Articulating Practice-based and Practice-led Research
Practice-based and practice-led research has become an increasingly significant component of the Arts and Humanities, with a growing emphasis on creative disciplines. While this has enriched the scope of the Humanities and served to expand academic horizons, it also poses some challenges. Where does this kind of work stand in relation to established scholarly criteria for research, when it comes to examination, publishing, or evaluation by research funders? How can the creative-critical hybrid of practice-based and practice-led research best be accommodated in these frameworks, and what is required for this work to flourish and succeed in academia?
The central issue here concerns the articulation of creative work as research. This is a challenge not only felt by doctoral researchers, as witnessed in the proportion of creative submissions to the Arts and Humanities panel of the UK's Research Excellence Framework which were disqualified for not meeting the criteria. Assessors’ reports have highlighted the importance of clear articulation of the research imperative, methodological rigour, advances gained in knowledge and insight, and the resulting benefits to others. These learning points can be applied more widely to the challenges involved in the successful presentation and dissemination of creative research at all levels. This interactive workshop is designed to help those working on practice-based and practice-led projects to understand the criteria for research applied by funding bodies, to stimulate discussion of the challenges involved, and provide constructive exercises to help define, articulate and present the research dimension of their creative practice, developing vital skills for writing up and dissemination.
The workshop can be tailored to the target group, from doctoral students working on their PhD to staff preparing 300-word statements for the REF.
Feedback from workshop participants:
Manchester School of Art
‘Turns something that can seem overwhelming into a task that is absolutely manageable’
‘Very useful. It would be helpful for all new researchers to undergo this process. Precise, professional and well-communicated. An excellent way to realign research’
‘Clear, insightful and informative’ ‘Very positive, clear and precise approach’
‘A great overview. Very clear and great use of examples – the dos and don’ts of research communication’
‘Really useful reflective exercises in pairs’
The central issue here concerns the articulation of creative work as research. This is a challenge not only felt by doctoral researchers, as witnessed in the proportion of creative submissions to the Arts and Humanities panel of the UK's Research Excellence Framework which were disqualified for not meeting the criteria. Assessors’ reports have highlighted the importance of clear articulation of the research imperative, methodological rigour, advances gained in knowledge and insight, and the resulting benefits to others. These learning points can be applied more widely to the challenges involved in the successful presentation and dissemination of creative research at all levels. This interactive workshop is designed to help those working on practice-based and practice-led projects to understand the criteria for research applied by funding bodies, to stimulate discussion of the challenges involved, and provide constructive exercises to help define, articulate and present the research dimension of their creative practice, developing vital skills for writing up and dissemination.
The workshop can be tailored to the target group, from doctoral students working on their PhD to staff preparing 300-word statements for the REF.
Feedback from workshop participants:
Manchester School of Art
‘Turns something that can seem overwhelming into a task that is absolutely manageable’
‘Very useful. It would be helpful for all new researchers to undergo this process. Precise, professional and well-communicated. An excellent way to realign research’
‘Clear, insightful and informative’ ‘Very positive, clear and precise approach’
‘A great overview. Very clear and great use of examples – the dos and don’ts of research communication’
‘Really useful reflective exercises in pairs’
