Practitioner research refers to
research
Research is creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge. It involves the collection, organization, and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness to ...
and/or workplace research such as
evaluation
In common usage, evaluation is a systematic determination and assessment of a subject's merit, worth and significance, using criteria governed by a set of Standardization, standards. It can assist an organization, program, design, project or any o ...
performed by individuals who also work in a professional field as opposed to being full-time academic researchers. Practitioner research developed as a recognized type of research in the last quarter of the 20th century. In this context, 'practitioner' means someone who delivers
public service
A public service or service of general (economic) interest is any service intended to address the needs of aggregate members of a community, whether provided directly by a public sector agency, via public financing available to private busin ...
s, such as a nurse, teacher, advice worker, probation officer, counselor or social worker. Practitioner research developed in disciplinary silos, but by the 2000s it had been recognized that all disciplines could approach practitioner research in broadly the same way.
Benefits
For a practitioner, doing research alongside practice can assist with one or more of the following:
* Solving a specific problem, such as how to reduce crime on a particular housing estate.
* Contributing to the learning of a discipline such as education or social work.
* Influencing government policy, e.g. welfare or health policy.
It is also held to improve the quality of the practitioner-researcher's practice.
Practitioner research has two categories:
[Kara H (2012) Research and evaluation for busy practitioners: a time-saving guide, p. 1. Bristol: The Policy Press]
* Research in the workplace, such as a service
evaluation
In common usage, evaluation is a systematic determination and assessment of a subject's merit, worth and significance, using criteria governed by a set of Standardization, standards. It can assist an organization, program, design, project or any o ...
or needs assessment;
*
Academic research related to the practitioner's role, such as a master's degree or PhD in a relevant subject.
See also
*
Pracademic
Further reading
* Drake P and Heath L (2011) Practitioner research at doctoral level: developing coherent research methodologies. Abingdon: Routledge.
* Dahlberg L and McCaig C (eds) (2010) Practical research and evaluation: a start-to-finish guide for practitioners. London: Sage.
References
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Research
Academic publishing
Work
20th century in science