Lecture One: Research and Epistemology - Part 1

This weeks lecture focused on gaining a more solid understanding of what is actually meant when the term 'research' is referred to, and how to use research within, not just our Context of Practice module, but all modules.

Research isn't just a product, but a process made of a range of methods used to help us resolve the problems/ questions we set ourselves. Rather than research just being a task in which you read information you already know about, it is also about finding out new information and gaining clarity on information you already know. We were encouraged to think of research as an activity and to embrace failure, as research as a process rather than a product is about experimentation and problem solving.

Another approach we went over was the stimulated approach, which is a subconscious and/ or conscious search for inspiration to fuel our ideas. This is especially the case within animation, as there is inspiration to be found in almost everything we look at.
Alongside this approach, there is also the systematic approach, in which you take information that you have found and change it to generate ideas. By adding to the information you have and then reproducing information, you are able to extract knowledge from the research you have engaged in.

A final approach we looked into was the intuitive approach, which refers to having spontaneous moments in which your though process occurs from the knowledge you already possess. However, although all of these approaches appear to be different, it is important to remember that they are all intertwined together and that one approach will most likely not occur without the other.

Research in relation to creative practice is a process of finding facts from a variety of different sources that leads to knowledge. It is also about carrying out experiments and trying out new things and gaining knowledge from them by reflecting upon your experience. Information is a result of processing data, which can be separated into four separate phases. Phase 1 consists of ordering the general information relating to your problem. Phase 2 is an investigation of the nature of your problem and an investigation into the solutions of that problem. Phase 3 refers to development and the refinement of solutions found in phase 2. Finally, phase 4 consists of communication and the discussion of these solutions through suitable methods, e.g. animation. From this research an evaluation is able to be made about which solution best fits the brief and meets the clients needs, resulting in a comprise being made about what you want to do and what would be best to do.

Overall, it is important to remember that the process is more important than the outcome. Epistemology distinguishes between how can know something, whether it is knowing that, how or where, it is subjective to each and every individual, as you are the centre of your own research.