English (as with many languages) has 3 levels of personal
pronouns:
|
Singular
|
Plural
|
First Person
|
I, me, mine
|
we, us, our
|
Second Person
|
you, your
|
you, your(s)
|
Third Person
|
he, she, it, him, her, it, his, her(s), its
|
they, them, their, theirs
|
APA does not allow the use of first person plural
"we" or "our" (the exception is if there are multiple
authors). The broader use of the word "we" (often referred to as the
"editorial we" or "royal we") leaves the reader wondering
to whom you are referring. Instead, substitute an appropriate noun or clarify
to whom you are referring. Here are some examples for a dissertation.
Incorrect: We know that the elderly ……
Correct: Researchers have found that the elderly …..
Incorrect: Drug use is common in our country
Correct: Drug use is common in the United States.
Incorrect: We will contact possible participants by …
Correct: I will contact possible participants by…
Next time, in honor of the 4th of July, I will
talk about courage and the dissertation. Do you have an issue or a question that you
would like me to discuss in a future post? Would you like to be a guest writer?
Send me your ideas! leann.stadtlander@waldenu.edu
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