The Use of Active and Passive Voice in Dissertation Writing
Dissertation writing is a meticulous process that requires clear, precise, and professional language. One important stylistic choice you’ll face is whether to use the active or passive voice. Each has its strengths and appropriate contexts within academic writing, and understanding when to use each can improve the readability and clarity of your dissertation.
Let’s dive into the use of active and passive voice in dissertation writing, including examples to help you make the right choice for each section of your work.
Active vs. Passive Voice: What’s the Difference?
- Active voice: The subject of the sentence performs the action.
- Example: The researcher conducted a survey.
- Passive voice: The action is performed on the subject, often leaving the doer of the action implied or in the background.
- Example: A survey was conducted by the researcher.
Both voices are grammatically correct, but their impact on tone and readability differs.
When to Use Active Voice
The active voice is generally more direct, engaging, and concise. It places the subject of the action at the forefront, making sentences easier to follow. In dissertation writing, active voice is often used when you want to emphasize the researcher (you) or the agent performing the action.
- Where to use active voice:
- Introduction: To state your research objectives and describe what you did.
- Discussion: To present your interpretations and opinions.
- Conclusion: To highlight contributions or recommendations.
- Examples:
- I analyzed the survey data to identify trends.
- We developed a new framework for analyzing social interactions.
- This study demonstrates the importance of community participation in urban planning.
The active voice works well in these sections because it keeps the writing engaging and emphasizes the researcher’s role.
When to Use Passive Voice
The passive voice is more formal and objective, making it a staple of academic writing. It is useful when the focus is on the action or result rather than the agent performing it. Passive voice is also common in situations where the doer of the action is unknown or irrelevant.
- Where to use passive voice:
- Methodology: To describe processes and procedures in an objective, detached tone.
- Results: To report findings neutrally, without emphasizing who performed the action.
- Examples:
- The interviews were conducted in a controlled environment.
- Data were analyzed using statistical software.
- A thematic analysis was performed to identify recurring patterns in the responses.
Using passive voice in these sections creates a formal, impersonal tone that aligns with academic conventions.
Balancing Active and Passive Voice in Your Dissertation
Both voices have their place in dissertation writing. Striking the right balance depends on the section you’re working on and the emphasis you want to convey. Here’s a breakdown by section:
- Introduction:
- Prefer active voice to clearly outline the purpose and objectives of your study.
- Example: This dissertation investigates the impact of social media on consumer behaviour.
- Literature Review:
- Use a mix, depending on whether you’re summarizing findings (active) or focusing on the results themselves (passive).
- Example: Smith (2020) argues that community engagement enhances project outcomes.
- Example: It has been suggested that project outcomes are influenced by community engagement.
- Methodology:
- Lean heavily on passive voice to emphasize the procedures and techniques over the researcher.
- Example: The experiments were conducted in a controlled laboratory setting.
- Results:
- Prefer passive voice to maintain neutrality when reporting findings.
- Example: A significant correlation was found between income level and educational attainment.
- Discussion and Conclusion:
- Use active voice to present your interpretations, insights, and recommendations.
- Example: This study highlights the importance of ethical practices in data collection.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
- Overuse of Passive Voice:
- Excessive passive voice can make your writing feel dry, wordy, or impersonal.
- Rewrite sentences for clarity when necessary:
- Passive: It was decided that further research would be conducted.
- Active: The committee decided to conduct further research.
- Inconsistent Usage:
- Switching between voices within the same paragraph can confuse readers. Be consistent within each section or context.
- Unnecessary First-Person Use:
- While active voice often includes first-person pronouns (I, we), some academic fields prefer avoiding personal pronouns. Check your institution’s guidelines.
Conclusion
The choice between active and passive voice in dissertation writing depends on the section and the emphasis you want to place. Use the active voice to keep your writing engaging and emphasize your role, and use the passive voice for objectivity and formal tone, especially in the Methodology and Results sections. By balancing the two effectively, you’ll create a dissertation that is clear, professional, and aligned with academic conventions.
Posted by Glenn Stevens. Need help writing up or editing your dissertation? Why not contact Glenn.
