Research-creation (R-C) is an academic approach that integrates artistic practices and theories into scientific processes to generate new knowledge. It lies at the intersection of creation and research, and mobilizes reflexive material practices to this end. This research modality is in the process of being institutionalized in institutions such as the Université de Montréal, and is more widely recognized in establishments such as the Université du Québec à Montréal and Concordia University.
Unlike purely theoretical research or conventional qualitative and quantitative methodologies, R-C requires direct involvement in creative practices, where the act of creating is not just a means of expression but also a form of scientific inquiry. This approach enables researchers to break away from the more dualistic methodologies that maintain a form of intellectual domination of the subject over its research objects. It allows the researcher to immerse himself, to become one with the materiality of his field, the techniques used to build up knowledge, as well as his own epistemological anchorage and personal journey. R-C cannot therefore be reduced to a simple collection of data to be interpreted, nor to pure theoretical speculation: it requires documenting how the research itself became possible, how it was elaborated, and how it was experienced.
R-C processes don’t follow known methodological canons, but are characterized by an open, experimental exploration that very often takes singular forms depending on the reflexive practices implemented. This approach is in line with post-qualitative philosophies, such as that of Paul Feyerabend, which criticizes the strict separation between theory and practice and promotes a more anarchistic, integrated approach to science. Research-creation thus represents a fusion between the creative approaches usually reserved for artists and the rigor of scientific inquiry, where each element influences and constitutes the other in a dynamic of co-contamination.