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
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Open Access
Closed
Topics
archival research qualitative research
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (2)

  1. Walker (2016)
    A Rhythmic Refrain: Britain’s Mass-Observation as Rhetorical Assemblage
    Rhetoric Review
  2. Clary-Lemon (2014)
    Archival Research Processes: A Case for Material Methods
    Rhetoric Review

References (23) · 6 in this index

  1. Agnew et al. (2011)
    Rhetorical Historiography and the Octalogs
    Rhetoric Review
  2. Agnew et al. (2011)
    Octalog III: The Politics of Historiography in 2010
    Rhetoric Review
  3. Bergmann Linda S. (2010)
    Working the Archives: Practical Research Methods for Rhetoric and Composition
  4. Brereton John (1996)
    The Origins of Composition Studies in the American College, 1875–1925: A Documentary History
     ↗
  5. Enos et al. (1997)
    Octalog II: The (continuing) politics of historiography (Dedicated to the memor…
    Rhetoric Review
Show all 23 →
  1. Ferreira-Buckley (1999)
    Rescuing the Archives from Foucault
    College English
  2. Gracy Karen F. (2004)
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    Archival Science  ↗
  3. Harris Joseph (1997)
    A Teaching Subject: Composition Since 1966
  4. Henze Brent (2007)
    A Cultural Moment in Composition
  5. Kirklighter Cristina (1997)
    Voices and Visions: Refiguring Ethnography in Composition
  6. Kirsch Gesa (2008)
    Beyond the Archives: Research as a Lived Process
  7. Eplattenier (2009)
    Opinion: An Argument for Archival Research Methods: Thinking Beyond Methodology
    College English
  8. Lerner Neal (2010)
    Working the Archives: Practical Research Methods for Rhetoric and Composition
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  10. McKemmish Sue
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  11. Miller Susan (1991)
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  12. Murphy et al. (1988)
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    Rhetoric Review
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  14. Rose Shirley K. (1999)
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  15. Schwartz Joan M. (2002)
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    Archival Science  ↗
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  18. Yager Kristi (1997)
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CrossRef global citation count: 6 View in citation network → Build reading path →

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