Manuscript Writing
Active vs. Passive Voice: Best Practices for Academic Writing
A guide to active vs. passive voice in research writing. Learn best practices for abstracts, methods, and discussions to strengthen your papers.
When writing a research paper, the words you choose can make the difference between sounding confident or confusing. One of the most important yet often overlooked aspects of academic style is voice: whether your sentences are written in active or passive form.
While passive voice has long been considered the norm in academic and scientific writing, that standard is changing. Many fields now prefer a mix of active and passive voice depending on purpose and clarity.
In this guide, we’ll break down the difference between active and passive voice, when to use each, and how making deliberate voice choices can strengthen your research writing.
What Is the Difference Between Active and Passive Voice?
Definitions and examples of Active and Passive Voice
Active voice: The subject of the sentence ('we') performs the action ('wrote').
“We wrote the article.”
Passive voice: The subject receives the action (often omitting the actor).
“The article was written.”
Grammatical structure breakdown
Active Voice: [Subject] + [Verb] + [Object]
“The researcher analyzed the data.”
Passive: [Object] + [Form of “to be”] + [Past participle] (+ by [Subject])
“The data were analyzed (by the researcher).”
Why Academic Writers Have Traditionally Used Passive Voice
Historical focus on objectivity
Passive voice was once the default for academic writing, particularly in scientific disciplines, because it de-emphasized the author. The goal was to make the research, not the researcher, the focus:
“Samples were collected and tested for contamination.”
This gave the impression of neutrality and avoided inserting personal voice into scientific discourse.
Scientific writing conventions
In fields like chemistry, biology, and engineering, this approach became ingrained. Journals often explicitly encouraged passive constructions in methods sections and other technical descriptions.
But increasingly, even scientific publishers are recognizing that clarity should trump convention.
Why Active Voice Is Becoming More Common
Clarity and conciseness
Active voice makes writing more direct, readable, and energetic. It avoids ambiguity and often uses fewer words.
Compare:
- Passive: “The survey was completed by participants in less than 5 minutes.”
- Active: “Participants completed the survey in under 5 minutes.”
The second version is not only shorter, but easier to follow.
Author accountability and reader engagement
Active voice clarifies who did what, which is especially helpful in complex studies or when multiple authors or teams are involved. It also engages readers and reflects ownership of the research. In fact, many writing guidelines like APA not only approve, but encourage the use of active voice in academic writing, particularly when describing actions of people.
When to Use Active vs. Passive Voice
Best practices by section (abstract, methods, discussion)
You don’t have to choose one voice for an entire paper. In fact, the best writing uses both, depending on the goal of each section:
Abstract: Lean toward active for clarity (e.g., “We found...”)
Introduction: Use active when presenting claims or hypotheses
Methods: Passive may be acceptable to focus on process (e.g., “Samples were weighed...”)
Results/Discussion: Active is preferred to highlight findings and interpretations
Discipline-specific Guidance for the Use of Active vs. Passive voice
- Humanities and social sciences: Strong preference for active voice
- STEM fields: Traditionally passive in methods, now shifting toward active
- Medical research: Vancouver style allows both — use whichever improves clarity
How to Identify and Revise Passive Voice
Want to read more about how to use "We" in academic writing effectively? Check out our blog post here!
Final Thoughts: Prioritize Clarity, Not Just Convention
The key to professional academic writing isn’t choosing one voice over the other, it’s knowing which to use, when.
- Use active voice for clarity, engagement, and ownership of ideas.
- Use passive voice when the actor is unknown, irrelevant, or when you want to highlight the action itself.
As editors and researchers, we recommend a flexible, modern approach that puts reader comprehension first. Your voice, active or passive, should serve the message you’re trying to communicate.
