61d Disciplinary style

Another important way to learn about a discipline is to identify its stylistic features. Study pieces of writing in the field with the following in mind:

Of course, writings within a single discipline may have different purposes and different styles. A chemist may write a grant proposal, a lab notebook, a literature review, a research report, and a lab report, each with a different purpose and style.

The First Person

TALKING THE TALK

“Is it true that I should never use I in college writing?” In much writing in college, using the first-person I is perfectly acceptable to most instructors. As always, think about the context—if your own experience is relevant to the topic, you are better off saying I than trying too hard not to. But don’t overdo it, especially if the writing isn’t just autobiographical. And check with your instructor if you aren’t sure: in certain academic disciplines, using I may be seen as inappropriate.