6.5.1 A candidate may undertake a programme of research in which the candidate’s own creative work forms the most significant part of the intellectual enquiry. Such creative work may be in any field (for instance, fine art, design, engineering and technology, architecture, creative writing, musical composition, film, dance and performance), but shall have been undertaken as part of the registered research programme.
6.5.2 The creative work shall be accompanied by a written commentary which sets the work in its relevant theoretical, critical or design context. The commentary shall conform to the usual scholarly requirements and be of an appropriate length.
6.5.3 Where the research degree involves musical composition, the portfolio of work shall comprise substantial compositions which show coherence, originality, experimentation with forms and language, and knowledge of contemporary issues in the field. The compositions shall be a total of 90 minutes duration and up to a maximum of 110 minutes for the degree of PhD and 45 minutes duration and up to a maximum of 65 minutes for the degree of MPhil. The written commentary shall address the compositional approaches used in each piece and shall demonstrate an understanding of the techniques used, the context of the piece, and appropriate aesthetic issues.
6.5.4 Where the research degree involves contemporary fine art practice, the submission shall represent a substantial individual achievement in the form of a major work (if a single installation, performance or event) or a body of works which demonstrates coherence, originality, experimentation with appropriate forms and media, and knowledge of contemporary issues in the field.
The work or body of works shall give due consideration to its context and audience and, where relevant, the submission shall be presented in an appropriate public context. The written commentary shall address questions of context and audience and shall demonstrate an understanding of the methods, strategies and techniques employed, as well as the relevant aesthetic and theoretical issues. Since the exploratory research process is vital to the final form of the work, the submission is likely to include evidence of the research through practice (trials, examples, research diaries, evaluations) and the commentary may contain or be accompanied by visual or other relevant documentary material.
6.5.5 The final submission shall be accompanied by some permanent record (for instance, video, photographic record, musical score, diagrammatic representation) of the creative work, where practicable, saved as part of the electronic file with the commentary.
6.5.6 Where the research degree is undertaken through workplace-based research (including architectural practice) or action research; the outcome would be a practical piece of work with a critical reflection on the work.
The thesis should reflect a coherent research process; demonstrate a critical appreciation of the context of the research and its relationship to existing literature and practices.
The thesis must show that the research has produced an independent, original and innovative contribution to knowledge and practices. The relationship between practical and critical work will vary from project to project and within the thesis the balance between the reflective commentary and practical work will vary according to the nature of the research.
This work may include one of a number of approaches such as:
- developing an innovative project at a workplace e.g. developing new tools (technical or analytical);
- implementing a project (where the project or the implementation methods in itself are identified as contributing new knowledge in the field, such as testing new practices);
- learning and documenting new or hitherto undocumented/under-researched practices in a community of practice;
- adapting practices to new environments; formulating a new policy (institutional or thematic); working on a project/learning at work (including activist research in which the candidate actively work for change in an organisation/group).
6.5.7 Where the research degree involves creative writing such as poetry or other literary work, the submission shall represent a substantial individual achievement in the form of a significant selection of literary works or poems, the volume of which will be determined on a case-by-case basis as appropriate for the submission. The written commentary shall demonstrate a critical appreciation of the context of the research, its originality and coherence, including its relationship to existing work and contribution to knowledge in the field.
6.5.8 The application for registration shall set out the form of the candidate’s intended submission and of the proposed methods of assessment. Should this alter during the course of the programme, a revised plan for the intended submission must be considered at transfer and included in the RDC-T form for approval.
6.5.9 Examiners must be appointed by the Research Degree Committee and have been formally contacted by the Research Degrees Team before they undertake any assessment associated with the final examination.
6.5.10 Where there is a physical element to the examination of a practiced based PhD, such as an installation, performance or event, the beginning of the examination process will start from the date of the physical element of the examination and will be considered as the official submission date for the student’s research degree.
Examiners must be appointed before the practical element and the Research Degrees Team must be notified in advance of the date of the practical element so that formal letters and RDC Preliminary Report forms can be sent to the examiners in advance. The candidate will normally be permitted two months for full time students and four months for part time students following this stage of the examination to complete the written thesis, and submit the element of the work for examination and viva. Where there are external venues involved in hosting exhibitions or presentations of the practice, candidates can request, via the relevant RDC sub committee, additional time to complete the written element.