Expert Answer:Action Research Journal 3

Answer & Explanation:The assignment is designed to assist with documenting your research. Since you are entering the data collection and analysis phase of the research, your journal should include answers to the following questions:What tasks did you perform this week related to advancing your research project?What types of data were collected? How was the data analyzed?Why did you include or exclude data from the research?Did any patterns emerge?What improvements were made to previously submitted papers?The paper must follow the formatting guidelines in The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (2010), (6th ed., 7th printing), and contain scholarly references. In addition, the paper will be submitted through the Turnitin originality-checking tool.
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Running head: ACTION RESEARCH METHODOLOGY/PROPOSAL
Action Research Methodology/Proposal
Institution Affiliation
Date
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ACTION RESEARCH METHODOLOGY/PROPOSAL
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Introduction
The creation of reliable service or product for a company highly depends on the research
conducted to inform the development process. Action research is among the most preferred types
of research when it comes to making positive changes socially and professionally. The research
is also relevant to my project, which is the creation of an official website for my current
workplace. The project will use action research and involve four iterations to ensure the creation
of a product that meets the diverse user needs.
Short Paper about Action Research Methodology
Definition of Action Research
Action research refers to a study that is done to offer solutions to real-life problems by
producing knowledge and actions. The research in itself can be participatory, collaborative, and
cyclical and is aimed at bringing positive change in different spheres such as socially or
professionally (Schwarz, Wienert & Bethge, 2019). Action research is conducted by people who
are familiar with the specific field of study, for example, teachers in the education sector. The
research, therefore, offers solutions for the professionals or people affected by the problem or
research issue.
The Type of Action Research Relevant To My Project
My project will utilize collaborative action research. According to Farooq and O’Brien
(2015), collaborative action research involves more than one individual and pools the resources,
skills, and expertise of different researchers. Action research involves multiple stakeholders or
people affected directly or indirectly by the research issue (Kebritchi, McCaslin & Rominger,
2019). As a UX UI designer, I am creating a website for my current workplace, and the input of
various personalities is required. As mentioned earlier, other colleagues in the firm, such as the
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product manager, are directly involved in the project. They offer their input ideas, views, and
understanding of the industry and customers to ensure the website adequately meets the needs of
all the people.
Reasons and Justification for Collaborative Action Research
Among the primary reasons for my preference for collaborative action research is the
nature of my project. Creating a functional website that satisfies the needs of the users requires
an understanding of various factors that affect the project’s success. For example, customer
preferences and resource allocation. To fully grasp the importance of each element in a project,
the project will require the input of various people who have a deeper understanding and
guidance (de Brún, O’Reilly-de Brún, O’Donnell & MacFarlane, 2016). For instance, the
contribution of the customers to understand their needs and of the product managers to
distinguish the goods sold. As such, it is unlikely to create a website that provides an excellent
user experience without involving stakeholders.
Another justification for my selection is that collaborative research is profound as it
incorporates the knowledge and skills of different persons. According to Rosskam (2018),
collaboration in research ensures that the diverse expertise of each professional has a mutual
benefit for all professionals. I selected the collaborative approach as it enriches the study and the
finding thereof. In my view, the skills of each participant in my project are invaluable and will
positively contribute to the user experience needs identified at the start of the project and the
corresponding user interface requirements.
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References
De Brún, T., O’Reilly-de Brún, M., O’Donnell, C. A., & MacFarlane, A. (2016). Learning from
doing: the case for combining normalization process theory and participatory learning
and action research methodology for primary healthcare implementation research. BMC
health services research, 16(1), 346.
Farooq, S., & O’Brien, C. (2015). An action research methodology for manufacturing technology
selection: a supply chain perspective. Production Planning & Control, 26(6), 467-488.
Kebritchi, M., McCaslin, M., & Rominger, R. A. (2019). Exploring a Research Methodology
Group Framework for Nurturing Research Methods and Designs: An Action Research.
Rosskam, E. (2018). Using a participatory action research methodology to improve worker
health. In Unhealthy Work (pp. 211-228). Routledge.
Schwarz, B., Wienert, J., & Bethge, M. (2019). Development and implementation of workrelated medical rehabilitation in cancer patients using organizational ethnography and
action research methodology. International journal of occupational medicine and
environmental health, 32(2), 217-228.
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Proposal Section
Iteration 1
The first iteration will involve a series of steps that begin with a study of the research
problem and development of a plan to execute. The third stage will be to take action or
implement the strategy followed by a collection and analysis of the evidence and a reflection of
the results. In my case, the results represent the website created. During this iteration, the first
step the research problem is the creation of a website from scratch as there is none other that
exists for the company. The second stage, which is the development of the plan, will involve the
input of different stakeholders in creating an idea of the website; its key features, and
presentation of data to users.
The third step is putting the plan into action by implementing shared ideas. Various
factors can affect the implementation of the plan causing it not to be fully adopted hen put into
action. As such, I will implement the shared ideas in the best way possible, being open to the
need for alterations where necessary. For resources, I will require access to the internet and a
capable computer, which I already have. The fifth step will involve an analysis of the
functionality of the website. That is to test what works and what does not ad how the experience
is for the consumers who will use the site to make purchases. To finalize this first iteration, I will
share access to the website with critical stakeholders and friends only who will go through it an
try to make purchases and offer feedback about their experiences. The anticipated duration is two
weeks.
Iteration 2
The feedback offered from the first iteration will form a basis for the activities in the
second iteration; however, the cyclical and repetitive process used in the first iteration will
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remain. The second iteration will, therefore, begin with the study of the research problem. In this
case, the research problem is the issues brought up by the critical stakeholders and friends who
used the website the first time it was created. An example of potential research problems are
unprecedented hitches or having a complicated display that makes it hard for consumers to view
the products they desire to purchase. The second step will be the creation of a plan that will
address the issues. This step will incorporate the suggestions oven by the small group of people
who used the website for the first time. It will also include the views of other stakeholders on
how the user experience and user interface can be improved to meet the user needs.
The implementation, which is the third step of the process, will involve putting into
action the suggestions and professional inputs constituting the plan in the previous phase. Here, I
will make the necessary changes and improvements to the site to address critical problems. The
resources I need here are the same as in the first iteration; internet and a computer. The fourth
step will be a reflection on the impact of the changes on possible user experience and what else
can be done to improve the effectiveness and simplicity of the product. After the whole cyclical
process is complete, I will share the contents of the website with local stakeholders who are a
much larger group than the previous sample. They will include all employees in the company
from different departments. I expect to do all this within a week.
Iteration 3
The third iteration will be based on the feedback of the local stakeholders who are the
employees of the company; it will maintain the same cyclical process as the first two iterations.
The first step in the process is the study of the research problem, which are the issues raised by
the employees when they were using the site. From the issues raised, I will include other
stakeholders in brainstorming sessions to develop an action plan to address the problems raised.
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The stakeholders will consist of employees who used the site and the mangers of different
departments in the company.
For the implementation phase, I will implement the shared ideas from the involved
parties. The resources needed for this iteration include a proper feedback channel for employees
to share their views. The office intranet will prove useful. I will also need a secure internet
connection and a computer as in the previous iterations. Some of the anticipated tasks in the
analysis and refection stages are using the site and thinking about additional improvements to
better the user experience. I predict that this iteration will take two weeks. Once I had made the
much-needed changes to the website, I will share the product with fellow action researchers who,
in this case, are my fellow UX UI designers.
Iteration 4
Once my fellow UX UI designers have used the website and analyzed keenly, their input
will form a basis for the final iteration. The research problem will be the issues raised by the
designers as places for improvement. The second stage is creating an action plan that will
incorporate the inputs of stakeholders. The stakeholders for this fourth iteration are the designers
who I allowed access to the site. Their feedback and ideas will be central in creating the plan.
The third step of implementing the plan will require an internet connection, a medium of
communicating with the stakeholders, and a computer, all of which are available. My chosen
channel of communication is through my work email. I anticipate a few tasks which will include
a few improvements to the design of the website. After the tasks are complete, I will analyze and
reflect on the final product, and if there are other ways to improve it. I expect this iteration to
take a maximum of a week. Once the final product is complete, I will make it available to the
public.
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Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_research
Conclusion
My project will make use of action research methodology and will involve four iterations.
More specifically, I will make use of collaborative action research methodology due to the nature
of my project and the numerous benefits of the approach. The four iterations will involve five
main steps, which are the study of the research problem, the creation of a plan, implementation,
analysis, and reflection. Each product will be presented to a different audience who will share
ways to improve it. The identified weaknesses and suggestions for improvement will form the
basis for the subsequent iteration.
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