The Practitioner Research Method Network
The Practitioner Research Method was developed by leaders from several countries in the fields of social work, healthcare, education and practice-based research. The method continues to evolve and is constantly enriched. Practitioner researchers contribute their expertise based on the knowledge and experiences of professional practices and practice-based research in different countries.
info@practitionerresearch.com
Are you interested in being part of this growing network and sharing your experiences with the method? Would you like to contribute to further developing the Practitioner Research Method in other languages or disciplines? Please contact.
Network Participants
Bas van Lanen
The Netherlands
Bas van Lanen (MS) is a researcher and lecturer for research methods and practice development in the Master’s of Social Work program at HAN University of Applied Sciences Nijmegen.
Payam Sheikhattari
USA
Dr. Payam Sheikhattari is a professor of public health and the director of the Prevention Sciences Research Center at Morgan State University.
Cyrilla van der Donk
The Netherlands
Cyrilla van der Donk (MA) is a researcher and lecturer for practitioner research at HAN University of Applied Sciences Nijmegen.
Michael T. Wright
USA
Dr. Michael T. Wright (LICSW, MS) was a professor for research methods at the Catholic University of Applied Sciences Berlin and the leader of PartKommPlus: German Research Consortium for Healthy Communities. He was a co-founder of the International Collaboration for Participatory Health Research (ICPHR) which he led until 2021. He now serves as a member of the Steering Group of the ICPHR. He has returned to the US where he works as a psychotherapist in private practice.
Gillian B. Silver
USA
Gillian B. Silver (MS) is the associate director for administration at both the ASCEND Center for Biomedical Research and the Center for Urban Health Disparities Research and Innovation at Morgan State University.
Maria Elisbeth Kleba
Brazil
Dr. Maria Elisbeth Kleba worked as a professor and researcher at the Área de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Comunitária da Região de Chapecó. She is currently an independent educator and consultant. Her work focuses on participatory action research.
What we experienced
Practitioner research promotes the protagonism of professionals, strengthening their ability to problematize and analyze phenomena and processes in order to make effective decisions and improve their care, management and communication practices.
Practitioner research challenges us to let go of useless claims of objectivity, and instead to blend research with practice in the interest of a critical reflexivity which serves both theory and action.
All good practitioners want to learn from their daily work and improve their practice where needed The practitioner research method facilitates this process by making it easier and more realistic for practitioners and their teams to regularly integrate research activities into their daily schedules.
Practitioners’ active involvement in research creates a reciprocity between research and practice in which research influences the routine professional practices and practice continuously changes the research agenda.
Practitioner research is the strategic tool for today’s professionals, transcending traditional research with its focus on real-world application. It’s an investment in personal growth and organizational evolution, offering immediate avenues for evaluation, quality enhancement, and effective problem-solving.
Rooted in professional practice, practitioner researchers are uniquely positioned to capture real-world knowledge and experiences from the inside.
