ABSTRACT
Practitioners of the art of engaged inquiry do not look for problems that match the tools they know best. They choose, mix, adapt or create methods that fit the situation. This means they must develop their own understanding of action-research at the same time as they engage with people and content in real settings. Designing the right PAR process can never be a mechanical exercise. Each situation calls for skilful means to inquire into a situation and act on it. Judgment and complex reasoning are needed to apply simple methods in some situations. Equal skill goes into selecting, adapting and applying more advanced tools to systems thinking and problem solving, with full participation of the parties involved. In either case, purpose comes first.
