What is Action Research?

The EVALOC project uses a collaborative action research based approach. Action research entails an iterative cycle of action and reflection.

It requires effective partnership collaboration between the researchers, communities and individuals; with the 6 communities becoming co-researchers and helping to shape the overall design, implementation and interpretation of the research programme and its outputs. As such, each LCC is represented on the project advisory board and work is discussed and negotiated at each stage.

 

The hybrid nature of action research requires a participatory and investigative approach by the researcher, working together with the communities to develop useful and actionable knowledge, and at the same time, effective and inclusive decision making processes specific for their community context.

 

Action research involves working interactively on both community and household level, culminating in the dissemination and knowledge transfer workshops to catalyse and facilitate exchange of knowledge between the different communities and policymakers. It helps to develop and test a ‘toolkit’ to empower communities to self-monitor, evaluate and communicate their moves in the direction of becoming low carbon communities. And in line with action research, it will build on the experience of the professional researchers, as well as the experience and tacit knowledge in each community.