Participatory Action Research (PAR)

Participatory Action Research (PAR) is an approach to enquiry which involves researchers and community members working together to generate practical knowledge about a problematic situation, and changing it for the better (Reason and Bradbury, 2007).

PAR's three primary goals are to (1) produce practical knowledge; (2) make that knowledge accessible through action; and (3) effect transformation.

Specific PAR attributes include:

· Focusing on change that promotes democracy

· Focusing on the needs of marginalised or disempowered groups

· Targeting the needs of a particular group (is context-specific)

· Committing to the participation of ordinary people as co-researchers

· Respecting the knowledge of all participants

· Involving iterative cycles of research, action and reflection

· Employing a range of different methods, both qualitative and quantitative

· Representing a philosophy of engagement in the research process rather than a research method

PAR is not a micro-level method but sets the scene for the development of research tools rather than relying on pre-existing ones. Therefore, PAR can be seen as a macro-level approach providing the foundation for research initiatives. PAR demonstrates constructivist, dialogical and proactive characteristics, with a strong focus on empowerment. Both researchers' and participants' values play a pivotal role.

PAR is a fluid process that is customised to meet the distinct needs, challenges and learning experiences of a specific group. Methods and modes of action emerge from a dialectic dialogue between action and reflection. Reflexivity in this context refers to the self-criticality exercised by the researcher, rendering each PAR project unique or, as Kidd & Kral (2005) put it, a ‘custom job.’

The defining features of PAR, including the involvement of ordinary users as co-researchers and an appreciation for the knowledge they contribute, shape the methods used. This process ensures that the results of the research are rooted in the lived experiences of the community, leading to interventions that are effective and sustainable.

Despite the fluid nature of its methods, PAR is not opposed to methodology or positivism. Instead, it focuses on fostering an evolving dialogue with community members to identify problems and develop research tools. This strategy prioritises knowledge generation and problem solving through community-led rather than expert-directed actions, leading to more context-specific, relevant and applicable knowledge capable of effecting meaningful change.

The cyclical nature of PAR, which involves repeating cycles of research, action and reflection, also dictates the methods employed. This approach challenges entrenched beliefs in the status quo by encouraging novelty, curiosity, resistance and the reimagining of research design. PAR champions openness and the inclusion of diverse perspectives and experiences.

Establishing an authentically participatory context is uncommon in other research approaches. Disempowered groups are rarely given participatory opportunities due to factors such as being under-valued or under-represented, or their knowledge not being heard or understood (Fals-Borda, 1991). This situation is exacerbated by the tendency for dominant power structures to perpetuate this exclusion. This not necessarily intentional and, indeed, often the opposite.

Fals-Borda, O. (1991). Action and knowledge: Breaking the monopoly with Participatory Action Research. Fals-Borda, O. and Rahman, M. A. (Eds). Rugby, UK: Practical Action Publishing.

Kidd, S. A. and Kral, M. J. (2005). Practicing participatory action research. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 52 (2), pp.187–195.

Reason, P. and Bradbury, H. (2007). The SAGE handbook of action research: Participative inquiry and practice. 2nd ed. Reason, P. and Bradbury-Huang, H. (Eds). Thousand Oaks, CA, USA: SAGE Publications.

November 2023

The cyclical nature of PAR