Archival Research in Composition Studies: Re-Imagining the Historian's Role

Kelly Ritter University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Abstract

This article argues that historians of composition studies are burdened by adherence to history-as-narrative in archival research, whether supporting or countering master narratives of the field. I propose that historians redefine their work in conversation with the principles of archival ethnography, a concept from the field of library and information science. Reseeing historiography through this lens means privileging the position of the archivist as community interloper, thus creating a shift in responsibility from interpretation of archival material to public transmission thereof. Re-imagining the historian's role as ethnographic also aims to redress the ethical burden of inevitable re-presentation of past agents, practices, and values.

Journal
Rhetoric Review
Published
2012-10-01
DOI
10.1080/07350198.2012.711201
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (2)

  1. Rhetoric Review
  2. Rhetoric Review

References (23) · 6 in this index

  1. Rhetoric Review
  2. Rhetoric Review
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    Archival Science  
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