This book presents the first comprehensive introduction to arts-based research (ABR) practices, which scholars in multiple disciplines are fruitfully using to reveal information and represent experiences that traditional methods cannot capture. Each of the six major ABR genres--narrative inquiry, poetry, music, performance, dance, and visual art--is covered in chapters that introduce key concepts and tools and present an exemplary research article by a leading ABR practitioner. Patricia Leavy discusses the kinds of research questions these innovative approaches can address and offers practical guidance for applying them in all phases of a research project, from design and data collection to analysis, interpretation, representation, and evaluation. Chapters include checklists to guide methodological decision making, discussion questions, and recommended print and online resources.

Patricia Leavy, PhD, is Associate Professor of Sociology, Chairperson of the Sociology and Criminology Department, and the Founding Director of the Gender Studies Program at Stonehill College in Easton, Massachusetts. She has published widely in the area of qualitative research methods, is regularly quoted in newspapers for her expertise in popular culture and gender, and has appeared on CNN’s Glenn Beck Show as well as Lou Dobbs Tonight.