Practice-Based Research

The discursive practice of figuring diagrams {a paper}

by Lisa Grocott

To be published in Tracey: drawing and visualisation research journal. Special Issue on drawing knowledge.

Design Research & Reflective Practice: the facility of design-oriented research to translate practitioner insights into new understandings of design {a PhD Dissertation}

by Lisa Grocott

Designerly ways of researching: design knowing and the practice of researching {a paper}

by Lisa Grocott

Published in Studies in Material Thinking, http://www.materialthinking.org
Vol. 6 (2012), ISSN 1177-6234, AUT University

Local Optioneering: Producing Complex Geometries through Opportunistic Networking

by Stanislav Roudavski

Cite as: Warnock, Finnian and Stanislav Roudavski (2012). 'Local Optioneering: Producing Complex Geometries through Opportunistic Networking', in Beyond Codes and Pixels: Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Computer-Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia, ed. by Thomas Fischer et al. (Chennai, India: CAADRIA), pp. 487-494

How can small architectural practices participate in contemporary architectural experimentation? One route is through... more How can small architectural practices participate in contemporary architectural experimentation? One route is through engagement with complex, parametrically controlled geometries. However, the utilisation of such geometries by small practices is comparatively rare. We sought to explore the circumstances of such engagements with the hope of finding what can make them more feasible. To this end, we developed a purpose-specific methodology based on the simulation of an integrated design workflow. To develop and assess this simulation, we exposed a hypothetical project to multiple stakeholders including fabricators, engineers, architects, builders, clients, planning authorities and researchers. The outcomes suggest that the conceptual stance described as optioneering in application to large projects can also be productive at smaller scales.

Keywords: digital architectural design; digital fabrication; local
expertise; parametric geometry; design innovation; optioneering.

For images and further details, see: http://issuu.com/finn.warnock/docs/local_optioneering_issuu/17

“Habitus-Validity in Organisational Theory and Research – Social Research and Work Life Transformed”, Chapter 1

by Olav Eikeland

Chapter 1, pp.33-66 in Brøgger, Benedicte and Eikeland, Olav (eds.) (2009): Turning to Practice with Action Research, Frankfurt a.M., Peter Lang Publishers

Chapter 1. Olav Eikeland: Habitus-validity in organisational theory and research – social research and work life... more Chapter 1. Olav Eikeland: Habitus-validity in organisational theory and research – social research and work life transformed. This chapter introduces the concept of “habitus-validity”, based on the Aristotelian concept of habitus or héxis, established within social research over the last decades through the infl uence of Pierre Bourdieu. Action research requires ways of thinking about validity different from and apparently incompatible with mainstream concepts of validity, whether quantitative, qualitative, explanatory, or interpretive. The article presents and discusses the role of habitus-validity in the development of both practical and theoretical knowledge. Habitus-validity tries to conceptualize knowledge validity in ways relevant for action research, especially for an action research strengthened through a critical confrontation with the requirements and shortcomings of mainstream research methods. The concept of habitus validity is presented as the outcome of such a critical confrontation or immanent critique. The discussion springs from the author’s experience through more than 20 years of conducting projects in action research and organizational learning in Norwegian work life and an equivalent number of years of studying conventional methodology, epistemology, and philosophy of science critically.

Turning Practically: Broadening the Horizon

by Olav Eikeland

Introduction by Olav Eikeland and Davide Nicolini to Special Issue of Journal of Organizational Change Management,pp. 164-174, Vol.24, No. 2, 2011, on Changing Practice Through Reflection

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce the special issue, positioning the articles... more Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce the special issue, positioning the articles in relation to the current “turn to practice” within organisation and management studies.

Design/methodology/approach – The paper introduces a schematic classification of ways of putting practice at the centre of the concern of social scientists depending on the interest of the researcher and his/her position with regard to the object of the research.

Findings – The paper finds that turning to practice does not necessarily, or simply, equate with becoming more engaged, or with making social science relevant, or with moving social science closer to the practical concerns of separate practitioners. It is argued that the effort should be concentrated on developing a type of theory that helps practitioners articulate what they already do, and therefore somehow know. The model for this way of theorising would therefore be not physics or astronomy but rather grammar – a discipline that although just as old, has been based traditionally on a very different relationship between knower and known.

Practical implications – The paper argues that when conceived after a grammatical model, “theory” may become a resource to be used in action and for action to produce emancipatory awareness and trigger change through critical reflection.

Originality/value – The papers in this special issue constitute an initial contribution in this direction as they indicate different ways in which theory, when developed “with” and “amid” and not “for” or even “about” practitioners, may become a powerful trigger of change and transformation.

Turning to practice - what does it mean and why is it important

by Olav Eikeland

Understanding the Complexity of Designing Dynamic Textile Patterns

by Anna Vallgårda

Co-authored with Linnéa Nilsson, Mika Satomi, & Linda Worbin

Through a smart textile design project we have identified two sets of complex issues generally relevant for design... more Through a smart textile design project we have identified two sets of complex issues generally relevant for design with state changing materials. Specifically, we show how the temporal dimension of smart textiles increase the complexity of traditional textile design variables such as form and colour. We also show how the composite nature of smart textiles creates a series of interdependencies that make the design of the textile expressions additionally complex. We discuss how these forms of complexity provide opportunities as well as challenges for the textile expressions, and we show how we dealt with them in practice.

MAP 1: Investigative Designing

by Stanislav Roudavski

Cite as: Roudavski, Stanislav, ed., (2011). MAP 1: Investigative Designing (Melbourne: University of Melbourne, Melbourne School of Design)

A book showcasing ideas, projects, designs and courses united by the theme of Investigative Designing (and digital... more A book showcasing ideas, projects, designs and courses united by the theme of Investigative Designing (and digital architectural design). Realised at the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, University of Melbourne.

Paper copies can be purchased here: http://www.bookshop.unimelb.edu.au/bookshop/p?8880000451055

Moving to Become Better: The Embodied Performance of Musical Groove

by Vincent Meelberg

Published in Journal for Artistic Research 1, 2011

Starting from the knowledge that the perception, experience and creation of music is always a bodily activity, the... more Starting from the knowledge that the perception, experience and creation of music is always a bodily activity, the exposition explores the influential and intrusive power of musical ‘groove’. Whereas the concept of groove has been extensively discussed both as a general phenomenon and from the perspective of the listener, the exposition looks at the ways in which groove can specifically affect and influence the performers during a musical performance. Interested in testing whether groove can constitute an infringement of the performers’ bodily autonomy, and thereby influence their interaction, the exposition introduces the composition Moving to Become Better, a piece of practice-based research designed to explore the connections between the mutual influences of groove and the performance of musicians.

m. fl.(2002): When Theories Become Tools: Toward a Framework for Pragmatic Validity

by Nicolay Worren

http://hum.sagepub.com/content/55/10/1227.abstract

In this article we discuss the characteristics of knowledge that lead to practical utility. We first review previous... more In this article we discuss the characteristics of knowledge that lead to practical utility. We first review previous efforts at identifying the characteristics of useful knowledge. These contributions are grouped into three perspectives according to which representational mode they imply: propositional, narrative, or visual. We develop a framework for pragmatic validity that encompasses knowledge represented in all three modes. However, we also note an over-reliance on the propositional mode in academia, which contrasts with a preference for narrative and visual knowledge among practitioners. Explicit and propositional knowledge are key criteria for achieving scientific validity, but more ambiguous knowledge serves important functions in organizational life and may thus possess pragmatic validity. We highlight the role of conceptual models expressed in a visual format, a representational mode that has received little attention in the literature. We end with suggestions for further research that may extend the notion of pragmatic validity and lead to a more refined framework for the development of useful knowledge.

IMPLEMENTING THE DOMAN-LAURIE STRUCTURED REFLECTION FRAMEWORK WITHIN A PRACTICE-BASED ARTS RESEARCH PHD STUDY DESIGN.

by Anneke Laurie

The purpose of the paper is to highlight challenges in implementing the Structured Reflection Framework proposed in an... more The purpose of the paper is to highlight challenges in implementing the Structured Reflection Framework proposed in an earlier paper co-authored with Jakob Doman, within traditional research structures. In this paper I present a narrative reflection on working through a Practice-based Arts Research study design process, specifically regarding the difficulty of articulating a non-traditional research approach within traditional research structures and requirements; The hegemony of theory and concept over method and process as well as written argument over multimodal representation (Pollock, Smith Doman & Laurie 2011); Difficulties in defining and describing the area and the nature of the contribution within a research context (Burgin 2009: 71; Rust et elI 1999: ). This paper highlights perpetuation of mentioned hegemonies but at the same time illustrates how a design framework can help to navigate the practice-based arts research design process within traditional structures.

Negotiating Thesis and Practice

by Jenny Triggs

Published in conference proceedings of the AHRC funded conference, 'In theory' (De Montfort University, Leicester, 26th June 2007).

Probious: Researching Australian Communication Design Through Collaboration and Design Practice

by Yoko Akama

Co-authored by Yoko Akama and Carolyn Barnes

Akama, Y. and Barnes, C. 2011. Probious: Researching Australian Communication Design Through Collaboration and Design Practice, Studies in Material Thinking, Vol. 6 (December 2011), Auckland, New Zealand. pp. 1-14.

This article contributes to mounting evidence of the value of participatory methods in discovering knowledge about... more This article contributes to mounting evidence of the value of participatory methods in discovering knowledge about design. It discusses an on-going study into the experiences and self-perceptions of Australian communication designers, focusing on designers’ contribution to research direction and methods. We argue that researcher-driven approaches to knowledge production are too reductive to discover critical information about complex, human phenomena like design, especially where they occur in diverse circumstances. A variety of design-led interactions saw designers and researchers jointly develop research tools and questions to enhance the study’s relevance to the design community and establish the foundations for a collaborative research partnership. To engage designers’ participation and guidance, the research design process used familiar language and practices. The stress on creative processes in the resultant cultural probes was vital in allowing participants to reflect on their practices, experiences and situations in open-ended ways, rather than pre-empting research questions as with established social survey methods. The article reports some early research findings, but mainly presents an epistemological and methodological discussion on the importance of involving those being researched in research design, reflexive collaboration challenging researchers’ perspectives on the issues under investigation.

Article No. 4 Conscientising Cultural Performance: Theatre-making Amongst Event-Specific Popular Audiences

by Gerard (Jerry) Boland

30 September - 2 October 2009 ‘'Incidental, reflective and pragmatic acts of research in the transition to higher degrees” presented at ACUADS 2009 Conference: Interventions in the Public Domain Queensland College of Art, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland.


by James McArdle

Από το θέατρο του αθέατου στη σκηνοθεσία των ήχων: Igitur (2009)

by Danae Stefanou

Eλληνική Μουσική Δημιουργία για το Λυρικό Θέατρο και Άλλες Παραστατικές Τέχνες, Μέγαρο Μουσικής Αθηνών 27-28-29 Μαρτίου 2009

Changing practice through boundary organizing: A case from medical R&D

by Thomas Hoholm

Co-authored with Bjørn Erik Mørk, Margunn Aanestad and Eva Maaninen-Olsson, forthcoming in Human Relations.

This paper contributes to our understanding of practices in innovating organisations. Previous studies have... more This paper contributes to our understanding of practices in innovating organisations. Previous studies have demonstrated how breakthroughs in knowledge may fail to be translated into practices if they are not aligned with existing practices, or if they cut across established boundaries and power structures. By drawing upon an ethnographic study of a medical R&D department which has been highly successful in developing new medical practices this paper investigates how such challenges can be overcome. To date much of the literature has focused on coordination across boundaries and single well-defined boundaries. We therefore introduce the notion of ‘boundary organising’ to analyse highly political and contingent processes of innovation and change within and across different practices. We add to existing literature by highlighting how the handling of multiple boundaries, the indirect effects of boundary work, the negotiation of mutual benefits and interests, and mutual adaptation are key aspects of boundary organising.

Mutual Informing Between IS Academia and Practice: Insights from KIWISR-5

by Arto Lanamäki

Co-authored with Karen Stendal and Devinder Thapa

The relationship between Information Systems (IS) scholars and IS practitioners has been debated since the birth of... more The relationship between Information Systems (IS) scholars and IS practitioners has been debated since the birth of the IS discipline. How are academics interacting with practice, and how should we? In this article we propose that academia-practice collaboration, namely “mutual informing,” is an existential aspect of the Information Systems field. This article is based on presentations, discussions, group work, and a debate that took place during the Fifth Kristiansand International Workshop on Information Systems Research (KIWISR), held at University of Agder in Kristiansand, Norway. The theme of KIWISR-5 was “For Whom Do We Toil? Mutual Informing Between Academia and Practice.” As a synthesis of the workshop, we propose that mutual informing consists of, at least, topics such as choice of publication outlets, facilitation of collaboration, roles in research process, and delivery of teaching. Further, we suggest that mutual informing is concerned with transferring and transforming knowledge between the realms of design and development, use, and management of Information Systems. The biggest challenges to mutual informing are the different knowledge interests and timeframes between the realms of academia and practice.

Patching up the holes: Analysing paid care work in homes

by Mary Ellen Purkis

Chapter in: Benoit & Hallgrimsdottir (2011). Valuing care work: Comparative perspectives. University of Toronto Press.