Abstract
The article reflects on experience of action research in the context of regional development, where there has been pressure to produce practical results. The epistemological status of Action Research is explored, in contrast to conventional social science research. The article concludes that an ongoing relationship with conventional social research is necessary.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adorno TW, Albert H, Dahrendorf R, Habermas J, Pilot H, Popper K (1976) The positivist dispute in german sociology. Heinemann, London
Argyris C, Putnam R, Smith D (1985) Action science: concepts, methods, and skills for research and intervention. Jossey-Bass Inc. Publishers, San Francisco
Ayer AJ (1990) The central questions of philosophy. Penguin Books, London
Blurrell G, Morgan G (1982) Sociological paradigms and organisational analysis. Gower, Aldershot
Derrida J (2004) Writing and differences. Routledge, London
Gibbons M et al (1994) The new production of knowledge: the dynamics of science and research in contemporary societies. Sage, London
Greenwood DJ (2002) Action research: unfulfilled promises and unmet challenges.Concept Transform 7(7):117–139
Greenwood DJ, Levin M (1998) An introduction to action research. Sage, Thousand Oaks
Gustavsen B (2004) Making knowledge actionable: from theoretical centralism to distributive constructivism. Concept Transform 9(2): 147–180
Habermas J (1974) Theory and practice. Heinemann Education Books Ltd, London
Habermas J (1997) The theory of communicative action. Volume one: Reason and the realization of society. Volume two: Lifeworld and system: a critique of functuionalist reason. Polity Press, Cambridge
Habermas J (1998) Between facts and norms: contribution to a discourse theory of law and democracy. The MIT Press, Cambridge
Johnsen HCG (2001) Involvement at work—a study of communicative processes and individual involvement in organisational development. Samfundslitteratur, København
Johnsen HCG (2005a) Aksjonsfaget: Fra det økonomiske demokratiet til den kommunikative vendingen - et idéhistorisk perspektiv. In: Johnsen Åge (ed) Organisasjonsteori pånorsk. Oslo (fourthcomming)
Johnsen HCG (2005b) Den kommunikative vending i arbeidslivsforskningen – noen refleksjoner og erfaringer! Chapter in the antology: How to identify workplace learning? – Reflections on theories and methods concerning specific projects. Learning lab (fothcomming), København
Johnsen HCG, Karlsen J (2005) Action research design in a complex environment: the problem of accountability. Paper presentert på 3. Nationale Konferance: Metoder i Aksjonsforskning 4. og 5. November 2004 Ålborg Universitet. To be published by Ålborg University 2005
Johnsen HCG, Norman R (2004) “When research and practice collide: the role of action research when there is a conflict of interest with stakeholders”. Systemic Practice and Action Research, Vol. 17, No. 3, June
Johnsen HCG, Tor Claussen (2002) Democracy, participation and communicative change: When democracy becomes a means and not an end. In: Levin M (ed) Researching Enterprise Development. Action research on the cooperation between management and labour in Norway. John Benjamins Publishing Company, Amsterdam
Knorr Cetina K (1999) Epistemic cultures: how the sciences make knowledge. Harvard University Press, Cambridge
Levin M (ed) (2002) Researching enterprise development. Action research on the cooperation between management and labor in Norway. John Benjamins Publishing Company, Amsterdam
McKelvey B (2002) Postmodernism vs. truth in management theory. In: Ed Locke (ed) Modernism and Management: Pros, Cons, and Altrnatives. Elsevier, Amsterdam
Merton RK (1973) The sociology of science. University of Chicago Press, Chicago
Nowotny H, Scott P, Gibbons M (2001) Re-thinking science knowledge and the public in an age of uncertainty. Polity Press, Cambridge
Nozick R (2001) Invariance: the structure of the objective world. Harvard University Press, Cambridge
Pålshaugen Ø (2002) Discourse democracy at work: on public spheres in private enterprises. Concept Transform 7:1
Polanyi M (1966) The tacit dimension. Doubleday, New York
Popper K (1979) Objective knowledge. An evolutionary approach. The Clarendon Press, Oxford
Reason P, Bradbury H (eds) (2001) Handbook of action research: participative inquiry and practice. Sage, London
Ryle G (1949) The Concept of Mind. The Chicago University of Chicago Press, Chicago
Schön DA (1983) The reflective practitioner. Basic Books, New York
Skjervheim H (1959) Objectivism and the study of man. Universitetsforlaget, Oslo
Toulmin S (2001) Return to reason. Harvard University Press, Cambridge
Toulmin S, Gustavsen B (eds) (1996) Beyond theory: changing organizations through participation. John Benjamins Publishing Company, Amsterdam
Whyte WF (ed) (1991) Participatory action research. Sage, Newbury Park
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Johnsen, H.C.G. Action research and knowledge co-generation: a not so dangerous liaison with conventional social research. AI & Soc 19, 543–551 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-005-0320-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-005-0320-y