library action research project

Research Methodologies Guide

• Action Research
• Bibliometrics
• Case Studies
• Content Analysis
• Digital Scholarship This link opens in a new window
• Documentary
• Ethnography
• Focus Groups
• Grounded Theory
• Life Histories/Autobiographies
• Longitudinal
• Participant Observation
• Qualitative Research (General)
• Quasi-Experimental Design
• Usability Studies

Action Re search

Acti on research is defined by O'Leary (2007) as

"Research strategies that tackle real-world problems in participatory, collaborative, and cyclical ways in order to produce both knowledge  and action."

It refers to a type of research methodology which works toward a kind of change (whether social or professional). Because its goals are oriented toward change rather than knowledge-gathering alone, active research studies are often based in everyday issues, and concern themselves with the creation of practical solutions to these problems.

Elements of action research studies include:

• Identify a problem
• Research the problem and its probable causes
• Develop a response to the problem
• Implement the proposed solution
• Observe the implementation of the solution
• Reflect on the results (and start over, if necessary)

For more in-depth information, browse the resources below:

Where to Start

Below, a few tools and online guides that can help you start your action research project are listed. These include free online resources and resources available only through ISU Library.

• Action Research Handout [pdf] From the University of Pittsburgh, this handout defines action research, how it can be carried out, and common features of this type of research.

Online Resources

• YouTube - What is Action Research? This video reviews action research as it is used in education.
• Action Research - Informal Education From the encyclopedia of information education, this is another helpful article on action research, featuring different ways of describing it.
• Action research - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Wikipedia can be a useful place to start your research- check the citations at the bottom of the article for more information.
• Center for Collaborative Action Research A website for collaboration in action research.
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• Last Updated: Sep 11, 2024 11:05 AM
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Action research.

• Getting Started
• Finding Action Research Studies
• Bibliography & Additional Resources

Education Liaison Librarian

What is Action Research?

Action research involves a systematic process of examining the evidence. The results of this type of research are practical, relevant, and can inform theory. Action research is different than other forms of research as there is less concern for universality of findings, and more value is placed on the relevance of the findings to the researcher and the local collaborators.

Riel, M. (2020). Understanding action research. Center For Collaborative Action Research, Pepperdine University.  Retrieved January 31, 2021 from the Center for Collaborative Action Research.  https://www.actionresearchtutorials.org/  

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The short video below by John Spencer provides a quick overview of Action Research.

How is Action Research different?

This chart demonstrates the difference between traditional research and action research. Traditional research is a means to an end - the conclusion. They start with a theory, statistical analysis is critical and the researcher does not insert herself into the research.

Action research is often practiced by practitioners like teachers and librarians who remain in the middle of the research process. They are looking for ways to improve the specific situation for their clientele or students. Statistics may be collected but they are not the point of the research.

Adapted from: Mc Millan, J. H. & Wergin. J. F. (1998). Understanding and evaluating educational research. Prentice-Hall, Inc.

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• Last Updated: Aug 26, 2024 12:10 PM
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Using Qualitative Methods in Action Research: How Librarians Can Get to the Why of Data

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• Description
• Table of Contents
• About the authors

While quantitative research provides librarians with calculations and metrics of effectiveness, qualitative research, in its exploration of assumptions, value, and opinion, makes possible a deeper understanding of the subtleties of user interaction with library services and collections. This volume explains the basic tenets of qualitative research in an easily understandable fashion, and details action research projects that academic librarians can undertake with their patrons. Part 1 provides a theoretical and practical overview of the process of qualitative and action research. Part 2 includes reports of a number of research projects on fairly common problems found in libraries. The final section of the book includes examples of qualitative research and assessment focused on such topics of the day as information literacy. This book is appropriate for academic librarians, academic libraries, schools of information science and librarianship, library educators, and researchers.

Acknowledgments, Introduction, Arrangement of the Book

(Douglas Cook, Lesley Farmer)

(Marie L. Radford)

PART 1: QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN THE LIBRARY Chap 1. Qualitative Research and the Librarian (Lesley Farmer) Chap 2. The Recursive Cycle of Qualitative Action Research (Douglas Cook) Chap 3. Getting Ready to Turn Your Everyday Work into Meaningful Inquiry: Foundational Literature in Qualitative and Action Research (Cordelia Zinskie and Judi Repman) PART 2: USEFUL METHODOLOGIES OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH Chap 4. Teaching Alone and Together: A Narrative Inquiry (Roberta Tipton and Patricia Bender) Chap 5. Understanding Social Networking: The Benefit of Discourse Analysis (Mariaelena Bartesaghi and Ardis Hanson) Chap 5. Remote and Rural Voices: Using Interviews to Understand the Information Literacy Experience of Alaskan Special Educators (Jennifer Diane Ward and Thomas Scott Duke) Observing Relationship Building in the Library Instruction Classroom: Peer Observation and Consultation (Carolyn L. Cook and Karla M. Schmit) Chap 7. Content Analysis: Deconstructing Intellectual Packages (Penny M. Beile) Chap 8. Using Focus Groups to Understand User Needs and Forge New Directions (Michael Weber and Robert Flatley) Chap 9. Performance-based Self-assessment of a Library Liaison Program Using a Rubric (Aaron Dobbs and Doug Cook) PART 3: ISSUES ADDRESSED THROUGH QUALITATIVE RESEARCH Chap 10. Analyzing LibQUAL+ Comments to Inform Library Decision Making (David A. Nolfi and Laverna M. Saunders) Chap 11. Design and Analysis Challenges in a Multicampus Research Study (Robin Brown and Willis C. Walker) Chap 12. Approaching Information Literacy Qualitatively (Janice Krueger) Chap 13. The Reference Interview in Real Time and in Virtual Time (Isabelle Flemming and Lesley Farmer) Chap 14. Seeing Is Learning: The Synergy of Visual Literacy (Alessia Zanin-Yost) Chap 15. Collective Action: Qualitative Methods for Library Collection Development (LeRoy Jason LaFleur) Afterword. An Enduring Epistemology of Practice

(David Carr)

Contributors' Biographies Index

Douglas Cook

Douglas Cook is an instruction librarian and professor at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania. He received his MLS from the University of Maryland and DEd from Pennsylvania State University. He has recently coedited five books: with Tasha Cooper, Teaching Information Literacy Skills to Social Science Students and Practioners (2006); with Ryan Sittler, Practical Pedagogy for Library Instructors (2008) and The Library Instruction Cookbook (2009); with Lesley Farmer, Using Qualitative Methods in Action Research (2011); and a children's book with Carolyn Cook, A Hike on the Appalachian Trail (2010). His current research interests are web-centered pedagogy and real-world definitions of information literacy.

Lesley S. J. Farmer

Dr. Lesley S. J. Farmer , professor at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), coordinates the Teacher Librarian Program and manages the CSU Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Literacy Project Literacy Project. She earned her MS in library science at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and received her doctorate in adult education from Temple University. Farmer has worked as a librarian in K–12 school settings as well as in public, special, and academic libraries. She chaired the Special Libraries Association’s Education Divisions and IFLA’s School Library Section. Farmer is a Fulbright scholar and has received national and international grants. She has also been honored with several professional association awards, including the Ken Haycock Award for Promoting Librarianship. Farmer’s research interests include ICT, media literacies, and data analytics. A frequent presenter and writer for the profession, Farmer has published three dozen professional books and more than two hundred professional book chapters and articles. She received the Special Libraries Association's 2023 Rose L. Vormelker Award, which recognizes mid-career members for teaching and mentorship.

Research Methods and Design

• Action Research
• Case Study Design
• Literature Review
• Quantitative Research Methods
• Qualitative Research Methods
• Mixed Methods Study
• Indigenous Research and Ethics This link opens in a new window
• Identifying Empirical Research Articles This link opens in a new window
• Research Ethics and Quality
• Data Literacy
• Get Help with Writing Assignments

Action research

A type of applied research designed to find the most effective way to bring about a desired social change or to solve a practical problem, usually in collaboration with those being researched.

SAGE Research Methods Videos

How do you define action research.

Professor David Coghlan explains action research as an approach that crosses many academic disciplines yet has a shared focus on taking action to address a problem. He describes the difference between this approach and empirical scientific approaches, particularly highlighting the challenge of getting action research to be taken seriously by academic journals

Dr. Nataliya Ivankova defines action research as using systematic research principles to address an issue in everyday life. She delineates the six steps of action research, and illustrates the concept using an anti-diabetes project in an urban area.

This is just one segment in a whole series about action research. You can find the rest of the series in our SAGE database, Research Methods:

Videos covering research methods and statistics

Further Reading

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• Last Updated: May 7, 2024 9:51 AM

CityU Home - CityU Catalog

Action Research

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J. Spencer Clark, Kansas State University

Suzanne Porath, Kansas State University

Julie Thiele, Kansas State University

Morgan Jobe, Kansas State University

Copyright Year: 2020

Last Update: 2024

ISBN 13: 9781944548292

Publisher: New Prairie Press

Language: English

Formats Available

Conditions of use.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• About the Authors
• What is Action Research for Classroom Teachers?
• Action Research as a Process for Professional Learning and Leadership
• Planning Your Research: Reviewing the Literature and Developing Questions
• Preparing for Action Research in the Classroom: Practical Issues
• Collecting Data in Your Classroom
• Analyzing Data from Your Classroom
• Let it Be Known! Sharing your Results
• The Action Research Process from a High School ELA Teacher’s Perspective

Ancillary Material

About the book.

Action research is a common journey for graduate students in education and other human science fields. This book attempts to meet the needs of graduate students, in-service teachers, and any other educators interested in action research and/or self-study. The chapters of this book draw on our collective experiences as educators in a variety of educational contexts, and our roles guiding educator/researchers in various settings. All of our experiences have enabled us to question and refine our own understanding of action research as a process and means for pedagogical improvement. The primary purpose of this book is to offer clear steps and practical guidance to those who intend to carry out action research for the first time. As educators begin their action research journey, we feel it is vital to pose four questions: 1) What is action research, and how is it distinct from other educational research?; 2) When is it appropriate for an educator to conduct an action research project in their context?; 3) How does an educator conduct an action research project?; 4) What does an educator do with the data once the action research project has been conducted? We have attempted to address all four questions in the chapters of this book.

About the Contributors

J. Spencer Clark is an Associate Professor of Curriculum Studies at Kansas State University. He has used action research methodology for the past 17 years, in K-12 schools and higher education. More recently, for the past 10 years he has taught action research methods to teachers in graduate and licensure degree programs. He also has led secondary student action research projects in Indiana, Utah, and Kansas. Clark also utilizes action research methodology in his own research. Much of his research has focused on understanding and developing teacher agency through clinical and professional learning experiences that utilize aspects of digital communication, inquiry, collaboration, and personalized learning. He has published in a variety of journals and edited books on teacher education, technology, inquiry-based learning, and curriculum development.

Suzanne Porath has been an English Language Arts, history, and humanities classroom teacher and reading teacher for 13 years before becoming a teacher educator. She has taught in Wisconsin and American international schools in Brazil, Lithuania, and Aruba when she conducted her own action research projects. Before accepting her current position as an assistant professor at Kansas State University in Curriculum and Instruction, she taught at Concordia University and Edgewood College in Wisconsin. She has taught action research methods at the graduate level and facilitated professional development through action research in school districts. She is the lead editor of Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research  https://newprairiepress.org/networks/ .

Julie Thiele , PhD. is an Assistant Professor at Kansas State University.  She teaches math education courses, math and science education courses and graduate research courses. Prior to teaching at KSU, she taught elementary and middle school, and led her district level professional learning community, focusing on implementing effective, research-based teaching practices.

Morgan M. Jobe is a program coordinator in the College of Education at Kansas State University, where she also earned a bachelor’s degree in secondary education and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction. Morgan taught high school English-Language Arts for ten years in two different Kansas school districts before returning to Kansas State University as a staff member. Her research interests include diversity and equity issues in public education, as well as action research in teacher education programs.

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