Theories and Methods of Writing Center Studies: A Practical Guide

This collection helps students and researchers understand the foundations of writing center studies in order to make sound decisions about the types of methods and theoretical lenses that will help them formulate and answer their research questions.

In the collection, accomplished writing center researchers discuss the theories and methods that have enabled their work, providing readers with a useful and accessible guide to developing research projects that interest them and make a positive contribution.

It introduces an array of theories, including genre theory, second-language acquisition theory, transfer theory, and disability theory, and guides novice and experienced researchers through the finer points of methods such as ethnography, corpus analysis, and mixed-methods research.

Ideal for courses on writing center studies and pedagogy, it is essential reading for researchers and administrators in writing centers and writing across the curriculum or writing in the disciplines programs.

Jo Mackiewicz is a professor of rhetoric and professional communication at Iowa State University. Recently, she published the books The Aboutness of Writing Center Talk and Writing Center Talk over Time. With Isabelle Thompson, she has published a number of articles about writing center discourse, as well as the book Talk about Writing, now in its second edition.

Rebecca Day Babcock is the William and Ordelle Watts Professor at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin. She also serves as director of undergraduate research. Her latest books are Writing Centers and Disability (with Sharifa Daniels) and Researching the Writing Center: Towards an Evidence-Based Practice (with Terese Thonus; revised edition).