Principles and definitions
The ADIT (Art and Design Index to Theses) has been set up with funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council to provide a searchable resource of research degrees in Fine Art and Design.
It aims to enable research students and their supervisors to build their understanding of the contribution that their research will make to their particular field of study. Since the focus for this project is research in disciplines where engagement in practice can be a viable component of investigation, it is important to draw up clear boundaries specifying what is and is not included in the index.
Research is included in ADIT according to the following criteria:
- ADIT includes research into Design practice, including architecture, and Fine Art Practice, including materials and their use in relation to fine art practice,
- But excludes Technical studies of constructions and materials.
- ADIT includes Process studies, including cognitive processes involved in design, and professional practice in Fine Art
- But excludes Process studies relating to design engineering.
- ADIT includes Contemporary practice-led research in art and design,
- But excludes Historical studies and Museology.
- ADIT includes Research about contemporary practice,
- But excludes technical investigations other than where the research questions are dealing with the techniques, materials or processes of visual/ fine art, craft or design practices.
- ADIT includes Social, cultural and theoretical studies relating to contemporary objects and buildings,
- But excludes Consumer studies which don't focus on objects, and art therapy or philosophical studies which do not focus on practice.
- ADIT includes New media practice but not necessarily CAD /CAM.
In categorising the research included in ADIT, we focus on where the study or specialism has come from within Art and Design, rather than the wider disciplines it may draw from.
June 2006
Subject Classification
The subject classification system used in this index is the Joint Academic Coding System (JACS), as agreed by the Higher Education Statistics Agency and the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. For more information, visit the HESA website.
Click here for detailed descriptions of the
coding system
C3RI © SHU May 2006