and employed an emergent simultaneous mixed-methods design utilizing Delphi and learning circles methodologies. The findings include 30 distinguishing characteristics of action research practiced within this knowledge community. The discussion addresses the challenges associated with defining action research, specific definitional issues, and prospects for opening dialogical spaces within which action researchers co-create knowledge. Potential implications for action research include: constructing boundaries of conceptual frameworks in action research; fostering coherence across action research studies; contributing to quality and rigor in critiquing action research; and supporting deeper dialogue on the established boundaries of action research frameworks.

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Thirty six billion gallons of renewable fuel is US government-mandated by 2022, of which approximately 21 billion gallons will originate from cellulosic sources. This presents a challenge to the cellulosic biofuel industry, although it provides a window of opportunity to bring vision, policy, and science together to guide the industry's sustainable development. The objective of this research was to utilize current scientific knowledge and farmers' practical experience to identify basic characteristics of the cellulosic biofuel industry that will allow it to be most functional and sustainable, such that policy might be developed, if needed, to favorably shape the industry. This study's key participants included 14 scientists actively engaged in biofuel research and 44 farmers or agriculture professionals. The methods used in this study included (1) an integrated open forum and focus group discussions with scientists and (2) a triangulation of a survey and focus group discussion with farmers. Environmental, social, technological, and logistics criteria for four conversion facility configurations were assessed. Scientists assessed multiple-feedstock-species configurations more favorably than single-species configurations for environmental metrics and high/stable feedstock production. They also assessed distributed units as having fewer logistic challenges than centralized processing units. Distributed multiple-species configurations were also assessed to have greater rural development opportunity than other configurations. In contrast, the centralized singlespecies configuration was consistently assessed as not different from, or less favorable than, the other three configurations for all of the criteria assessed. Farmers have a significant need and desire for education about the emerging cellulosic biofuel industry but anticipated environmental challenges associated with single-species conversion platforms.Key words: cellulosic biofuels-rapid assessment-natural resources-water quality Renewable liquid fuel goals for the United States are based on a combination of fuels produced from starch, oil seed crops, and cellulose. The biodiesel-and starchbased ethanol industries are arguably fully developed, although there may be future market-based expansion or contractions. While this segment of our renewable liquid fuel portfolio is significant, it is overshadowed by the expected ethanol contribution from cellulosic sources (CAST 2007;Perlack et al. 2005). Thirty six billion gallons of renewable fuel is currently mandated by 2022 (Energy and Natural Resources Committee 2007), of which approximately 21 billion gallons will originate from cellulosic sources, assuming suitably rapid development of this technology occurs. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 indicates that cellulosic ethanol will enter the market in substantial quantities by about 2016 (Sissine 2007), but in 2011, there were few independent commercial suppliers of this fuel. This presents a challenge to the cellulosic biofuel industry, ...

This chapter introduces the idea of an integrated framework for research. The framework is defined as a model that can be used by people within an organization—leaders, colleagues, practitioner–researchers, and evaluators—to improve practice and solve problems in context. The chapter introduces this integrated framework in a way that readers can understand its connection to their settings and apply the underlying principles to their own work. In addition, terminology related to action research and evaluation is introduced. Critical questions are provided that will help readers apply the concepts addressed in this chapter. Finally, the described model serves as the foundation on which all other chapters’ contents are developed.