What is Research?

On the way to work this morning I was thinking - as one does - about the current definitions of research. Typically, there is only one type of research and, therefore, one type of knowledge respected by the Academy. That knowledge comes from books. I do, however, grant that other types of knowledge - e.g. experiential knowledge - is becoming more respected, as in the case of Indigenous Studies. Since my area of research is in Theatre Studies - but also with an honours degree in English - most of this research comes from sources other than in published material. Often, these two types of knowledges fit together uncomfortably. For example: which one do you favour? Do you even need to favour one over the other - and thereby uphold a binary which is more illusory than real? If the Academy prizes different kinds of knowledge will there still be a place for the old? The problem becomes even more sticky when you add queer theory to the mix since this is often taught in universities as "Gay and Lesbian Studies" - when the two have basic tenets which separate them. Namely, how do you approach the autonomous person?

One of the problems is universities are steeped in tradition. There is nothing wrong with this and, in this day and age, it is actually good to see institutions respecting their tradition. However, along with this tradition comes the view that the way things have been done for centuries is the best way; there is very little movement - apart from that of the lips - to new approaches. This creates an unhappy situation for disciplines which are founded on experiential research: music, dance, and theatre.

At Otago, we focus on research and - indeed - have a well-deserved reputation for research excellence. Yet this is only excellence in one type of knowledge. Music, dance, and theatre are disciplines which are fantastic at teaching experiential research yet the research outputs they create - performances, compositions, choreographies - are not considered "research." It seems if an institution is going to value the disciplines it teaches then it should also value the outputs of those disciplines as research in themselves rather than being a research tool that is used along the way to creating new knowledge.