The chaplain as a researching professional

This chapter discusses the chaplain as a researching professional. The chapter starts with an outline of the context of chaplaincy research, thereby illustrating the internal and external motivations of chaplains to conduct research. Next, chaplains are invited to join the research process on various levels: as a research-minded chaplain, an active researcher, or a leader in research. The authors provide some concrete examples for chaplains to know where to start their research journey. Once involved in research, they invite the chaplain–researcher to position their research on the continuums of ideals, empiricism, theory, and practice. They furthermore challenge them to reflect on their research assumptions on the basis of the postpositivist, constructivist/interpretativist, critical/transformative, pragmatic, and indigenous paradigms. Finally, the chapter concludes with some remarks about making impact with research, most importantly by collaborating with all the key stakeholders in the process of knowledge acquisition.