Resumo: This article looks at participatory action research (par) methods from theoretical and practical perspectives. The first part of this work provides an overview of the different approaches to action research, its historical evolution and resulting typologies. Its main characteristics and contexts are explored, highlighting the dual purpose of the method, collaborative nature and cyclical practice to conclude with the main shortcomings such as the abuse, ‘tokenism’ or the ‘new tyranny’ of the method. The second part focuses on a practical example of par with indigenous communities in the Lacandon Jungle (Mexico). Through the description of the research process from design, field work and analysis to the final writing of the doctoral work, the comprehensive experience of a par project is examined and the different challenges and responses are presented. The ethical values that should inform collaborative studies and the need for reflection on the role played by the external researcher in the par processes are also discussed. The text concludes with a reflection on the imperative need to collaborate with local communities to advance in decolonized tourism knowledge in indigenous contexts.
