Communities of writing – co-construction of knowledge within an Agraphia writing group
<p class="Normal1">This research note reflects on practices in an academic writing group for PhD candidates at a Norwegian university. Academic writing is one of the most important skills an academic must develop, but reflecting on and improving this skill in a collective is not necessarily a priority. Previous research on writing groups has examined such groups through the analysis of pedagogy and academic identity. In contrast, our study reflects on the writing group as a community of practice. We understand improved skills of writing, reading and commenting as practical accomplishments that are situated and co-constructed within this socio-technical context. The background for the research is a departmental group of six to eight members who have met regularly for the past two years. The creation and management of this group has been inspired by the ‘agraphia model’, as developed by Paul Silvia. With this research note, we wish to further develop the understanding of writing groups as communal practices. We do this by reflecting on our own experiences with such groups and discuss potential improvements in their organisation. </p>