report POV

[Paige C]

Should we avoid 1st person singular for a lab report? ‘I contrast x and y’ feels informal compared to ‘x and y are contrasted’, but I understand we should avoid the passive?

[Simon]

First person singular is acceptable for the lab report. The passive is not wrong, but can create problems including being more verbose, or (much more importantly) being potentially ambiguous about who did something.

It’s crucial to be clear about which ideas and work are your own, and which are not. Prioritise that above any stylistic decisions.

[Author]

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