Bringing Research to Life Through Action Research Methods

The intuitive notion of action research — planning with individuals to try something out, studying what happens when the change is implemented, making appropriate revisions, and then trying it again — appeals to researchers interested in using the practical knowledge of the people they study, simultaneously allowing them to develop strong personal connections. This paper provides an overview of action research methods and their potential use in applied social research on aging and the elderly. The first section defines terms and gives examples of action research. The second section reviews work in this field, and the final section presents four questions for gerontologists to consider.