Bradbury, H. (2015) ‘Introduction: How to situate and define action research’, in H. Bradbury (ed.) The SAGE Handbook of Action Research, 3rd edn. London: SAGE, pp. 1–9.: This opening chapter of the third edition of The SAGE Handbook of Action Research provides a short and full overview of what action research is.

Levin, M. (2012) ‘Academic integrity in action research’, Action Research, 10 (2): 133–149.: Levin explores the topic of academic integrity in action research and shows how rigor and relevance can be combined. He discusses how action research meets the criteria of good social science.

Chandler, D. and Torbert, W.R. (2003) ‘Transforming inquiry and action: Interweaving 27 flavors of action research’, Action Research, 1: 133–152.: Chandler and Torbert provide a rich exploration of now action research comprises first-, second- and third-person work in the past, present and future.

Coghlan, D. (2008) ‘Authenticity as first person practice: An exploration based on Bernard Lonergan’, Action Research, 6 (3): 339–343.: David Coghlan explores the notion of authenticity as first person practice through a general empirical method being attentive, intelligent, reasonable, and responsible

Cassell, C. and Johnson, P. (2006) ‘Action research: Explaining the diversity’, Human Relations, 59 (6): 783–814.: Catherine Cassell and Phil Johnson explain the apparent diversity of philosophical assumptions and conceptions of social science within accounts of action research.

Hilsen, A.I. (2006) ‘And they shall be known by their deeds: Ethics and politics in action research’, Action Research, 4 (1): 23–36.: Anna Inge Hilsen describes three foundations of ethical action research: human interdependency; cogeneration of knowledge; and fairer power relations. She bases her argument on the premise that human life is relational and thus human practice becomes the centre of attention for both scientific and ethical reasons.