ABSTRACT
I have argued that CRIS is distinguished from other approaches by its intention to improve the world. This is arguably the main appeal of the approach but also its Achilles’ heel. Critical scholars want to make a difference, but there is no agreement on what this difference is, how they could know about it or how it is to be achieved. In addition, such practical goals sit uncomfortably with the rules of academia, in which much critical scholarship is produced.
