Designing and Conducting Practice-Based Research Projects: A Practical Guide for Arts Student Researchers

by R. Lyle Skains

Overview

A foundational guide to practice-related research in the arts.

This book offers definitions and a brief background to practice-based research in the arts, contextualization of practice-based methods, a step-by-step approach to designing research projects, chapter summaries, examples of practice-related research, exercises for progressing methods design and evaluating research approach, and lists for further reading. This textbook can serve as the foundation for a wider, online “living” textbook for practice-related research in the arts.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781789389296
Publisher:	Intellect, Limited
Publication date:	05/31/2024
Pages:	148
Product dimensions:	6.69(w) x 9.61(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Lyle Skains conducts practice-based research in creative digital writing and science communication, exploring the processes of writing, reading/playing, publishing digital and transmedia narratives, and how these can be used for health and science communication. She has published a key resource on practice-based research in the Journal of Media Practice and Education.

Table of Contents

List of Figures


List of Tables


Acknowledgements


List of Abbreviations


 


Chapter 1. Introduction
   Why this book 
   Who this book is for 
   How to use this book 
   Key elements of the book 
   Recommended approach 



PART I: PRACTICE AND KNOWLEDGE 



Chapter 2. Practice-Related Research: What Is It, Who Does It, and Why? 
   A brief history of research 
   Practice-related research: Definitions and approaches 
   Practice-as-research 
   Practice-and-research 
   Practice-led research 
   Practice-based research 
   Practice-based research knowledge 
   Explicit 
   Tacit (or Implicit) 
   Theoretical 
   Dialectical 
   Contextual 
   Conceptual 
   Conclusion 
   Exercise: Brainstorming a project 
   Brainstorming methods 



Chapter 3. Critical and Contextual Research: Your Artistic Domain and Field 
   Understanding and contextualizing research 
   Special contexts of creative research 
   Evaluating research resources 
   Primary sources 
   Secondary sources 
   Popular sources 
   Reliability checklist 
   Search strategies 
   Decolonizing research 
   Knowing your domain: Annotated bibliographies and literature reviews
   Annotated bibliography 
   Literature review 
   Points to include 
   How to set it out 
   What to avoid 
   Tips & tricks: Taking and organizing research notes 
   Tips & tricks: Reading academic texts with minimal weeping 
   Why bother? 
   What’s the point of SQ3R? 
   S is for scan 
   Q is for question 
   R1 is for read
   R2 is for recite
   R3 is for review 
   Conclusion 
   Exercise: Annotated bibliography 



Chapter 4. PBR-Relevant Methods 
   Empirical research 
   Social science methods 
   Reflection 
   Auto-ethnomethodology 
   Surveys 
   Interviews and focus groups 
   Qualitative analysis 
   Critical analysis 
   Textual analysis/close readings 
   Media-specific analysis 
   Literary analysis 
   Multimodal analysis 
   Discourse analysis 
   Interdisciplinary approaches 
   Conclusion 
   Exercise: Determining relevant research methods 
   Planned project methodology 
   Optional ethnographic methodology 



PART II: DOING YOUR RESEARCH PROJECT 



Chapter 5. Designing Your Research Project 
   An integrated approach to practice-based research 
   Establish the research problem 
   Conduct background research 
   Conduct empirical research 
   Continue contextual research 
   Analyze the creative artefact and research logs 
   Form argument/discussion 
   Write the exegesis 
   Planning your project 
   Formulating your research question 
   Troubleshooting: If you’re still stumped on a research question 
   Determining your research methodology 
   PBR area: Creator/practice/artefact 
   Analysis methods 
   Ethnographic methods 
   Creating a workplan 
   Tips and tricks: Keeping to your workplan 
   Tips and tricks: Creating a task list 
   Writing a research proposal 
   Proposal length 
   Parts of the proposal 
   Tips and tricks: Research proposals 
   Conclusion 
   Exercise: Define your research question 
   Exercise: Outlining your methodology 
   Exercise: Creating a project workplan 



Chapter 6. Conducting your research 
   Collect your data 
   Knowing when to move on from background research 
   Creative practice 
   Troubleshooting: Creative blocks 
   Keeping a research log 
   The role of exploration and serendipity 
   Continuing your contextual research 
   Project management 
   Time management 
   Stage 1: Determining your available time 
   Stage 2: Developing a study strategy 
   Stage 3: Defeating procrastination 
   Document management
   Resource management 
   Reference resources 
   Resources are people, too 
   Troubleshooting: Managing your supervisory relationship 
   Analysis 
   Tips and tricks: Recognizing research insights 
   Conclusion 
   Exercise: Keeping your research focused 
   Project aims and objectives 
   Aims 
   Objectives 
   Background and rationale 
   Methodology 
   Current state of project 
   Expected outline of project 
   Timetable of work to completion 
   Other notes 



Chapter 7. Writing your exegesis 
   Forming your argument 
   Outlining your thesis 
   What a practice-based thesis looks like 
   The abstract 
   The introduction: Six actions 
   Action 1: Subject 
   Action 2: Purpose 
   Action 3: Argument 
   Action 4: Background and context 
   Action 5: Justification and importance 
   Action 6: Forecast the content and structure 
   Additional consideration: Methodology 
   The body 
   Body patterns of arrangement 
   Body paragraphs 
   The conclusion 
   Action 1: Make an obvious transition 
   Action 2: Restate your main argument/thesis 
   Action 3: Summarize your key points/sub-arguments 
   Action 4: Restress the importance/significance of your argument
   Action 5: Look to the future 
   Back matter 
   Writing the exegesis 
   Integrating analysis into your thesis discussion 
   Description vs. analysis 
   Support for analysis 
   Writing effectively 
   Including research and quotations 
   When to reference 
   Integrating in-text citations 
   How to paraphrase properly 
   Conclusion 
   Exercise: Outline your exegesis 



Chapter 8. Conclusion 



Bibliography 


Appendices: Resources 
A. Useful research tools 
   Notetaking 
   Word processor/composing programs 
   Reference managers 
   Project management apps 
   Time management apps 
   Focus apps 
B. Glossary 
C. Further Reading 


Index