Sustaining Practice Assets for Research, Knowledge, Learning and Engagement (SPARKLE) : Final Report and Recommendations

The goal of the SPARKLE project was to identify the foundations for a UK practice research infrastructure that will increase visibility, recognition, and support for world-leading practice research. Within the scoping study we build on the findings of the Bulley/Şahin reports for PRAGUK on practice research (Research England 2021) in order to: Establish a greater understanding of practice research community needs for a data infrastructure. Build a blueprint for development of a national practice research infrastructure (SPARKLE) backed by the practice research community. Establish a deeper recognition of the skills gap in practice research, for both practice researchers and repository managers, and a plan to overcome these gaps. Strengthen the practice research community. Highlight the importance of practice research beyond REF. The development of a co-designed infrastructure will enable new levels of engagement with practice-based research.