Action Research

Action Research

1. What is it?

   • Is a disciplined process of inquiry conducted by and for those taking the action. The primary reason for engaging in action research is to assist the “actor” in improving and/or refining his or her actions.

2. Principles

   • Dialectical Critique
   • Risking Disturbances
   • Reflexive Critique
   • Collaboration
   • Creating Plural Structures
   • Theory and Practice Internalized

3. Characteristics

   • Collaborative
   • Participatory
   • Aims to understand particular complex social situations
   • Celebrates Discourse
   • Frequently uses case studies
   • Aims to improve the quality of human action

4. Ethical Issues

   • Affective Principle
   • Inclusivity
   • Maximal participant recognition
   • Critical Self reflixivity
   • Negotiation and concensus
   • Communicative freedom
   • Informed consent
   • Confidenciality

5. Procedures

   • Planning
   • Acting
   • Observing
   • Reflecting

6. Participatory Action Research

   • Empowerment
   • Emancipation
   • Democracy
   • Collective Participation
   • Aims to improve the quality of people's lives

7. Reporting

   • Improvement
   • Real-life context
   • Descriptive data
   • Contribution to knowledge
   • Might be written with the reader in mind
   • Methodology and Interpretation of data included