Quirks: I say “we” because writing “I” in formal writing makes me feel weird.
Good to say so! But I encourage people to use “I” precisely in order to push back against formalspeak norms. Ostentation is bad for the mind, and it’s hard to do good research while feeling pressure to be formal.
Regardless though, I trust your abstract. Thanks. : )
Yeah, it’s a hard habit to kick when you almost always write with multiple authors! It seemed like a more effective use of my time to flag it than to try to edit it all out and miss some anyway. What makes you say using “we” makes it hard to do good research?
Edit: That question might come from an incorrect interpretation. I interpreted the third sentence in your comment as a relationship like [pressure to use “we” → pressure to be formal → harder to do good research]. But you might have meant [pressure to be formal → a. pressure to use “we” b. harder to do good research]?
Anyway, I think I agree with you in that I don’t think that necessarily people should use “we” in formal writing, or that writing on the forum should be formal. This post just felt easier to write in a quasi-formal style, and I am used to writing formal pieces with multiple authors, so that’s why using “I” feels kind of forced for me. Definitely not an attempt to be ostentatious or use a “formalspeak norm.” :)
Good to say so! But I encourage people to use “I” precisely in order to push back against formalspeak norms. Ostentation is bad for the mind, and it’s hard to do good research while feeling pressure to be formal.
Regardless though, I trust your abstract. Thanks. : )
Yeah, it’s a hard habit to kick when you almost always write with multiple authors! It seemed like a more effective use of my time to flag it than to try to edit it all out and miss some anyway. What makes you say using “we” makes it hard to do good research?
Edit: That question might come from an incorrect interpretation. I interpreted the third sentence in your comment as a relationship like [pressure to use “we” → pressure to be formal → harder to do good research]. But you might have meant [pressure to be formal → a. pressure to use “we” b. harder to do good research]?
Anyway, I think I agree with you in that I don’t think that necessarily people should use “we” in formal writing, or that writing on the forum should be formal. This post just felt easier to write in a quasi-formal style, and I am used to writing formal pieces with multiple authors, so that’s why using “I” feels kind of forced for me. Definitely not an attempt to be ostentatious or use a “formalspeak norm.” :)
Yes! The latter. I’m definitely a fan of using causal diagrams in sentences. It should just be native to the English language.
And I wasn’t really critiquing you. Just highlighting the benefits of not having to be formal. : )