Why do academics frequently use external voices when making general claims?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

External voices (phrases like "research shows," "it is argued," or citing other scholars) shift emphasis from the writer to the information itself, creating an impersonal, evidence-focused tone.

1. Relevant knowledge points and concepts
- Authorial stance: academic writing often minimizes the visible presence of the writer to appear objective and neutral.
- Voice and attribution: using external voices attributes claims to the literature or to researchers rather than the author’s personal view.
- Rhetorical purpose: emphasizing data, findings, or consensus increases credibility and directs the reader’s attention to the claim, not the person making it.

2. Step-by-step reasoning
- Academics need claims to be evaluated on evidence and logic, not on an individual’s authority or personality.
- By phrasing general claims with an external voice (e.g., “Studies indicate…”), the writer signals that the statement rests on research rather than personal opinion.
- This framing encourages readers to consider the information and its sources, supporting scholarly norms of objectivity and community knowledge.
- Therefore, the primary function of external voices in general claims is to focus attention on the information itself.

3. Calculations
- Not applicable.

4. Why the correct answer is correct
- Option c (“To focus attention on information rather than authors”) directly captures the rhetorical and epistemic purpose of external voices: to foreground evidence, reduce authorial bias, and present claims as part of an ongoing scholarly conversation.

5. Why the other options are incorrect
- a. “To show disagreement”: While external voices can record opposing views, their frequent use for general claims is not primarily to show disagreement.
- b. “To avoid giving evidence”: The opposite is true—external voices usually indicate evidence or citations; they do not evade evidence.
- d. “To avoid citation rules”: External voices still require proper citation; they don’t allow writers to bypass citation norms.

6. Conclusion
The best answer is c. To focus attention on information rather than authors, which matches the provided correct answer.

Why do academics frequently use external voices when making general claims?单项选择题

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