Action-based modes of inquiry and the host-researcher relationship

Contends that the notion of disturbing a system as the best way to understand it has profoundly altered the traditionally rigid boundary between scientist and S. This idea has evolved to become a systematic and distinctive approach that emphasizes active engagement with clients and co-learning. Three approaches to this type of effort are discussed: action research that aims to contribute both to the practical concerns of people in an immediate problematic situation and to further the goals of science simultaneously; action learning that describes the complex collaborative relationships required of organizational change efforts; and action science that takes purposeful action related to a particular phenomena. Two case studies illustrate important aspects of collaborative social intervention from the researcher/consultant's side.