Scottish Arts Therapies Forum
Research
ARTS THERAPISTS AS RESEARCHERS
Arts Therapists often work alone with relatively few clients. This makes any ‘statistically relevant’ research more or less impossible. It’s very easy from this position to think "What’s the point? What can I do alone?" (even assuming the necessary research skills). So how do we begin to address the ‘evidence base’ question?
WELL . . .
that’s where the Scottish Arts Therapies Research Network comes in. We’re looking at how we can overcome some of these problems. Whether you work alone in private practice, for a charitable organisation, in statutory services, anywhere else, or are currently looking for work, you can get involved with SATRN.
WHAT IS SATRN?
The Scottish Arts Therapies Research Network was established in 2003 to provide a forum for arts therapists to share ideas and to network about research interests and aspirations and to access advice. In 2007 SATRN became formally affiliated to the Scottish Arts Therapies Forum (SATF) The group meetings have taken place twice yearly and have been open to anyone, from beginners and the interested, to the more seasoned and experienced researcher. These meetings have generated a lot of useful discussion and have highlighted a number of key areas that people want to focus on in more detail.
Our Previous Meetings
So far we have had thought provoking and inspiring presentations on:
Single subject methodology
Developing research proposals
The PhD Journey: a therapist’s personal reflection
Data collection, recording and analysis: a cross disciplinary look at some of the challenges.
In September 2007 we held out first whole–day conference in Edinburgh, which was deemed a tremendous success by everyone who attended. We were very fortunate to have Dr Wendy Magee, International Fellow in Music Therapy at the Institute of Neuropalliative Rehabilitation, London, as our keynote speaker. Wendy began by presenting a comprehensive overview of current research activity and research bodies within the UK and highlighting the potential of and need for collaborative working. In the afternoon Wendy took us through her PhD research, titled: "Singing my life, playing my self" – An investigation of the experience of music therapy for people living with chronic Multiple Sclerosis.
We also heard about Baishali Mukherjee’s PhD work on ‘Aspects of analysis of musical interaction and communication with children with autism in India’ and Judy Wilkinson’s observational study of Art Therapy as a primary intervention for people who have developed PTSD following a road traffic accident.
DON’T KNOW WHERE TO START?
At the beginning . . . It’s easy to get overwhelmed by ideas until the small seed of inspiration has become a monster with horns, feathers and multiple unruly siblings clamouring for attention – (so I think I might just clean the windows, sort the sock drawer, wash the car . . .)
WHAT DO YOU WANT?
DO YOU NEED RESEARCH SKILLS?
WHAT QUESTION(S) WOULD BE MOST USEFUL FOR YOU TO HAVE ANSWERED?
DO I NEED TO USE QUALITATIVE METHODS TO FIND THIS OUT?
HOW DO YOU BEGIN RISK ASSESSMENT?
I WANT TO LEARN HOW TO COLLECT FEEDBACK?
WHERE DO I GO FOR ETHICAL APPROVAL?
IS MY PROJECT AUDIT OR RESEARCH?
WHERE DO I FIND OUT ABOUT STATISTICS?
CAN I DO RESEARCH IN MY SOCIAL WORK DEPARTMENT?
WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW?
WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE PART OF A JOINT PROJECT WITH ARTS THERAPISTS ACROSS SCOTLAND?
Whatever your interests we’d like to hear about them. We’re planning a ‘think tank’ event to begin a rolling programme of skills development, collaborative working and ultimately, we hope, a national arts therapies research project which everyone will be able to participate in, whatever your area of practice. For this to succeed it must reflect what arts therapists ‘in the field’ need to know and are interested in finding out.
FUTURE PLANS
Our plan, subject to feedback and subsequent amendment, is to begin at the beginning with a simple survey that everyone can participate in. The outcome of this will lead on to developing ideas about how best to address issues raised by the survey – and along the way we start the process of developing our own research skills, which we will build on at each stage of the programme. We will be inviting experienced researchers to come and talk to us at various stages. If there’s anyone you’d like to be invited, let us know.
We intend to hold the 2008 SATRN day in the autumn and use it to launch this research project. You can still come along even if you don’t want to participate in the survey project. We hope this will be both a learning experience and a way of growing the base for arts therapies research and researchers in Scotland.
Further information about the 2008 Research Day will be published on this website in July/August.
Bandolier (e-journal)
Centre for Integrated Healthcare Research
Chief Scientist Office
Department of Health R and D pages
Forum for Qualitative Social Research
National Institute for Health Research
Network for research on experiential psychotherapies
NHS e-library
NHS Quality Improvement Scotland
Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions Research Unit
Scottish Development Centre for Mental Health
Scottish Health on the Web
Social Research Update
Society for Psychotherapy Research>
Survey Methods
Survey Monkey
The Health Foundation (formerly PPP Trust)
UK Clinical Research Network