Overcoming Challenges in Writing About Action Research—The Promise of the Development Story

• Published in: Systemic practice and action research 2007-02, Vol.20 (1), p.77-89
• Main Authors: Hildrum, Jarle, Strand, Geir Liavåg
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Action research; Collaboration; Communities of practice; Learning; Organization development; Organization theory; Organizational learning; Recipes; Research centers; Researchers; Roles; Social sciences; Writing
• ISSN: 1094-429X; 1573-9295
• DOI: 10.1007/s11213-006-9051-3

There is great demand for articles and books describing what action researchers do but little methodological literature available explaining how researchers can go about writing such articles and books. This constitutes a serious challenge as writing high quality scientific texts is crucial for researchers to learn about and improve their practice. This paper addresses that challenge and offers a recipe for writing, the development story, which aims to help action researchers reflect deeply on their empirical observations and convert these into concise and meaningful texts. The main purpose is to examine how using the development story as a support tool for writing impacts on engaged researchers' field practice. We assess the value of the development story by using it to analyse and present an organizational development project in four Norwegian industrial service firms. We conclude that the development story can help instigating valuable reflection on the various roles researchers play out in the field, thereby helping them improve future practice. There is a need for more literature about analysis and writing adapted to the specific challenges of action research. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]