Academic subjectivity and research writing
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(Published version)
Date
2016
Authors
Bastalich, W.
Editors
Picard, M.
McCulloch, A.
McCulloch, A.
Advisors
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Conference paper
Citation
Proceedings of the 12th biennial Quality in Postgraduate Research (QPR) conference, 2016 / Picard, M., McCulloch, A. (ed./s), pp.91-94
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Conference Name
Quality in postgraduate research (QPR2016) (20 Apr 2016 - 22 Apr 2016 : Adelaide, Australia)
Abstract
It is often assumed that doctoral students can be best supported by socialisation into academic culture, and that problems with writing arise from the individual deficiencies of students or perhaps poor supervision. The policy environment emphasises skill deficiencies and increased monitoring of students and supervisors, skills training to produce 'industry ready graduates', and interdisciplinary and end-user driven research. There has been less reflection on academic culture, its influence on academic writing, and upon the kinds of educational support required for both students and supervisors to produce effective research writing in the discipline. This paper reflects on insights raised within the higher education literature about academic subjectivity and its relation to writing and supervision. The paper links examples of ineffective doctoral citation and reading practices with discourse within academe about students as academic outsiders awaiting judgement from academic gatekeepers, and of research subjects as persons possessed of individual research 'capacities' decontextualized from specific discipline research practices and knowledges. The paper concludes that there is a need not simply to socialise students into academic culture, but to challenge specific presumptions within academic culture, and to support both students and supervisors in the take up of a peer to peer, discipline-based subjectivity in research writing.
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Copyright 2016 Wendy Bastalich