Tom Romano, author of "Blending Genre, Altering Style," and a professor of writing at Miami University, is considered the guru of the multi-genre research paper. This style of paper is written in pieces, each piece in a different genre that covers one aspect of the overall topic. The paper might begin with personal narrative that is followed by a poem, then a scene of dialog and finally a paragraph of exposition. Romano explains these papers “involve all of the elements of a traditional research paper: research and citation, coherence and organization, purpose and aim of discourse, audience awareness and conventional appropriateness.” The difference is that multi-genre papers are rich in the voice and experience of the writer, taking the reader well beyond data.
Creative nonfiction is another emergent genre in research writing. Lee Gutkind, founder and editor of "Creative Nonfiction" magazine, states, “Even small and academic presses are actively seeking creative nonfiction titles these days. In the academic community generally, creative nonfiction has become the popular way to write.” "Botany of Desire" by Michael Pollin and "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot are written as creative nonfiction. As with the multi-genre and traditional forms of research writing, creative nonfiction pieces are linked by a common theme such as Pollin’s explanation of the effects on humans of specific plants or Skloot’s exploration of cell research conducted with Henrietta’s cells. In creative nonfiction the techniques of storytelling are used to blend factual information into a flowing, cohesive narrative.
Narrative scholarship is a form of creative nonfiction that builds on primary research. Laird Christensen, professor of writing at Green Mountain College, explains narrative scholarship as a “recognition that none of us is objective, making it useful to call attention to ourselves as narrators rather than to pretend at objectivity.” Narrative scholarship allows the writer to speak of the experience of conducting research. Rachel Pollock’s "Shades of Zaida" is an example of this style. Pollock weaves together her experiences visiting libraries around the world to find obscure information on her subject, Zaida Ben Yusuf, a portrait photographer and milliner of the Gilded Age. The result is a narrative-driven piece of research about one woman’s -- Pollock’s -- fascination with that of another era, both artists, both adventurers, both makers of hats.
The commonality in all forms of research writing, from the traditional to the avant garde, is the reliability of sources. Professor Christensen reminds us, “Nothing weakens an argument more quickly than the recognition that the author is using questionable sources to support his or her point.” Whether objectively portrayed or through a lively narrator's voice, the facts must remain true.