EMBRACING AMBIGUITIES AND VALUING OURSELVES - ISSUES OF VALIDITY IN ACTION RESEARCH

Further elucidation is required on the validity of action research. Th e tendency of nurse action researchers to rely on perspectives of vali dity horn qualitative or ethnographic research only gives a partial pi cture. Three categories of validity regarding action research are prop osed in order to develop understandings and to stimulate debate: diale ctical, critical and reflexive. Tensions and processes, moral responsi bilities, reflexivity and accounts of action research are discussed to illuminate the validity of action research. The complexity and contra dictions inherent even when attempting to demonstrate its validity are highlighted and illustrated with reference to examples of action rese arch.