This book offers a radically creative reimagining of the doctoral dissertation as a work of contemporary art. Part field guide, part conceptual art project, and part methodological roadmap, it explores what counts as knowledge, how unconventional work becomes recognizable as rigorous research, and how artists can work within academic institutions without sacrificing their own ways of knowing.

Inspired by William Pinar's method of currere, the authors document how they navigated institutional expectations, committee politics, and the personal transformation required to bring an innovative dissertation to life. The book introduces practical tools for documenting artistic inquiry, making creative decisions visible, connecting artworks to research claims, and translating unconventional work into forms that academic audiences can recognize and evaluate. Advisor field notes provide a parallel perspective, showing how committees can support originality while maintaining rigor and accountability. It also addresses AI, authorship, and distributed creative labor as part of contemporary research practice. The result is a practical guide for graduate students and advisors seeking research forms that can survive review, remain ethically intact, and still feel like the work they set out to make.

An essential resource for graduate students, advisors, and researchers interested in arts-based research, practice-based inquiry, contemporary art, and curriculum theory.