The SAGE Encyclopedia of Action Research

Coghlan (business, Trinity Coll. Dublin; Doing Action Research in Your Own Organization) and Brydon-Miller (education, Univ. of Cincinnati; The SAGE Handbook of Action Research), along with other editors and contributors that span the disciplines and the globe, have created the first encyclopedia on this topic. It complements other well-regarded work, including Brydon-Miller's previous related handbook and SAGE's journal Action Research. The vast field of action research is gaining popularity both within universities and among field practitioners, and this set provides historical context, reaching as far back as Aristotle and Confucius. It looks at the interplay among disciplines and details the work of major theorists and contributors to the field, as well as at emerging trends in theory and methodology. The editors provide a list of around 350 entries, an index, and a readers' guide. The latter categorizes the entries into themes (e.g., concepts, methods, settings, skills, theories, and tools), which will help the reader understand the scope of action research. The themes also help the reader choose a framework for approaching the information, a necessary step considering the complexity of the topic and the number of disciplines involved. Each entry is several pages long, cross-referenced, and concludes with a list of further readings. Some entry authors complement their text with charts or tables.