I am writing an article for the Carolina Planning Journal special issue on "Innovative Collaborations" about NECAP that emphasizes the potential for participatory action research to build the capacity of communities to prepare for and manage climate change risks. While I had initially planned to steer away from PAR as a frame and to instead focus on "collaborative action research" (since I don't know if NECAP fits the mold of PAR as put forth by Flyvbjerg et al), Larry kiboshed this, saying I couldn't just go out and coin my own term, but that I need to connect my ideas and work to existing bodies of literature. Of course, I fought this, and of course (after thinking about it long and hard) I decided he is right.
Now, I am trying to revise my article to explain how NECAP is PAR. I have come around to see NECAP as fitting with the mold of PAR, at least in accord with to the Greenwood and Levin (2007) conception of action research, which they argue, must be participatory. But I am finding it challenging to draw lessons from NECAP that should inform people trying to do PAR. I think that NECAP is an excellent example of action research, I think it is a great example of what I am calling "research as capacity building," but I suck at inferring lessons and key ideas from the experience. What about NECAP should be broadcast to the world of academics and local stakeholders in terms of 1) you should do this kind of action research to help support local adaptation (and progress on other tricky planning issues) and 2) here are some guidelines to help you do it? There's so much there, but I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY!
This ties into a bigger problem I am having right now, which is not being able to see the forest for the trees: I feel like the ideas and information in my head are such a mash up that I can make sense of anything any more. What should my dissertation focus on? I have all of these ideas I want to get at and include, and I have all of this research data to draw on, but I don't know what the heck to focus on and what is worth saying to the world. How does one go from lots of crazy bits and pieces floating around in one's brain to saying something meaningful to the academic and professional world?
An interesting thought popped into my head while writing this: I am a dialogic rationality person; I need to talk through the ideas floating around in my head and my perceptions and concerns to help make sense of them. Hence, why I love that we have our PhD thought blog and that I have a partner in PhD thinking. May we help each other overcome writers block when it hits, make sense of ideas when they appear, and generally move forward in our academic and professional pursuits!
PS: I left a comment on your last blog!
Now, I am trying to revise my article to explain how NECAP is PAR. I have come around to see NECAP as fitting with the mold of PAR, at least in accord with to the Greenwood and Levin (2007) conception of action research, which they argue, must be participatory. But I am finding it challenging to draw lessons from NECAP that should inform people trying to do PAR. I think that NECAP is an excellent example of action research, I think it is a great example of what I am calling "research as capacity building," but I suck at inferring lessons and key ideas from the experience. What about NECAP should be broadcast to the world of academics and local stakeholders in terms of 1) you should do this kind of action research to help support local adaptation (and progress on other tricky planning issues) and 2) here are some guidelines to help you do it? There's so much there, but I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY!
This ties into a bigger problem I am having right now, which is not being able to see the forest for the trees: I feel like the ideas and information in my head are such a mash up that I can make sense of anything any more. What should my dissertation focus on? I have all of these ideas I want to get at and include, and I have all of this research data to draw on, but I don't know what the heck to focus on and what is worth saying to the world. How does one go from lots of crazy bits and pieces floating around in one's brain to saying something meaningful to the academic and professional world?
An interesting thought popped into my head while writing this: I am a dialogic rationality person; I need to talk through the ideas floating around in my head and my perceptions and concerns to help make sense of them. Hence, why I love that we have our PhD thought blog and that I have a partner in PhD thinking. May we help each other overcome writers block when it hits, make sense of ideas when they appear, and generally move forward in our academic and professional pursuits!
PS: I left a comment on your last blog!
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