“Whose Inquiry Is This Anyway?” Money, Power, Reports, and Collaborative Inquiry

Abstract

Collaborative/cooperative inquiry (CI) is both a method for engaging in new paradigm human inquiry and a strategy for facilitating adult learning. Adult educators who use CI in institutional settings must be aware of potential corrupting influences. The authors alert educators to three factors interjected by institutional affiliation that challenge the integrity of the CI process: financial support, power inequities, and reporting requirements. These factors are examined in three different contexts: inquiries used for dissertation research, inquiries in the workplace conducted for professional development, and multiple inquiry projects sponsored by an institution to serve its mission.