Re: [Phys-l] Writing a review or lab report

[John Mallinckrodt <ajm@csupomona.edu>]

Scientists do not write in the passive voice out of modesty and/or objectivity.  Scientists write in the passive voice because OTHER scientists write in the passive voice and have for a long time.  Some instructors TELL their students that it is important to use the passive voice because it takes the researcher out of the picture and implies objectivity, but to the extent that that is true, it is intentional subterfuge.  A reputation for objectivity is not--or at least should not be--achieved by writing in the passive voice; it is achieved by demonstrating skepticism towards one's own results and being open to criticism.

The downside of writing in the passive voice is that it becomes mind-numbing in large doses.  Take a look at a really good textbook (e.g., those by David Griffiths, Eugene Hecht, or Dan Schroeder) and you'll appreciate the beneficial effects of a strong, clear, ACTIVE voice.

John Mallinckrodt
Cal Poly Pomona

On May 2, 2011, at 9:14 AM, David Marx wrote:

> My preference is to have students write in passive voice only.  In science, it is not the particular 
> researchers that are important so much as what was done, how it was done, what was observed, etc.  I 
> also have them use past tense in describing the above.  The exception is when something is presently 
> true or always true.  For example, "2 plus 2 equals 4" would not be written "2 plus 2 equaled 4."