Since 2007, Walden academic leadership has endorsed the APA manual guidance on appropriate use of the first-person singular pronoun "I," allowing the use of this pronoun in all Walden academic writing except doctoral capstone abstracts, which should not contain a first-person pronoun.
In addition to the pointers below, the APA manual provides information on the appropriate use of first person in scholarly writing (see APA 7, Section 4.16).
APA prefers that writers use the first person for clarity and self-reference.
To promote clear communication, writers should use the first person, rather than passive voice or the third person, to indicate the action the writer is taking.
However, using a lot of "I" statements is repetitious and may distract readers. Remember, avoiding repetitious phrasing is also recommended in the APA manual.
In addition, avoid the second person ("you").
Also, for clarity, restrict the use of "we" and "our." These should only be used when writers are referring to themselves and other, specific individuals, not in the general sense.
When using the first-person "I," avoid opinion statements.
As writers write, revise, and self-edit, they should pay specific attention to opinion statements. The following phrases have no place in scholarly writing:
Writers and scholars need to base arguments, conclusions, and claims on evidence. When encountering "I" statements like this, do the following: