Participatory Action Research (PAR) privileges the involvement of participants as co-researchers to generate new knowledge and act on findings to effect social change. In PAR projects, academic researchers collaborate closely with co-researchers, working from the idea that these individuals, especially those who are usually marginalized from institutions, can be engaged in meaningful research activities to achieve social justice outcomes in addition to answering research questions. When deployed ethically in collaboration with co-researchers, PAR's participatory element facilitates a 'bottom-up' approach where knowledge is co-created through grassroots or community-based activities. This book goes beyond a PAR 'how to' manual on the methodology. Rather it synthesizes key learnings in contemporary research, with a distinct focus on the challenging aspects of undertaking PAR in practice and strategies to address these. It provides a clear and user-friendly collection of practical and contextual examples and presents key pointers on the implications of PAR methods, their strengths and weaknesses, and strategies for the field. These examples will be useful for critical class discussions, as well as to anticipate fieldwork pitfalls and pre-empt challenges through collaborative approaches.

"Every now and then, a book comes along which is full of such sheer practical wisdom, determination and meticulous scholarship that it takes your breath away and has you shouting sentences aloud in affirmation." - Professor Alison Phipps, UNESCO Chair for Refugee Integration through Languages and the Arts, University of Glasgow

"An unflinching exploration of the joys and messy challenges of engaging in participatory action research that will compel novice and more seasoned researchers alike to critically assess both their practices and their promises." - Associate Professor Susan Cox, University of British Columbia.

"This accessible book engages with often opaque elements of participatory research. Through highly accessible writing and reflective vignettes, it encourages us to reflect on how to decolonize and sensitize collective research practice. It should be on all research methods course lists!" - Professor Sara Kindon, Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University of Wellington