Chapter 3: Academic Writing and Authorial Voice

This chapter considers the question of voice/s in light of research that the author and others have conducted into social processes and cultural practices. It interrogates the concept of voice and also considers its complications, particularly as the construct relates to academic writing. The chapter focuses on the nature of voice as it is projected and interpreted in written communication, particularly the complexities associated with authority and authenticity in academic writing. That leads to a focus on particular discourse markers, including metadiscourse and self-mention, which seem to communicate an authoritative and authentic voice but which vary across disciplines, languages, and cultures. The chapter discusses the complexity resulting from the mixing of voices and insertion of voices in other voices as academic writers engage in discourse practices. Finally, it considers the matter of individual identity as well as social identity as these two constructs relate to voice. Keywords: academic writing; authorial voice; cultural practices; discourse markers; social identity