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

This is a textbook aimed primarily at upper undergraduate and Master’s students undertaking practice-based research in the arts, and includes practical guidance, examples, exercises, and further resources. The book offers definitions and a brief background to practice-related research in the arts, contextualization of practice-based methods within that frame, a step-by-step approach to designing practice-based 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.

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 

About the Author :
Dr. 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.