Improving Collaboration between Researchers and Practitioners in Construction Research Projects using Action Research Technique

Action research is an established qualitative research method in use for scholarly investigations in information systems, business management, and human, behavioral and medical sciences. Action research aims at building and testing theory within the context of solving an immediate practical problem in a real setting. However in construction this research approach is relatively new and not many investigators, especially in the United States of America (USA) are familiar with it. In this paper, the potential applicability of the Action research technique in construction has been investigated via a case study. The paper first presents a summary of this research method, highlighting its advantages and disadvantages , with the help of two interdisciplinary research projects. Then a case study of an Executive Information System (EIS) development and implementation in a construction owner organization using Action research technique has been discussed. The results of the case study indicate that the Action research technique has a significant potential to conduct research on real-life construction industry problems. It can also effectively help to improve the collaboration between the academic researchers and the construction industry practitioners.