ABSTRACT
The research design of any project is the blueprint for the action taken. It is at this point that many research projects that claim to be participatory and democratic in nature tend to “go off the rails”, so to speak, and become, to some extent, a researcher-driven process. This chapter explains how to remain true to the ontological and epistemological principles of PALAR when putting the research design into practice. It suggests a specific process to guide learning and development and the generation of knowledge, highlighting diverse aspects to take into consideration to stay true to the PALAR philosophy in different contexts and for different purposes. It explains how to work with participants in the action learning set to decide on research questions and negotiate ways of researching, illustrated with examples from real-life PALAR projects conducted in varied contexts. The chapter also discusses the importance of integrating the core principles of relationship, reflection and recognition throughout the process, and suggests suitable methods of data generation and analysis, including visual and arts-based methods, along with more traditional qualitative strategies.
