Abstract
Alongside the growing interest within HCI, and arguably computing more generally, in conducting research that has substantial societal benefits, there is a need for new ways to think about and to articulate the challenges of these engaged research projects as well as their results. Action Research (AR) is a class of methods and approaches for conducting democratic and collaborative research with community partners. AR has evolved over the last several decades and offers HCI researchers theoretical lenses, methodological approaches, and pragmatic guidance for conducting socially relevant, collaborative, and engaged research. In this article, I describe the historical context and origins of AR, the scientifically rigorous practice of conducting and evaluating AR projects, and the ways in which AR might meaningfully be applied to HCI research.
- Asaro, P. M. 2000. Transforming society by transforming technology: the science and politics of participatory design. Account. Manage. Inf. Tech. 10, 257--290.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Bach, P. M. and Twidale, M. 2010. Involving reflective users in design. In Proceedings of CHI'10. ACM, 2037--2040. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Balaam, M., Fitzpatrick, G., Good, J., and Luckin, R. 2010. Exploring affective technologies for the classroom with the subtle stone. In Proceedings of CHI'10. ACM, 1623--1632. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Bansler, J. 1989. Systems development research in Scandinavia: Three theoretical schools. Scand. J. Inf. Syst. 1, 1, 3--20. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Baskerville, R. and Lee, A. S. 1999. Distinctions among different types of generalizing in information systems research. In Proceedings of the IFIP TC8 WG8.2 International Working Conference on New Information Technologies in Organizational Processes: Field Studies and Theoretical Reflections on the Future of Work. 49--66. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Baskerville, R. and Pries-Heje, J. 1999. Grounded action research: A method for understanding IT in practice. Account. Manag. Inf. Tech. 9, 1--23.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Benford, S., Bederson, B. B., Åkesson, K., Bayon, V., Druin, A., Hansson, P., Hourcade, J. P., Ingram, R., Neale, H., O'Malley, C., Simsarian, K. T., Stanton, D., Sundblad, Y., and Taxén, G. 2000. Designing storytelling technologies to encouraging collaboration between young children. In Proceedings of CHI'00. ACM, 556--563. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Blomberg, J. L. and Henderson, A. 1990. Reflections on participatory design: lessons from the trillium experience. In Proceedings of CHI'90. ACM, 353--360. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Bodker, S. and Iversen, O. S. 2002. Staging a professional participatory design practice: Moving PD beyond the initial fascination of user involvement. In Proceedings of the 2nd Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction. ACM, 11--18, DOI: 10.1145/572020.572023. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Braten, S. 1973. Model monopoly and communication: Systems theoretical notes on democratization. Acta Sociologica 16, 2, 98--107.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Bray, D. B. 2000. A bird in the cup: Grinding towards environmental and social justice in the world of coffee. Orion Afield. Winter. (reprinted in program for 3rd Sustainable Coffee Conference.Google Scholar
- Chambers, R. 1997. Whose Reality Counts? Putting the First Last. Intermediate Technology Publications.Google Scholar
- Damn, C. H., Hansen, K. M., and Thomsen, M. 2000. Tool support for cooperative object-oriented design: gesture based modeling on an electronic whiteboard. In Proceedings of CHI'00. ACM, 518--525. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Davis, L. E. and Taylor, J. C. 1972. Design of Jobs. Penguin.Google Scholar
- Denzin, N. K. 1997. Interpretive Ethnography. Sage Publications.Google Scholar
- Department of Health and Human Services. 2009. Protection of human subjects. Code of Federal Regulations. 46.102.Google Scholar
- Dewey, J. 1976. Essays on logical theory. 1902--1903. Southern Illinois University Press.Google Scholar
- Dewey, J. 1991/1927. The Public and Its Problems. Ohio University Press.Google Scholar
- Ehn, P. and Kyng, M. 1987. The collective resource approach to systems design. In Computers and Democracy—A Scandinavian Challenge, Avebury, 17--58.Google Scholar
- Ehn, P. and Kyng, M. 1991. Cardboard computers: Mocking-it-up or hands-on the future. In Design at Work. Laurence Erlbaum Associates, 169--196. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Elden, M. and Levin, M. 1991. Action Research for Educational Change. Open University Press.Google Scholar
- Emery, F. and Thorsrud, W. 1976. Democracy at Work. Martinus Nijhoff.Google Scholar
- Foth, M. 2006. Network action research. Action Res. 4, 2, 205--226.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Foth, M. and Axup, J. 2006. Participatory design and action research: Identical twins or synergetic pair? In Proceedings of the Participatory Design Conference. 93--96.Google Scholar
- Friere, P. 1970. The Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Herder & Herder.Google Scholar
- Gitau, S., Marsden, G., and Donner, J. 2010. After access: challenges facing mobile-only internet users in the developing world. In Proceedings of CHI'10. ACM, 2603--2606. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Greenbaum, J. and Kyng, M. (Eds.). 1992. Design at Work: Cooperative Design of Computer Systems. L. Erlbaum Assoc. Inc. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Greenwood, D. J. and Levin, M. 2007. Introduction to Action Research 2nd Ed. Sage Publications.Google Scholar
- Guba, E. G. and Lincoln, Y. S. 1989. Judging the quality of fourth generation evaluation. In Fourth Generation Evaluation. Sage, 228--51.Google Scholar
- Gustavesen, B. 1992. Dialogue and Development. Van Gorcum.Google Scholar
- Hearn, G., Tacchi, J., Foth, M., and Lennie, J. 2009. Action Research and New Media: Concepts, Methods and Cases. Hampton Press.Google Scholar
- Highsmith, J. 2001. History: The agile manifesto. http://agilemanifesto.org/history.html September 2010.Google Scholar
- Hirano, S., Yeganyan, M. T., Marcu, G., Nguyen, D. H., Boyd, L., and Hayes, G. R. 2010. vSked: evaluation of a system to support classroom activities for children with autism. In Proceedings of CHI'10. ACM, 1633--164. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Hochheiser, H. and Lazar, J. 2007. HCI and societal issues: A framework for engagement. Int. J. Hum. Comput. Interact. 23, 3, 339--374.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Ishikawa, K. 1976. Guide to Quality Control. Asian Productivity Organization.Google Scholar
- James, W. 1948. Essays in Pragmatism. Hafner.Google Scholar
- Jancke, G., Grudin, J., and Gupta, A. 2000. Presenting to local and remote audiences: Design and use of the TELEP system. In Proceedings of CHI'00. ACM, 384--391. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Johnson, J. 1990. Participatory design of computer systems. In Proceedings of CHI'90. ACM, 141--144. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Kensing, F. 2003. Methods and Practices in Participatory Design. ITU Press.Google Scholar
- Kim, S. and Paulos, E. 2010. InAir: Sharing indoor air quality measurements and visualizations. In Proceedings of CHI'10. ACM, 1861--1870. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Kuznetsov, S. and Paulos, E. 2010. UpStream: Motivating water conservation with low-cost water flow sensing and persuasive displays. In Proceedings of CHI'10. ACM, 1851--1860. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Lee, A. S. and Baskerville, R. L. 2003. Generalizing generalizability in information systems research. Inf. Syst. Res. 14, 3, 221--243. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Lewin, K. 1935. A Dynamic Theory of Personality. McGraw-Hill.Google Scholar
- Lewin, K. 1943. Forces behind food habits and methods of change. Bull. Nat. Res. Council 108, 35--65.Google Scholar
- Lewin, K. 1946. Action research and minority problems. J. Soc. Iss. 2, 4, 34--46.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Lewin, K. 1948. Resolving Social Conflicts. Harper.Google Scholar
- Lincoln, Y. S. and Guba, E. G. 1985. Naturalistic Inquiry. Sage Publications.Google Scholar
- Mackay, W. E. and Fayard, A. L. 1997. HCI, natural science and design: A framework for triangulation across disciplines. In Proceedings of Designing Interactive Systems (DIS'97). ACM 223--233. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Margolis, J. and Fisher, A. 2003. Unlocking the Clubhouse: Women in Computing. The MIT Press.Google Scholar
- Mäkelä, A., Giller, V., Tscheligi, M., and Sefelin, R. 2000. Joking, storytelling, artsharing, expressing affection: A field trial of how children and their social network communicate with digital images in leisure time. In Proceedings of CHI'00. ACM, 548--555. Google ScholarDigital Library
- McNiff, J. and Whitehead, J. 2006. All You Need to Know About Action Research. Sage Publications.Google Scholar
- McTaggart, R. 1996. Issues for participatory action researchers. In New Directions in Action Research. Falmer Press.Google Scholar
- Muller, M. J. 2007. Participatory design: The third space in HCI (revised). In Handbook of HCI 2nd Ed. Erlbaum.Google Scholar
- Palen, L. 2010. Better Odds than “Snowballs in Hell?” -or- What Might Action Research Do for HCI?. In Proceedings of the Human-Computer Interaction Consortium. USA.Google Scholar
- Peters, M. and Robinson, V. 1984. The origins and status of action research. J. Appl. Behavior. Sci. 20, 2, 113--124.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Ramachandran, D., Canny, J., Das, P. D., and Cutrell, E. 2010. Mobile-izing health workers in rural India. In Proceedings of CHI'10. ACM, 1889--1898. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Rapaport, R. 1970 Three dilemmas in action research. Strong. Famil. Learn. Exch. Bull. 23, 6, 499--513.Google Scholar
- Rogers, Y. 2004. New theoretical approaches for human-computer interaction. In Ann. Rev. Inf. Sci. Tech. 38, 87--143.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Rorty, R. 1980. Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature. Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
- Schuler, D. and Namioka, A. 1993. Participatory design: Principles and practices. Erlbaum. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Smith, D. E. 1989. Sociological theory: Methods of writing patriarchy. In Feminism and Sociological Theory. Sage Publications, 34--64.Google Scholar
- Smyth, T. N., Etherton, J., and Best, M. L. 2010. MOSES: Exploring new ground in media and post-conflict reconciliation. In Proceedings of CHI'10. ACM, 1059--1068. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Sorenson, A. B. 1992. Action research in work life. Norweg. J. Soc. Res. 33, 213--230.Google Scholar
- Stolterman, E. 2008. The nature of design practice and implications for interaction design research. Int. J. Des. 2, 1, 55--65.Google Scholar
- Stringer, E. T. 2007. Action Research. Sage Publications.Google Scholar
- Tang, Y. and Joiner, C. 2006. Synergic Inquiry: A Collaborative Action Methodology. Sage Publications.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Tarkan, S., Sazawal, V., Druin, A., Golub, E., Bonsignore, E. M., Walsh, G., and Atrash, Z. 2010. Toque: Designing a cooking-based programming language for and with children. In Proceedings of CHI'10. ACM, New York, NY, 2417--2426. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Trist, E. and Bamforth, K. W. 1951. Some social and psychological consequences of the lonwall method of coal getting. Human Relat. 4, 3--38.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Walsh, G., Druin, A., Guha, M., Foss, E., Golub, E., Hatley, L., Bonsignore, E., and Franckel, S. 2010. Layered elaboration: a new technique for co-design with children. In Proceedings of CHI'10. ACM, 1237--1240. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Wilcox, L., Morris, D., Tan, D., and Gatewood, J. 2010. Designing patient-centric information displays for hospitals. In Proceedings of CHI'10. ACM, 2123--2132. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Yoo, D., Zimmerman, J., Steinfeld, A., and Tomasic, A. 2010. Understanding the space for co-design in riders' interactions with a transit service. In Proceedings of CHI'10. ACM, 1797--1806. Google ScholarDigital Library
Index Terms
- The relationship of action research to human-computer interaction
Recommendations
Reflexive Ethnographies in Human-Computer Interaction: Theory and Practice
CHI EA '18: Extended Abstracts of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing SystemsThis course aims at introducing some key issues in contemporary ethnographic practice, emphasizing the role of the writing style and the epistemic position of the fieldworker in shaping a particular perspective on the observed phenomena. It outlines the ...
Ready! Set! Go! An Action Research Agenda for Software Architecture Research
WICSA '08: Proceedings of the Seventh Working IEEE/IFIP Conference on Software Architecture (WICSA 2008)Software architecture practice is highly complex. Softwarearchitects interact with business as well as technical aspectsof systems, often embedded in large and changingorganizations. We first make an argument that an appropriateresearch agenda for ...
Human-computer interaction as science
CA '15: Proceedings of The Fifth Decennial Aarhus Conference on Critical AlternativesThe human-computer interaction (HCI) has had a long and troublesome relationship to the role of 'science'. HCI's status as an academic object in terms of coherence and adequacy is often in question---leading to desires for establishing a true scientific ...
Comments