This study aims to critically analyze the methodological issues encountered by a qualitative researcher in the process of implementing arts-based research(ABR) as an alternative mode of academic writing, and, through this analysis, to explore its practical alternatives and scholarly potential. To this end, the researcher focused on arts-based writing in the form of a graphic novel, undertaken during the dissertation process, and examined diverse creative outputs and production records. In dialogue with prior studies, these materials were interpreted to identify four categories of methodological issues: (1) the gap between the logical causality of social science writing and the narrative structures of artistic writing; (2) the challenges of exploring artistic modes of expression and creating new research forms; (3) the demand for critical reflection and methodological rigor required to secure both artistic quality and academic validity; and (4) the tensions and negotiations arising from the interplay of intersubjectivity and subjectivity between examiners and the researcher. The findings indicate that arts can be extended beyond a mere means of expression to function as a legitimate research methodology, thereby contributing to the broadening of qualitative inquiry.
Il Sik Ha (Tue,) studied this question.