Action Research

Have you heard the terms “action research” (AR), “participatory action research” (PAR), or “critical participatory action research” (CPAR) and wondered about what it means? AR pays particular attention to the relationship between research and the everyday problems of ongoing social life. Long before the term “Action Research” was coined in social science circles, a group of women organized in Chicago to actively study issues of the day and engage in solutions that might adequately address those problems. Their work involved service, research, community teach-ins, and collective action. Similarly, AR is animated by an engagement with the ordinary needs of society and a motivation to solve on-the-ground problems collaboratively. AR has developed into a set of principles and procedures that enable the systematic exploration of those problems. PAR and CPAR are very specific ways of engaging in AR, but not all AR projects would be considered PAR or CPAR.