Philip Auslander's primary research interest is in performance. He has written on aesthetic and cultural performances as diverse as theatre, performance art, music, stand-up comedy, robotic performance, and courtroom procedures. His specific interests include performance theory, the relationship of performance to media and technology, and intellectual property. He is the author of five books and editor or co-editor of two collections. His most recently published books are Performing Glam Rock: Gender and Theatricality in Popular Music (2006) and the Second Edition of Liveness: Performance in a Mediatized Culture (2008).

Since 2005, Auslander has been an Affiliate Professor in the Department of Theatre and Film Studies at the University of Georgia, where he teaches a graduate seminar each spring semester.

In addition to his work on performance, Auslander contributes art criticism regularly to ArtForum and other publications. He is the editor of The Art Section: An Online Journal of Art and Cultural Commentary.