When Transition groups want to undertake their own research, this may be in a number of ways. Existing activists within the may wish to do it themselves, in the process becoming a Transition Researcher. If the group would prefer to bring in new research expertise, they may identify suitable collaborators within academic-practitioner networks or via a research marketplace. Students at local universities may be available to conduct a Transition dissertation on the topic. When Lou Senior approached Transition Durham about her interest in writing a masters dissertation on Transition, they invited her to join the group and attend meetings in order to collaborate on identifying a topic that could address both their needs and hers. The resulting dissertation on Inclusion and Diversity in Transition was based on Participatory action research on a key topic. It involved new outreach activities in which most of the core group took part, which were equally valuable as a practical project and a data collection exercise. In other cases, Collaborative Design may be sufficient, or a Practitioner steering group may advise researchers on how to direct the research effort in order to fulfil practical aims.

Allowing research to be directed by practical aims can create significant intellectual challenges. In some cases, the issue raised may not be sufficiently novel or interesting to merit original research, although particularly for student projects, local duplication of a topic or approach tried elsewhere can be appropriate. Consulting a Knowledge base can help identify whether there is a need for the research, and indicate what might be done. Some ideas may simply not be amenable to investigation with the necessary scientific rigour and better approached in ways other than as a research topic, or need adjustment as a part of ongoing learning. clear expectations on all sides are important in such cases, which are valuable opportunities for active learning.