ABSTRACT
This chapter provides guidance on how to use this method for creative purposes in a research practice context. It is structured into three stages mirroring the way that this work unfolded in practice and theoretical understanding. The first stage gives an account of the origins of this application including the author’s initial experiments with mental imagery to shed light on researcher reflexivity. The second stage gives detailed guidance on using a particular visualisation procedure for representing the research project as a mental image. This exercise is designed to be delivered in a group setting and is accompanied by pairwork exercises to help participants unfold the meaning of their imagery in relation to their research. Particular themes and issues that can arise in the work with the research imagery are discussed and illustrated with copious case vignettes, including: insights into researcher reflexivity; clarifying the research topic; managing the emotional and psychological aspect of the research process; indicating the next step in the research process; and tracking changes in the imagery over time. Attention is paid throughout to the use of the Interactive Communicative model of mental imagery as a helpful framework for thinking about the various functions of mental imagery. The third stage considers how mental imagery can also illuminate the conceptual dimensions of research, drawing parallels with the findings from Clement’s research programme into the way that scientists use imagistic thinking to develop creative concepts. Illustrations of this process are provided from research students’ imagery reports. The author concludes with reiterating the effectiveness of ongoing work with mental imagery as a means of thinking about different aspects of research in practice.
