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

Rhetoric Review Oct 2012

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
Open Access: Closed
Topics: archival research

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (2)

Walker (2016)

A Rhythmic Refrain: Britain’s Mass-Observation as Rhetorical Assemblage

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Clary-Lemon (2014)

Archival Research Processes: A Case for Material Methods

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CrossRef global citation count: 6 View in citation network →