Academic literacy practices in building scientifi c initiation students belonging in communities of practice: an analysis from research reports

Abstract

In this paper, we aim to analyze, through academic literacy practices, the building scientifi c initiation students belonging in communities of practice, considering the three elements that characterize them: domain of knowledge, joint enterprise and shared repertoire in practices. As material for analysis, we have defi ned sections of methodology for scientifi c initiation research reports produced by undergraduate students from two areas of knowledge: Sociology and Psychology. Such data are analyzed comparatively, through a qualitative-interpretative approach, based on the theoretical subsidies of Literacy Studies, the approach of Academic Literacies and works that refl ect on the notion of community of practice. The sections of methodology of the research reports demonstrate that students, most of the time, adopt epistemological conceptions, interact with people and groups and employ more characteristic and legitimate resources and artifacts in their fi eld of knowledge, although we have also noticed some diffi culties in relation to academic conventions. We see, therefore, a complex and non-linear process of building the student’s identity as a researcher in training and integrating in the practice of communities.