ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors propose that all research begins with curiosity, which is then shaped by participation in academic disciplines. We situate this argument in our own academic biographies and the pragmatics of our shared teaching and advising at Texas Woman’s University. We offer a definition of research that is contextualized by the research cultures of different disciplines, which we refer to as communities of practice. We argue that, though dance scholars are often divided by their affinities with other disciplines, there is value in bringing together dance research from across and beyond the academy. Further, we argue that the teaching of research methods, or making the modes of knowledge production transparent to novice researchers, is an equity orientation. We conclude this chapter with an overview of the remainder of the book.
