The concept of voice has become central to studies of discourse, composition, and literature, but this paper wants to shift its meaning a little to explore an area where voice is thought to play only a minor role: that of academic writing. The intention is to explore the idea of ‘disciplinary voice’ by focusing on the interpersonal features of academic writing and elaborating how writers position themselves and their readers. It is believed that the idea of voice can shed light on aspects of disciplinary argument; thus the paper examines what these features tell about writers’ notions of appropriate relationships and what this means for writing in the disciplines. It begins by looking briefly at the notion of voice, and goes on to sketch an interactional model based on the ideas of stance, or how writers convey their attitudes and credibility, and engagement, or the ways they bring their readers into the discourse. It is then shown how the choices writers make from these systems construct authorial voice, academic arguments, and the disciplines themselves.