One of the operative principles of action research is to inform and empower people to work collectively to produce some beneficial change .
A number of activities that an investigator can use in order to maximize participation by many of the participants, especially when these participants may include large numbers of diverse stakeholders:
Focus group where people with similar interests or agendas discuss particular issues
In-group forums where people from single-interest or stakeholder groups discuss particular issues
Informal meetings that form spontaneously in response to particular circumstances or issues
Agency, institution, or departmental meetings that provide personnel with opportunities to discuss common interests or agendas
Community group meetings where community members meet to explore interests or agendas.
The research collaborates with local practitioners as well as stakeholders in the group or community, who contributes expertise when needed as a participant in the process.
The research is a partner with the study population; thus, this type or research is considerably more value-laden than other more traditional research roles and endeavors.
The approach a researcher takes when conducting action research , therefore, must be more holistic, encompassing a broad combination of technological , social, economic, and political aspects of relationships and interactions between the researcher and the stakeholders in the project.
Case study methods involve systematically gathering enough information about a particular person, social setting, event, or group to permit the research to effectively understand how it operates or functions. The case study is not actually a data-gathering technique, but a methodological approach that incorporates a number of data-gathering measures