Using Participatory Action Research to Connect Research Agendas with User Needs: A Crowdsourcing Case Study

Abstract

Crowdsourcing is a digital method used in business and academia to engage public participation in the provision of services, ideas, or information. This original case study focuses on examining process-based challenges of combining knowledge and skills of diverse crowdsourcing stakeholders in a network for shared learning. Participatory action research (PAR) was selected as the method to reflect all stakeholder agendas during the network’s formation. Findings demonstrate a shift in emphasis from initially complying with university funding criteria, to meeting the group’s desire for a network that encourages collaboration and capacity development for its users. This result advances understanding of deploying PAR to foster collaboration between crowdsourcing stakeholders for the purpose of forming a sustainable network for shared learning, and thereby informs future critical research pertaining to crowdsourcing policies and practice.