Abstract
Invented in the late 1980s, Causal Layered Analysis (CLA) is a research theory and method that seeks to integrate empiricist, interpretive, critical, and action learning modes of research. In this method, forecasts about the future, the meanings individuals give to these forecasts, the critical assumptions used, as well as subsequent actions and interventions are all valued and explored. This applies to both the external material world and inner psychological worlds.