Master of Research Spring School 2025
The 10th annual Master of Research Spring School at the School of Innovation and Technology took place in Glasgow this earlier month, where we were delighted to welcome two new students joining the programme from Stuttgart Media University. This marks the beginning of an exciting new cross-institutional partnership, in which students join our current cohort who are undertaking diverse research projects across the areas of health and care, cultural heritage, craft, technology and creative education.
Spring School is a key milestone in the academic calendar, designed to immerse the students in the theoretical and practical dimensions of research. Taking a deep dive into theory, methodologies, and methods, Spring School provides a space for students to share, refine, and expand their emerging projects with the support of peers and the wider supervisory team.
The week began with the cohort presenting work-in-progress to the wider supervisory team for feedback and peer review – a valuable opportunity to practice articulating their research questions and project framing, while receiving constructive input and feedback. Dr Cara Broadley and Professor Lynn-Sayers McHattie then led a session on research frameworks, offering students the tools to better position their work within broader academic and practice-based contexts. This was followed by an introduction to data collection and analysis led by Dr MichaelPierre Johnson, which encouraged students to think critically about the methods they will use to gather and analysis data to address their research questions. Mid-week,Zoe Prosser hosted a hands-on mapping workshop to support the students to visually sketch out their research designs and fieldwork plans. Following this,Dr Marianne McAra led a session on research and engagement ethics. By framing ethics not just as a procedural requirement but as a relational commitment, she encouraged students to reflect on the responsibilities they carry as researchers working with people, places, and communities.
A key highlight of the week was welcoming back M.Res graduates Harriet Simms and Ailsa Morrant, both now doctoral researchers at GSA, who shared valuable insights and reflections from their practice-based fieldwork and from their wider research journey and transitioning from M.Res to PhD. This included developing their respective creative and reflective practices, scaling up their inquires for the doctoral-level study and the wider funding landscape.Spring School concluded by hearing from our external examiner, Dr Brian Dixon(Head of Belfast School of Art), who shared his perspectives on the ‘key ingredients’ for a successful M.Res project. His insights on originality, rigour and reflexivity were an important takeaway for the students as they now look towards entering the field over summer ahead of the forthcoming AutumnSchool.
Looking forward, we’re excited to see how this year’s cohort continues to evolve their work and shape the future of research at the intersection of creative practice, research and technology.