Practitioner research refers to research and/or workplace research such as evaluation performed by individuals who also work in a professional field as opposed to being full-time academic researchers. Practitioner research developed as a recognized type of research in the last quarter of the 20th century. In this context, 'practitioner' means someone who delivers public services, such as a nurse, teacher, advice worker, probation officer, counselor or social worker. Practitioner research developed in disciplinary silos, but by the 2000s it had been recognized that all disciplines could approach practitioner research in broadly the same way.

For a practitioner, doing research alongside practice can assist with one or more of the following:

It is also held to improve the quality of the practitioner-researcher's practice.

Practitioner research has two categories: