ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the research design of a study which aimed to address the need for rigorous evidence-based participatory research designs conducted in real-world settings. It outlines the research methodology that is the research aims and questions, philosophical underpinnings, samples, settings, and the advantages and challenges of using Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodology. The chapter describes the data collection process in detail and reports on the main ethical considerations of the study. Naturalistic observations are reported to be the most valid form of assessing social communication skills in children with autism and it was the utmost objective to develop an intervention which could be applied straight away in real-world settings. The research aims are concerned with the overall purpose of the study: they are the general intentions of the research. The chapter discusses the most common philosophical theories influencing social and educational research.
