SIG: Action Research

Welcome to the public Action Research Page

The focus of the AR SIG at ISSS is on the application of action research approaches to Systems Sciences where Action Research is defined as a participatory, democratic process concerned with developing practical knowing in the pursuit of worthwhile human purposes, grounded in a participatory worldview which we believe is emerging at this historical moment. It seeks to bring together action and reflection, theory and practice, in participation with others, in the pursuit of practical solutions of pressing concern to people and more generally the flourishing of individual persons and their communities. (Reason and Bradbury 2008, p. 4).

What to expect on the Member Page

On the member only page we provide members with Reading lists of seminal papers in AR as well as the latest publications in our field of AR from a systems thinking perspective.

You will find videos from discussion sessions attended by ISSS members discussing their use of AR.

We also focus on the coherence of AR and other SIGs in the ISSS. Currently our focus is on the Critical Social Theory perspective that some action researchers share with Critical Systems Thinking.