The idea that there is no hermetic barrier between artistic creation, scientific research and technical development is nowadays accepted. Artistic research or "research-creation" programs have been established for several decades now in various artistic, academic and technological institutions. However, it is often difficult to reconcile different epistemic, aesthetic and institutional standards, depending on each context, trajectories and standpoints. In the face of criticism that these initiatives are doomed to produce insipid art or bad science, what principles, approaches and models would help structure this family of projects and provide the operational epistemology it needs? What lessons can we draw from the experiences, positive and negative, gathered in the field?