ESSENCE2 — Do not use personal pronouns

Jusitifcation

Avoiding personal pronouns in specifications is a standard practice that enhances technical documents' professionalism, clarity, and objectivity. Here’s why it’s important:
1. Objectivity and Impartiality - Using personal pronouns like "I," "we," or "you" can introduce a subjective tone into specifications, which are meant to be objective and impartial. Specifications should provide clear, factual information applicable to anyone using or interpreting them, regardless of personal involvement. Avoiding personal pronouns helps maintain this neutral and universal tone.
2. Professionalism - Specifications are formal documents used in professional environments. They often serve as legal or contractual bases in projects and must uphold a level of professionalism that personal pronouns can undermine. Formal language, free of personal pronouns, helps establish and maintain the professional quality of these documents.
3. Clarity and Universality - Specifications are meant to be unambiguous guidelines that anyone on a project can follow, regardless of their role. Personal pronouns can create confusion about who is responsible for certain actions or decisions. For instance, "you must install" could be unclear, whereas "the contractor must install" specifies exactly who is responsible.
4. Consistency—Technical documentation benefits greatly from consistency, which helps reduce misunderstandings. Keeping the language impersonal ensures that different parties consistently understand the document without confusion about the roles and responsibilities, which might vary from project to project.
5. Scalability and Longevity - Documents without personal pronouns are easier to scale to larger projects and retain relevance over time. They can be used and reused in different contexts and remain applicable because they don’t tie the instructions or guidelines to specific individuals or groups.
6. Legal and Compliance Clarity - In legal contexts, especially in contracts and compliance documents, clarity about who must do what is crucial. Avoiding personal pronouns helps define rights and responsibilities clearly without ambiguity, which is critical for enforceability and compliance checking.

Example

The following are examples of avoiding personal pronouns in specifications:

• With Personal Pronouns: "You must check the system for errors."
• Without Personal Pronouns: "The system must be checked for errors by the maintenance team."

Removing personal pronouns results in a specification that assigns responsibility to a specific role or entity rather than an unspecified "you," enhancing clarity and accountability.

Summary

In summary, avoiding personal pronouns in specifications ensures that the documents are objective, professional, clear, and applicable across various contexts and projects, essential for technical, legal, and operational efficacy.