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‘Open’ Practice Research (Arts)

Dr Scott McLaughlin

University of Leeds (School of Music)

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Overview

  • Practice research
  • Reproducibility
  • Repository (SPARKLE)
  • Challenges
    • IP maximalism
    • Ethics (data privacy, re-use)
      • Public participants vs professional participants
      • Re-use of art and documentation (the unknowable future)

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For the purposes of the REF, research is defined as a process of investigation leading to new insights, effectively shared.�

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research activities should primarily be concerned with research processes, rather than outputs.��Our primary concern is to ensure that the research we fund addresses clearly-articulated research questions, issues or problems, set in a clear context of other research in that area, and using appropriate research methods and/or approaches.�

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clearly-articulated research questions, issues or problems

a process of investigation

set in a clear context of other research in that area

leading to new insights

effectively shared

?

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The research should be conceived as broadly as possible and so consideration should also be given to the outcomes of, and audiences for, the research. The outcomes of the research may only benefit other researchers and influence future research, but consideration must be given to potential opportunities for the transfer of knowledge into new contexts where the research could have an impact.

Note the stress is ‘may ONLY benefit’, or ‘[could] only benefit’, meaning you can have projects

aimed solely at researchers (the basic assumption) but also see the blue part.

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REF2021 panel feedback to the sector

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  • Practice research submissions were significantly improved in terms of detailing the research dimensions of the submitted outputs. (p. 24)

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  • outputs were supported by a precise [supporting] statement that articulated the research context, methods and methodology, insights and dissemination. Outputs were often further supported by additional contextual information. (p. 24)

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  • strongest practice research outputs were characterised by precision, depth and brevity in presenting the research dimensions of the work (p. 24)

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REF2021 panel feedback to the sector

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  • Weaker submissions did not always sufficiently identify or articulate a research dimension in the materials submitted, with limitations in critical depth, rigorous process or research contextualisation. (p. 24)

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  • In weaker submissions, it was unclear what the output comprised of and what elements were to be assessed […] or conflated research and professional practice. (p. 166)

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Repository (SPARKLE)�

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Sustaining Practice Assets for Research,

Knowledge, Learning and Engagement

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(SPARKLE)

Principal Investigator – Tom Jackson

Co-Investigators: Claire Knowles, Scott McLaughlin, Rachael Kotarski (British Library)

Post-Doctoral Research Associates (PDRA): Alex De Little, Matthew Warren

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Semi-structured interviews

Technical consultation

​

Needs

↓

Solutions

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Methodology

User-story analysis

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15 practice

researchers*

across…

Fine Art

Music

* incl. PGRs and freelancers

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Architecture

Theatre

Media

Digital Humanities

REF Administration

Research Data Repository

Developers/IT

REF Panellists

Librarians

Research support

15 from:

Data

Library

REF

Research

Admin.

Interviews with stakeholders

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Non-university Data Repository

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Discoverability

Connection

Relationality

Citation

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Collections/projects

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Dating & Histories

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Contexts & translations

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Citations and impact

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Authors

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Creators

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Collaborators

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Roles

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Institutional affiliation

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For example

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Process

Product

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Reproducibility�

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Challenges

​

    • IP maximalism
    • Ethics (data privacy, re-use)
      • Public participants vs professional participants
      • Re-use of art and documentation (the unknowable future)

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summary

  • Practice research
  • Reproducibility
  • Repository (SPARKLE)
  • Challenges
    • IP maximalism
    • Ethics (data privacy, re-use)
      • Public participants vs professional participants
      • Re-use of art and documentation (the unknowable future)