John Elliott (2002)
What is Applied Research in Education ?
Building Research Capacity n°3 :
Applied research in education is best characterised by the intention to link research with action in a form that generates actionable knowledge. This intention is evidenced in the processes of designing, carrying out, and validating the research findings. It need not necessarily imply a preference for a particular type of knowledge or the methodology associated with its production.
There are no characteristics inherent in some rather than other research paradigms which renders their knowledge outcomes more actionable. In this respect my answer to the question of "what is applied research" is post-paradigmatic. It is educational practitioners or policy-makers who ultimately determine the extent to which knowledge outcomes are actionable within their particular action contexts