• Section 1 - Purpose / Objectives
• Section 2 - Scope / Application
• Section 3 - Definitions
• Section 4 - Policy Statement
• Section 5 - Procedures
• Section 6 - Guidelines
• Introduction
• VU Creative Works as Research Categories
• Scale of VU Creative Works Category Research Output Types
• Evidence Requirements for VU Creative Works Category Research Output Types
• Creative Works as Research Annual Collection Process

Section 1 - Purpose / Objectives

(1) The purpose of these Guidelines is to establish meaningful criteria by which to identify and acknowledge quality research productivity and activity represented by works in different fields of creative endeavour.

(2) These Guidelines support the Measuring Individual Research Activity Policy.

Section 2 - Scope / Application

(3) These Guidelines apply to all academic staff across the University who wish to have creative works they have produced identified as research outputs.

Section 3 - Definitions

(4) Nil

Section 4 - Policy Statement

(5) Nil

Section 5 - Procedures

(6) Nil

Section 6 - Guidelines

Introduction

(7) Victoria University measures the individual research activity of academic staff. This measure, known as the Measure of Research Activity (MORA), uses established and verifiable research metrics including creative arts research outputs.

(8) Research in creative fields is not merely a collection of creative works produced. Work submitted for inclusion in the Creative Works as Research Collection must meet the definition of research. In the context of creative works, research is defined as the creation of new knowledge or the use of existing knowledge in new and creative ways so as to generate new concepts, methodologies, inventions and understandings. This could include synthesis and analysis of previous research to the extent that it is new and creative.

(9) Key factors are:

1. Creation of new knowledge; and
2. Impact of the work on the discipline.

(10) The research points assigned to measure creative arts outputs are detailed in these guidelines and are used in the calculation of an individual's MORA. Creative outputs are awarded research points in the same manner that points are awarded for other research outputs. Each creative arts research output attracts base value points for MORA, with additional weightings given to work of demonstrated high quality. Points are distributed in equal proportions among the creators.

(11) The VU Creative Works as Research Collection comprises research outputs in any form of publicly available, accessible materials, typically including works that have been produced through writing, making, composing, designing, recording, performing or curating.

Importance of the Creative Works as Research Collection

(12) Creative Works as Research are a key element of Victoria University's standing as a research institution active in the creative arts. These creative works demonstrate that staff and students at VU are leaders in creative practice, and dynamically shaping new ground within their fields of practice.

(13) The Creative Works as Research Collection retains information about creative works of research significance across VU. It directly recognises, and enables the rewarding of, creative practitioners at VU engaged in research. The Creative Works as Research Collection provides an opportunity to identify emerging research areas and opportunities for further development.

(14) The Creative Works as Research Collection documents the University's creative research outputs and is included in:

1. Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) submissions, which is the assessment of research quality at Australian Universities. These guidelines have been designed to align with the 2015 submission guidelines.
2. The VU Measure of Research Activity (MORA), which is used to help determine individual workload allocations for academic staff at VU. Creative outputs are awarded research points in the same manner that points are awarded for traditional research outputs.
3. The portfolio requirements for the Higher Education Academic promotions. Works assessed and verified through the creative works as research collection will form part of the official university record of individual achievement and will serve to substantiate claims made through the promotions portfolio.
4. Creative arts research is an objective of VU's Special Studies Program. Works assessed and verified through the creative works as research collection are valuable outcomes of successful SSP projects. They also serve to verify the research track records of individual staff who apply for SSP.

(15) VU's annual collection of research-related creative outputs is managed through the Office for Research.

Submissions to the Creative Works as Research Collection

(16) In accordance with these guidelines, academic staff members are invited to submit details and supporting evidence of their activity produced in the previous calendar year in their capacity as a member of VU staff. Each individual submission requires:

1. Creating a record of the Creative work in VU Elements.
2. Completion of an appropriate Application Form
3. A Research Statement (which may be incorporated in the Application Form) explaining the basis for the submission in plain language.
   The Research Statement may contains up to 250 words in total. It makes a succinct case for the work's contribution, its scale, and its quality (in terms of both importance and esteem). These key criteria are explained below. A template for the statement is included as Appendix A to these guidelines.
4. Evidence to support output - such as copies of documentation to verify publication through an acceptable outlet, and to verify any claims for quality (international importance and/or esteem, as relevant). For indications of evidence required refer to table at clause (25).

(17) Research Contribution

1. To be eligible for inclusion, an item must contribute to research in one or more of the following ways:
   1. An advancement or extension of knowledge;
   2. An initiation of major scholarly or artistic debate, dialogue or discourse;
   3. A set of new discoveries, innovative ideas, techniques, technologies;
   4. A solution to problems;
   5. A conceptual advance;
   6. A refinement/reinterpretation of methods, techniques, existing knowledge;
   7. Constructive critiques and synthesis;
   8. New means of dissemination, new or innovative products, concepts or prototypes of importance exhibited for the first time in recognised exhibition arenas; or
   9. New work or demonstrably new or innovative interpretation or production of existing work.

(18) Research Scale

1. Each creative work submitted under this scheme will belong to one of three classifications of scale:
   1. Major works (each worth a basic allocation of 2.5 points).
      To be designated by placing '-1' after the creative works category code e.g. COV-1.
   2. Substantial works (each worth a basic allocation of 1 point).
      To be designated by '-2' after the creative works category code e.g. COV-2.
   3. Minor works (each worth a basic allocation of 0.2 points).
      To be designated by '-3' after the creative works category code e.g. COV-3.
2. For further definitions of the above categories, see clause (24).
3. The measures for each of these scale classifications vary from one creative discipline to another. It is considered the responsibility of the researcher, as expert in their field, to appropriately substantiate the claim of the scale of the research output via the evidence provided. Please see attached table at clause (25) for further information.

(19) Research Quality

1. In recognition of the importance placed on the quality of research outputs, the following factors will be applied to individual submissions, where there is clear evidence that the criteria have been met:
   1. Work of international importance
      Where there is evidence that a particular submission has had impact at an international level, such as being published by a recognised international publisher, the base points will be multiplied by a factor of 2.0. Typically, internationally important creative work implies a creation published or released in a forum of international prominence. To claim this status, the author(s) must submit clear evidence that their work has been published in such an outlet. Evidence of shortlisting for an internationally recognised award shall count as equivalent evidence under this category. For some creative fields (e.g. on topics of national concern) a publishing outlet with primarily national reach may be the most internationally important vehicle for a given creative work. In such cases, the author(s) should submit independent evidence to verify that the publishing outlet is of international importance for works in that field.
   2. Work of high esteem
      Where there is evidence that a particular submission has been the subject of rigorous peer review before being selected for publication, or afterwards (in a recognised competitive award process), the base points will be multiplied by a factor of 2.0. Rigorous peer review normally implies that fellow-practitioners independently accredited the creative work as of high quality through a formal (documented) process, either in the process of approving it for publication or by shortlisting it for a significant award or honour. Usually, meeting this criterion requires either (documented) evidence of independent peer review, commissioning or invitation or documented evidence of a nationally or internationally recognised award or shortlisting where the award is highly prestigious. Alternatively the researcher could be the recipient of an Australia Council Grant or Australia Council Fellowship or the researcher is the recipient of an internationally or nationally competitive research grant or commissioned funding for the research output claimed.

(20) Note: these two weighting factors can be applied sequentially to any given work submitted, meaning it is possible to compound the multipliers. A table setting out the basic allocations and multipliers is included in Appendix B to this Guideline.

VU Creative Works as Research Categories

(21) This table lists the categories of the VU Creative Works as Research Collection, the relevant code (including designation of scale e.g. Major, Substantial or Minor) and description for each category. To be eligible, research outputs must have been made available publicly during the reference period.
Multiple exhibitions/performances of non-traditional research output types may be counted as separate outputs where each subsequent exhibition/performance introduces a new research component to the work that builds upon the initial research component of the output.
Multiple exhibition/performances of these research output types cannot be submitted as multiple outputs where the repeated exhibitions/performance do not introduce a new research component to the work. For example, a touring exhibition can only be submitted as a single output.

Scale of VU Creative Works Category Research Output Types

(22) The works are classified as major, substantial or minor. The measures for scale classifications vary from one creative discipline to another. It is considered the responsibility of the researcher, as expert in their field, to substantiate appropriately the claim of the scale of the research output via the evidence provided.

(23) The following information/examples provide some broad descriptive parameters that may be of assistance to individual researchers when considering the scale of their output.

1. Major works (each worth a basic allocation of 2.5 points).
   To be designated by placing '-1' after the creative works category code e.g. COV-1.
   
   A major work usually would be a significant output of great scope such as a novel, a feature film/ documentary, a musical or theatrical production, or an exhibition or performance at a major venue. A researcher will typically have worked on the output for a long period of time, often spanning several years. The work must be publicly available via a recognised commercial distribution or publication, and have had a demonstrable impact in the field. As outlined in clause (19), if a work is of international standing and/or of high esteem, these two weighting factors may be applied sequentially to any given work submitted (2.5 to 10 points). See Appendix C for case studies and examples.
2. Substantial works (each worth a basic allocation of 1 point).
   To be designated by '-2' after the creative works category code e.g. COV-2.
   
   A substantial work would be very similar to a major work but typically the extent, duration and scope of the work is likely to be smaller. Examples may include a novella, a musical or theatrical production of shorter duration, or an exhibition at a major venue. A researcher may have worked on a substantial work for less than a year. The work must be made publicly available via a recognised commercial distribution or publication, and have had a measurable impact in the field. As outlined in clause (19), if a work is of international standing and/or of high esteem, these two weighting factors can be applied sequentially to any given work submitted, meaning it is possible to compound the multipliers (1 to 4 points). See Appendix C for case studies and examples.
3. Minor works (each worth a basic allocation of 0.2 points).
   To be designated by '-3' after the creative works category code e.g. COV-3.
   
   A minor work is normally a research output of lesser scope that still makes a contribution to the field such as a short review or creative prose work, an audio production of less than 20 minutes duration, a segment of a musical or theatrical production, or participation in an exhibition or performance. The work must be made publicly available via a recognised commercial distribution or publication, and have had an impact in the field. As outlined in clause (19), if a work is of international standing and/or of high esteem, these two weighting factors can be applied sequentially to any given work submitted, meaning it is possible to compound the multipliers (.2 to .8 points). See Appendix C for case studies and examples.

Evidence Requirements for VU Creative Works Category Research Output Types

(24) The following table summarises evidence requirements for each of the categories listed in clause (20) to (22) above that will support the scale classification claimed for the research output.

Creative Works as Research Annual Collection Process

(25) The University will undertake an annual collection of Creative Research Works in accordance with the University Creative Works as Research Guidelines.

(26) The collection process will be administered by the Office for Research and will commence with an email invitation to academic staff.

(27) All academic staff will be provided with a minimum 6 week period from the time of the email invitation to complete the required documentation, supply the necessary supporting evidence and submit to the Office for Research. The collection will usually occur in semester one.

(28) Submissions of creative research works must be complete and include all of the information required on the application form, the research statement, and copies of documentation to verify the creative research works as specified in the guidelines. Incomplete applications will not be considered and will be referred back to the applicant.

(29) It is recommended that applicants contact relevant Discipline Group Leaders (or equivalent) within the College for advice prior to lodging an application. This is especially important for those unfamiliar with the process and the requirements for the University's creative research works collection to contact the relevant discipline group leader within their College for advice.

(30) Creative Works research applications will be assembled by the Office for Research and presented to the University's Creative Research Works Evaluation Committee. The Committee will be responsible for determining whether the works satisfy requirements as set out in the Guidelines.

(31) The Committee membership will be appointed by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research to ensure that there is sufficient expertise to complete the evaluation of works submitted. The Committee will be chaired by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research or nominee. Discipline Group Leaders (or equivalent) from Colleges will be invited to sit on the Committee in order that they can provide feedback to applicants if required.

(32) The Evaluation Committee may:

1. seek additional, expert input to assist with the evaluation of individual works if required. This input may be sought from internal or external sources.
2. on the basis of the application, accept, modify or reject the application. Modification may include a reduction in the research scale claimed. Where a modification is made the applicant will be informed.

(33) The decisions of the Evaluation Committee will be final.

(34) Following approval of the application, the works will be recorded in the relevant institutional database and documentary evidence forwarded to the Library for inclusion in the Institutional Repository.