Physics Articles and their Voice (grammatical)

[Hepth]

I see a lot of different ways to write physics articles and I'm wondering if there is a preferred, or even a required voice for writing articles (Say something submitted to PRL).

If I'm alone as an author, or with someone else, etc can I use:

Using the values found in [3] I calculate the blah

or

Using the values found in [3] WE calculate the blah

or

The blah is calculated using the values found in [3].


While the third SEEMS like the best way to write something non-personal, it seems quite difficult to do for an entire paper.

 

[AlephZero]

If the passive gets too heavy-going, you can say

Using the values found in [3] one calculates the blah (or, one can calculate the blah)

"We" is probably OK. I would avoid "I" even if you are the sole author, unless you really are expressing your own opinion, for example in a book review, or an invited paper that is a summary of a work in a particular field or by a particular person.

 

[Vanadium 50]

First, I have always felt that clarity is the most important thing. This is more important than following some rule.

Second, passive is generally preferred, so long as it doesn't conflict with rule one. And I've seen some really impenetrable text trying to shoehorn everything into the passive voice.

Finally, I have no problem with "I" in a single author paper, although not all my colleagues feel that way.

 

[ZapperZ]

As a referee, I have zero problem with someone using "I" when it is a paper with a single author. I forget who is the physicist that quite often use that when he's the sole author.

As Vanadium said, I am more concerned about the clarity and content of the paper. Still, sometime, going too far of the usual path can be distracting, so you don't want to do that either.

Zz.

 

[rezeew]

I can assure you that there is no preferred or required voice for writing physics articles. It ultimately depends on the style and format of the specific journal or publication you are submitting your article to. However, it is important to maintain consistency throughout your article, whether you are writing alone or with co-authors.

In terms of using first-person pronouns such as "I" or "we," it is generally accepted to use "we" when writing with co-authors as it acknowledges the collaborative effort. However, if you are the sole author, using "I" is also acceptable.

When discussing calculations or results, it is common to use a more passive voice, such as "the blah is calculated," as it allows the focus to be on the scientific findings rather than the author(s) themselves. However, it is also acceptable to use a more active voice, such as "we calculate" or "I calculate," as long as it is consistent throughout the article.

Overall, the most important aspect of writing a physics article is to clearly and accurately convey your research and findings. As long as you maintain consistency and follow the submission guidelines of the journal or publication, the use of first-person pronouns and voice should not significantly impact the quality or acceptance of your article.