Second Language Writing Research

by Paul Kei Matsuda

In this original volume, eighteen researchers from different parts of the world reflect on their own research projects, providing insights into key methodological issues in research on second language writing. By offering a glimpse into the process of constructing and negotiating knowledge in the field--the messy space of situated practices of inquiry--it helps to demystify the research process, which can appear in published studies and in introductory methodology guides to be neater and more orderly than it actually is.

Taking a broad conception of research as inquiry that emphasizes the situated and constructed nature of knowledge in the field, Second Language Writing Perspectives on the Process of Knowledge Construction encourages multiple forms of inquiry, including philosophical, narrative, and historical modes. Empirical inquiry as presented in this book encompasses both quantitative and qualitative approaches as well as those that strategically combine them. A helpful discussion of the "nuts and bolts" of developing sustainable research programs is also provided. The volume as a whole facilitates a situated, issue-driven research practice. Its unique focus on second language writing research makes it an invaluable resource for both novice and experienced researchers in the field.

270 pages, Paperback

First published January 24, 2005

Reviews

[Olive · Rating 3 out of 5]

While some of the articles provide valuable insights in to ESL writing research, others seem to serve as an example of what not to do. However, some of the chapters (in particular those by Atkinson, Brice, and Blanton) seem to take a very lax approach to research and seem almost to promote poor research design and laziness.