Research Design in Rhetoric and Writing
January
Mo.20 | No classes - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day |
Mo.27 | Introductions and Overview Questions, Problems, Dispositions in Research Design Glossing terms: research, design, qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods, method, methodology, theory, mess, ethnography Generative Questions for Research Projects (handout, in class), adapted from Louise Phelps’ “Outcomes Questions for CCR Students,” May 2002 Dylan Dryer, "Writing Studies 2016: A Table of Research Methods" (handout, in class) Derek Mueller, "Methods in Rhetoric and Composition, Technical and Professional Writing – A Tentative List with Groupings" (handout, in class) Read, Kathleen Stewart, "Weak Theory in an Unfinished World" (PDF, emailed and Canvas) [60] |
February | |
Mo.3 | Read: Rebecca Rickly, "After Words: Postmethodological Musings," 261-268 in WSRIP [30] Read: John Law, "After Method: An Introduction," and "Scientific practices," 1-44 in After Method: Mess in Social Science Research (Canvas, PDF, [75]) Read: Joseph Williams, "Introduction" and "Part I. The Structure of Problems and PROBLEMS," 1-38, in Problems into PROBLEMS: A Rhetoric of Motivation (Canvas, PDF and WAC Clearinghouse, [75]) |
Mo.10 | Read: Richard Haswell, "NCTE/CCCC's Recent War on Scholarship," 198-223 in Written Communication (2005) (Canvas, PDF, [60]) Read selections from Writing Studies Research in Practice [120] Gesa Kirsch, "Foreword," xi-xvi Mary P. Sheridan and Lee Nickoson, "Introduction," 1-9 Debra Journet, "1. Narrative Turns in Writing Studies Research," 13-24 Cynthia Selfe and Gail Hawisher, "3. Exceeding the Bounds of the Interview," 36-50 Christina Haas, Pamela Takayoshi, and Brandon Carr, "4. Analytic Strategies, Competent Inquiries," 51-62 Mary P. Sheridan, "6. Making Ethnography Our Own," 73-85 Lee Nickoson, "8. Revisiting Teacher Research," 101-112 Asao Inoue, "10. Racial Methodologies," 125-139 First annotation snapshot in Google Folder |
Mo.17 | DUE: Connect Four 1/4 in Google Folder, 4 p.m. Read selections from Writing Studies Research in Practice [120] Part Three. Reconceptualizing Methodologies and Sites of Inquiry Richard Haswell, "14. Quantitative Methods," 185-196 Bob Broad, "15. Strategies and Passions," 197-209 Jeffery Grabill," 16. Community-Based Research," 210-219 Karen Lunsford, "17. Conducting Writing Research Internationally," 220-230 Mike Palmquist, Joan Mullin, and Glenn Blalock, "18. The Role of Activity Analysis," 231-244 Heidi McKee and James Porter, "The Ethics of Research on the Internet," 245-260 |
Mo.24 | Read: Cindy Johanek, Introduction and Chapter 1 from Composing Research: A Contextualist Paradigm for Rhetoric and Composition (Canvas, PDF*, [60]) Read: Janice Lauer and William Asher, Chs. 1-4 from Composition Research: Empirical Designs (Canvas, PDF*, [120]) Read: Davida Charney, "Empiricism Is Not a Four-Letter Word," from CCC (Canvas, PDF, [50]) Second annotation snapshot in Google Folder |
March | |
Mo.2 | Read selections from Re/Orienting Writing Studies [120] Pamela Takayoshi, Foreword William P. Banks, Matthew B. Cox, and Caroline Dadas, "Chapter 1: Re/Orienting Writing Studies: Some Thoughts on In(queer)y" Hillery Glasby, "Chapter 2: Making It Queer, Not Clear: Embracing Ambivalence and Failure as Queer Methodologies" Stacey Waite, "Chapter 3: How (and Why) to Write Queer: A Failing, Impossible, Contradictory Instruction Manual for Scholars of Writing Studies" G Patterson, "Chapter 4: Queering & Transing Quantitative Research" Chanon Adsanatham, "Chapter 5: REDRES[ing] Rhetorica: A Methodological Proposal for Queering Cross-Cultural Rhetorical Studies" Software focus: Scrivener |
Fr.6 | DUE: Connect Four 2/4 in Google Folder, 4 p.m. |
Mo.9 | No classes - Virginia Tech Spring Break |
Mo.16 | No classes - Virginia Tech Spring Break extended (COVID-19) |
Mo.23 |
Meet at 4 p.m. in Zoom (follow link sent via email)
Read selections from Re/Orienting Writing Studies [120] Jean Bessette, "Chapter 6: “Love in a Hall of Mirrors”: Queer Historiography and the Unsettling In-Between" Maria Novotny, "Chapter 7: In/Fertility: Assembling a Queer Counterstory Methodology for Bodies of Health & Sexuality" Michael J. Faris, "Chapter 8: Queering Networked Writing: A Sensory Autoethnography of Desire and Sensation on Grindr" Deborah Kuzawa, "Chapter 9: Queer/ing Composition, the Digital Archives of Literacy Narratives, and Ways of Knowing" Nicole Caswell & Stephanie West-Puckett, "Chapter 10: Assessment Killjoys: Queering the Return for a Writing Studies World-Making Methodology" Caroline Dadas & Matthew B. Cox, "Chapter 11: On Queering Professional Writing" Third annotation snapshot in Google Folder |
Mo.30 | DUE: Connect Four 3/4 in Google Folder, 4 p.m. Read: Shawn Wilson, Research Is Ceremony, 1-79 [75] Read: Sharon Marcus, Heather Love & Stephen Best, "Building a Better Description" [45] Read: Rachel Gramer, Selections from Stories at Work: Restorying Narratives of New Teachers' Identity Learning in Writing Studies 2017 dissertation from U of Louisville, (Canvas, PDF, [120]) Abstract, p. vii (10 in PDF) Chapter Map, p. 33 (47 in PDF) Chapter Two, pp. 38-79 (52-93 in PDF) |
April | |
Mo.6 | Read: Shawn Wilson, Research Is Ceremony, 80-139 [75] Read: Ben Miller, Selections from The Making of Knowledge-Makers in Composition: A Distant Reading of Dissertations, 2015 dissertation from Graduate Center, CUNY, "(Canvas, PDF, [120]) Chapters 1, 2, and 3, pp. 1-39 (15-54 in PDF) |
Mo.13 | DUE: Connect Four 4/4 in Google Folder, 4 p.m. Read: Kate Pantelides, Jen Clary-Lemon, and Derek Mueller, Research Methods for Writers, draft manuscript (Canvas, PDF, [120]) Fourth-final annotation snapshot in Google Folder |
Mo.20 | Read: Selections from Stanley Milgram, Obedience to Authority (Canvas, PDF in two sections, [75]) Preview IRB resources online at https://www.research.vt.edu/sirc/hrpp.html Begin training (CITI) certification course at https://www.research.vt.edu/sirc/hrpp/training.html [60] |
Mo.27 | DUE: Conference proposal, 4 p.m. Guest: Dr. Katie Carmichael, Associate Professor, Department of English, 4:30-5 p.m. Read: Deborah Cameron, "What Is Discourse and Why Analyse It?" (Canvas, PDF, [45]) Read: Thomas Huckin, Jennifer Andrus, and Jen Clary-Lemon, "Critical Discourse Analysis and Rhetoric and Composition" (Canvas, PDF, [45]) Software focus: NVivo |
May | |
Mo.4 | Read: Stephanie Springgay and Sarah E. Truman, "On the Need for Methods Beyond Proceduralism: Speculative Middles, (In)Tensions, and Response-Ability in Research" (Canvas, PDF, [45]) |
Mo.11 | Due: Reflection |
Contact Information
Derek N. Mueller, PhDAssociate Professor of Rhetoric and Writing
Director of Composition
Department of English
Virginia Tech
Office: 315 Shanks Hall
Spring 2020 Office Hours: T, 12-3
Phone: +1-734-985-0485
dmueller@vt.edu
http://derekmueller.net/rc/