Action research is a reflective inquiry approach that is focused on action and change, and is used heavily by change agents in organizational, educational, and social change domains. Action research is a participatory, democratic process in which practical knowledge is obtained. Although it has gained wide acceptance and popularity in a number of academic domains, action research is not universally accepted as a legitimate form of inquiry. However, many see it as an important research method for those seeking to elucidate answers to complex questions that are imbedded in social situations and contexts of change.