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.

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.