ABSTRACT
Practice-oriented research aims to produce knowledge that practitioners and others can do something with, rather than simply to further describe a problem. However, using research to generate instrumental knowledge is challenging; there are constraints impacting practice-oriented research and they are imposed by both research and practice sectors. The challenge is to help solve practical problems while ensuring that the research undertaken is publishable. Issues that make practice-oriented research problematic concern funding, framing the problem for industry, choosing an appropriate methodology, publishing, and practitioner access to academic literature. Solutions can be found by open and honest dialogue up-front to ensure expectations are managed, offering postgraduate research posts to provide longer term studies at reduced costs, building in contingencies from the start, and remaining exible and adaptable throughout. This chapter explores some of these challenges, outlining some of the major constraints concerning during practice-oriented research and offering practical advice for researchers and practitioners interested in practiceoriented research projects.
