You mean Practice is a research method!

The Turning Point

 

The turning point for me came when I first read, Practice as Research by Robin Nelson [1]. As Nelson says:

 

PaR involves a research method in which practice is a key method of inquiry and where, in respect of the arts, a practice (creative writing, dance, musical score, theatre/performance, visual exhibition, film or other cultural practice) is submitted as substantial evidence of a research inquiry.

 

It is the fact that practice is key that makes the difference and that the practice must be put at the centre of the research. However unlike others writing in this field he does not leave it with this statement. Nelson acknowledges that academics outside the arts have found PaR research methods challenging. He further suggests that there have been many case studies used to show practice based research methods but they do not propose an ‘exemplary pedagogy’ which is exactly what I have been searching for.

 

 

[1] (Nelson, 2013) Loc 304