Action research, a political choice

Can science be neutral? Normally, researchers try as far as possible to stick to the facts, the discoveries made by their protocol, etc. But can we really speak of total neutrality? But can we really speak of total neutrality?

In general, most initiatives start from a hypothesis, i.e. a preconceived idea held by specialists. The research work will lead to the confirmation or invalidation of the latter. Complete impartiality is therefore not as prevalent as we might think. Add to this influences and conflicts of interest, certain analysis bias scandals, cherry-picking and other shenanigans, and it seems hard to say that every study is neutral.

But is neutrality always necessary? Ideally, yes, and that's why method analysis and meta-analyses are important. On the other hand, is it a bad thing if it isn't? An alternative approach to research is very field-based. Its objective is not the same as others. The idea is to change ways of doing things in order to better meet needs. It's called action research.

Transforming environments in concrete ways

The basic idea of the pioneers of action research was to get out of the laboratories and into the field with practitioners, whatever their chosen discipline. The idea was to work with them to improve their approaches. The method has evolved over the generations to focus not only on practitioners, but also on the context of the organizations at the heart of the research. In Latin America in the 1960s, for example, researchers took into account the rise of popular and social movements.

Action research implies a paradox of its own. Researchers must maintain a certain distance from their environment, while at the same time becoming involved. Involvement is at the very heart of the philosophy behind this approach. Some might say that this is activism, but action research tries to avoid this trap by meeting methodological and relational criteria:

• Credibility of the portrait
• Transferability of research findings
• Reliability, even lucidity, of the researcher's judgments and interpretations
• Internal consistency, showing that the researcher has not been overly influenced by his or her personality and the tools used
• Balance of viewpoints
• Authenticity, showing that the participants' knowledge has been deepened
• Respect for democratic values and principles, with everyone able to express themselves freely, without constraints from the researcher.

Research must also lead to conclusions and methods that can be implemented and adopted by the players involved. It can also involve users or people living with certain problems such as poverty, dependency, mental or physical health problems, etc., which can lead to other complications.

This can lead to certain other complications, as this Canadian article reminds us: it can be trickier to recruit people from the general public and keep them motivated in the context of a study, all the more so if the research touches on traumatic, difficult subjects, and so on. Ethical questions also arise concerning power, remuneration, the place of participants, and so on. UQAM's Service aux collectivités has produced a directory of methodological tools to help you.

Interest everywhere

This emphasis on action research and citizen involvement in analysis is being felt in many sectors. The decolonial approach to certain aspects of community and education is reflected in this research method.

Redactology seeks to make it easier to write documents using this strategy. In recent years, the legal community has been taking an increasing interest. Companies are well aware that legal leverage is often much easier for the well-off. The idea of community justice relies on action research to find ways for everyone to defend their rights if they have been infringed.

Intersectoral approaches, social polarization and those living in poverty are almost self-evident targets for action research, since these themes require concrete action to bring about social change. Yet even the educational community benefits from the work of some researchers.

For example, virtual networks have designed tools to help teachers help each other, particularly during the covid-19 pandemic. Other research is also trying to give teachers techniques to develop their autonomy and confidence in their teaching, whether through approaches involving mentoring by the most experienced, for example.

Image: TyliJura from Pixabay

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