Kara (2023) resists defining creative research methods in her book on the topic, and instead discusses the many ways in which creativity is reflected in research:
"Even if you are following an established method, you are doing your research at a different time, probably in a different place and for different reasons than anyone before you. You will make some different decisions, encounter some different ethical dilemmas, and/or report your findings differently from your predecessors. All of that is creative work."
While "creative research" defies easy description, it does have some basic principles it follows, notably embracing flexibility and innovation in research design rather than taking an "it's always been done this way" approach. In this way, creative research methods focus on reflective, ethical, and personalized practices.
Kara (2020) shares five types of research that are folded under the label of creative research methods:
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