shall I hide an art-based study within a recognized qualitative framework? Negotiating the spaces between research traditions at a research university

Can I really do an art-based study for my dissertation? Will that really count? Will anyone take me seriously as a researcher when I look for a position? How can I make my art-based enquiry fit into a recognizable form that my committee members and colleagues will accept as legitimate research? This article illuminates the challenges faced by graduate students who are inspired by art-based research (ABR), but who are studying at institutions where there are no established art-based researchers to serve as mentors. This article provides a doctoral student’s perspective into the challenges and accompanying opportunities that are present when conducting a dissertation at a research institution