Critically engaging particpatory action research

In this introductory chapter, we contribute to the calls of other commentators to ‘press pause’ in the uncritical proliferation of all things participatory in research. We argue that focusing on Critical PAR (CPAR) is both timely and essential, and we offer our assessment of where PAR and CPAR are now. We outline our aims for the book, along with the key questions it seeks to answer. We then briefly review CPAR’s historical evolution and current diversity, providing commentary on some of the similarities and differences between CPAR and many instances of research that are badged as coproduction or codesign, or otherwise claim to be participatory. We position the book, including acknowledgement of its limits and what is missing from it, before identifying the book’s key themes, drawing on insights from the chapters that follow and the connections between them.