Am I allowed to include other people's names in my essay?
Hi, I am applying for a STEM program in which we must write some essays, and one of them is particularly about a time that I collaborated in a group. I am planning to write about my internship last summer where I worked with 2 other people on a research project. Am I allowed to include their first names in the essay? If I do, should I put a disclaimer that says that they allowed me to use their names (after asking for permission)?
Thanks!
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3 answers
There should be no problem with using first names only in your essay, as no one will really be identifiable based on that info. It would be hard to write an essay about collaboration without being able to name the people you worked with - the language would just get clunky. You're writing about your personal experience, and you don't need permission to tell your story, even if it involves other people (unless, of course, you're sharing highly-personal info about someone else). Hope this helps!
I don't know if it's actually allowed to use names. Plus, you are wasting some words by using it to create a disclaimer. There's no rule against using names, but there's no rule about not using names. Just to be on the safe side, I would just say "two of my fellow colleagues" or "my group members". However, I think that if one of the people had a specific impact on you working in that group, then would I use a name.
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thanks!