RECONSIDERING ACTION RESEARCH AS A GUIDING METAPHOR FOR PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

Action research is proposed as a more appropriate guiding metaphor for inquiry in professional psychology than applied research as tradition ally conceived and practiced. Institutional, social, and ideological f actors that affect the research practices of psychologists are conside red in the context of contemporary knowledge production. The history o f action research and its justification with a pragmatist epistemology are given. Its value in promoting a culture of inquiry based on colla borative norms and the reciprocity of theory and practice is argued, S pecific characteristics of action research are explained and illustrat ed with examples from diverse areas of professional psychology. Implic ations for professional knowledge, research, training, and practice ar e discussed. (C) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.