An essay by John Gagnon, assistant professor of English and director of the Writing Center at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, has been selected for inclusion in the Best of the Journals in Rhetoric and Composition 2019. His published essay, “Research as Care: A Shared Ownership Approach to Rhetorical Research in Trauma Communities,” was co-authored with Maria Novotny of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
The essay, first published in Reflections: A Journal of Community-Engaged Writing and Rhetoric, demonstrates the need for a set of methodological tools within rhetoric and composition that is responsive to ethical challenges of working with traumatized communities. Further, they propose that toolkit, which features five important ways to conduct research in those areas.
“Maria and I are honored that our work has been selected for this distinction. We hope that the essay’s inclusion in the ‘Best Of’ collection will help other researchers in rhetoric studies to navigate the complexities of doing research in and around trauma.”
The “Best Of” series, by Parlor Press, showcases the work of editors, teachers, scholars and workers in their efforts to apply rhetoric and composition practices to everyday life. The journal’s acceptance of the essay demonstrates the piece is both innovative and transformative.
Gagnon specializes in rhetoric and composition. As a cultural rhetorician interested in human rights, his research is rooted in ways to connect his scholarship to other academic disciplines.
