will conclude with…

To explain what you will do or show in a paper.

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When to Use the First Person

• A healthcare initiative will be suggested.

→ I will suggest a healthcare initiative.

• Three education theories will be analyzed.

→ I will analyze three education theories.

• Ways that time will be managed will be

explained by me.

→ I will explain ways that I will manage my

time.

Avoid

Passive

voice:

Emphasis

on the

object, not

subject, of a

sentence.

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This section explores the theories of positivism, functionalism, and social construction, after which their applicability to national health care will be analyzed. The author also compares these theories to her hospital, illustrating that functionalism is most appropriate for this organization.

Putting It All Together What parts of this paragraph would you revise? (Choose all that apply!)

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Putting It All Together

In this section I explore the theories of positivism, functionalism, and social construction, after which I analyze their applicability to national health care. I also compare these theories to my hospital, illustrating that functionalism is most appropriate for my organization.

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Questions?

Up Next: When not to use first person.

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Inappropriate Use of First Person

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Inappropriate Use of First Person

Instead, ground your statements in logic and

evidence.

Opinions: Using “I think”, “I believe,” or “I feel”

statements and failing to use evidence to support ideas.

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I feel that public policymakers’ reluctance to

tackle global warming shows how beholden

they are to the corporate interests.

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The public should analyze policymakers’

motivations regarding global warming. As Walker

(2012) found, U.S. public policymakers who

oppose efforts to limit global warming tended to

receive significantly more in campaign

contributions from energy companies than their

peers.

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I found several studies (Marks, 2011; Isaac,

2005; Stuart, 2012) that pointed to the

consumption of white bread as a possible

cause of certain cancers.

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Results of several recent studies (Marks,

2011; Isaac, 2005; Stuart, 2012) suggested

a link between white bread consumption and

certain cancers.

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Questions?

Up Next: Objectivity and Avoiding Bias

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Objectivity and Avoiding Bias

Objectivity is

• The standard for social science publication

• Different from non-academic sources

Objectivity is not

• Passionless or robotic

• Missing your voice

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Objectivity and Avoiding Bias

Maintain objectivity by

Using the first person appropriately

Avoiding bias in your writing

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Bias: Working Definition

Bias: According to APA (2010), “scientific writing must

be free of implied or irrelevant evaluation of the

group or groups being studied” (p. 233).

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Avoiding Bias

• People from Tennessee are obsessed with football.

→ Many Tennesseans are avid fans of football (Manning, 2009).

Generalizations: Statements that oversimplify a

situation or ignore outliers, sometimes called “blanket

statements”.

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Avoiding Bias• Third-grade boys are chronically

disruptive, while the girls are always eager to please.

→ In Clooney’s (2008) study of Kansas City third-graders, 35% of the boys and 68% of the girls were able to complete instructions for a tedious assignment without showing signs of agitation.

Using

Evidence:

Answer the

question Says

who? or

According to

who? for your

reader.

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Avoiding Bias

• Assumptions about professions

• Beliefs about specific populations

• Preference for familiar people/situations

• Over sympathizing

Awareness of Background: Know what biases you

bring to the discussion. Ask what influences your

perception of ideas and situations.

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Why Avoid Bias?

• Don’t want to offend your reader

• Want your reader to see you as an authority

• Want to be, and appear to be, open-minded

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Further Suggestions

Use preferred labels

Avoid objectification and slurs

Use people-first language

• Autistic person

→ Person with autism

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Questions?

Now: Q&A Box

Later: WritingSupport@waldenu.edu

Recording of Webinar

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Resources Detailed APA guidelines:

– Point of view (APA 3.09)

– Gender (APA 3.12)– Racial and Ethnic

Identity (APA 3.14)– Disabilities (APA 3.15)– Age (APA 3.16)– Guidelines for

Unbiased Language at www.apastyle.org

Point of view Passive voice Scholarly voice Anthropomorphism

and expression Academic writing blog

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