Understanding the Rhetoric of Research

Related Resources
Print-Friendly Page
Authors & Contributors

In 1967, NCTE started another journal, Research in the Teaching of English,(RTE) which has a very different focus from English Journal or College English. Its articles are highly specialized documents on empirical research. It was around the late '60s and early '70s that many English journals began honing down their policies to exclude highly empirical studies because they are not as accessible to a wide range of scholars and teachers in the field. Plus, some of the methods had been and still are being seriously questioned. Therefore, it is no surprise that such researchers in English felt the need to start their own journal in order to publicize their work. Though there is no specific editorial policy published in the first several issues of RTE, the first few articles in issue one give readers a good clue as to what will be expected. The first article by William C. Budd (1967) is titled "Research designs of potential value in investigating problems in English" and the second by Doris V. Gunderson (1967) is "Flaws in research design." Basically, they give the reader an idea of what TO do and what NOT to do.

Briefly, the first article emphasizes descriptive research including descriptive surveys, normative surveys, and correlational studies. Budd (1967) suggests both univariate and multivariate designs and quasi-experimental designs. (For definitions and discussion of survey research, see the survey research methods unit. For definitions and discussions of quasi-experimental designs see our unit on experimental and quasi-experimental research.) To avoid flawed research the second article by Gunderson (1967) advises to clarify the problem carefully and set up a theoretical framework, build on a range of previous research, present objectives, hypotheses, or questions clearly, and to plan appropriate procedures, instruments and statistical treatments. Gunderson (1967) also emphasizes a carefully balanced rhetoric which is not overly technical so as to appear "pseudo technical". (For a brief discussion of the difference between rhetorical and empirical research styles, see the section in this guide entitled Research Styles.) Organization and utilization of sub-headings to signal the reader clearly is important as well. Just by glancing through an issue of RTE one can get a sense of organizational strategies which utilize categories and more objective views on research processes; Narrative and personally descriptive writing conventions are nearly non-existent in RTE.

Currently, RTE still publishes research reports which are highly quantitative and employ strict structures with sub-headings and categories labeling research processes. Empirical sorts of research in English are definitely being conducted and published, but in their own journals, for more specialized audiences.