Research

The Research Portfolio supports the AAWP and its members with all matters relating to research and research training. It guides, mentors and troubleshoots on issues as diverse as strategic publishing, grant development, Excellence in Research for Australia (including engagement and impact) and doctoral supervision. The portfolio also has a national voice in research and research training policy developments, and is happy to hear from anyone within the AAWP community – or beyond – if issues or special projects arise.

The portfolio’s core aims are to:

  • keep abreast with research developments in Australia and beyond, and ensure the Creative and Professional Writing discipline is well informed;
  • contribute to a healthy research culture for the discipline;
  • contribute to a robust HDR/research training culture for the discipline;
  • lead strategic projects where there is an identified need (e.g., sector developments, government initiatives, disciplinary needs);
  • mentor researchers in the discipline towards high quality research outputs and outcomes;
  • maintain a strong international profile for Australian Creative and Professional Writing research.

Research Portfolio Team

Craig Batty (Portfolio Chair)
Email
Professor Craig Batty is Head of Creative Writing at the University of Technology Sydney. He is the author, co-author and editor of 12 books, including Writing for the Screen: Creative and Critical Approaches (2nd ed.) (2019), Screen Production Research: Creative Practice as a Mode of Enquiry (2018) and Screenwriters and Screenwriting: Putting Practice into Context (2014). He has also published over 70 book chapters and journals articles on the topics of screenwriting practice, screenwriting theory, creative practice research and doctoral supervision. Craig is also a screenwriter and script consultant, with experiences in short film, feature film, television and online drama.

Sue Joseph (Research Training Lead)
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A journalist for more than forty years working in Australia and the UK, Dr Sue Joseph began working as an academic teaching print journalism at the University of Technology Sydney in 1997. She now teaches in creative writing, particularly creative non-fiction writing, in both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. Her research interests are around sexuality, secrets and confession, framed by the media; ethics and trauma narrative; memoir; reflective professional practice; ethical HDR supervision; nonfiction poetry; and Australian creative non-fiction. Her fourth book, Behind the Text: Candid conversations with Australian creative nonfiction writers, was released in 2016. She is currently Joint Editor of Ethical Space: The International Journal of Communication Ethics.

AAWP Research Outcomes

Examining Doctorates in the Creative Arts: A Guide. Prepared by Jen Webb, Donna Lee Brien and Sandra Burr (2012). View the booklet

Examination of Doctoral Degrees in Creative Arts: Process, Practice and Standards (final report). Prepared by Jen Webb, Donna Lee Brien and Sandra Burr (2013) View the report


Conference Proceedings

Each year one university in the AAWP network hosts the annual conference, and organises the proceedings. A number of papers presented at each conference have been submitted to a double blind referee process, and subsequently edited, organised and published on this site.

  • 2007 The and is Papers: refereed proceedings of the 12th conference of the AAWP
  • 2008 The Creativity and Uncertainty Papers: the refereed proceedings of the 13th conference of the Australian Association of Writing Programs
  • 2009 The Margins and Mainstreams Papers: the refereed proceedings of the 14th conference of the Australian Association of Writing Programs
  • 2010 The Strange Bedfellows or Perfect Partners Papers: the refereed proceedings of the 15th conference of the Australasian Association of Writing Programs
  • 2011 The Ethical Imaginations: Writing Worlds Papers – the refereed proceedings of the 16th conference of the Australasian Association of Writing Programs
  • 2012 The Encounters:  Place, Situation, Context Papers – the refereed proceedings of the 17th conference of the Australasian Association of Writing Programs
  • 2013 The Creative Manoeuvres: Making, Saying, Being papers – the refereed proceedings of the 18th conference of the Australasian Association of Writing Programs
  • 2014 The Minding the Gap: Writing Across Thresholds and Fault Lines – the refereed proceedings of the 19th conference of the Australasian Association of Writing Programs
  • 2015 The Writing the Ghost Train: Rewriting, Remaking, Rediscovering – the refereed proceedings of the 20th conference of the Australasian Association of Writing Programs
  • 2016 The Authorised Theft: Writing, Scholarship, Collaboration – the refereed proceedings of the 21st conference of the Australasian Association of Writing Programs
  • 2017 Climates of Change – the refereed proceedings of the 22nd conference of the Australasian Association of Writing Programs