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Transdisciplinarity & Practice-based Research
These programmes offer candidates a unique opportunity to combine practice-based research with written research. In particular, the practices involved in the creative industries are of great concern to the programmes. Applications are therefore invited that employ lens-based practice in the areas of documentary film, visual anthropology and photography as a tool to explore issues and questions relevant to a variety of academic disciplines.
Transdisciplinarity
What distinguishes transdisciplinarity from related concepts, like inter- or multidisciplinarity, is an emphasis on engagement, investigation and participation in addressing current issues, problems or dynamics in a manner that both respects disciplinary expertises and destabilises disciplinary boundaries.
Uniquely to the University of Edinburgh, this transdisciplinary approach makes it possible to propose a research project from within any area of academic study that could potentially be explored through the practice of documentary film.
Transdisciplinary projects that involve a visual and practice-based engagement with research in the following fields are particularly encouraged:
- Culture
- Media
- Film
- Social anthropology
- Art
- Politics
- Music
- Ethics
Practice-based Research
Practice-based research is an original investigation undertaken in order to gain new knowledge partly by means of practice and the outcomes of that practice.
In a doctoral thesis, claims of originality and contribution to knowledge may be demonstrated through creative outcomes in the form of a documentary video or film. Whilst the significance and context of the claims must also be described in words, a full understanding can only be obtained with direct reference to the documentary film or photographic portfolio itself.
Doctoral submissions
Practice-based doctoral submissions must include a substantial written contextualisation of the creative work. This critical reflection or analysis not only clarifies the basis of the claim for the originality and location of the original work, it also contributes to the judgement as to whether general scholarly requirements are met.
This article was published on Jul 13, 2010