Overall, the volume makes an important contribution to methodological debates in the field of applied linguistics, and the overlapping areas of second language writing and academic writing. The various perspectives collected in this volume demonstrate that ethnographically-oriented research can be conceptualized at various levels. The volume clarifies and problematizes key terms associated with ethnography (e.g. thick description, researcher reflexivity). The different perspectives of the volume and issues or dilemmas raised in individual chapters invite the reader to further reflection, which is in line with ethnographic reflexivity. The volume thus responds in a considered manner to the ‘social turn’ in writing studies.