The purpose of this module is to introduce students to a range of tools and approaches for conducting arts-based research. The module will also explore rationales for using arts-based methods. Postgraduate students taking this module will come from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds. The module is being created in the first instance for the proposed MA Migration Studies. While a variety of arts-based methods will be explored, the focus will be on music and movement as arts-based methods in research.

This module introduces students to concepts and methods in arts-based research (ABR). ABR is a transdisciplinary approach to knowledge generation which combines the practices and tenets of the creative arts with the goals of research. It involves the use of art practices at different points in the research process including data generation, interpretation and dissemination. Its integration of artistic practices into research processes supports the inclusion and representation of lived experiences through artistic ways of knowing.

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to: - Explain the different rationales for incorporating arts-based methods into research. - Evaluate the advantages and challenges involved in the integration of different art forms and processes into research. - Formulate a research plan indicating the potential role of arts-based methods in their own research.

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to: - Discuss the different ways diverse socio-cultural communities engage in artistic practices and processes. - Share experiences of artistic engagement in or outside of the context of research.

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to: - Assemble a portfolio of tools and methods for engaging in meaningful arts-based research

This module will be delivered online through asynchronous access to lecture recordings, case studies, a chat forum and discussion group. The module introduces the relatively new field of arts-based research, a term first coined in the 1990s (Barone and Eisner, 2011). Its content integrates new directions and research in the area of ABR, particularly its role in challenging dominant discourses and research methods, its promotion of inclusive and participatory approaches to research, and its counter-hegemonic redistribution of power in the research space (Lenette, 2019). The module addresses a number of UL graduate attributes. Candidates will: - become more curious about the potential of the arts in the context of research. - be able to articulate the opportunities and challenges in integrating the arts into research contexts. - be agile and creative in the development of arts-based research plans. - be responsible and courageous in harnessing the potential of the arts to challenge dominant discourses and methods in research.