Talking down 'writing up' or ten e-mails make a conference paper

This paper addresses the significant role that writing plays in research. We argue that too often writing is oversimplified, consigned to the final 'stage' of a research 'process' and designated as 'writing up'. Research methodology textbooks rarely discuss writing as integral to research practice. The advice postgraduate students receive not only glosses over the difficulties of constructing an extended argument but also of working within the genres and power relations required by the academy. In this paper we examine a selection of research methodology texts to see how the notion of 'writing up' is constructed and with what effects. We offer an alternative view of writing as research and research as writing.