Methodological reflections on and participatory episodes of ethnographic academic writing research

Abstract

This chapter presents the current state of ethnographic research as applied to academic writing. First, we articulate the significance of ethnography as a methodological approach for the study of writing in academic settings. Next, we provide a critical exploration of the current state of research in terms of key methodological issues which feature prominently in ethnographically-oriented academic writing studies: thick description, deep theorizing, methodological alignment with ethnography, participatory research, research reflexivity, and ethics and trustworthiness. In the final two sections, we give an overview of the volume and showcase its contribution to existing disciplinary and methodological debates.