Literacy and disciplinary practices: opening and closing perspectives

There are widespread (and correct) beliefs that the writing tasks that students are asked to undertake as they move through their undergraduate and graduate years show a broadly upward progression in terms of length, complexity of resources utilized, and sophistication expected. Even so, we also suggest that a number of uncertainties persist: whether these writings are “real” or “school” products; whether there is a coherent audience, and if so,...