CDU Guidelines for Practice-based HDR - Creative Artefact/Research Object - Exegesis

Sep 15, 2026

Uploaded by Aurelia

CDU institutional guidelines set out principles, expectations, and requirements for HDR candidates undertaking a PhD or Master by Research via a Creative Artefact/Research Object–Exegesis pathway. The framework supports transdisciplinary interpretation of practice-led and practice-based research across arts, humanities, social sciences, sciences, health, policy, engineering, technology, education, First Nations research, and professional practice. Candidates demonstrate a substantial original contribution by combining a creative artefact or research object with a critical exegesis that contextualises, analyses, and articulates knowledge impact.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

Purpose

Scope and intent

Nature of the Thesis

Creative artefact/research object

Exegesis as an integral component

Practice-Led and Practice-Based Research

Knowledge generation through iterative process

Critical contextualisation and impact

Individual and Collaborative Creative Artefacts/Research Objects

Identifying individual contribution

Research integrity, authorship, and IP

Structure and Length

General guidance

CDU Guidelines for Practice based HDR (Creative Artefact/Research Object–Exegesis ) Draft institutional guidelines informed by CDU Higher Degree by Research policy discussions and consultation with relevant stakeholders, contributions from current and former CDU staff, and broader sector approaches to practice-led, practice-based, and artefact–exegesis research, including consideration of relevant guidance, policies, and frameworks from other Australian institutions and HDR/HE sector bodies such as the Australian Council of Graduate Research (ACGR) 1 . Purpose These guidelines outline the principles, expectations, and requirements for Higher Degree by Research (HDR) candidates undertaking a PhD or Master by Research through a Creative Artefact/Research Object–Exegesis pathway at Charles Darwin University (CDU) . The guidelines support a broad and transdisciplinary interpretation of creative artefacts and research objects across the arts, humanities, social sciences, sciences, health, public policy, engineering, technology, education, First Nations research, and professional practice contexts. This pathway enables candidates to demonstrate a substantial original contribution to knowledge through an integrated combination of: • a creative artefact and/or research object; and • an accompanying exegesis that critically contextualises, analyses, and articulates the contribution to knowledge of the overall research project and discipline. This form of research is also commonly described internationally as practice-led, practice-based, or “PhD by practice” research. In such approaches, creative or professional practice may function not only as an outcome of research, but also as a method of inquiry and knowledge generation. 2. Nature of the Thesis A Creative Artefact/Research Object–Exegesis thesis combines scholarly inquiry with creative, professional, technical, or applied research outputs. The creative artefact or research object may include traditional or non-traditional research outputs depending on disciplinary norms and the nature of the research question. Examples may include, but are not limited to: Creative artefacts: • visual art exhibitions; • performances; • creative writing; • films and media productions; •other creative or practice-based works. Research objects: • software systems; • datasets; • engineering prototypes; • digital platforms; • policy or professional outputs; • archives or collections; • design projects; • community-based projects; • publications or portfolios of publications; • Indigenous knowledge projects; or • other discipline-specific artefacts, outputs, or research objects. The artefact/research object and the exegesis are examined as complementary components of a single doctoral research project. Neither component is considered secondary or supplementary to the other. 3. Practice-Led and Practice-Based Research In practice-led and practice-based research, creative practice, professional practice, or applied inquiry may function as a mode of generating knowledge. Research questions, conceptual understandings, and methodological insights may evolve iteratively through the research and creative process itself. The relationship between the creative artefact/research object and the exegesis should itself form an important aspect of the original contribution to knowledge. The exegesis is not merely a descriptive commentary or reflective journal. It should critically situate the research within relevant scholarly, disciplinary, theoretical, cultural, methodological, and/or professional contexts. It should argue the social, cultural, economic, environmental, political or educational impacts the artefact or object contributes to. 4. Individual and Collaborative Creative Artefacts/Research Objects Creative artefacts and research objects submitted for examination would normally represent the candidate’s individual research and c

FAQs

What is the Creative Artefact/Research Object–Exegesis HDR pathway at CDU?

It is a HDR pathway where a candidate submits an integrated combination of a creative artefact or research object and an accompanying exegesis. Together they present and explain the project’s contribution to knowledge as a single doctoral research outcome.

How should the exegesis relate to the creative artefact or research object?

The exegesis must critically contextualise, analyse, and articulate the contribution to knowledge of the overall project. It should not be limited to descriptive commentary or a reflective journal; it must engage relevant scholarly, disciplinary, theoretical, cultural, methodological, and/or professional contexts and argue impacts.

What rules apply when the creative artefact or research object is collaborative?

Collaborative outputs may be included if the project is coherent and the candidate’s individual contribution can be clearly identified and evaluated. The thesis must document individual contributions and comply with CDU research integrity, authorship, copyright, and intellectual property requirements, and collaborative/co-authored work must not have been previously submitted in whole or in substantial part toward another qualification.

Sep 15, 2026

Uploaded by Aurelia