"Action research" is that research that initiates change and in which the process of change is a major component of the project. The action researcher examines not only what changed but how change occurred. Action research is, therefore, the study of a process. The hypothetical project for which action research is described in this paper involves revising police crime reports so they provide more information on burglary methods. The new information that would be provided is intended to help police identify similarities among burglaries and burglary patterns, so as to assist in the identification of suspects. The researcher will be involved in the project from its inception so as to ensure that goals are clear and will yield outcome measures suitable for evaluation. In monitoring the implementation of the project, the researcher will ensure that consistency in definitions and operation are maintained. Assessment of the project's process means the researcher will be in touch not only with management decisions that impact the project but also the process by which officers collect and report information on burglaries. Assessment of the outcome involves determining whether changes did occur and whether or not they brought the benefits envisioned at the outset of the project. The final report should indicate what the project did and did not achieve, buttressed by empirical statistics. It should also contain an analysis of the process that led to the outcome. 2 references