New Forms of Knowledge Production and the Role of Action Research

Abstract

In efforts to combine theory and practice, action research confronts a challenge that pertains to all kinds of research. It is, consequently, a challenge that is subject to much discussion, not least in fields like epistemology. These discussions provide valuable points and insights but they cannot be converted directly into research positions, which also demand consideration of practical issues. When research sets out to learn from practices a new challenge emerges: how is this learning to take place? Can the single researcher understand the world or is there a need for social relationships between (many) actors to develop this learning? This contribution discusses the theory-practice challenge and the need for new forms of social relationships within the research community itself.

Principled Promotion of Health: Implementing Five Guiding Health Promotion Principles for Research-Based Prevention and Management of Diabetes

“…During the first seven years, our research has been characterized by approaches inspired by co-creation and action research [42,43]. We are continuously in partnerships with various collaborators (hospitals, local authorities, schools, etc.)…”

Editorial

“…PAR is gaining recognition and acceptance as its applications demonstrate that PAR is a new form of knowledge production with the capacity to catalyze social change (Gustavsen, 2003). Nurse researchers passionate about generating knowledge that enlightens understandings about the systems nature of health embrace PAR as an essential research strategy.…”

“…Gustavsen (2001) understands action research as a relationship among three discourses: a discourse on theory, a discourse on practice, and a mediating discourse on how to link them. Gustavsen (2001Gustavsen ( , 2003 posits that the development of social relationships among stakeholders is a strategy that, if used in action research, opens spaces throughout the research process wherein "mediating" discourses can catalyze positive change.…”

“…The upfront and ongoing work of a PAR is time-consuming and costly and may encompass activities that are not valued or supported by the academy such as the development of research partnerships (Gibbon, 2002;Green et al, 1995). Specific challenges to researchers of PAR noted in the literature include attracting funding, participant recruitment and retention, ethical considerations (accessing informed consent and protecting participants from harm), reconciling research interests, understanding and working effectively with the relational and communicative aspects of PAR, and generating rigorous research products (Brydon-Miller & Greenwood, 2006;Fals Borda, 2001;Fox, Morford, Fine, & Gibbons, 2004;Gibbon, 2002;Green et al, 1995;Gustavsen, 2003;Kelly & Van Vlaenderen, 1996).…”

Value of action research in new healthcare: The importance of advancing action research through relational networks

“…For action researchers, with its integration of subjectivity as a central feature of a relational paradigm, replication and generalizability are entirely reimagined as a practice of building related networks through which findings can spread and garner more co-researching. Bjørn Gustavsen (2003) argues that action research needs to be understood less in terms of individual projects and more about creating and supporting social networks of linked up action researchers engaged with similar issues. In the case of healthcare research this means designing our work so as to link up with like-minded colleagues who are working with healthcare patients as co-researchers, thus amplifying and sharing findings available through our networks.…”