RESEARCH APPROACHES ON PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES
DS 36: Proceedings DESIGN 2006, the 9th International Design Conference, Dubrovnik, Croatia
Year: 2006
Editor: Marjanovic, D.
Author: Ottosson, S.; Björk, E.; Holmdahl, L.; Vajna, S.
Section: THEORY AND RESEARCH METHODS IN DESIGN
Page(s): 91-102
Abstract
For researchers to be able to understand what happens in a product development project with its complex nature, to be able to reflect upon it, and to provide useful recommendations for improvements of development processes, a close participation in ongoing processes is crucial. An Insider Action Research (IAR) approach facilitates the possibilities to contribute both to science and to the art of practise. Performing IAR studies means that the researcher is within an excess of data flow difficult to handle. (S)he also gets much insight into the game behind the scenes (tactics, politics, gossips, relations, etc.), which can cause publicity and loyalty problems towards the people in the project and the company in which the project takes part.
Keywords: action research, insider action research, product development, participation action research, research methods