My research is centered on improving educational systems and the social structures they serve. By maintaining an interdisciplinary approach to research, I aim to contribute to both the scholarship of teaching and the broader discourses in professional writing and business communication.
I employ qualitative research methodologies to explore how communication strategies are taught and applied across various contexts. Institutional ethnography, in particular, provides a nuanced lens through which to analyze the interdependencies of institutional work processes, offering both holistic and granular perspectives. This approach is exemplified in my recent publication, Polyvalent Practices and Heteropraxis as Heuristic: A Survey of Doctoral Examination Processes in Rhetoric and Composition, published in Rhetoric Review. This work delves into the diverse formats and purposes of doctoral examinations, framing them as heteropraxial, and offers a heuristic for program administrators to reflect on and possibly revise their exam practices .
In business communication pedagogy, my interest in institutional analysis turns to the experience of business students who transfer from community colleges to four-year universities and beyond. Articulating Transfer in Business Communication Contexts is a multi-part longitudinal study of transfer business students. The research question I am investigating asks what transferable skills transfer students develop because of their transfer experience, and how those skills can be leveraged to help them succeed in business communication courses and beyond.
My research also includes collaborative projects that aim to address critical issues within educational settings. One such project examines antiracist pedagogy in technical and professional communication, exploring the creation and sustainability of an antiracist pedagogy group. This collaborative effort, seeks to identify and implement strategies that promote equity and inclusivity in the classroom. Another collaborative project investigates the integration of AI technologies in teaching written communication, particularly focusing on how these tools can assist students in summarizing complex texts.
Selected Journal Articles:
Murphy, R.M. (2023). “Polyvalent Practices and Heteropraxis as Heuristic: A
Survey of Doctoral Examination Processes in Rhetoric and Composition.” Rhetoric Review.
Youn, H., Park, N., & Murphy, R.M. (2024). Beyond Writing a Summary:
Utilizing AI Tools to Enhance Skills. Communication Teacher.
Work Under Review & In Progress:
“Creating and Sustaining an Antiracist Pedagogy Group in Technical and
Professional Communication” (under review at Pedagogy).
“Redress for Japanese American Internment: Plurivocality in Asian American
Public Rhetorics” (chapter in forthcoming MLA-edited collection).
Recent Conference Presentations:
“Teaching Transferability of Soft Skills with Rhetorical Memory in Business
Pitches” (88th Annual Conference of the Association of Business
Communication).