This work investigates the intersection of artistic practice and academic inquiry within the field of performance studies. Richard Gough, a prominent scholar in the discipline, examines how performance can function as a mode of research rather than merely an object of study. The text provides a framework for practitioners and theorists to document, analyze, and disseminate performance-based knowledge through rigorous methodological approaches.

Scholars and practitioners frequently cite this work as a foundational text for understanding the evolution of performance studies as an academic discipline. Readers often note the high level of theoretical density, which makes it a standard reference for graduate-level research in the arts.