Table of Contents

1. Social Research and the Creative Arts: An Introduction
2. Narrative Inquiry and Fiction Based Research
3. Poetic Inquiry
4. Music as Method
5. Dance and Movement as Inquiry
6. Theatre, Drama, and Film
7. The Visual Arts
8. Evaluation Criteria for Arts-Based Research
9. Bridging the Art–Science Divide
Author Index
Subject Index

About the Author

Patricia Leavy, PhD, is an independent sociologist, novelist, and former Chair of Sociology and Criminology and Founding Director of Gender Studies at Stonehill College in Easton, Massachusetts. She is the author, coauthor, or editor of 40 nonfiction and fiction books, which have received numerous awards and have been translated into multiple languages. She has served as the creator and editor of 10 book series and is cofounder of the journal Art/Research International. For her work in the field of research methods, Dr. Leavy has received honors including the Distinguished Service Outside the Profession Award from the National Art Education Association, the New England Sociologist of the Year Award from the New England Sociological Association, the Special Achievement Award from the American Creativity Association, the Significant Contribution to Educational Measurement and Research Methodology Award from Division D of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), the Outstanding Achievement in Arts and Learning Award from the Arts and Learning Special Interest Group of the AERA, and the Special Career Award from the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry. The School of Fine and Performing Arts at the State University of New York at New Paltz has established the Patricia Leavy Award for Art and Social Justice in her honor. Dr. Leavy delivers invited lectures and keynote addresses at universities and conferences. Her website is www.patricialeavy.com.

Reviews

"My students always love reading this book! This is often the first encounter that educators have with the idea that research could be different than the traditional science model or the less-traditional qualitative approaches more common in social science research. It has given some of my students a voice when they couldn’t find it themselves. With this text, I have a way to introduce students to more possibilities for doing and analyzing and sharing their work, often giving them permission to pay attention to the very parts of their research they thought they would need to omit. It is a paradigm shift--a real game-changer."--Mindi Rhoades, PhD, Department of Teaching and Learning, The Ohio State University

"Renowned editor, author, and scholar Leavy has created an outstanding third edition of Method Meets Art that articulately captures the breadth and depth of ABR. This highly readable and accessible book guides the understanding of the integral nature of this essential form of inquiry. Leavy has managed to achieve the impossible--a seminal work that should be a required text in research courses across a wide range of disciplines, including fine arts, social sciences, mental health, and education."--Cathy A. Malchiodi, PhD, Trauma-Informed Practices and Expressive Arts Therapy Institute, Louisville, Kentucky

"Leavy’s contribution to ABR is nothing short of extraordinary, and her third edition of Method Meets Art is no exception. She continues to update the genre and subgenres by providing new exemplars that advance both theory and practice. I look forward to adding this volume to Leavy's other publications on my ‘go-to’ shelf. The third edition reflects some major developments of the methodology, including the growing number of researcher/practitioners and Leavy’s expansion of complex theoretical, aesthetic, ethical, and pedagogical issues. In her search to find joy in her own research, Leavy has developed, supported, and promoted such joy within the ABR community and beyond."--Joe Norris, PhD, Department of Dramatic Arts, Brock University, Canada

"Since the first edition, I have assigned this text in all my graduate research courses. It is required reading for each class session, paired with written responses applying the concepts and practices. I especially appreciate the third edition's additional coverage of research design, which is a powerful aid in helping students understand research holistically. Discussions and examples of a variety of research questions and practices are most useful, as is the modeling of ways to communicate ABR findings to a diversity of stakeholders. The practicality, and, I have to say, beauty of this text lie in its accessibility for the student who is new to the world of research. It reinforces traditional research genres and protocols while giving researchers the courage, inspiration, and means to conceive of new questions and realize previously unseen realities."--Candace Jesse Stout, PhD, Department of Arts Administration, Education, and Policy (Emerita), The Ohio State University-