The Continuum from Action Research to Community Based Participation Research

There has been a greater convergence of principles and values among the terms action research, participation action research, and Community Based Participation Research (CBPR). However, these approaches stem from three separate traditions that are at opposite ends of a continuum. At one end of the continuum is Action Research (AR), which emphasizes involving people affected by a problem in practical problem solving through a cyclic process of look, think, and act. In the middle of this continuum are Participatory Action Research (PAR) traditions, which have their roots in popular education and related work with and by oppressed people. All those inquiries emphasize breaking the monopoly of knowledge by universities. At the other end of this continuum is CBPR, which has its principles in focusing on true partnerships between outside researchers and communities with the goal of ending health disparities. CBPR is considered to be at the emancipatory end of the continuum and ideally serves as a gold standard for practice. The purpose of this article is to elaborate on the development of emancipatory research approaches from AR to CBPR in order that public health workers and educators can apply such research in their duty with the ultimate aim of ending a country’s health disparities