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Creative and practice-based research

Guidance on resources and techniques to searching the literature and writing for creative and practice-based research.

Literature searching

HDR candidates undertaking a creative practice research project will likely need to search both academic and non-academic resources in order to provide evidence to support their project.

Initially, searching the traditional academic record for peer-reviewed articles, books, and conference papers is a good starting point.

In addition, consulting the library subject guides for relevant databases may also be useful, as well as locating theses written by other candidates at RMIT University via the Research Repository.

A creative practice research project however might also draw on a wider range of materials than traditional academic resources, including artistic works, images, video, non-academic writing, and other creative works.


This video provides an overview of searching the literature with a focus on creative practice research.

Strategies and resources for searching the literature for Creative Practice Research (55:55 mins), RMIT University Library, Microsoft Stream (RMIT login required)

Databases

RMIT University Library has a number of key academic databases that may be relevant to your area of creative practice research.

Some of the key databases in practice-based disciplines are:

Subject guides

Further resources that may be relevant to your research can be found in the Library's Subject Guides.

Some relevant guides are:

Theses

Narrow the search to Dissertations and Theses using the drop-down menu next to the search box and search the phrase "creative practice". See image below.

Screenshot of search for creative practice theses in the research repository

Image: Copyright © LibrarySearch. Used under licence.

OR

Narrow your search to Theses and then use the left-hand menu to narrow to a particular research unit relevant to your research area, e.g. Fashion, Art, Architecture, Design, etc.


Provided below is also a list of a small number of the creative practice theses available in the RMIT Research Repository.