This article presents a Participatory Action Research (PAR) study that constructed an all-inclusive account of the lived experienced of Civil Society Organizations in the Community and Voluntary Pillar of social partnership in Ireland. The authors reflect on the rewards and challenges of using a PAR approach to design and execute the study, and to integrate participants into the research process. Overall, this article shows how the use of PAR can present a deeper and more holistic picture of the experience of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in shaping national-level social policy.
Carney, G. M., Dundon, T., & Léime, A. N. (2012). Participatory action research with and within community activist groups: Capturing the collective experience of Ireland’s community and voluntary pillar in social partnership. Action Research, 10(3), 313-330. Full Text.