ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses research from a personal point of view with the aim of attempting to demystify the process. Research is often seen as especially alien to the artist; it is usually viewed as a science and so research methods are understood as the territory of the scientist. Part-time study raises particular practical problems if the researcher is otherwise employed for the rest of the week. It is often difficult to find time to do the required reading and writing, and it certainly eats up weekends and vacations. The benefit of a part-time research degree may be that there is a continuous interplay between theory and practice, with the chosen topic always in mind. Very few art therapists embark on research for the sole purpose of gaining a degree; it is more frequently from a need to understand better some aspect of the work in which they are engaged, and the degree is a secondary consideration.
