UN-INSTRAW, in collaboration with UN and other international organizations, academic and research centres and civil society groups, conducts policy- and action-oriented research on issues related to the promotion of gender equality and women’s empowerment. UN-INSTRAW’s Strategic Framework 2008-2011 emphasizes the importance of articulating action-oriented research, capacity-building and knowledge management in a continuous cycle of analysis, learning and action, so that research results feed into the management and sharing of knowledge, and the design of training and capacity-building programmes, as well as the formulation and implementation of policy. Through its research, the Institute aims to make policies and programmes gender-responsive on the basis of concrete qualitative and quantitative information, the application of lessons learned, and the replication of best practices. This approach allows for flexibility in responding to both existing challenges and new and emerging issues

In order to design programmes that effectively and sustainably address gender inequalities - timely, relevant and accurate information is needed. Based on participatory information-gathering and other techniques, action-oriented research allows us to identify priority issues and problems, as well as ways to address them, in collaboration with the communities involved. As opposed to academic and scientific research, which aims mainly to gather data in order to test a particular hypothesis, action-oriented research collects information in order to support a particular course of action – a policy, programme, project or other type of intervention that aims to address a specific situation. 

Action-oriented research contributes scientific knowledge and concrete data while involving policy-makers, practitioners and community members (collectively referred to as “stakeholders”) in research design, information-gathering and analysis of the results in order to better take into account their needs, priorities and perspectives. It is a participatory process that uses such research techniques as personal interviews, focus group discussions, validation workshops, brainstorming sessions, mapping, social network analysis, participatory planning, etc.
In this case, the role of the researcher is re-defined as that of a “facilitator” who supports and guides stakeholders through the research process.