Characteristics of Repeat Visitors to a University Writing Center in Japan: Applying a User Database of Reservations

This study aimed to identify the characteristics of repeat visitors to a university writing center in Japan. Thus, the user database of reservations at the Waseda University Writing Center for the academic year of 2022 was analyzed. Descriptive statistics regarding the number of writers and sessions of repeat and one-time visitors were calculated using the reservation database. Additionally, a chi-square test of independence was conducted to examine the differences in the reservation categories between the two groups of writers. The results indicated that in the academic year of 2022, 47.6% of writers were repeat visitors, while 79.9% of the respective sessions were conducted by repeat visitors. The analysis of reservation information revealed notable differences between repeat and one-time visitors in several session categories, such as the language of the paper and session, type of assignment, due date, school year, and what the writer wants to discuss. These findings provide detailed insights into writing center trends in Japan and suggest ways to address writers’ needs based on their frequency of visits.