6 Arts-based and embodied data gathering
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Helen Kara
Abstract
Conventionally, researchers speak of ‘data collection’. Another term is ‘data construction’, which refers to the generation of data as a creative act, such as through writing a diary, taking part in an interview or working as a group to make a collage about a research topic. Which term you use depends on your standpoint. As I am writing for people conducting research from a range of standpoints, for the purposes of this book, I have chosen ‘gathering’ as an overarching term. Conventional data collection has involved viewing people as repositories of data that could be transferred to researchers, who themselves possessed no data until they took it from others. The view of autoethnographers is different. They gather data primarily from themselves: their own memories, senses, emotions, thoughts, experiences, relationships, artefacts and documents. Many researchers occupy a loose middle ground, with varying levels of importance being placed on the researcher’s actions and reactions, examined through ‘reflexivity’ (see Chapter 5.) This chapter covers the gathering of arts-based and embodied data; Chapter 7 covers the gathering of data using technology or multi-modal approaches. These distinctions are not hard and fast. For example, photography and video are claimed by both arts-based researchers and those using technology. I have included photography in this chapter and video in the next, which could be regarded as somewhat arbitrary. Also, some of the examples in this chapter could also be classified as multi-modal. The distinctions I draw in this book between different areas of creative research methods are designed to aid thought and discussion, rather than to form some kind of fixed taxonomy.
Abstract
Conventionally, researchers speak of ‘data collection’. Another term is ‘data construction’, which refers to the generation of data as a creative act, such as through writing a diary, taking part in an interview or working as a group to make a collage about a research topic. Which term you use depends on your standpoint. As I am writing for people conducting research from a range of standpoints, for the purposes of this book, I have chosen ‘gathering’ as an overarching term. Conventional data collection has involved viewing people as repositories of data that could be transferred to researchers, who themselves possessed no data until they took it from others. The view of autoethnographers is different. They gather data primarily from themselves: their own memories, senses, emotions, thoughts, experiences, relationships, artefacts and documents. Many researchers occupy a loose middle ground, with varying levels of importance being placed on the researcher’s actions and reactions, examined through ‘reflexivity’ (see Chapter 5.) This chapter covers the gathering of arts-based and embodied data; Chapter 7 covers the gathering of data using technology or multi-modal approaches. These distinctions are not hard and fast. For example, photography and video are claimed by both arts-based researchers and those using technology. I have included photography in this chapter and video in the next, which could be regarded as somewhat arbitrary. Also, some of the examples in this chapter could also be classified as multi-modal. The distinctions I draw in this book between different areas of creative research methods are designed to aid thought and discussion, rather than to form some kind of fixed taxonomy.
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents vii
- List of boxes, figures and tables xi
- Notes on the author xv
- Foreword xvi
- Debts of gratitude xvii
- How this book can help 1
- Introducing creative research 5
- Creative research methods in practice 23
- Transformative research frameworks and Indigenous research 45
- Creative research methods and ethics 61
- Creative thinking 77
- Arts-based and embodied data gathering 101
- Technology-based and multi-modal data gathering 119
- Arts-based and embodied data analysis 135
- Technology-based and multi-modal data analysis 149
- Arts-based and embodied research reporting 163
- Technology-based and multi-modal research reporting 177
- Arts-based and embodied presentation 187
- Technology-based and multi-modal presentation 199
- From research into practice 215
- Conclusion 235
- Further reading 239
- References 241
- Index 285
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents vii
- List of boxes, figures and tables xi
- Notes on the author xv
- Foreword xvi
- Debts of gratitude xvii
- How this book can help 1
- Introducing creative research 5
- Creative research methods in practice 23
- Transformative research frameworks and Indigenous research 45
- Creative research methods and ethics 61
- Creative thinking 77
- Arts-based and embodied data gathering 101
- Technology-based and multi-modal data gathering 119
- Arts-based and embodied data analysis 135
- Technology-based and multi-modal data analysis 149
- Arts-based and embodied research reporting 163
- Technology-based and multi-modal research reporting 177
- Arts-based and embodied presentation 187
- Technology-based and multi-modal presentation 199
- From research into practice 215
- Conclusion 235
- Further reading 239
- References 241
- Index 285
