Action research applied to the management and engineering research. A literature review for Ibero-America

Abstract

Action research, which comes from the social sciences, is a participatory methodology applicable to any business management problem. However, it is little known in engineering. This research develops the systematized review of 48 articles published in Scopus and the Web of Science between 2000 and 2020 by researchers attached to Ibero-American institutions that developed experiences and practices of action research in contexts related to engineering. The objective was to describe the characteristics of such academic production and its implementation. The results reveal that Brazil and Spain lead the use of action research in Ibero-America, being predominant in the area of computer, software and information systems engineering. Action research is presented with strong participation of the researchers themselves, who observe the problematic situation, propose actions, reflect and evaluate the system to begin a new cycle of work. The review concludes that the incipient use of action research has been successful for engineering and that there is a consequent possibility of replicating it in other areas related to business management and administration.