In
this fourth orientation session, the four orientation sessions
and the 14 learning sessions are summarised
Orientation
sessions: 1 2 3 4
Learning
sessions: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
This is a description
of the files archived from the mailing list areol-r-l, an on
line course in action research and evaluation. The
session files are available as web pages in the following
directory
URL
http://www.uq.net.au/action_research/areol/
with names from
areol-intro01.html to
areol-intro04.html and
areol-session01.html to areol-session14.html
The additional
resource files will be found at
URL
http://www.uq.net.au/action_research/arr/filename.html
(of course, with the
actual file name replacing "filename").
You will also find
them as plain ascii text files at
URL
ftp://ftp.scu.edu.au/www/arr/filename.txt
with names
areol-intro01.txt to
areol-intro04.txt and areol-session01.txt to
areol-session14.txt
Below I identify the
web version of the files. The text files have the same
file name but with "txt" substituted for "html".
[ index
]
There are four
orientation
files, sent
to people before the program begins, to help them prepare for
the actual sessions
- areol-intro01.html
- gives some
indication of the time commitment required of those taking
part in the program
-
- areol-intro02.html Session
A: Orientation
- a welcome to the
program and a summary of its structure. Action
research is briefly described as a family of methods which
pursue the dual outcomes of action and research. The
session also describes the content and structure of the
workshops. It explains that the emphasis will be on a
few specific models of action research. It describes
how pointers to further reading will be given, including
archived materials you can access. There will be
suggestions for activities, and (for some) an accompanying
discussion group
-
- areol-intro03.html Session
B: Learning groups
- an account of the
learning groups, and how they may be started and
maintained. The recommended early emphasis is on
community building, agreeing about goals, and deciding about
the process to be used
-
- areol-intro04.html Session
C: Program overview
- this file:
an overview of the files and other resources -- see
above
[ index
]
Session
1 gives a
number of examples of action research, including practitioner
or research activities for which action research is
suitable.
- areol-session01.html
- a number of
examples of action-~~ research-like processes are
given. Reference is made to two files describing
action research case studies in more detail.
- A number of ways
of describing action research are briefly mentioned.
The main emphasis is on the combination of action and
research, and on the cyclic nature.
Archived
resources:
- case1.html
- an evaluation
case study using convergent inter-viewing and focus
groups to improve the quality of data and
interpretations
- URL:
http://www.uq.net.au/action_research/arp/case1.html
-
- case2.html
- an action case
study in community consultation, demonstrating high
stakeholder involvement
- URL:
http://www.uq.net.au/action_research/arp/case2.html
- arfaq.html
- a partial
"frequently-asked-questions" file
- URL:
http://www.uq.net.au/action_research/arp/arfaq.html
- guide.html
- a beginners
guide to action research
- URL:
http://www.uq.net.au/action_research/arp/guide.html
- actlearn.html
- the
relationship between action research and action
learning
- URL:
http://www.uq.net.au/action_research/arp/actlearn.html
[ index
]
Session
2 describes
the overall change process
- areol-session02.html
- the change
process and action research: a broad overview of
processes for both action and research. The action is
achieved by applying the principles of change -- most often
participative change. In planning and conducting
action research, change and understanding can be achieved
together, and each can assist the other
Archived
resources:
- rigour.html
- methods of
achieving rigour in situations also requiring
flexibility
- URL:
http://www.uq.net.au/action_research/arp/rigour.html
- change.html
- a more
detailed description of the overall change process and
its incorporation within action research
- URL:
http://www.uq.net.au/action_research/arp/change.html
- choice.html
- a brief
account of some of the factors which might influence your
choice of action research as a research methodology
- URL:
http://www.uq.net.au/action_research/arp/choice.html
- philos.html
- A paper by Pam
Swepson on some of the philosophical underpinnings of
research
- URL:
http://www.uq.net.au/action_research/arp/philos.html
- naive.html
- An account of
a naive philosophy of science, and its relationship to
action research
- URL:
http://www.uq.net.au/action_research/arp/naive.html
[ index
]
Sessions
3 to 5 cover
the important issues to do with entry and contracting, and
participation and involvement
- areol-session03.html entry
and contracting
- This session
addresses the beginnings of an action research
project. It suggests that the important elements of
the start of a project are the forming of close and trusting
relationships, and the negotiation of goals and roles.
It suggests that entry and contracting are ongoing, repeated
from time to time, and for each new client who becomes
involved
- Archived
resources:
- communicn.html
- an overview of
communication skills for expression and listening, and
for managing the overall process
- URL:
http://www.uq.net.au/action_research/arp/communicn.html
- argyris.html
- a summary by
Liane Anderson of the views of Chris Argyris. In
particular it deals with the difference between what we
think we believe, and the beliefs that might be deduced
from our actions
- URL:
http://www.uq.net.au/action_research/arp/argyris.html
- argyris2.html
- This fairly
lengthy file is the first part of the book Values in
action: applying the ideas of Argyris and
Schon, by Bob Dick and Tim Dalmau. It describes
some of the concepts which the authors have found most
practical in their design of processes
- URL:
http://www.uq.net.au/action_research/arp/argyris2.html
- valwb.html
- a summary of a
workbook exercise, based on concepts from Argyris, which
enables the analysis of a situation which you didn't
handle as well as you would wish
- URL:
http://www.uq.net.au/action_research/arp/valwb.html
- [ index
]
-
- areol-session04.html participation
and involvement
- Different
varieties of stakeholders are identified, as are different
levels of involvement. This session provides some
overall concepts in preparation for the next, more
practical, session
- Archived
resources
- stake.html
- A description
of a process for stakeholder analysis. It helps you
to decide when you need more information about a
stakeholder, and which stakeholders it is most important
to involve
- URL:
http://www.uq.net.au/action_research/arp/stake.html
- partproc.html
- In this file I
identify seven differentfunctions in which participants
might becomeinvolved. I suggest that, for each
function, adifferent decision about who to involve may be
made
- URL:
http://www.uq.net.au/action_research/arp/partproc.html
- comcon.html
- This file, in
the form of a checklist, guides the reader through the
design of a process for community consultation
- URL:
http://www.uq.net.au/action_research/arp/comcon.html
- involv.html
- This file
outlines some of the issues in creating involvement in an
organisational setting
- URL:
http://www.uq.net.au/action_research/arp/involv.html
- partic.html
- A brief
listing prepared by Vikki Uhlmann of the main advantages
of participation
- URL:
http://www.uq.net.au/action_research/arp/partic.html
[ index
]
- areol-session05.html achieving
participation
- Applying the
principles of the two preceding sessions, this session
describes in more detail how high involvement can be
achieved. In particular, it addresses the selection of
representatives, the need for communication between them and
other stakeholders, and ways of building high-quality
involvement into group work
- Archived
resources
- focus.html
- a form of
focus group, more than usually structured to increase
data quality, to involve participants more in
interpretation, and to allow more diverse participants to
be involved in a group
- URL:
http://www.uq.net.au/action_research/arp/focus.html
- consulpro.html
- is a resource
document for members of consultative groups. It
contains some general advice, and brief descriptions of
some useful participative processes
- URL:
http://www.uq.net.au/action_research/arp/consulpro.html
- localmeet.html
- gives a
step-by-step process for organising neighbourhood
meetings, local meetings hosted by a member of the
community, and capable of achieving high participation
rates
- URL:
http://www.uq.net.au/action_research/arp/localmeet.html
- gfa.html
- describes a
participative and action-oriented version of group
feedback analysis, a small group survey technique which
can be substituted for a large-sample written survey with
data feedback
- URL:
http://www.uq.net.au/action_research/arp/gfa.html
- dtuwb.html
- An ascii file
based on the "Discussing the undiscussable"
workbook. It can be used to help a small group or
learning group learn more about the factors that inhibit
openness and directness of communication
- URL:
http://www.uq.net.au/action_research/arp/dtuwb.html
[ index
]
Some action research
is done mainly for the action. Sessions 2 to 5, above,
dealt primarily with issues more relevant in such
research
Other action research
is more for the research than the action.
Session
6 addresses
ways of achieving rigour. It also refers to archived
resources relevant to action research for publication, or for
theses
- areol-session06.html Achieving
rigour
- A number of ways
of increasing the rigour of action research are
discussed. These include: the use of multiple
cycles which alternate action with critical reflection;
combining data collection and interpretation; and the use of
later cycles to test the data and interpretations from
earlier cycles. Overall, the emphasis is on the
vigorous pursuit of disconfirming evidence and
interpretations
- Archived
resources
- rigour.html
- describes,
from a practitioner's perspective, whyexperimental and
quasi-experimental methods areoften hard to apply in
field settings
- URL:
http://www.uq.net.au/action_research/arp/rigour.html
- rigour2.html
- explains how
rigour and economy of effort can bothbe improved without
sacrificing flexibility
- URL:
http://www.uq.net.au/action_research/arp/rigour2.html
- rigour3.html
- is a paper
delivered to the 1999 qualitative research conference on
sources of rigour in action research,some of which are
also applicable to qualitative research generally
- URL:
http://www.uq.net.au/action_research/arp/rigour2.html
- phd.html
- A brief
account of one approach to action research for thesis
purposes; it offers some suggestions for checking that
your study is adequate both as a change process and a
research process
- URL:
http://www.uq.net.au/action_research/arp/phd.html
- research.html
- Action
research for publication and for theses,with particular
attention to documentation andwriting-up
- URL:
http://www.uq.net.au/action_research/arp/research.html
[ index
]
Sessions
7 to 9
introduce the topic of process design, and illustrate it
through a variety of processes which can be used for data
collection and analysis in action research
- areol-session07.html Data
collection
- This session
provides a categorisation of process types. It
distinguishes between adversarial, consensual and dialectic
processes, and recommends using either consensual or
dialectical. Consensual process work when agreement is
easily established. Dialectical processes are
indicated where agreement is substantial: they create
agreement from disagreement. Delphi, a forecasting
technique drawing on a panel of experts, is used to
illustrate some of the features of dialectical processes
- Archived
resources
- dialectic.html
- This document
offers a slightly extended discussion of adversarial,
consensual and dialectical processes
- URL:
http://www.uq.net.au/action_research/arp/dialectic.html
- delphi.html
- Descriptions
of a conventional delphi, conducted by mail, and a
face-to-face version
- URL:
http://www.uq.net.au/action_research/arp/delphi.html
- [ index
]
-
- areol-session08.html convergent
interviewing
- Convergent
interviewing is an example of a style of interviewing which
includes dialectical processes as a way of developing a
higher quality of information and interpretation. Like
delphi, it attempts to resolve disagreements. It does
this by developing probe questions which delve for deeper
information and interpretations from interview to
interview
- Archived
resources
- iview.html
- This document
provides a more detailed description of a typical
interview, and of a series of interviews
- URL:
http://www.uq.net.au/action_research/arp/iview.html
- [ index
]
