> Most times I see something on AR or Action Science it really is just a
> mention. I haven't really come across a concise and compelling source
> describing and explaining the process.
The following doesn't take the place of Joe's definition of action
research, however, here are some comments.
I checked Alta Vista and found some info, though it wasn't what I was
hoping to find. I was hoping for more of a relationship between
"knowledge that one can follow" and action research. Instead, action
research seems to be related to the Shewhart or Deming cycle -
Design, Make, Sell, Test in Use. Somewhere in gathering these notes I
got the impression (perhaps one of the authors used a sequence of
four related steps) that action research was like the Deming Cycle.
Maybe "knowledge that one can follow" is related.
The following are some definitions found online. They are offered as
"fish i caught" rather than "the best information available".
--------------------------------------------
Found through
altavista.digital.com
"action research" 5000 items
+"action research" +defin* 800 items
--------------------------------------------
In what appears to be a very well-written report
"Professional Development Using Action Research"
"Action Research is an essentially self-managed process of collaborative
and rigorous enquiry, action and reflection which, through a series of
cycles of these activities, is intended to improve the situation being
addressed and, at the same time, develop the skills and insights of the
individuals doing it."
http://www.mcb.co.uk/services/conferen/nov95/ifal/paper1.htm
-------------------------------------------------
Here are some comments that relate action research and actionable
knowledge.
"Data Types in Action Science or Action Research"
http://www.together.net/~actnet/data.htm
-------------------------------------------------
>From "The History of Action Research"
"Three of the many definitions for action research are:
a "systemic inquiry that is collective, collaborative,
self-reflective, critical and undertaken by participants in the
inquiry" (McCutcheon and Jung 1990:148).
"a form of collective self-reflective inquiry undertaken by
participants in social situations in order to improve the rationality
and justice of their own social or educational practices, as well as
their understanding of these practices and the situations in which
these practices are carried out" (Kemmis and McTaggert 1990:5).
"action research aims to contribute both to the practical concerns
of people in an immediate problematic situation and to the goals of
social science by joint collaboration within a mutually acceptable
ethical framework" (Rapoport 1970:499 as cited in McKernan
1991:4)."
http://www.cchs.su.edu.au/Academic/CH/teaching/AR/journal/masters.html
------------------------------------------------
Have a nice day
John Paul Fullerton
jpf@myriad.net
--"John Paul Fullerton" <jpf@mail.myriad.net>
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>