Please Explain Your Reasons Below: Analyzing Qualitative Data from a Community College Writing Center’s Nonusers

As part of a study I conducted to investigate the variables that influence our students’ writing center participation, students who had not used the center were asked to submit free-response data to further describe their reasons for nonuse. For this article, the nonusers’ narrative data are interpreted within the context of the quantitative results I obtained to gain a deeper understanding of why some students do not use our writing center. Based on my findings, I offer recommendations for tailoring writing center support to better meet our students’ needs, with the overall aim of increasing their use of our services.