Dear R People: Please excuse the off topic question, but I know that I'll get a good answer here. If a single author is writing a journal article, should she use "We performed a test" or "I performed a test", please? I had learned to use "we" without regard to the number of authors. Is that true, please? Thanks for the off topic help. Sincerely, Erin Hodgess Associate Professor Department of Computer and Mathematical Sciences University of Houston - Downtown mailto: hodgess at gator.uhd.edu
I had assumed that the use of we in articles was either due to formality, like the distinction between tu and vous in French. The English monarch never refer to themselves in the singular. Or we as in both the author and the reader. However a sample of size 4 of articles to hand suggests that the use of we for single author papers is not universal. HTH Phineas Campbell http://www.phineas.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/ -----Original Message----- From: r-help-bounces at stat.math.ethz.ch [mailto:r-help-bounces at stat.math.ethz.ch]On Behalf Of Erin Hodgess Sent: Tuesday, June 08, 2004 6:11 PM To: r-help at stat.math.ethz.ch Subject: [R] off topic publication question Dear R People: Please excuse the off topic question, but I know that I'll get a good answer here. If a single author is writing a journal article, should she use "We performed a test" or "I performed a test", please? I had learned to use "we" without regard to the number of authors. Is that true, please? Thanks for the off topic help. Sincerely, Erin Hodgess Associate Professor Department of Computer and Mathematical Sciences University of Houston - Downtown mailto: hodgess at gator.uhd.edu ______________________________________________ R-help at stat.math.ethz.ch mailing list https://www.stat.math.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help PLEASE do read the posting guide! http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
On Wed, 2004-06-09 at 05:11, Erin Hodgess wrote:> If a single author is writing a journal article, > should she use "We performed a test" > or "I performed a test", > please?Does the particular journal specify a style manual or style sheet? The Chicago Manual of Style \cite{Chicago2003}, p160, says "'We' is sometimes used by an individual who is speaking for a group... called the editorial 'we'. Some writers also use 'we' to make their prose appear less personal and to draw in the reader or listener." Although journals may vary in their requirements, you are presumably speaking for a group (the University of Houston Downtown), and "we" is probably safer than "I". Probably. It's important to note that the Chicago Manual does *not* claim to be authoritative, merely helpful. Cheers Jason @Book{Chicago2003, editor = {University of Chicago Press Staff}, title = {The Chicago Manual of Style}, publisher = {University of Chicago Press}, year = 2003, address = {Chicago}, edition = {Fifteenth} }
On Tue, 08-Jun-2004 at 08:56PM +0100, Phineas Campbell wrote: |> I had assumed that the use of we in articles was either due to |> formality, like the distinction between tu and vous in French. The |> English monarch never refer to themselves in the singular. Hence the use of the term "The Royal We" when referring to a purportedly group decision that was really made by one individual who is attempting to hide that fact. In the case of an author, the attempt could be to appear more modest. We are not all prima donnas. :-) -- Patrick Connolly HortResearch Mt Albert Auckland New Zealand Ph: +64-9 815 4200 x 7188 ~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~ I have the world`s largest collection of seashells. I keep it on all the beaches of the world ... Perhaps you`ve seen it. ---Steven Wright ~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
I always thought that the use of "we" was a reference to the author(s) and the reader. -roger Erin Hodgess wrote:> Dear R People: > > Please excuse the off topic question, but I > know that I'll get a good answer here. > > > If a single author is writing a journal article, > should she use "We performed a test" > or "I performed a test", > please? > > I had learned to use "we" without regard to the number > of authors. Is that true, please? > > Thanks for the off topic help. > > Sincerely, > Erin Hodgess > Associate Professor > Department of Computer and Mathematical Sciences > University of Houston - Downtown > mailto: hodgess at gator.uhd.edu > > ______________________________________________ > R-help at stat.math.ethz.ch mailing list > https://www.stat.math.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help > PLEASE do read the posting guide! http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html >