An Experimental Investigation of the Action Research Approach

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Abstract
Four memorial/funeral cooperative societies were studied to evaluate their dissemination and use of membership survey results. For two societies, an action research approach was used whereby the societies participated in survey planning and received both prescriptive results and technical assistance from the researchers, the other two did not participate in planning and received only descriptive results. Two additional societies also conducted surveys, one as part of the pilot study, the other on its own, with the former receiving assistance. Follow-up interviews with the societies' officers provided evidence that those societies highly involved in the survey planning that received technical assistance disseminated and used the results more often, and had more favorable attitudes toward the researchers, than did those societies characterized by low involvement or no assistance. The author finds these results support the efficacy of an action research approach combining self-survey with technical assistance.

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