Zuber-Skerritt, Fletcher, and Kearney's nine chapter volume introduces their vision of action research which they call participatory action learning and action research (PALAR). They describe PALAR as "holistic, inclusive, and participative to enable transformative improvement in human living conditions (p. 2)". The creation of this methodology provided the authors with an opportunity to define their epistemological and ontological stances. They state that they subscribe to the critical realist

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... perspectives and prioritize research which is humanitarian and which is empowering. Their methods are informed by a multitude of theoretical perspectives such as hope theory, complexity theory, experiential learning, negative dialects, living theory, grounded theory, critical theory, and phenomenology. In Chapter Two professional learning is described as a body-brain-mind dynamic which requires attention and reflection. Critical reflection as it relates to action research is discussed in Chapter Three. The authors propose a multilevel reflective process. In the last chapter of this section the authors address action research itself and introduce the "action research family" which includes different forms of action research. It is here that PALAR is thoroughly explained as a unique form of action research. Its philosophy, methodology, theory, process, and model are outlined.