Air filtration was easily introduced into the existing ventilation system. Over three consecutive fattening periods, the lung health of pigs in the filtered compared with the unfiltered barn was evaluated. Filters for incoming and recirculating air were installed into the ventilation system of one of two barns at a fattening piggery. However, air as a potential vector of pathogens has long been disregarded. It is considered important in pig production, and several routine measures are employed by farmers (e.g. The active version has six instances of the active voice and three in the passive the word count is 122 words.īiosecurity is defined as a set of measures to protect animals and crops from the risk of disease. The passive version has nine instances of the passive voice and 131 words. If you are uncertain about what a passive or active style reads like, compare the following two abstracts. So check with your supervisor or PI, or other colleagues and a journal's Instructions for Authors. However in disciplines such as the physical sciences, using the first person ('I') is often less acceptable. Further, in thesis writing the occasional use of 'I' can be appropriate - for example when indicating that you have decided to use a particular method from a number of alternatives. It is now acceptable to use 'we' in formal science writing. The passive version is fine ‘ Yield is improved by using process X.’, but it uses more words. Take the example: ‘ Process X improves yield.’ This is the active voice but does not need a personal pronoun. Using the active voice does not mean you need to use a person’s name or personal pronoun (‘ I’ or ‘ we’). Further, some journals provide guidance on writing style and prefer authors to use the active voice (always read a journal’s ‘Instructions for Authors’). Ultimately, you should use the style of language with which supervisors and co authors feel most comfortable. Some believe that you should not use the active voice in formal scientific writing because scientific writing should be impersonal. sounds more formal so invites use in science.The optimum pH was calculated by the team. This sentence construction sometimes needs additional words with the main verb, such as 'is, was, are, being.

The object of the action is placed at the beginning of the sentence. puts the subject at the sentence beginning - better if the subject is at least as important as the object.is usually more concise than the passive voice.In the following sentence 'The team' is the subject, the 'optimum pH' the object. The object (done to) of the action is placed after the verb at the end of the sentence. The subject (doer) is put at the beginning of the sentence and performs and action.

Passive v active voice