Making as Enquiring: Performing Making as a Means of Answering Research Questions

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17742/IMAGE29714

Abstract

Practice-based research and well-researched creative practice are not the same. The former shapes its question through practice, while the latter refines its answer through research. The paper aims to emphasize the position of the practice-based research method as a strong companion to written methods rather than a replacement.
This paper exemplifies the distinctiveness of practice-based participatory research when conducted with culturally specific groups, South Korean in this case, where drawing led to a firm illumination of self-identities where traditional research methods fall short. Through this investigation, the paper aims to contribute to discussions surrounding the diversification of what constitutes knowledge and its implications for research at large.

Author Biography

Karen Jiyun Sung, Loughborough University

Karen Jiyun Sung is a researcher in applied storytelling, participatory research and digital creativity at Loughborough University. Building from her background as an illustrator and visual storyteller of more than 10 years, she strives to use immersive technologies with the power of community storytelling without the burden of social obligations.

She received her PhD from Loughborough University in Creative Arts and Applied Storytelling and MA from Royal College of Art in Visual Communication. Outside research, she is also an active illustrator, scribe and comic artist.

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Published

2025-03-14

How to Cite

Sung, K. J. (2025). Making as Enquiring: Performing Making as a Means of Answering Research Questions. Imaginations: Journal of Cross-Cultural Image Studies, 15(3), 147–165. https://doi.org/10.17742/IMAGE29714