Comparer des méthodes

	Ethnographie participative	Recherche-action	Observation participante
Domaine	Qualitatif	Recherche qualitative	Recherche qualitative
Famille	Process / pipeline	Process / pipeline	Process / pipeline
Année d'origine	1990s–2000s (collaborative turn); classical roots early 20th century	1946	1922
Auteur d'origine	Rooted in classical ethnography (Malinowski, Boas); collaborative turn formalised by Luke Eric Lassiter and others in the 1990s–2000s	Kurt Lewin; expanded by Kemmis, McTaggart, Reason & Bradbury	Bronislaw Malinowski
Type	Qualitative research design	Method	Method
Source fondatrice	Lassiter, L. E. (2005). The Chicago Guide to Collaborative Ethnography. University of Chicago Press. ISBN: 978-0226469058	Lewin, K. (1946). Action research and minority problems. Journal of Social Issues, 2(4), 34–46.	Geertz, C. (1973). The Interpretation of Cultures. Basic Books. ISBN: 978-0465026432
Alias	collaborative ethnography, participatory fieldwork, engaged ethnography, community-based ethnography	Participatory Action Research, PAR, Collaborative Inquiry	ethnographic observation, participatory observation, overt observation, immersive observation
Apparentées	5	1	4
Résumé	Participatory ethnography is a qualitative research design in which community members are not merely subjects of study but active collaborators throughout the research process — from problem formulation and data collection to analysis and writing. Building on classical ethnographic fieldwork, it shifts the researcher–participant relationship toward genuine partnership, producing knowledge that is accountable to the communities from which it emerges.	Action research is a collaborative research methodology in which researchers work with practitioners and community members to investigate a problem, implement change, and evaluate outcomes, cycling through reflection, action, and learning. Developed by Kurt Lewin (1946), action research bridges research and practice, aiming simultaneously to produce knowledge and practical improvement.	Participant observation is a qualitative research method in which the researcher embeds themselves within a community, organization, or social setting for an extended period, engaging in the activities and relationships of the group while systematically observing and documenting behavior, interactions, and cultural meaning. Pioneered by Malinowski in the 1920s and developed in anthropology, the method has been adopted across sociology, education, health sciences, and organizational research. The researcher functions as both insider (participating in group activities) and outsider (maintaining analytical distance), generating thick description—rich accounts of context, behavior, and meaning that reveal how people actually live and interact.