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Introduction and methodology to Action Research

Introduction
The aim of the action research is to conduct a preliminary study about dot net, and then identify a problem that requires an intervention to solve it. Dot net is a broad category that represents the segments of the.NET platform which is a product of Microsoft. It comprises of dot net framework, dot NET core, and a shared layer of other products like packages, compilers, and runtime. The .NET framework started in 2002 having a single framework (Microsoft, 2015). Then, Microsoft released the.NET compact framework that could fit in the small devices like the windows mobile. It is a distinct code base from dot net framework that has all the components required. They are; a runtime, a framework, and an application model (Landwerth, 2014). Since the development of the.NET compact framework, there has always been a repetition of the sub setting exercises to generate other platforms.
The recent developments under.NET frameworks are Silver light, windows phone, and the windows store. Thus, the.NET platform has a set of platforms owned by different people, and its maintenance done independently. At present, it is possible to have applications that work on different devices (Landwerth, 2014). There is always a back-end that runs on the server and an administrative front-end that uses the Windows desktop. Also, there is a set of mobile applications available for use by the consumer on multiple devices. Thus, developers should create components that can work on all the.NET verticals. Programmers develop software by combining the source code to that of dot net Framework and other libraries available. The .NET Foundation is an organization that works in open development and collaboration in Microsoft dot net development framework. It serves as a platform for forums involving the community and commercial developers having a goal of broadening and strengthening the future of dot net ecosystem. It calls for transparency and community participation in encouraging innovation.
Overview of the problem
The issue of fragmentation raises many problems since there is no systematic approach to handling all the verticals. The issue of having the specialized features that serve diverse purposes is acceptable. However, it becomes a challenge if there is no standard method and specialization that occurs at every layer. Also, there is no regard to the other layers in other verticals. The result is a set of platforms having one API since they started from a common code base. As time goes by, the issue results in divergence unless the developers take measures of converging the APIs. The process tends to be expensive, hence not an option for the developers of the platforms.
The fragmentation in the.NET frameworks has significant challenges. The use of a single vertical for target does not create any problem since the API provided has optimization for the vertical in use. However, a problem arises if the developer wants to target other verticals. Thus, there must be a consideration about the availability of the APIs and also establish a way of generating assets that work across the verticals intended to target.
Action Research will help in understanding the nature of the problem that arose in the.NET Framework due to the issue of fragmentation. All the platforms working under dot net framework started from a common code base and hence have on API. It is necessary for program developers and maintenance operators of the platforms to consider having convergent measures that would ease the problems of fragmentation. Through action based research method, a practical activity will follow after having an insight of the underlying problem.

Methodology
History of Action Research
Literature does not have certainty on the person who invented Action Research. However, many researchers associate its creation to Lewin, who first used the approach in 1946. He published his work using the term. Even though he used the term in his publication, some researchers claim that he saw it earlier long in Germany. Others suggest that John Collier used Action research in the efforts of improving the race relations at the community level before and during the Second World War (Greenwood & Levin, 2007). Thus, it is not clear as to the originality of the term since no one seems to have a vivid explanation of their perspectives about it. The method of research is also difficult to arrive at a general definition since it is a natural process that has different forms of presentation and also developed for diverse purposes.
Theory in Action Research
The process of action research is a practical improvement of the conventional methods of research, and many users consider it to be atheoretical. However, the approach also uses the traditional disciplinary theory in understanding situations, planning the improvements and explaining the results. The practitioners do not only adopt the already existing theories, but regard the theories as problems that require solutions through the application. In most instances, practitioners and researchers use the existing theories to form the basis of their action research work (McNiff & Whitehead, 2011).

The Action Research process
The process of action Research follows a cycle that includes all the activities of the action inquiry cycle having planning, implementation, and evaluation. Action research generates data on the effects of change to practice in the implementation process. After the implementation process, the researcher can then evaluate the effectiveness of the action research process. The planning phase entails the preliminary activities of seeking for the things identified for changing through the action research. Implementation phase seeks to check on the data production, analysis, and reporting. The last phase of evaluation tends to check on the impact on the impact of the change to practice.

An effective action research project should address the issues of mutual concern to the target application. The project requires having a basis on a shared commitment to performing the research by enabling all the stakeholders to participate in the process according to their preferences. The research should also generate an input cost and outcome value ratio that benefits all the participants in a similar way (Bradbury-Huang, 2010).

Applications
Action Research method finds uses in a wide range of purposes that include research, individual and organizational learning, monitoring and evaluation, and in impact evaluation. In the assessment of the impact of a program, researchers can use action research method on its own or in combination with other designs and methods in a mixed approach. Action Research mostly applies to the projects in which practitioners seek to implement changes in their practices. Professionals may also use the approach in solving problems that arise in organizations (McNiff, 2002). The approach requires action in the fields of practice and research. Thus, it has both characteristics of the normal scientific research and the routine practice. The major principles of action research are; the use of a plural structure and a collaborative resource, reflexive and dialectical critique, risk, and the theory, practice and transformation method.
Advantages of using Action Research method
The approach allows active participation of all the concerned stakeholders. The strategy helps in facilitating a wide scope of input due to the information provided by the participants. Also, the use of many participants enhances transparency, accountability, and integrity throughout the entire process. The method is also good in enhancing both individual and organization learning. It is because; it has opportunities for reflection that facilitate informed decision-making. Action research method of research is useful in dealing with complexity. The method helps in assessing the complex situations that could not be possible through the common methods of research. The method of research helps in solving the complex situations since action researchers can focus on a specific issue and still maintain the interrelationship within a complex (Reason, 2001).
However, a major challenge in the use of action research is the difficulty in ensuring the quality of the work done considering that the approach has a high participation level.
In conclusion, Action Research approach is more of practical than theoretical. It incorporates both fact-finding and taking action after identification of a problem. The method is best applicable for providing solutions to real problems affecting the society or an organization by offering practical measures. The approach helps in exploring a problem in depth through seeking for the Genesis, theoretical, and methodological foundations. Thus, the method will be applicable in seeking for the solution of the problem of fragmentation identified in dot net framework. The process requires an in-depth understanding of all the platforms running under the framework. Hence, there is a need for active participation of all the key stakeholders like software developers and maintenance specialists. It will be easy to take an action as a corrective measure after having an understanding of the problem.

References
Bradbury-Huang (2010) “What is good Action Research?: Why the resurgent interest?” in Action Research Volume 8, Issue 1

Davydd J. Greenwood & Mortein Levin (2007) Introduction to Action Research, Second Edition, ISBN 9781412925976, 9781412984614, DOI:

Immo Landwerth (2014) Introducing.NET Core: A first handbook from the.NET engineering teams.

McNiff (2002) Action research for professional development: Concise advice for new action researchers.

McNiff and Whitehead (2011) All You Need to Know About Action Research (Los Angeles: SAGE)

Microsoft (2015) Understand.NET 2015,

Reason, P. (2001) Handbook of Action Research: Participative inquiry and practice. California US. Thousand Oaks.

Somekh, B. (2003) Theory and passion in action research. Educational Action Research 11(2) 247-264.

Carolyn Morgan is the author of this paper. A senior editor at MeldaResearch.Com in college research paper services. If you need a similar paper you can place your order from best medical essay service.

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