ABSTRACT
This chapter examines briefly the nature of writing center theory and practice, along with its central concerns, and considers how and where writing center scholarship appears. Scholarship of application, applying knowledge to problems, is where theory and practice most notably interact. Published writing center scholarship can be generally described as defining, exploring, and expanding our knowledge of six broad topics: theories and practices, models and local practices, tutorial methods and training, materials, administration, and professional development concerns. Writing center publications often include studies of local practices, or descriptions of specific programs or special services, and how they serve the particular missions of different institutions. Regional writing center conferences are generally very well attended, and the exchange of ideas is energetic and vigorous. Although the evaluation of any faculty member’s teaching is still more of an art than a science, the evaluation of teaching abilities in a writing center is particularly difficult.
