Leading the leaders : enhancing the examination of creative arts doctoral degrees

The creative arts disciplines constitute an important growth area for research higher degrees and they have built a body of knowledge and a set of practices associated with research and research higher degrees. However, there is virtually no empirical work in, or across, the creative arts disciplines that investigate how HDR examiners arrive at the commentary presented in their reports. This article reports on a current project that, based on a process of national benchmarking, data analysis and through extensive consultation, is investigating current assessment practices, processes and standards in creative arts higher degrees by research.