1. as originally defined in the mid-1940s by Kurt Lewin, research developed and carried out to address a social issue or problem, results of which are used to improve the situation. Exploring the most effective way to respond to prejudiced comments is an example of action research, as is investigating interventions to reduce the incidence and consequences of domestic violence.

2. more generally, any research directed toward a practical goal, usually an improvement in a particular process or system. In organizational development, for example, action research involves not only systematically collecting data about an organization but also providing feedback to the organization, taking actions to improve the organization based on the feedback, and then evaluating the results of these actions.