First Person in APA Style: Can we use it? Yes I can!

Most people think that using the first person is anathema in academic writing and substitute awkward anthropomorphisms ("the study seeks to show..."), passively constructed sentences ("the study was designed to..."), or, worst of all, deceptive sleights of word reminiscent of the Wizard of Oz ("The researcher designed the study to...").  The APA 6th edition style guide's editors are practical people who eschew anthropomorphisms, unnecessarily passive wording, and writers who pretend they aren't there. Rather than commit any of these sins of style, just come out with it and say, "I designed the study to accomplish..." or "I selected a sample consisting of..." What you don't want to do is make the study all about you. Don't say, "Next I discovered that the t test was the best approach, and when I saw the results, I decided to ..." This isn't about you. It's about the research—the research that you did.  So be brave, take a deep breath, and tell it like it is.