Practitioner Research

Practitioner research is a form of practice research conducted by working or aspiring professionals who are practicing or about to practice. This powerful method supports a bottom-up approach to organizational change and development of the profession. It is grounded in daily routines and deliberately seeks to generate local knowledge and theories from different perspectives for the purpose of learning and reflection. It enables the integration of theory and action to generate new practical knowledge.

  • Type of Research

    The method is closely related or sometimes similar to other forms of practice-based research traditions such as action research, practice-led research, participatory research, collaborative inquiry, practitioner-oriented research, professional inquiry and practitioner-focused research.

Definition of Practitioner Research

“Practitioner research consists of empirical studies conducted by social workers, nurses, and other health professionals [or practitioners in other fields such as education] to answer questions resulting from their practices. The research takes place as an interaction between the practitioner doing the research and his or her colleagues, patients, or clients. The primary goal of practitioner research is to improve one’s own practice” (Sheikhattari, et al., 2022, p. 2).

Sheikhattari, P., Wright, M.T., Silver, G., Van der Donk, C., & Van Lanen, B. (2022). Practitioner Research for Social Work, Nursing, and the Health Professions. Johns Hopkins University Press.

An empowering approach for …

Improving
Services

Practitioner researchers seek to understand problems and issues arising from their own professional practice, such as the needs of those served and the types of services provided. They work with all stakeholders in practice, capturing their experiences and making their voices heard.

Professional Development

Practitioner research can help professionals generate support, enhance their professional knowledge and skills, improve their self-confidence, and advance their collective ability in changing a situation.

Organizational Development

Practitioner research can be used for evaluation, quality improvement, and solving practice problems, making it an important investment for both individual practitioners and the organizations in which they serve.

Knowledge
Development

Practitioner research can lead to strong connections between more traditional forms of knowledge and forms of knowledge embedded in practice, such as the expertise and experiences of professionals, and the knowledge and experiences of the people being served.