The Expanding Universe of Writing Studies: Higher Education Writing Research

This edited collection explores the range of research methods and methodologies used in Writing Studies research about higher education writing in the 21st century. It highlights the interdisciplinary nature of the field and provides examples of studies that employ various methods, such as sociological ethnography, cultural-historical activity theory, linguistics, and cognitive science. The book argues for the value of lifespan writing research as an emerging domain and presents a synthesis of the major themes of the collection.

Format: Hardback
Length: 438 pages
Publication date: 30 July 2021
Publisher: Peter Lang Publishing Inc

This edited collection is a significant milestone in the development of Writing Studies research. It brings together renowned and emerging scholars from various fields within Writing Studies to explore the diverse range of research methods and methodologies employed in studying higher education writing in the 21st century. The book's unique contribution lies in its comprehensive and detailed descriptions of the research methods that have shaped the field over the past fifty years, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the 1966 Dartmouth Seminar.

The chapters in this collection focus on writing and writers in higher education, emphasizing research questions, methods, and data while defining the interdisciplinary nature of the field. They provide examples of studies that employ these methods across various domains, including sociological ethnography, cultural-historical activity theory, linguistics, decolonial translation, cognitive science, corpus linguistics, and psychology.

The book's initial chapters address broad questions about the current state of Writing Studies, with a special emphasis on the methods employed and their interdisciplinary history. Contributions then delve into specific domains such as sociological ethnography, cultural-historical activity theory, linguistics, decolonial translation, cognitive science, corpus linguistics, and psychology. These chapters explore the diverse ways in which writing is studied within university first-year and upper-level contexts, examine recurring features in writing across academic settings, and investigate the neuroplasticity of college writers.

The final chapter of the collection advocates for the value of lifespan writing research as an emerging domain, highlighting its potential to shed light on the development of writing abilities across different stages of life. The conclusion summarizes the major themes of the collection, drawing upon the expertise of leading scholars in the field.

Overall, this edited collection offers a valuable resource for scholars, researchers, and educators interested in Writing Studies, providing a comprehensive overview of the current state of research methods and methodologies in the field. Its interdisciplinary approach and detailed descriptions of research methods make it an essential tool for advancing our understanding of higher education writing in the 21st century.

Weight: 714g
Dimension: 225 x 150 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781433177309
Edition number: New ed