To avoid passive voice, you will need to carefully edit and proofread your work. It is always best to read your work with fresh eyes so that you are more likely to spot instances of passive voice. Set your work aside for a few days before proofreading and ask others to read over your work as well.
Each time you spot a passive voice construction, consider whether its usage is acceptable based on the criteria listed above (provided your committee has not prohibited the use of passive voice). If the instance of passive voice construction does not meet the criteria for acceptable usage, then you will need to rewrite it so that it follows an active voice construction.
Consider the following example of a rewrite:
Passive voice: “The collected data were then analyzed.”
Active voice: “I then analyzed the data I had collected.”
This may seem straightforward, but academic researchers often run into a dilemma when rewriting a passive sentence with an active construction. Since you are the person who has performed original research for your dissertation, you may need to use first-person pronouns in your writing, as demonstrated in the example above. Some dissertation committee members, however, may prefer that you avoid both passive voice and first-person pronouns.
If you cannot use either first-person pronouns or passive voice in your thesis or dissertation, then you may need to use either anthropomorphism or third-person pronouns. Researchers who must adhere to the Chicago style of writing can use anthropomorphism.
Consider the following examples of anthropomorphism:
“The survey collected data pertaining to each participant’s work style preferences.”
“The study explored the impact of ergonomic workstations.”
“The paper discusses how ergonomic workstations affect productivity.”
In these examples, the survey, study and paper are anthropomorphized in order to avoid both passive voice and first-person pronouns. However, this method will not work if you are using the APA style guidelines. Instead, you will need to discuss your actions from a third-person viewpoint, as in the following example:
“The researcher collected data on work style preferences.”
“The researcher explored the impact of ergonomic workstations.”
It may seem awkward to refer to yourself in the third person. However, doing so will introduce objectivity to your work while abiding by style requirements.
Remember that it is best to ensure that you fully understand all style requirements before starting to write your dissertation. Be sure to ask questions about writing style when you meet with your committee.
The College of Doctoral Studies at Grand Canyon University offers a wealth of student resources designed to optimize your GCU experience. In addition to having a variety of doctorate degree programs to choose from, once you enroll in a program you will have a suite of learning resources at your fingertips, from the Doctoral Community (DC) Network to our on-campus doctoral residency programs. Click on Request Info at the top of your screen to learn more.
As an example of the exemplary support provided by our doctoral faculty, Dr. Jo Markette and Dr. Nicholas Markette have produced a short video explaining five different ways to fix passive voice.
1Retrieved from The Guardian, World’s oldest known cave painting found in Indonesia in February 2022
