So, you’re staring at a blank document, cursor blinking, and you’re suddenly paralyzed by a pronoun. It sounds ridiculous, right? After five years of grinding away in the lab, writing papers with your team, and constantly typing we, the idea of switching to I feels like you’re betraying your own research. Trust me, you aren't the first PhD candidate to have an existential crisis over a simple grammatical choice.
The short answer is: there is no universal law written in the stars of academia. However, there are some very real expectations that depend on your field, your advisor, and your personal style.
The Case for "We": The Team Player
You’re used to we because that’s how science works in the real world. You didn't do this alone; you had lab techs, collaborators, and supervisors. In many STEM fields, using we is not just acceptable—it’s the standard. It acknowledges the collaborative nature of your research group and makes the work feel like a cohesive contribution to the field.
If you’ve spent five years writing papers as a team, your brain has essentially rewired itself to view your research as a collective effort. Continuing to use we in your thesis creates a sense of consistency, especially if you are including previously published papers as chapters. Jumping back and forth between I and we can be jarring for a reader.
The Case for "I": The Independent Researcher
Here is where your lab-mate is coming from: the PhD is a degree that certifies you as an independent researcher. When you defend your thesis, you aren't defending the lab’s work—you are defending your own intellectual contribution. Using I highlights your agency. It tells the committee, "I designed this experiment, I analyzed this data, and I reached this conclusion."
Think of it this way: We is great for the methodology or the data collection, but I is powerful for the analysis and the synthesis. When you are interpreting results or arguing for a new theory, using I shows that you have ownership of the ideas.
How to Find Your "University Standard"
Before you commit to either, do a little detective work. It’s better to spend an hour researching now than to spend a weekend rewriting your entire introduction later.
- Check the "Gold Standard": Look at the last three PhD theses produced by your specific lab. Not the department, not the university—the lab. Your advisor likely has a preference, and it’s usually reflected in the work they’ve previously signed off on.
- Consult your advisor directly: This is the most important step. Ask them, "Do you prefer that I write this from my own perspective as the researcher, or should I maintain the collective tone we use in our papers?" They might say they don't care, or they might have a very strong opinion. Either way, you’ll have your answer.
- Check the official guidelines: Some universities have a thesis formatting guide. While they rarely dictate grammar, they might have a "style guide" section that suggests a preference for active versus passive voice.
A Practical Strategy: The Hybrid Approach
You don’t have to choose one and stick to it with religious fervor. Many successful candidates use a hybrid approach that feels natural:
"We developed the initial protocol in the lab to ensure reproducibility, but I personally conducted the stress tests and performed the statistical analysis to isolate the specific variables discussed in Chapter 4."
See what happened there? You’re giving credit to the team for the environment and the foundation, but you’re clearly staking your claim on the specific, unique work you did. This approach is honest, accurate, and avoids the awkwardness of trying to force a "We" where you were the only one at the bench at 2:00 AM.
At the end of the day, your thesis is a long-form argument. The most important thing is that the writing is clear, consistent, and confident. If you decide to go with I, don't feel like you're erasing your team—you’re just highlighting the fact that you’ve grown into a researcher who is ready to lead their own projects. If you stick with we, just make sure it feels like a deliberate choice rather than a habit you couldn't break.
You’ve done the hard work. Now, just pick the voice that makes you feel most like the expert you’ve become.