Design Scholarship: What is it and How Does it Count (for Tenure)?

Abstract

<p>Design, craft, art wear, functional design, technical design, and creative design - these are a few of the ways in which ITAA members describe the focus of their design/creative work. Obviously design, as it is practiced by our diverse membership, is multi-faceted. Bye (2010) argued that a “different context is needed for creative scholarship, and it should be one that both adds to our knowledge base and moves us toward building theory. Where we are as a discipline regarding defining and presenting design as research, for whom it is intended, and how it should be situated within the academy is still in flux. Additionally, in today's academic climate there is an increasing demand for accountability in higher education. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to examine design scholarship, as it is currently perceived, measured, and disseminated in our field.</p>