Arts-based methods in socially engaged research practice: a classification framework

Arts-based research has recently gained an enlarging popularity within qualitative inquiry. It is applied in various disciplines, including health, psychology, education and anthropology. Arts-based research uses artistic forms and expressions to explore, understand, represent and even challenge human experiences. It comes in many forms and enters into different stages of a research cycle. With this study we aim to create order in the messy field of artistically inspired methods of socially engaged research. We conducted a literature study and distinguished three major categories for classification: research about art, art as research, and art in research. We further identified five main forms of arts-based research: visual art, sound art, literary art, performing art and new media, with many projects combining different forms in one project. Relevant examples of socially engaged research are provided to illustrate how different artistic methods are used within the forms identified. Apart from inspiring people, we hope the classification framework will help colleagues who engage with arts-based socially engaged research to better position themselves and their projects in a field in full development.

Publication year:2017