So use them. Strunk and White. The Elements of Style . A Manual of Style . On the whole, no.
Papers are formal affairs which deserve a commensurate use of the language.
This does not mean, however, that your prose should be stilted, convoluted, or as bland as the menu at certain unnamed Mexican food establishments. Such a speaking exercise can help your writing flow more smoothly. As to split infinitives, undefined antecedents, the ever-dangling participle and other transgressions, however, they remain anathema and need not pollute your paper. It causes the action to drag and often clouds the issue of who is doing what. When in doubt, always use the active voice, and even when you are sure a passage calls for passive voice, ask yourself again.