How do social researchers know how to select the action research (AR) approach that is most appropriate for their study? Aimed at providing newcomers to AR with the different approaches they seek, Introduction to Action Research introduces the history, philosophy, social change agenda, methodologies, ethical arguments for, and fieldwork tools of AR. The book opens with a brief presentation of two cases of AR. This is followed by chapter on the philosophical and methodological arguments for AR as a form of scientific inquiry that better meets scientific standards than what is currently called "social science" in academia. The authors next explore the marginalization of AR activities in academia, followed by four cases drawn from the authors own practice, including some examples of failures. In the final section of the book the authors cover six different approaches to doing AR. Throughout the book, the authors employ a consistent AR praxis supported by suitable methods and tools to integrate a philosophical, methodological, and political economic position to view the different kinds of AR practices.
Introduction to Action Research provides experienced researchers and practitioners with more appropriate and productive ways of using AR for conducting social research.
Davydd J. Greenwood, Ph.D., At Cornell University for 37 years, Greenwood has conducted action research in the Spanish Basque Country, Spain’s La Mancha region, in Upstate New York, and in research universities, Greenwood has published Industrial Democracy as Process: Participatory Action Research in the Fagor Cooperative Group of Mondragón (with cooperative members); Teaching Participatory Action Research in the University in Studies in Continuing Education (with the students from the class), and Introduction to Action Research: Social Research for Social Change, first and second editions (with Morten Levin), Action Research: The Scandinavian Action Research Development Program, and articles and chapters in the Action Research, the International Journal of Action Research, the Handbook of Qualitative Inquiry, and the Handbook of Action Research. Davydd is working with the CIREM Foundation in Spain on a small business development program based on action research strategies including the construction of small business networks that create co-generative learning arenas. This involves two small business networks in Spain’s La Mancha region, one in Catalonia, and one in Madrid. Davydd is in the fifth year of an international project on the future of public higher education institutions with a particular emphasis on strategies for defending the “public goods” universities once created through action research strategies that engage cross-disciplinary stakeholder teams with external university constituencies in creating co-generative learning/action arenas that could reinvigorate public and political support for higher education. Morten Levin is a partner in both of these projects and Davydd and Morten are now initiating a period of examination of the concepts and practices of academic freedom from an action research perspective.
