Introducing 'SandRA': Visual Representation of the Research-Teaching Nexus as a Tool in the Dissemination of a New Research Strategy

The 'research-teaching nexus' has been the subject of much recent debate, yet little attention has been paid to institutional initiatives to promote and encourage the integration of teaching and research. This article presents a novel diagrammatical representation of the relationship between research and teaching which was developed to aid the dissemination of a new research strategy in a small, teaching-led higher education institution. It provides a reflective account of the use of the diagram and responses to it, both within and beyond the institution. It is proposed that the 'vagueness' inherent in visual representation can aid reflection on the multiple ways in which teaching and research may connect, encouraging individuals to construct their own understanding of the nexus. Equally important, though, is that the institutional definition of research is relevant to the nature of that institution, and sufficiently flexible to allow for variation within it.