Ethnographies of Academic Writing Research

This chapter discusses the value of emic research methods and techniques for studying the academic writing of underrepresented students. In a global context of growing university enrolment, academic writing is seen as one of the main challenges that historically underrepresented students face when admitted to higher education. Studying academic writing in this context calls for a critical stance on language and an emic perspective on research to counteract deficit models that prevail in this kin