Dr.

Will Kurlinkus
English 6103
Wednesdays: 6-9pm
CRN: 30524
Office: 307A

Research Methods in Composition, Rhetoric, and Literacy

[Course Description]
What preparations do I have to go through to publish research involving interviews, ethnographic
field data, student texts, or classroom observations? What are the ethics of editing a video
interview? How do I craft an IRB? How do I contact an archive or apply to visit one? What
resources are available at OU to fund my research?
In English 6103, Research Methods in Composition Rhetoric and Literacy, students will be
introduced to and practice several of the qualitative research methods used by scholars in the
humanities; social sciences; and writing, rhetoric, and literacy studies more specifically. The
course will be divided into 5 basic units according to method: 1. classroom data collection, 2.
ethnography, 3. spatial research, 4. archival research, and 5. digital methods. In each unit we will
study examples of the method as well as texts that directly train us on how to perform that
method ourselves. The course will be especially useful for any student (regardless of discipline)
who has ever considered doing interviews, observations, archival research, and/or the digital
display of research findings.
General Topics: Community literacy, ethnography, interviewing methods, archives, educational
research, digital communities, museum studies, workplace studies, memory studies, composition
studies, classroom research, multimodal research and display, visual rhetoric, film rhetoric,
spatial studies, contemporary rhetoric, cultural geography, grant writing, IRB, research and
display ethics. 
[Student Work]
1. Weekly writingwill be 1-page reading responses, pedagogy based, and/or related to your
own work. I will usually assign you a writing prompt.
2. Each student will lead a discussion on the daily readings once during the semester
3. Final Project
o Proposal
o Annotated Bibliography
o Presentation
o Formal Research Proposal: Roughly 20 pages

Beverly J. Moss

[Course Materials]

A Community Text Arises

David Barton, et al.

Situated Literacies: Reading and Writing in Context

Gabriella Modan

Turf Wars: Discourse, Diversity, and the Politics of Place

Alexis Ramsey, et
al.
Heidi A. McKee

Working in the Archives

Gesa Kirsch and

Patricia A. Sullivan
Shirley Brice Heath
and Brian V. Street

Week 1 (1.14)
Week 2 (1.21)
Week 3 (1.28)
Week 4 (2.4)
Week 5 (2.11)
Week 6 (2.18)
Week 7 (2.25)
Week 8 (3.4)
Week 9 (3.11)
Week 10 (3.18)
Week 11 (3.25)

Digital Writing Research: Technologies, Methodologies,

and Ethical Issues
Methods and Methodology in Composition Research
On Ethnography

[Schedule]

Introduction to Qualitative Method, RCL, and One
AnotherSign up for presentations
Introduction to Qualitative Research
Reading: On Ethnography
Composition Research: Theory
Reading: Methods and Methodology in Composition
Research (selections)
Research in the Classroom: Examples
Readings: Provided by Dr. Kurlinkus
Literacy Research: Theory
Reading: Situated Literacies: Skip 5, 12, 13
Literacy Research: Example
Readings: A Community Text Arises
Spatial Research: Theory
Reading: Turf Wars 1-169
Due: Formal Project Proposal
Spatial Research: Example
Reading: Doing Cultural Geography (13, 14) and Turf
Wars: 6, 8, 9
Archival Research
Reading: Working in the Archives: 1-148
Spring Break
Archival Research 2

Week 12 (4.1)
Week 13 (4.8)

Week 14 (4.15)
Week 15 (4.22)

Week 16 (4.29)

Reading: Working in the Archives: 148-300

Due: Ten Source Annotated Bibliography on Final
Project
Digital Methods 1
Reading: Digital Writing Research: Technologies,
Methodologies, and Ethical Issues
Digital Methods 2
Reading: Digital Writing Research: Technologies,
Methodologies, and Ethical Issues

Discuss Final Projects in Class
Individual Meetings
Final Presentations
Final Project Due: 5.6