On 7 Aug 2009, at 1:32 pm, Tiiu Poldma wrote:
> In the end I am afraid that it is not so much the terms that are
> misunderstood, David, as perhaps sometimes the design researchers do
> not
> understand what doctoral candidates should be producing?
Ah yes... The two - the terms and the ignorance - are of course
intertwingled. Where candidates have been given little exposure to
traditions of research, and simplistically advised to conduct the
research through their practice, then such terms become a comfort
blanket for the candidate - and possibly for the inadequate
supervisor[s] as well.
It has amused me on [now] several occasions when being introduced to a
PhD candidate, and politely asking what they were studying, to be told
they are 'doing a practice-based PhD': sometimes further questioning
elicits little more with only a vague and general idea of exploring
something through designing and/or making, and hoping for the best
that something useful will emerge. This is a considerable distance
from the candidate having a clear framework for the study with
intended outcomes.
David
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David Durling FDRS PhD http://durling.tel
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