Action research is an umbrella term referring to research by practitioners for the purpose of improving their practice. Action research in higher education is being conducted by a growing number of practitioners whose formal training is outside of the discipline of education research. This has precipitated a need for faculty development and consequently, a conceptual model for analyzing the requisite skills for various action research methodologies, referred to as tasks. L. Daniel, A. Ongwuegbuzie, and A. Dellinger have proposed a three-dimensional model for categorizing action research strategies based on three criteria: research goal, method of inquiry, and level of expertise needed to execute the research design. This paper extends the discussion of the three-dimensional requisite skills model to a global task-analysis model. Three major differences exist between these two models. First, rather than assessing the degree to which the research strategy varies from the practitioners normal activity, the currently proposed model offers a means of analyzing the level of skill implied in a given action research strategy. The development needs of the practitioner can thus be matched to the task-analysis of the proposed study. Second, rather than a three-dimensional system, this pyramidal model is multidimensional. It is readily adaptable to any number of methods criteria that the faculty development facilitator deems appropriate. Third, the method presented in this paper provides a multidimensional model for conceptualizing the balance among the various criteria in the design of the study. It therefore can be applied not only as a skills analysis tool, but also as a tool for categorizing and describing the nature of a particular action research strategy. Examples are given for use of this model as a training tool, a research planning tool, and evaluation tool. (Contains 8 figures and 14 references.) (SLD)