“Watkins, Nicolaides, and Gilbertson offer a refreshing and accessible take on the history, theory, and practice of action research. They excel at the difficult balancing act that many action researchers experience – successfully weaving reflection, action, and theory to provide a praxis-informed account. This is not only grounded in the authors’ years of experience in organization action research, but in the evidence they have systematically reflected on and analyzed from their EdD program. This book The Action Research Dissertation: Learning from Leading Change provides the necessary building blocks for any doctoral student or emerging action researcher interested in making a transformative change in their organization.”

Giovanni Dazzo, co-author of "Critical Participatory Inquiry: An Interdisciplinary Introduction and Guide." Assistant Professor, Mary Frances Early College of Education, University of Georgia

“Based on a decade of innovative development and reflective refinement, Watkins, Gilbertson, and Nicolaides provide an essential guide to a much-needed contemporary action research dissertation process that ambitiously engages doctoral students in leading change while conducting relevant research. The work The Action Research Dissertation: Learning from Leading Change as presented is grounded in principles of purpose, mutuality, and rigorous integrity but is also highly practical and problem-based. It offers rich examples to navigate the challenges of using such an approach. Through this process, students document impactful results of learning and change at the individual, group, and system levels. Foremost is the learning we hope for through doctoral education—that of scholar-leaders propelled beyond their study to create change and knowledge in many contexts.”

Lorilee R. Sandmann, Professor Emerita, University of Georgia

“Karen Watkins, Aliki Nicolaides and Erica Gilbertson provide guidance for conducting Action Research that is both academically based and very readable in terms of practice. The book The Action Research Dissertation: Learning from Leading Change is relevant for doctoral students (particularly students in professional practice doctoral programs) and practitioners in organizations in need of addressing real world problems. It builds on both the classic literature on action research and learning integrated into the contemporary literature relevant to the process. This book begins with a thorough description of the foundations of action research and then presents the specific components of initiating and conducting the process. Their focus is on using theory effectively. In doing so it presents specific practices for each step in the process in a way that offers very specific ways of addressing the complexity of conducting action research in today’s world of rapid change that is occurring while the research is being conducted. This includes practices through which participants in the research assess the type of challenges they are studying and learning from each other’s perspectives. The authors draw on both individual, team and organizational learning theory and other academic frameworks integrating them into leading and participating in the research process. They take the reader through the process step by step in each chapter, beginning with choosing and recruiting participants for the action learning team, bringing the team together, managing the team through critical and challenging aspects of the process, addressing ethical and validity issues and how to effectively present their findings from the research. Examples used throughout the book are from a range of institutional settings, business, education, health care and others. This book brings action research into the current time of the 21st century for learning through inquiry in times of continuous change. It is about leading through effective inquiry.”

Lyle Yorks, Professor Emeritus, Adult Learning & Leadership Program, Teachers College, Columbia University

“Watkins, Gilbertson, and Nicolaides give us a practical and resource-rich approach suited to action researchers entering the field.”

Hilary Bradbury, Ph.D., editor in chief, Action Research journal and curator, Foundation AR+