Participatory Action Research

Participatory Action Research (PAR) is a qualitative, community-centred methodology in which researchers and community members collaborate as co-investigators to identify a shared problem, take deliberate action, observe outcomes, and reflect critically on results — cycling iteratively until meaningful change is achieved. Unlike conventional research that studies people from the outside, PAR treats participants as active agents who co-own the research process, the knowledge produced, and the practical interventions that follow.