The R-ITT Research

Manual

Author: Anke Schäfer 30.09.2025

Introduction:

Every research project begins with a research question and the hypotheses we associate with it. An essential part of this is thorough literature research that ties in well with your own research project. It also makes sense to follow current publications for inspiration for your own research ideas. Practitioners and non-academic researchers usually lack access to the large literature databases available at universities, which can be quite expensive. Nevertheless, there are plenty of ways to search for, find and systematically record relevant literature. The R-ITT guide highlights possibilities for literature research and further research steps, without claiming to be exhaustive. 

I. First Steps

I.1 Sign up and create a profile

Note to Sign Up in ResearchGate: The R-ITT can be specified as the ‘affiliated institution’ when you have a membership in the DGfT and/or are taking part in the ITT training program. To date, however, your own practice email address is usually accepted. 

II. RESEARCH OF LITERATURE

 

II.1 Lists  and Databases

(1)Literaturdatenbank der Hochschule Nürtingen, Department Bachelor Studies Theatertherapie (predominantly based on the literature lists of Dutch dramatherapist Ge Cimmermans; by this it also includes ‘older’ literature long before the times of the worldwideweb): 

(2) Database  of the Dutch association for Art Therapies FVB (Federatie voor Vaktherapie Beroepen); here are more than 82 publications in English and Dutch listed, covering the years from 1990 until 2025; literature can be filtered by diagnoses; the databank becomes regularly updated:

(3) Database of the NADTA  North American Drama Therapy Association with additionally a lot of interesting recommendation for books, dissertations and more (literature mainly from the anglophone language area)

II.2 Open Access Literature

 

Journals (partly Open Access)

  • JAT – Journal of Arts Therapies (Journal of the WFKT, the German Scientific Association for Arts Therapies: Wissenschaftliche Fachgesellschaft für Künstlerische Therapien), located at the renowned GMT (German Medical Science) Journal; editors: Prof. Dr. Sabine Koch (a.o.):
  • Dramatherapy Review (Journal der BADth – British Association for Dramatherapy), Redaktion: Silvio Pitruzella, Susana Pendzik
  • Drama Therapy Review (Journal der North American Drama Therapy Association), angesiedelt bei IntellectBooks, Redaktion: Nisha Sajnani, Christine Major, Angelle Cook: https://www.intellectbooks.com/drama-therapy-review

II.3 Google Scholar

Use search terms that are relevant to the research project or your own research: This is also a good way to prac5se refining your own research ques5on or topic using the right search terms; here are the results of a general search for “dramatherapy dramatherapie theatertherapie”:

III Zur REFLEKTION der Frage nach der “EVIDENZ”

III.1 Aktuelle SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS und META-ANALYSEN (Auswahl):

In “Reviews” und “Systematic Reviews” können in der Literaturliste den Kritierien der “Evidenzbasiertheit” genügenden Publikationen gefunden werden:

  • Feniger-Schaal, Rinat and Orkibi, Hod (2019), ‘Integrative systematic review of drama therapy intervention research’, Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 14:1, pp. 68–80, https://doi.org/10.1037/aca0000257.
  • Nisha Sajnani, Hod Orkibi, Martina Witte (2023): Effectiveness of Drama based Therapies on Mental Health Outcomes. A Systematic Review. Download als PDF

III.2 WESENTLICHE THESEN und PARADIGMEN zur Reflektion und (Neu-)Positionierung von Evidenz in der Theatertherapie

  • Pendzik, Susana (2025): Keynote Speech at the EFD and WAfDT in Riga am 2. Mai 2025; download als PDF (folgt).
  • Pendzik, Susana (1988): ‘Drama Therapy as a form of Modern Shamanism’, The Journal for Transpersonal Psychology, 20:1, pp. 81–91. Download PDF bei Academia: https://www.academia.edu/27626027
  • Sajnani, Nisha (2013), ‘The Body Politic: The relevance of an intersectional framework for therapeutic performance research in drama therapy’, The Arts in Psychotherapy 40:4, pp. 382–385, https://doi.org/10.1016/J.AIP.2013.05.001. Download PDF bei Academia: https://www.academia.edu/23887476/
  • Schäfer, Anke (2025), ‘Poetic evidence: Challenging the notion of empirical evidence in dramatherapy’, Dramatherapy, 46:1, pp. 99–114, https://doi. org/10.1386/dj_00034_1

III.3 BÜCHER EMPFEHLUNGEN (teils open access online)

Literatur-Empfehlungen aus Drama Therapy und Psychodrama, die Forschung inspirieren und konkrete Beispiele und Methoden hierfür nennen:

III.4 LITERATUR VERWALTUNGSPROGRAMME im Vergleich

https://www.ub.tum.de/aktuelles/literaturverwaltungsprogramme-im-vergleich

III.5 RICHTIG ZITIEREN

(1) Richtlinien bzw. “House Style Guides” der jeweiligen Herausgeber oder Hochschulen genau sich anschauen, zur Hand haben: welche Zitierweise ist erwünscht.

(2) Siehe auch die von der HAN -Hogeschool Nijmwegen online erstellte Orientierung zu “citing sources”: https://auteursrechten.nl/en/citing-sources/apa-guidelines/
APA-team um Arjan Doolaar an der HAN in Nijmwegen: http://theapateam.blogspot.com/

IV MEASURING & ANALYSING

Measuring instruments and validated tests: Overview with some freely downloadable measuring instruments, validated tests for various diagnoses and effective factors in the field of psychiatry and mental health care, provided in the Netherlands: https://www.tijdschriftvoorpsychiatrie.nl/nl/tijdschrift/meetinstrumenten

Information and overview of (also for drama therapists interesting) Art Therapy Assessment and Ratinginstrumenten: 

V TOOLS for COLLABORATION

MIRO-Board  for interactive sharing:

MIRO-Board

  • a sort of giant board, on which you can write or stick notes simultaneously or at different times.
  • On the very left side is a purple„Trial-and-error field“.
  • Feedback to the notes and comments also possible by e-mail
  • The latest version is backed up by the board administrator in case someone accidentally deletes everything.

VI PUBLISHING

Many scientific journals charge several hundred or even over a thousand euros for submitting an article. Below is a list of only those journals that are most relevant to us and that accept your article without remuneration or for a small fee (as of 8/2025; no liability, please check the current status yourself) 

0 Euro

  • Dramatherapy Review, open access (seit 2024), britische Edition, IntellectBooks
  • Drama Therapy Review, open access (seit 2025), amerikanische Edition, IntellectBooks
  • The Arts in Psychotherapy, https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/the-arts-inpsychotherapy/ publish/guide-for-authors . Wird open access!

250 € bzw. reduzierter Tarif möglich für Studierende; Kontakt: Prof. Sabine Koch

  • JAT – Journal for Arts Therapies, das Journal der WFKT – Wissenschaftlichen Fachgesellschaft für Künstlerische Therapien

VII WHY CONDUCT RESEARCH THIS OR THAT WAY?

Suggestions for raising awareness of colonialism, discrimination, misogyny, racism and anti-Semitism when choosing a research method 

Books (Selection)

– Emmanuel Chukwudi Eze (2008): On Reason: Rationality in a World of Cultural Conflict and Racism. Durham: Duke University Press.

– Glissant, Édouard ([2009] 2021), Philosophie der Weltbeziehung: Poesie der Weite, Heidelberg: Wunderhorn Verlag.

– Mertens, Donna M. (2009), Transformative Research and Evaluation, New York: Guilford.

– Tsing, Anna L. (2015), The Mushroom at the End of the World, on the Possibility of Life in Capitalist Ruins, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

– Arendt, Hannah (2019): Vor Antisemitismus ist man nur noch auf dem Monde sicher. Beiträge für die deutsch-jüdische Emigrantenzeitung „Aufbau“ 1941-1945. München: Piper-Verlag. Leseprobe: https://www.piper.de/buecher/vor-antisemitismus-ist-man-nur-noch-aufdem- monde-sicher-isbn-978-3-492-31509-8

– Pascal Bruckner (2020): Der eingebildete Rassismus. Aus dem Französischen von A. Carstiuc, Mark Feldon und Christoph Hesse. Berlin: Edition Tiamat, Verlag Klaus Bittermann. Leseprobe: https://edition-tiamat.de/media/pages/books/der-eingebildete-rassismus/ a5061af976-1693845002/bruckner-1-25.pdf

– Peter Ullrich, Sina Arnold, Anna Danilina, Klaus Holz, Uffa Jensen, Ingolf Seidel und Jan Weyand (Hrg.) (2024): Was ist Antisemitismus? Begriffe und Definitionen von Judenfeindschaft. Studien zu Ressentiments in Geschichte und Gegenwart, Bd. 8, Zentrum für Antisemitismusforschung (Hg.). Göttingen: Wallstein-Verlag. Leseprobe: https://www.wallstein-verlag.de/5070_Leseprobe.pdf

Online Zeitungsartikel

– Dörthe Engelke : Gefährdete Diskursräume. Berlin: TAZ. https://taz.de/ Antisemitismus-Resolution/!6062292/ .

************************************************************************************************************

Author R-ITT Research Manual:

Anke Schäfer (Dramatherapist & Supervisor, reg. DGfT)
info@theatertherapeutin.de
R-ITT Research Institute of Theatre Therapy
schaefer@theatertherapie.org

My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with passion, compassion, some humor, and some style.
(Maya Angelou)

The heart is the center because it is the only one that gives us a sound.
(María Zambrano)

Imagination is the discovering faculty, pre-eminently. It is that which penetrates into the unseen world around us, the worlds of science.
(Ada Lovelace, 1840)