At the heart of your research is the data or information that you need to answer your research questions and achieve your research goals. You may require direct interaction with people, tangible experiences, or indirect information found in a museum. Each type of data collected has unique procedures in which we can provide expert advice.

The Arts

What is it? Collecting data in the arts (dance/movement, music, visual, etc.) can go beyond traditional data collected in qualitative research, such as interviews and focus groups. The arts are broadly considered diverse ways of creative and aesthetic expression, and can be done by people who are trained or untrained in the arts.

Traditional categories within the arts include: decorative arts (enamelwork, furniture design, graphic arts (drawing, design, and other forms expressed on flat surfaces), literature (poetry), visual arts (painting, drawing, and sculpture), performing arts (theatre, dance, music), and music (with or without lyrics). Some of the arts include theoretical and technical elements. These include, but are not limited to, calligraphy, dance, literature, motion picture, music, painting, sculpture, and theatre.

For the purposes of data collection, researchers with or without participants can create the arts, or it can be collected only from participants. Data collected through the arts are usually collected for arts-informed and arts-based research designs; however, data in the arts may be collected through other types of qualitative research designs. There may be equipment needed for securely collecting data in the arts, such as audio recorders, video recorders, cameras, musical instruments, and other artistic tools. Depending on your research questions, you may be exploring a type of art that is readily available through public records, while in other instances, you may be exploring the process and techniques that someone uses to create a piece of art. Whatever category of the arts is your focus, our consultants can help you understand how to prepare and collect these unique types of data.

How can we help you?

• Identify the best type of equipment needed to collect data for your arts-related project
• Develop data collection tools, electronic or manual, to organize your arts-related data

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