AR3 (What is research methodology?)

What is Research Methodology?

Definition: methodology is the study system of methods and principles used in a particular discipline. New Collins Concise Dictionary 1986

“The use of methodology in research leads to appropriate choices among methods and can lead researchers to develop and apply new methods.”

(Friedman 2002)

The aim of methodology is to help us understand not the products of enquiry but the process itself.

It is important to observe the difference between methodology and methods. Methods are the processes through which research is carried out (e.g. printing/ photography/ observational drawing/ combine painting) and methodology is the actual system which is used in the research process from concept (the what) to need (the why)to product (the how) to conclusions to area for development- the whole picture.

Research methodology can be broken down into three main phases:

What?

The research question/ thesis, this covers contextualising the research and situating the chosen field of study.

Why?

The reasons for doing the research:

Process development

Skills knowledge

Challenging existing published knowledge on the subject

How?

The methods used to conduct the research, through which might lead onto fine tuning the research question, or developing the field of enquiry.

In order to understand artistic methods of research more I went back to basics and compared it to a classic scientific method of research.

Scientific method of research:

• Research question/ thesis
• Apparatus needed
• Method/experiment
• Results
• Conclusions

Artistic Method of Research:

• Research question/thesis
• Equipment needed:

e.g. silk screen with transferred image on the screen, water based silk screening ink, squeegee, un-stretched canvas.

• Skills needed-process driven e.g. silk screening techniques
• Practice/method-application of acquired skills and knowledge to produce an artwork.

e.g. silk screening photographic images onto canvas then involving them into mixed media techniques to produce abstract compositions exploring texture.

• Results-using visual and conceptual methods of recording: written, video documentation, audio, blogged, annotated drawings in a visual diary.
• Conclusions-what has been discovered? Methods of recording: annotated prints, written conclusions in a visual diary/ sketchbook, blogs, audio, video.
• Development questions-used to fine tune the research

Both artistic and scientific research methodology share the need to situate the research question into their chosen field of study knowledge base by reading upon what has already been published on or around the subject area.

What is apparent is the varying different ways in which artists operate. Due to its creative nature and wide range of disciplines under the very broad heading 'the arts' it has been a lot harder to produce a set of rules to govern all artistic research. There is no singular formula which can be applied to all art research. So the quest for research methodology is perhaps the first thing on an artist's list when undertaking any research.

The key point I think to remember with research methodology is that because art is so adaptable so must be the methodology- one system does not fit all.

Perhaps an artist wants to investigate transferring photographic images onto a broad range of surfaces to be applied to public buildings and wants to know which materials to use. But also which materials will last the longest and look good for the most amount of time. This is the what question.

The why question comes next. Is there a need for this research to take place? Has it been done before? How will the research project be funded? Who needs this research? What or who has prompted it? There are several different ways in which an artist could conduct this- community group forums, internet blogg sites, questionnaires, market research, or perhaps a public funding body has given the brief they are putting in a bid for.

The how question is the method through which the artist will test out the different materials and processes available to them. Because art is such a practical research area a 'triangulation' approach might be the best one to use- where many different methods are used to test out a theory. The results from these experiments will inform the next phase of research- the so what?

The last stage of any good research will be the so what? Where conclusions are drawn and perhaps new developments are made and maybe even new processes or materials are invented. Perhaps a new advance has to made in technology in order to test out the theory?

So research methodology is the whole process from start to finish.

“Of course the emphasis in artistic research is to use your visual skills as an artist to make sense of your research experience wherever possible.”

(Visualizing Research )

 The need to define a research methodology in the arts has become necessary to not only justify ourselves in political terms (thanks to government cuts in funding to the arts in general),but more importantly to further the artistic debate and research in structured ways which can be applied flexibly to suit different areas of practice.

 Strangely the development of formulised ways of conducting artistic research is relatively new (according to Carole Gray and Julian Malins in Visualizing Research) whereas science has had a very structured set format since the renaissance. How strange then that Leonardo Da Vinci was one of the earliest artists to set down and record his findings both furthering art and science. Perhaps the two are not so very different after all?