Doctoral Writing in the Visual and Performing Arts: Issues and Debates

Drawing from a larger study of doctorates in the visual and performing arts, we examine here the diversity of relations which can exist between the creative and written components of a doctoral thesis in these fields in terms of diversity of naming practices for these relations, institutional variation in guidelines and expectations, and fundamental functional roles for the respective components. By bringing together and highlighting key details in these debates and issues, this article provides a foundation for further studies in this complex area.