Is the use of first person pronouns in proposal writing acceptable? In technical writing published in science and engineering journals, the use of first person pronouns such as 'I' and 'we' is often deplored, although sometimes tolerated in limited circumstances. There is debate around this subject. Some argue that phrases that include these pronouns introduce subjectivity when the goal is to be objective. However, there are well known examples of very accomplished researchers such as Einstein, or Watson and Crick, using first person pronouns. When it comes to proposal writing, it seems that the reasons to avoid first person pronouns in technical writing no longer apply. Part of the purpose of the proposal is to make the case that you, the proposer, have the necessary skills and means to perform the research. However, the debate on first person pronouns doesn't seem to touch on proposals. So, to violate the first person pronoun rule, I would like to know, what are the standards in different fields around first person pronouns for proposal writing, or are there standards? Is the use of first person pronouns acceptable in proposals even if you don't consider them acceptable in peer-reviewed journals? Or would you consider them acceptable in limited cases, such as a strong "We propose..." statement of intended exploration of a hypothesis?
No matter, who ever use those pronouns; but the point here is that why it's not recommended due to minimizing subjectivity. If we think we have to scientific/empirical, our outputs should be written with 3rd person pronouns.
The readers have to focus on the result rather than the author. That's why paradigms are changing/improving rapidly.
I confess, I don't know what the standards are for proposal writing, although in the few proposals I have submitted for grants, and won, (in healthcare), I always unapologetically used the first person. Once, I submitted a research paper for peer review, which incorporated strategic use of the first person pronoun (since, after all, I was the only investigator). Reviewers ripped me to shreds for that, and suggested it was unprofessional. I was a very successful technical/marketing writer for 30 years, too (as well as a scientist). Since many writers substitute weird third person references to the self ("the author says...") or, worse, passive voice ("It is believed that..."), I wrote a piece on LinkedIn some years ago, expressing my disdain for such rabid, clunky avoidance of the first person, which I include here for your amusement and/or consideration: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/passive-voice-considered-hateful-jay-e-valusek-m-s-m-ed-infp/
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