Research-creation in the health sciences: A scoping review protocol

Research-creation is a methodological orientation that integrates creative and artistic processes with scholarly inquiry, positioning creative practice as a primary mode of knowledge generation. Originating largely within the arts and humanities in Canada, research-creation has increasingly appeared in health sciences contexts, including rehabilitation, mental health, health professions education, and community health research. However, no review has systematically mapped how research-creation is defined, conceptualized, or applied within health sciences scholarship, and significant ambiguity persists regarding the forms of data it generates, how those data are analyzed, and how creative outputs function within empirical research processes.

This scoping review aims to map how research-creation is defined and conceptualized in health sciences literature; identify the purposes for which it is used and the health-related contexts in which it appears; describe the theories, methodological approaches, and creative methods employed; and examine what forms of health-related data are generated, how they are analyzed, and how knowledge is mobilized.

Sources were included if they explicitly used the term "research-creation" (or its hyphenated and slash variants) to describe their method, approach, or project; focused on health, illness, care, healthcare systems, rehabilitation, mental health, public or community health, or health-related training; and generated empirical or experiential material analyzed or discussed in relation to health. No language limits were applied.

A systematic search of 22 article databases was conducted from inception to Aug 2026. Grey literature searches included EBSCO Open Dissertations, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. Reference lists of included studies will be hand-searched.

Data will be extracted independently by two reviewers using four structured charting tables capturing study characteristics, population, concept, and context. An expanded extraction framework was developed to accommodate the distinctive methodological features of research-creation, including creative processes, citational lineages, creative outputs, and forms of health-related data generated. Data will be analyzed using inductive qualitative content analysis. Extraction tools will be piloted on a subset of five included studies.

The search identified 842 sources, with 577 remaining after duplicate removal. Title and abstract screening, full-text screening, and data extraction are currently underway.

This scoping review will provide the first systematic mapping of research-creation within health sciences research and training. Findings may strengthen interdisciplinary dialogue between arts, social sciences, and health disciplines; support methodological transparency for researchers employing creative inquiry; and serve as a resource for researchers, trainees, practitioners, and supervisors seeking to understand how research-creation contributes to health-related knowledge production.