The New Digital Scholar

Book excerpt: The New Digital Scholar presents innovative thinking and groundbreaking research on the challenges NextGen students face with research-writing projects. Reminding readers of the history of the academic research paper and the scope of the recent information explosion, editors McClure and Purdy open a discussion long silent in academic circles-that the teaching of research-writing is mired in practices poorly suited for digital natives. Through the experiences and analyses of more than 20 writing teachers, library science professionals, and higher education administrators, the book examines research-writing in practice, revealing what has been learned, what works, and what doesn't. Practitioners describe teaching methods and research projects suited for the new digital scholar-concepts not only rooted in traditional academic research values, but designed for the information universe NextGen students inhabit.