Building on the work published in The Art of Research: Research Practices in Art and Design (Maarit Mäkelä & Sara Routarinne 2006), this anthology aims to unpick some of the issues surrounding practice-led research in the areas of art and design. The lively debate concerning research in this context began more than two decades ago and is still very much alive. Amongst other issues, the themes discussed have included how art and design research can be formulated, communicated or expressed; the status of the artefact and its context; what relation such practice-led research can have both to other disciplines and to the academic world in general; and its connections and relevance to spheres of professional practice.

The anthology is based on the Art of Research conference held at the University of Art and Design Helsinki in 2009, with the theme 'Process, Results and Contribution'. Featuring articles by both keynote speakers and doctoral candidates, The Art of Research II looks at the entanglement of thinking, writing, making and reflecting, and the inevitable, if at times unacknowledged, role of serendipity in the context of practice-led research. By presenting examples of case studies and practical and theoretical reflections, as well as laying out some of the relevant territory, the anthology provides a practical and philosophical contribution to the on-going debate surrounding the practice-led research.