Sarah Beighton Staffordshire UniversityMuch of the onus currently focussed around outputs for REF 2021 is placed on ‘traditionally’ published research, but this raises the question, how will physical outputs, such as the work produced by creative arts researchers, be measured? The anticipation is that a range of outputs will be accepted, so it is important to facilitate the inclusion of creative arts research imaginatively and in a timely fashion. The presentation will be conducted in two parts: The first part will discuss the varied solutions we have come up with at Staffordshire University as well as some of the barriers encountered along the way. During the second part attendees will work in small groups to discuss existing practice, the challenges faced and potential solutions with respect to creative arts deposits. Ideas will be gathered from the workshop and collated into ‘best practice guidelines’ including a ‘top 5 tips’ to supporting researchers from this background. An informal network will be set up for those who want to stay in touch to share further ideas or to have any future questions answered. Attendees will leave the session with a better idea of how to support researchers from a creative arts background.

1. An artful deposit - When 3D becomes 2D:
Sarah Beighton
Research & Digital Resources Librarian
Tuesday 9th April 2019
Supporting creative arts researchers through the REF and beyond

2. What is non-traditional research?
• Artefacts
• Devices and Products
• Performance
• Exhibition
• Composition
• Design
• Software
• Website content
• Digital or visual media
Practice based research

3. Quick survey
https://www.menti.com/963707a0
Or
www.menti.com and use code: 92 31 43

4. The problem
• Real differences between Practice based research and ‘traditional’ research
• Staff within areas of Practice based research struggling to see how their
research can be added to the repository.
• Guidance not clear on the criteria to be used for judging outputs – confusion
• Collaborators
• Time!

5. Discussion
What are the
requirements
for upload?
How can the
context of my
work translate
into
REF/STORE
format?
How do I use
STORE?
The way we
work is not
currently
supported by
STORE
Which category
do I use?
What is the REF
criteria?
I don’t feel
like this is
research?

6. Solutions
Current solutions
• Foster good relations with relevant departments
• Encourage staff to utilise our STORE team
• Meet with staff - one-one
• Abstract or descriptor – showcases work
• Utilise lists
• Using information from STORE for PDRs
• Using information from STORE to back up Professorial
applications
• Have good examples to show staff
In the Pipeline
• Clear descriptions of different formats for submission
• Offer services such as turning exhibition catalogues into
PDFs
• Encourage documentation of work - portfolios
• Informal support groups

7. Solutions - Lists

8. Anything else?
https://www.menti.com/963707a0 Or www.menti.com and use code: 92 31 43
https://etherpad.net/p/UKSG2019_2D-3D_TUE

9. Except where otherwise noted these slides are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-
NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/