Information, Medium & Society: Eighteenth International Conference on Publishing Studies

Abstract

Along with other parts of the cycle of scholarly communication, research methodology plays a key role in the discovery and sharing of new knowledge. Some research methods are better understood and rewarded in academia than others – these are the ones that tend to earn more grant funding and institutional acknowledgement. However, there are many ways of knowing and learning. Some under-recognized methods, such as those in the Fine Arts, also lead to new learning. Looking at research methods of artists can broaden our understanding of research and give us insight into the creative process. With a history going back to the Situationists’ dérives, the 19th century flâneurs, and beyond, walking as a creative practice is flourishing today. The research presented here explores the use of walking by artists as part of their creative practice and/or research methodology – how is the subjective, kinetic, embodied, and sensory act of walking-in-the-world used by artists to find new truths? Drawing on a research study of eight contemporary Canadian walking artists, we will explore the issue of creative research, in particular walking as a creative research methodology.