Difference Between Action Research and Normal Research: Meaning, Characteristics, Examples and Applications

1. Introduction

Research is a systematic process of collecting, analysing and interpreting information to answer questions, solve problems and generate knowledge. It is widely used in education, business, healthcare, engineering, public administration and social sciences. However, research can be conducted for different purposes. Some studies aim to understand a problem or generate new knowledge, while others aim to solve an immediate problem and improve existing practices.

Two important approaches are action research and normal research, also commonly referred to as conventional or traditional research. Although both approaches use systematic methods of investigation, they differ in their main objectives, the roles of researchers and participants, the research process and the way findings are applied.

Understanding these differences helps students, researchers, teachers, managers and organisations select an appropriate research approach for their studies.

2. What Is Action Research?

Action research is a systematic approach to investigation in which researchers identify a practical problem, implement an intervention, observe the results and use the findings to improve practice.

It combines research with action. Rather than only studying a situation, the researcher actively attempts to change or improve it.

Action research is commonly associated with educational improvement, organisational development, community participation, healthcare practice and professional learning.

For example, a secondary school teacher may discover that students perform poorly in mathematics. Instead of simply investigating the causes of poor performance, the teacher introduces group-based learning, observes students’ performance, analyses the results and adjusts the teaching approach where necessary.

This process may be repeated until a more effective teaching method is identified.

Characteristics of action research

1. Problem-oriented: It begins with a specific practical problem that requires improvement.
2. Action-focused: It involves implementing an intervention or change.
3. Cyclical: It commonly follows repeated cycles of planning, action, observation and reflection.
4. Participatory: Practitioners and affected stakeholders may participate in identifying problems and developing solutions.
5. Reflective: Researchers critically examine what worked, what failed and why.
6. Context-specific: Findings are often intended to improve practice in a particular school, organisation, community or workplace.
7. Improvement-oriented: Its central aim is to improve practices, processes or outcomes.

3. What Is Normal Research?

Normal research, in this context, refers to conventional or traditional research conducted systematically to describe, explain, compare, test or predict phenomena. It may also be called basic, applied or conventional research, depending on its purpose.

Unlike action research, conventional research does not necessarily require the researcher to implement a practical intervention. The researcher may instead collect and analyse data to understand an issue, test a hypothesis, identify relationships between variables or evaluate an existing situation.

For example, a researcher may investigate the relationship between teaching methods and students’ academic performance in secondary schools. The researcher collects examination results, administers questionnaires or conducts interviews and analyses the data to determine whether particular teaching methods are associated with better performance.

The study may recommend improvements, but implementing those recommendations is not necessarily part of the research process.

Characteristics of normal research

1. Knowledge-oriented: It seeks to develop understanding, test theories or answer research questions.
2. Systematic: It follows established research procedures and methods.
3. Question-driven: It begins with a research problem, question, objective or hypothesis.
4. Methodologically structured: It may use quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods.
5. Analytical: It seeks to describe phenomena, examine relationships or explain outcomes.
6. Potentially generalisable: Depending on the design and sample, findings may apply beyond the immediate study setting.
7. Not necessarily intervention-based: The researcher may study an existing situation without introducing a change.

It is important to note that normal research is not a single formal research design. It is a broad term for conventional research approaches, which include descriptive, correlational, experimental, explanatory and exploratory studies.

4. Major Differences Between Action Research and Normal Research

The following table summarises the principal differences between the two approaches.