Being objective in academic writing

Being objective in academic writing

Objectivity This means that the main emphasis should be on the information that you want to give and the arguments you want to make, rather than you. This is related to the basic nature of academic study and academic writing, in particular. Nobody really wants to know what you "think" or "believe" Oct 06,  · If you are writing objectively, you must remain as neutral as possible through the use of facts, statistics, and research. This type of writing is Although you may have been told that “I” is never used in academic writing, that is not true. It is okay to use it, but only if the “I” is a vital part of the thing that is being discussed. For example, a student conducted a chemistry experiment and is reporting on the procedure

Being Objective | Writing & Research in the Disciplines

Writers should write objectively and inclusively to receive respect and trust from readers, as well as to avoid alienating readers. To be objective means to write with curiosity, rather than having a preset opinion, and to engage with research, rather than presenting a personal preference. Being objective being objective in academic writing your writing is a skill that you will develop, just like your academic voice.

Though having a passion for your topic makes the writing process easier, it is important not to let it take over your draft. Here are some tips for keeping objectivity and eliminating bias. Biased: Educators do not consider each child's particular learning style when developing lessons. This sentence does not acknowledge the variation within the population of educators, implying that all educators are like this. Better: Some educators do not consider each child's particular learning style when developing lessons.

This sentence acknowledges that there are some educators who do not fall into this category, that all educators are not the same. Support statements with research or answer the question, "according to which researchers? Biased: Third-grade boys are chronically disruptive, while the girls are always eager to please. Here, all boys are being objective in academic writing as having the same disruptive behavior, while the writer is also assuming all girls are better behaved, showing a bias toward girls.

This sentence is more specific, telling the reader the exact percentage of girls and boys that exhibited the behavior, avoiding the assumptions implied by the previous vague phrasing. This sentence assumes that teachers are female, making being objective in academic writing about the gender of this profession and being objective in academic writing gender bias.

This statement does not use gender-specific pronouns, but acknowledges a teacher can be male, female, or another gender. Note that this sentence avoids bias by changing the singular "teacher" to be plural and uses plural pronouns.

This sentence assumes that all people of Hispanic heritage consider family to be important, especially those in the author's town. There is not any room given for difference between these families or recognizing that some people of Hispanic heritage may not consider family to be important. This revision is more specific and considers the individual differences between Hispanic families by reporting the specific percentage of those who consider family to be important.

It also gives specific information about who conducted the study and where, giving credibility to the writer. This statement makes an assumption about all teenagers without basing it on research, but on the author's own personal experience. While personal experiences are sometimes helpful, being objective in academic writing, use them as supporting examples, rather than the sole basis for assertions.

This sentence presents the same assertion, but uses specific statistical data to support the idea. Rather than basing this statement on one teenager's behavior, it uses a study that surveyed a larger sample of teenagers. Bias does not just have negative implications; writers who are too sympathetic are also displaying bias.

Giving an overly favorable opinion of someone can eliminate objectivity. Biased: While all teachers are very good at helping students learn, No Child Left Behind NCLB hinders teachers, not allowing them to serve students well. Without NCLB, teachers would be able to perform their jobs perfectly.

This statement is sympathetic towards teachers, stating that all teachers could help students if only the government had not passed NCLB. It assumes all teachers excel at helping students, not allowing for the possibility that some teachers are not very good at their jobs.

Better: While most teachers are able to help students learn, No Child Left Behind NCLB hinders teachers, making it more difficult to serve students well.

Although there are other issues that affect teachers' ability to perform their jobs well, without NCLB more teachers would serve their students better.

This revision takes into account that there are other being objective in academic writing affecting teachers' performance besides No Child Left Behind and provides a more balanced view of teachers' abilities to help students. Sensitive language helps you avoid bias. Consult APA 7, "Chapter 5: Bias-Free Language Guidelines," for more information.

This statement does not give specific information about the age of the participants, allowing the reader to make assumptions. Without specific information, "older adults" could refer to anyone who is 65 years and older. This statement specifically tells the reader what the age range was for the participants in this survey, being objective in academic writing, ensuring that the reader does not make assumptions about the ages of the participants, being objective in academic writing.

While "man" is fine on its own, paired with "female," it is not parallel. Additionally, "female" should only be used as an adjective i. Instead, always use "man" with "woman" and "male" with "female" and only use "male" and "female" as adjectives and "man" and "woman" as nouns. In this sentence, the parallel terms "man" and "woman" are used.

Also, "female" and "male" are not used as nouns at all, being objective in academic writing. In this sentence, the entire population is considered to be "homosexual," which is not very descriptive. Per APA"homosexual" is not a specific enough term p.

Instead, in this sentence, the term "lesbian" is used to be more specific about the sexual orientation of the population surveyed. Terms for sexual identity change over time. Consult with the individuals and communities you are researching about the terms they use to identify themselves and use those terms in your writing.

There are many forms of nonparallel terms here. The term "African American" is paired with "White," which is not parallel. The African American population is also labeled as "non-Whites," using one racial group as the primary group.

The term "Asian" is also not parallel. This sentence uses parallel terms for all racial identities, as well as using the specific term "Japanese American. Here, the personhood of the individuals is affirmed and placed first in the sentence. This way, the reader sees the person first, then the label. Also note that the APA manual provides "General Guidelines for Reducing Bias.

American Psychological Association. Publication manual of the American Psychological Association 7th ed. Walden University is an inclusive institution that serves a diverse population of students. Walden recognizes that discussion around gender identity is ongoing. As such, the university will accept any pronoun in student writing so long as evidence can be provided that it is accepted as a respectful term by the community it represents.

Walden University follows APA standards for bias in language recommendations when referring to groups or individuals. Student writers should ensure that they are following the conventions and preferences of all the group or population they are describing. This may mean person-first language or identity-first language. Whichever the student writer chooses being objective in academic writing be done with intention and respect.

As such, while the APA recommends using people-first language when addressing persons with disabilities e. It is important to follow the convention and preferences of the group. Alternatively, APA and Walden also recognize that certain groups or subgroups thereof prefer identity-first language e.

Walden student writers should refer to APA for guidance as well as the preferences of the groups they are describing. Walden University Writing Center. Scholarly voice: Avoiding bias. Didn't find what you need? Search our website or email us. Read our website accessibility and accommodation statement.

Walden University Academic Guides Writing Center Scholarly Voice Avoiding Bias. Scholarly Voice: Avoiding Bias. Print Page Report a broken link. Overview Precision, Clarity, and Academic Expression Writing Concisely Varying Sentence Structure Point of View First-Person Point of View Second-Person Point of View Objectivity Avoiding Bias Basics of Avoiding Bias Generalization Evidence Self-Awareness Objectivity Sensitivity Gender-Neutral Pronouns People-First and Identity-First Language Policy Related Webinars and Social Media Resources Recommended APA Style Reference List Entry for This Page Webpage Feedback Active and Passive Voice Word Choice Diction Using Academic Diction Commonly Confused Words Verb Choice Verbs That Introduce Use of "It" Tone Audience.

Basics of Avoiding Bias Writers should write objectively and inclusively to receive respect and trust from readers, as well as to avoid alienating readers. Generalization Stay away from generalization by avoiding stated or implied all or never assertions: Biased: Educators do not consider each child's particular learning style when developing lessons, being objective in academic writing. Evidence Support statements with research or answer the question, "according to which researchers?

Self-Awareness Be aware of your own biases and how these may be expressed in writing. This includes: Assumptions about professions. Biased: The teacher should use technology when she is teaching her class. Better: Teachers should use technology when they are teaching their classes. Beliefs about specific populations. Biased: Family is very important to the Hispanic population in my town.

Statements based solely on personal experience. Biased: My daughter texts constantly, which shows that teenagers use cell phones more than they did being objective in academic writing the past. Objectivity Bias does not just have negative implications; writers who are too sympathetic are also displaying bias. Sensitivity Sensitive language helps you avoid bias.

Be specific rather than descriptive. Biased: I surveyed older adults while collecting data. Better: I surveyed participants between ages 70 and 84 while collecting data, being objective in academic writing. Keep wording parallel. Biased: The man and female turned out to be the directors of the Red Cross, being objective in academic writing.

Better: The man and woman turned out to be the directors of the Red Cross. Use up-to-date terms for sexual identity. Use parallel racial and ethnic identity terms.

The Tone of Academic Writing

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Features of academic writing: Objectivity

To work towards a more objective tone in your writing, use the “Find” feature in your word processing program to locate any instances where you use the following words or phrases: I feel I believe I think prove/disprove Remove phrases like “I feel, “I believe,” and “I think,” remembering that academic writing should remain objective Although you may have been told that “I” is never used in academic writing, that is not true. It is okay to use it, but only if the “I” is a vital part of the thing that is being discussed. For example, a student conducted a chemistry experiment and is reporting on the procedure Oct 06,  · If you are writing objectively, you must remain as neutral as possible through the use of facts, statistics, and research. This type of writing is