Modern Family or Game of Thrones : A Systematic Analysis of Second Language Writing Publications in Web of Science from 2002-2017

Abusalim, Anoud (2019) Modern Family or Game of Thrones : A Systematic Analysis of Second Language Writing Publications in Web of Science from 2002-2017. Working Paper. Centre for Higher Education Research and Evaluation, Lancaster.

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Abstract

This paper responds to recent discussions about disciplinarity in SLW and its professionalizing prospects that were recently explored in the edited volume Professionalizing Second Language Writing (2016). By employing bibliometric methods to review Second Language Writing (SLW) original research articles published in Web of Science (WoS) from 2002-2017, this paper contributes an understanding of the organizational and institutional contexts in which SLW research takes place. Employing a conceptual framework that is derived from Silva and Leki’s (2004) work on the historical disciplinary roots of SLW in “Family Matters” and Matsuda’s (2016) edited book on professionalizing SLW, this paper examines: (i): SLW research topics in order to shed more light into its disciplinary roots. (ii): the different academic units that produce its research to better understand its organizational contexts and how they influence its research. The examination concluded that 43.7% of all published research in WoS examines instructional materials, which could suggest how SLW research focuses on pedagogical matters. 21% of the published SLW research in WoS is produced in colleges or departments of education, whereas 20% is produced in Language Centers and Departments. SLW’s pedagogy-centred research suggests that its disciplinary growth has expanded beyond its parent disciplines, especially with the increasing role of education departments in producing SLW research. It also seems to suggest that in spite of the expanding organizational contexts for SLW, teacher-centered research remains the primary focus. Finally, the paper concludes by emphasizing the need for SLW practitioners to expand the conversations about professionalizing SLW outside the North-American context and to consider the various organizational realities that surround SLW research.