Academic writing in the third person

How to write in an academic register without sounding robotic, when first person is acceptable, and how to convert your own sentences.

7 min read · Reviewed 2026

Many departments expect the third person in dissertation writing, though conventions differ by discipline and some explicitly permit first person in reflexive sections. Check your own handbook first — it overrides any general rule.

Where third person is expected, the aim is to keep attention on the evidence rather than on the writer, without collapsing into passive, lifeless prose.

Converting first person sentences

'I think the data shows a link' becomes 'The data indicate a relationship between…'. 'I interviewed twelve nurses' becomes 'Twelve nurses were interviewed' — or, in disciplines that allow it, 'This study interviewed twelve nurses'.

Notice that the converted versions are also more precise. Third person forces you to name what is doing the work: the data, the study, the analysis.

Hedging is precision, not weakness

'Suggests', 'appears to', 'is consistent with' and 'may indicate' let you state findings accurately. Reserve strong verbs for claims your data can carry.

Keep the voice readable

Third person does not mean every sentence must be passive. 'The analysis identified three themes' is active, third person and clear. Overusing the passive is a common cause of unreadable chapters.

Common mistakes

Switching between first and third person within a chapter.
Contractions and conversational asides in formal sections.
Passive constructions so heavy the actor disappears entirely.
Ignoring a handbook that explicitly permits first person.

Try this: Convert a page

Take one page of your draft.
Highlight every I, we, you and my.
Rewrite each sentence so the evidence is the subject.
Read it aloud and fix anything that has become unreadable.

Do it in SuperDiss

Convert your own sentences and check tone paragraph by paragraph.

Open the Academic Writing lab