Participatory Action Research (PAR) challenges the belief that only academics or trained professionals can produce accurate information, and instead recognizes information as POWER and puts that power in the hands of people seeking to overcome problems in their daily lives. PAR is a collective process of investigation, empowerment, and action. The people most affected by the problems, sometimes with the help of “experts”, investigate and analyze the issues, and ultimately act together to bring about meaningful, long-term solutions.
One Definition, according to Duke University's Writing Studio:
"Ethnography is a genre of writing common in the social sciences, especially anthropology.
A comprehensive study of a culture, an ethnography informs its reader through narrative immersion, often
using sensory detail and storytelling techniques alongside objective description and traditional interview
style. Ethnography cuts a middle path between journalistic travel writing and traditional scientific
objectivity, blurring the distinction between the two. Oftentimes ethnographers choose to use a first-
person perspective in their writing to acknowledge their presence as both observer and active participants
in the culture they are studying." Autoethnography is a form of ethnographic research in which a researcher connects personal experiences to wider cultural, political, and social meanings and understandings.
A zine, short for fanzine or magazine, is a DIY* subculture self-publication, usually made on paper and reproduced with a photocopier or printer. Zine creators are often motivated by a desire to share knowledge or experience with people in marginalized or otherwise less-empowered communities. -- (Barnard Zine Library Home Page)
What is feminist research?
The Feminist Research Institute at University of California, Davis defines feminist research as:
-Adopted from the WGSS Research Guide at Pollark Library