writing in the disciplines

choosing an appropriate tone

Avoid first person pronoun “I.”
As historian William Kelleher Storey explains, “historians all recognize that personal biases enter historical writing—there is usually no need to overemphasize it.”¹ Of course, the first person is not completely forbidden—Kelleher notes that “usually historians employ the first person singular only when they have personally experienced the phenomenon they are describing.”² Personal experience is generally avoided, however, in most history assignments. Unless the assignment specifically asks for personal experience, students would be wise to avoid using it.

Analyze rather than judge.
When you present evidence, even of horrible acts, try to analyze rather than judge it—especially by present-day or “hindsight” standards. Don't dismiss behaviors or attitudes as “obviously wrong,” and therefore unworthy of deep examination; instead, try to communicate an understanding of the evidence within its context.

Avoid rhetorical questions.
Related to the problem of judgment is the problem of rhetorical questions, which not only indicate a dismissive stance, but also may not elicit the responses that the questioner hopes: “How could anyone possibly have allowed such a genocide to occur?”; “Who would disagree that women have been discriminated against in education?” Make your claims in statements than can then be supported with evidence.

Treat other authors with respect, even if you disagree with them.
You may criticize their theories, evidence, and presentation of argument, but you must do so respectfully. As Kelleher puts it, “when you write about other historians, give them the same amount of respect you would give them if you were speaking to them in person.”³

Avoid grand, sweeping generalizations.
Refrain from introducing a claim with generalizations like “since the beginning of time,” “throughout American history,” and so on. The best way to show the significance of your argument is to introduce it within an appropriately specific scope: “During the Reconstruction era,” “In most Victorian middle-class homes,” and so on.

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¹ William Kelleher Storey, Writing History: A Guide for Students (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999), 71.

²Storey, Writing History, 72.

³ Ibid., 73.