Co-authored Position Paper

This paper is a consequence of the inclusion of “artistic research” in the OECD’s Frascati Manual, and it has the intention of further shaping understanding of research in the field of the arts and creating the necessary frame- works, environments and resources for early stage researchers (doctoral researchers) to develop their projects. Finally, this paper makes the point that all which holds true for doctoral research and the establishment of doctoral studies – as defined in the central papers “Salzburg Recommendations” (2005) and “Taking Salzburg Forward (2016) (both by the European Universities Association EUA) or “Innovative Doctoral Training” (Eu- ropean Commission) within the EU framework – is also valid for doctoral studies in the arts. As different as research results might appear to be, the processes, epistemological drive and consistency with which research projects in the arts are undertaken remain the same.

This paper has been developed by the Artistic Research Working Group established by the European League of the Institutes of the Arts (ELIA), which includes also delegates of both the Society for Artistic Research (SAR) and the Association Européenne des Conservatoires, Académies de Musique et Musikhochschulen (AEC). It was drafted by the members of this group, discussed with a working group of EUA’s Council for Doctoral Education and edited by the ELIA working group until the final draft.