ABSTRACT
Is the use of ‘I’ acceptable practice in doctoral writing? This is a question we are frequently asked in workshops and we have little choice but to say that, once forbidden, the use of ‘I’ has now become more accepted within academic circles. We hasten to add that doctoral researchers must check the regulations at their university and discuss the question with their supervisor. Sometimes we fi nd they have done precisely that and are asking the question to seek a contrary opinion. We emphasize that while questions of style or acceptability may be foremost in students’ minds, using ‘I’ is not just a matter of personal choice. There are epistemological/methodological and rhetorical reasons for choosing to use the fi rst person pronoun.
