408 Action Research Toc
408 Action Research Toc
ABSTRACT
Formulate a one-sentence answer for each question, and then combine them into one paragraph.
1.What is the purpose of your research?
2.What is the context of this problem?
3.What is the scope of this research? How many people, departments, and so on, will be measured or affected?
4.How many AR cycles of discovery, measurable action, and reflection were included?
5.What research questions do you hope to answer?
6.What outcomes do you hope to effect with your actions?
7.Who are the stakeholders for your project?
8.What limitations exist?
9.What contribution do you expect this research to make to yourself, your organization, and your field?
BACKGROUND
Write two to three paragraphs on the context of the problem. Include literature citations as appropriate. Back up
your ideas whenever possible with data. Cite and reference all data sources.
LOCAL CONTEXT
Write two to three paragraphs explaining the local context. Help the reader understand the issues as experienced
locally, as well as the importance of the research. The local context refers to what is currently going on with the
issue. Back up the explanations with citations and references from the literature. Use data to quantify your
ideas, and cite and reference data sources.
PERSONAL CONTEXT
Write two to six paragraphs describing your relationship to and part in this research. Answer the following
questions:
1.What is your relationship to the organization where you will be conducting the research?
2.What permissions are needed for data collection and analysis? From whom do you need to get permission?
Have you already collected those permissions?
3.Will the change you hope to effect be better served with the ongoing support of a team? If so, will you be
gathering a team to conduct PAR? If so, describe the composition of your team, their roles, how often they
will meet, and a timeline for the completion of the project.
4.Describe your personal history in relation to the issue you will be studying and, if a PAR project, your
personal history with the other participants.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
List one to four questions you would like to begin to answer:
1. What new information is needed?
2. What new data is needed?
3. What new types of actions are needed?
Adapted from Action Research for Business, Nonprofit, & Public Administration (p. 1
275), by E.A. James, T. Slater, and A. Bucknam (2012), Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Copyright [2012] by Sage Publications, Inc.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Insert a beginning paragraph about the proven efficacy of AR, and then answer the following questions under
subheadings relating to each step in the cycle. Each section will likely be three to eight paragraphs with
citations and references from the literature, data from your local context, and explanations as appropriate.
DISCOVERY
1.What discovery questions do you need answered prior to taking action toward your desired outcomes?
a. What data will be examined?
2.What research will be needed, and what tools will be used?
a. What other sources of data may be required, and how will they be gathered?
MEASURABLE ACTIONS
REFLECTION
1. What data source will you gather your data from (organizations, companies, etc.)?
2. Who will you gather your data from?
a. How will they be recruited (individually, as a group)?
b. What is their working relationship to you?
3. What types of data analysis will you engage (Qualitative interviews, surveys, reflective learning, etc.)?
ETHICAL ASSURANCES
Adapted from Action Research for Business, Nonprofit, & Public Administration (p. 2
275), by E.A. James, T. Slater, and A. Bucknam (2012), Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Copyright [2012] by Sage Publications, Inc.
4. How will you ensure the safety of your data?
5. What are the risks and benefits to the subjects for participation in your research?
EXPECTED RESULTS
DISCUSSION
This section is used to convince your reader that your expected results are reasonable. Back up the previous
section with a short discussion from research literature, literature on the issue you are studying, or on AR
literature.
FOLLOW-ON STUDIES
1. If it is not within your time limitations to fully answer all your research questions, what do you hope to
accomplish?
2. What are the remaining questions, and how will you address them? Over what period of time?
REFERENCES
Include APA-formatted references for all authors, works, and data cited herein.
APPENDENCES
Additional documentation as needed such as surveys, assessments, letters, interview questions, data log,
artifacts etc.
Adapted from Action Research for Business, Nonprofit, & Public Administration (p. 3
275), by E.A. James, T. Slater, and A. Bucknam (2012), Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Copyright [2012] by Sage Publications, Inc.