Process consultation, action research, and clinical inquiry : are they the same?

Clarifies a confusion existing in the field of consultation and organization development between formal research and data‐driven inquiry on the one hand and clinical research and client‐driven inquiry on the other. Illustrates the difference between the two approaches by showing the effects of particular approaches to data gathering. Shows how the clinical approach is synonymous with process consultation by being driven by the client′s agenda and argues that the clinical approach is more appropriate for consultation and organization development projects.