Method Meets Art

A comprehensive, highly accessible introduction to arts-based research (ABR), this widely used text provides a practical guide for researchers who want to uncover information that traditional methods cannot capture. Patricia Leavy addresses all eight major ABR genres--narrative inquiry, fiction-based research, poetry, music, dance, theatre, film, and visual art. Following a consistent format, chapters review how each genre developed, explore its methodological variations and the kind of research questions it can address, and describe sample studies. An exemplary research article or online video link demonstrates each set of techniques in practice. New to This Edition: * Covers two additional ABR genres: fiction-based research and film. * Chapter on the criteria for evaluating ABR studies. * Most end-of-chapter exemplars are new; plus links to online exemplars added for ABR performance studies. * Chapters restructured to follow a consistent format. * Implications for creative arts therapies are addressed throughout. * Increased attention to public scholarship and audience issues. * Expanded discussions of ABR as a paradigm, playbuilding, and technology.Pedagogical Features: * Checklists of issues to consider when deciding how to use a particular method. * Discussion questions and activities that can be worked on in class or assigned. * Annotated lists of suggested readings and websites, including links to online performance pieces. * Instructive research examples from multiple disciplines. * Flexibly organized so that chapters can be read independently or in sequence.

Patricia Leavy, PhD, is an independent scholar and the former Chair of Sociology and Founding Director of the Gender Studies Program at Stonehill College. She is the author or coauthor of numerous books on research methods, arts-based research, and transdisciplinary research. She is also a novelist and the editor of five book series. Dr. Leavy was named the New England Sociologist of the Year by the New England Sociological Association and is the recipient of the Special Achievement Award from the American Creativity Association, which honors creativity and innovation in every field. She lectures, presents workshops, and is frequently cited in the media for her expertise in gender and popular culture. Her website is www.patricialeavy.com.

"Leavy has another winner! A practical, engaging guide, Method Meets Art, Second Edition, makes a persuasive case for ABR as its own developed paradigm with the potential to advance public scholarship. The second edition includes current examples, an important chapter on evaluation, and new discussions of film, fiction-based research, playbuilding, and creative arts therapies. This book is useful for all qualitative researchers who want to step outside a traditional mode, as well as for any graduate or advanced undergraduate class exploring ways to blend qualitative methods with narrative, music, dance, poetry, drama, fiction, film, visual art, and other creative expressions."--Carolyn Ellis, PhD, Distinguished University Professor and Chair, Department of Communication, University of South Florida "For Leavy, inquiry and performance are not the sole possessions of either science or art, but rather the children of technique, vision, and imagination. This book gently guides us from more familiar means of narrative and poetic expression to more adventurous and experimental modes of music, dance, and visual arts. Along the way, Leavy shares wonderful, original examples of how method meets art to produce research reports that are as accurate as they are moving and as rigorous as they are beautiful. The book challenges us as researchers to not so quickly select a comfortable way to create and share research, but rather let the inquiry's focus, the data's form, the audience's perspectives, and our inner muse guide us to consider new alternatives. Read this book and be prepared to base your research in art like you never could have imagined before!"--Ronald J. Chenail, PhD, Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Nova Southeastern University "This evocative second edition is a gem for all who want to know more about ABR and the power and potential of the arts in defining our world. Leavy has succeeded in pushing the borders of our understanding of the importance of the arts in research and in writing. The new chapter on evaluating ABR and the provocative discussion of the art/-science divide make the book a 'must read.' I will certainly use this text in my qualitative methods courses."--Valerie J. Janesick, PhD, Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, University of South Florida "Like height marks on a doorframe that record a child's growth, Leavy's second edition records a major growth spurt in ABR over the past several years. Arts-based researchers and the broader qualitative research communities continue to be indebted to Leavy for her documentation, celebration, and advocacy of multiple ways of knowing. This extensively updated edition is rich with exemplars and sophisticated discussions of the epistemological and methodological issues that underpin this work. It is a standout book and a 'must have.'"--Joe Norris, PhD, Department of Dramatic Arts, Brock University, Canada "Well written, engaging, and thoughtful. The teaching features of this book are second to none. As a qualitative researcher, but not an arts-based researcher, I appreciate the way that Leavy weaves pedagogical practices into her text, allowing for scaffolding of those new to ABR. This text serves as a bridge to the various genres, idiosyncrasies, practices, and possibilities of ABR. I highly recommend this book to students of research methods, professors of educational research, and artists who wish to engage in educational research and pedagogy."--Jennifer L. Milam, PhD, Department of Curricular and Instructional Studies, University of Akron "I love this book! It provides detailed information on each method, with an example at the end of the chapter; covers all the main ABR genres; and draws exemplars from multiple disciplines in social science. Each chapter is independent from the others, so reading doesn't need to be linear. This is a great resource for professors who want to learn about (and teach) ABR to their students."--Jeong-Hee Kim, PhD, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Kansas State University "A leading-edge, articulate, comprehensive overview of ABR. The second edition expands into new terrain to make a robust case for ABR across disciplines. Patricia Leavy has once again moved ABR forward, showing how these methods can illuminate and clarify the human experience by bridging the arts and science divide. She demonstrates that ABR methods can take us beyond the limits of quantitative conclusions and into the realm of implicit, person-centered wisdom. This book will undoubtedly be required reading for researchers and students in psychology, social sciences, creative arts therapies, and arts education."--Cathy A. Malchiodi, PhD, ATR-BC, LPAT, LPCC, REAT, Division of Expressive Therapies, Lesley University, Cambridge, Massachusetts; Trauma-Informed Practices and Expressive Arts Therapy Institute, Louisville, Kentucky "This is the perfect introductory text for graduate-level courses on ABR, and is also ideal for undergraduate surveys of multiple qualitative methods. Key to the book's usefulness are its broad def