Action research: a new exploration of its two masters

Abstract

[Abstract]: This paper reports on the application of the McKay and Marshall approach to Action Research (AR) to one of the Information Systems (IS) discipline’s intractable problems: the academic-practitioner relationship divide. It aims to demonstrate the experiences of an inexperienced AR researcher, and the practical value provided by following the McKay and Marshall dual cycles approach. These aims are explored using a documented AR case. The efficacy of the operational guidelines for undertaking AR are examined; along with the framework to address research rigour. The authors hope that providing an exemplar of this approach will encourage other potential AR researchers to see the possibilities and rewards of pursuing this method.