Professional practice and scholarly research

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Professional practice and scholarly research

• Professor Judith Mottram, Nottingham Trent
  University

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Addressing the question

• Recent history
• Characteristics
• Definitions
• Motivations
• Is there a difference between an art question and
  a research question?

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Some history

• 1984 CNAA Statement of Research Related
  Activities
• 1988 Matrix conference
• 1992 RAE and Incorporation of the new
  universities
• 1993 Research for, into and through art
  (Frayling)
• 1996 RAE definition
• 1999 HEFCE Importance of practice for research
• 2001 Art and Value (Dickie)
• 2003 AHRB criteria for research outcomes
• 2004 Applied research
• 2005 RAE definition

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Characteristics of the field output types
Art Design Engineering Built
Environment
RAE 2001
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Art Design text and practice outputs
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Comparing fields by output types
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Output types and art design disciplines
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RAE 2008 research definition

• Research for the purpose of the RAE is to
  be understood as original investigation
  undertaken in order to gain knowledge and
  understanding. It includes work of direct
  relevance to the needs of commerce, industry, and
  to the public and voluntary sectors
  scholarship the invention and generation of
  ideas, images, performances, artefacts including
  design, where these lead to new or substantially
  improved insights and the use of existing
  knowledge in experimental development to produce
  new or substantially improved materials, devices,
  products and processes, including design and
  construction. It excludes routine testing and
  routine analysis of materials, components and
  processes such as for the maintenance of national
  standards, as distinct from the development of
  new analytical techniques. It also excludes the
  development of teaching materials that do not
  embody original research.

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RAE 2008 quality measures

• For outputs
• Significance. The degree to which the work has
  enhanced, or is likely to enhance, knowledge,
  thinking, understanding and/or practice in its
  field.
• Originality. The degree to which the work has
  developed new formulations or data and/or
  initiated new methods and/or forms of expression.
• Rigour. The degree of intellectual precision,
  systematic method and/or integrity embodied in
  the research.
• For esteem
• Recognition. The degree to which, individually
  and collectively, the work of researchers has
  been recognised externally.
• Influence. The degree of influence and/or
  contribution made to research practices and their
  debates in the wider context.
• Benefit. The degree to which researchers and the
  research environment have benefited through the
  esteem in which the research is held.

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AHRC definition of research section 52, p.13

• Define research processes, rather than
  outputs
• Specify research questions or problems
• Define objectives for enhancing knowledge
  and understanding
• Specify research context for the questions
  or problems to be addressed
• Specify why it is important that these
  particular questions are addressed
• Specify what other research is being or has been
  conducted in this area
• Specify contribution project will make to
  advancement of creativity, insights, knowledge
  and understanding in the specific field
• Specify the research methods for addressing and
  answering the research questions or problems
• Explain the rationale for your chosen research
  methods and why appropriate

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AHRC distinction between research
practicesection 53, p.13

• Creative output can be produced, or practice
  undertaken
• as an integral part of a research process
• Practice must be accompanied by
• documentation of the research process,
• some form of textual analysis or explanation,
• demonstration of critical reflection
• Creativity or practice involving no such
  processes is
• ineligible for funding from the Council

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Motivations matrix

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Motivation scales

• The researchers question .... the
  artists intention
• Contributing to understanding......
  challenging orthodoxy
• Precision .. ambiguity
• Filling gaps in body of knowledge. rejecting
  body of knowledge
• Exact labels ...expedient labels
• Finding new questions finding new
  problems
• Answering the question ..answering the
  brief
• Using explicit methods ....protecting
  your process
• Justified true belief accepting no
  fixed belief

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Closing questions

• Why do research?
• Why differentiate between the artist/designer and
  the academic?
• Who gets money for what?
• Does the work speaks for itself?
• Is visual evidence the same as visual knowledge?
• What are the established means of deposit and
  exchange?
• Which is most important, intentionality or
  ambiguity?
• Can we raise the quality of evidence, records and
  archives?

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art as a form of knowledge in which purposeful
execution is guided by genuine understanding of
the principle underlying that activity(Harris,
2003, The Necessity of Artspeak)the aim of
academic research is the production of expert
knowledge the aim of art is the expression of
understanding as an account of experience
(Buchler, 2000, in The Artist as
Researcher)History would seem to indicate that
artists have been consistently misguided about
what they do (Elkins, 2001, Why Art Cannot be
Taught)
Closing thoughts