Action research is the process by which practitioners (such as teachers and principals) attempt to study their problems in context in order to more accurately evaluate them and to make informed decisions. The humanistic research approach not only revives useful action research strategies, but refines and revises them with the intent of making positive change in the human condition while taking into account the complexity of the human condition. This approach is in no way incompatible with traditional scientific research. Instead, it can be used to complement classical research. Essential characteristics of humanistic research are as follows: (1) the relevance and urgency of the problem takes precedence over methodological considerations; (2) the goal of humanistic research is the improvement of an unsatisfactory educational situation; (3) the humanistic researcher acknowledges his/her subjectivity; (4) humanistic research does not claim to be able to make generalizations; (5) with adequate training, individual educators will be able to conduct humanistic research on their own; (6) humanistic research cannot rely solely on statistical significance; and (7) this approach should not be used whenever rigorous scientific research is possible, since humanistic research will not contribute to theory formation. (Author)