What Is Passive Voice and Should You Use It in Research Papers?

Passive voice is one of the most debated topics in academic writing instruction. Some style guides treat it as a flaw to eliminate; science traditions have relied on it for centuries. For students and researchers, the confusion is practical: should you write 'the experiment was conducted' or 'we conducted the experiment'? The answer depends on discipline, section, and what you want emphasised. This guide defines passive voice clearly, explains when it serves research papers well, when it undermines clarity, and how to make deliberate choices rather than defaulting to habit.

Defining passive voice grammatically

In active voice, the subject performs the verb: 'The researchers measured blood pressure.' In passive voice, the subject receives the action: 'Blood pressure was measured.' Passive constructions use a form of 'to be' plus a past participle—was analysed, were collected, has been demonstrated. The agent (who did it) may appear in a 'by' phrase—'Blood pressure was measured by the researchers'—or may be omitted entirely.

How to identify passive voice in your draft

1. 1Find the sentence subject.
2. 2Ask: is the subject doing the verb or having the verb done to it?
3. 3Look for 'was/were/is/are/been/being' + past participle.
4. 4Check whether a 'by [agent]' phrase is present or omitted.

Example: 'The survey was distributed to 200 participants.' Passive—the survey receives distribution. Active version: 'We distributed the survey to 200 participants.'

Why passive voice exists in research writing

Scientific writing historically prioritised objectivity and reproducibility over individual researchers. Passive voice shifted focus from 'I did X' to 'X was done'—emphasising procedures rather than personalities. Some disciplines retain this convention; others have shifted toward first-person active voice, especially in social sciences and qualitative research.

When passive voice helps research papers

• Methodology sections where procedure matters more than who performed it.
• When the agent is unknown: 'The artefact was discovered in 1923.'
• When the agent is irrelevant: 'Participants were informed of their rights.'
• When emphasising the object of study: 'The compound was synthesised at 400°C.'
• When maintaining objectivity conventions in specific journals or fields.

When passive voice hurts research papers

• When it obscures responsibility: 'Mistakes were made in data entry.'
• When it creates wordy, indirect prose: 'It was found that significant results were obtained.'
• When overuse makes writing feel impersonal and vague.
• When your style guide or journal prefers active first-person voice.
• When clarity requires naming who did what in multi-researcher projects.

Discipline-specific norms

Chemistry, physics, and some biology journals tolerate or expect passive methods descriptions. Psychology, education, and management increasingly accept 'we' with active verbs. Humanities and qualitative research often use active voice with named researchers. Check recent publications in your target venue before deciding.

Passive voice and APA style

APA 7 explicitly states that both active and passive voice are acceptable. APA encourages writers to choose the voice that creates clarity and directness. First person ('I,' 'we') is permitted when describing your own actions. The shift away from mandatory passive voice in APA reflects broader academic trends toward transparency.

The objectivity myth

Passive voice does not make research more objective. Researchers make methodological choices whether or not they name themselves. Active voice—'We selected a random sample of 500 students'—can be equally objective and more transparent. Choose voice based on clarity and convention, not a false belief that passive equals scientific.

Practical decision framework

1. 1Does your journal or thesis guide specify voice preferences? Follow them.
2. 2Is the agent important for understanding or accountability? Use active voice.
3. 3Is the procedure standard and replicable without naming you? Passive may work.
4. 4Does the sentence feel wordy or unclear in passive? Rewrite actively.
5. 5Read the paragraph aloud—whichever version communicates faster is usually better.

Editing passive voice in your thesis

Highlight passive constructions in one chapter. Categorise each as appropriate, unnecessary, or unclear. Rewrite only the unnecessary and unclear instances. Retain passive where discipline convention or emphasis supports it. Professional academic editing helps calibrate voice consistency across long documents.