Research Perspectives: Improving Action Research by Integrating Methods

Action research (AR) has developed extensively since the 1970s. We reviewed the AR literature within the information systems (IS) discipline and found 16 different methods, which constitutes a problematic situation for researchers. We describe and critique those methods before integrating their strengths to improve the AR method that is most frequently practiced in IS: canonical action research (CAR). The existing set of principles and criteria for CAR is modified and elaborated to enhance the foundation for undertaking AR consistently. We discuss the general implications of this improved form of the method, which we name integrated action research (IAR). We specifically suggest how IAR can be used to investigate the application of disruptive technologies, including those that embody artificial intelligence and enable more flexible and socially distanced work.

Automated summary

This article reviews the literature on action research within the information systems discipline, identifies 16 different methods, and proposes integrating their strengths to improve the canonical action research method. The principles and criteria for canonical action research are modified and expanded to enhance the consistency of undertaking action research, leading to a new method called integrated action research. The potential applications of integrated action research, particularly in investigating disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence, are discussed.