James Karlsen, Miren Larrea, Pablo Costamagna
Abstract
The article analyses how the framework of learning from differences fosters learning spaces across diverse traditions of action research for territorial development. Drawing on self-inquiry and long-term collaboration between Agder (Norway), Rafaela (Argentina), and Orkestra in the Basque Country (Spain), the study examines tensions between academic rigour and political engagement. The authors show how such tensions can become productive by making differences explicit, building trust, encouraging structured reflection, and facilitating mutual apprenticeship. The article introduces the concept of politicidad to capture the inherent political nature of action research and argues that difference can facilitate, rather than hinder, knowledge development and institutional transformation.
- How to cite: Karlsen, J., Larrea, M. and Costamagna, P. (2026). Tensions between academic rigour and the politics of action research: Learning from differences. IJAR - International Journal of Action Research, 22(2-2026), 109-128. https://doi.org/10.3224/ijar.v22i2.02
