One of the commonly-cited features of academic writing is ‘objectivity’. The idea is that you should write as an external observer with no agenda or emotional interest in your subject. Equally, you should not appeal to emotion responses in your reader. Instead, you should step outside the topic to provide an unbiased view. This approach is based in an Enlightenment worldview that values a rational, scientific outlook which “asserts that a reality exists which is external to the researcher” (Mitchell, 2017, p.2). This assertion promoted empirical, observable, measurable facts above other ways of knowing (epistemologies), such as personal experience.

However, every person has a context. We each come with particular perspectives based on background and circumstance: cultural, geographical, socio-economic, gender etc. This context can subtly affect our arguments but be hidden behind ‘objective’ language; writing as if the writer doesn’t exist deliberately disguises our natural human subjectivity.

What should you do?

Be aware of your context and potential biases in your own writing. This may be explicit, for example in reflective writing. It can also be implicit in the way you challenge your own assumptions or select a range of evidence (which we'll look at on the next page when we consider confirmation bias).

Check the guidance in your subject area on what writing style is expected. Some will require a ‘third person’ style, while others will be more flexible and allow first-person writing. This is particularly the case if you're asked to write a reflective statement - which we'll cover in section 5 of this module.

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