THEORY AND PRACTICE OF APPLIED SOCIAL RESEARCH

• NCJ Number: 47879
• Journal: EVALUATION QUARTERLY Volume: 2 Issue: 2 Dated: (MAY 1978) Pages: 171-191
• Author(s): P H ROSSI; J D WRIGHT; S R WRIGHT
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 21 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Russell Sage Foundation
• Corporate Author: Sage Publications, Inc
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: AN EARLIER VERSION OF THIS PAPER WAS PRESENTED AT THE 1977 ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR PUBLIC OPINION RESEARCH

Annotation

A TYPOLOGY OF APPLIED SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH ACTIVITY IS PRESENTED, TOGETHER WITH A DISCUSSION OF PROBLEMS AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF APPLIED RESEARCH.

Abstract

DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN BASIC AND APPLIED RESEARCH ARE DRAWN RELATIVE TO THE AUDIENCE TO WHICH THE RESEARCH IS DIRECTED, THE TIMING AND PACING OF RESEARCH ACTIVITIES, THE KINDS OF INDEPENDENT VARIABLES EMPHASIZED IN ANALYSIS, AND POLITICAL INFLUENCES. FIVE MAJOR TYPES OF APPLIED SOCIAL RESEARCH ARE IDENTIFIED: PARAMETER ESTIMATION; MONITORING; MODELING OF SOCIAL PHENOMENA; EVALUATION OF ONGOING POLICIES; AND SOCIAL EXPERIMENTATION. IT IS NOTED THAT THE MAJOR PORTION OF APPLIED SOCIAL RESEARCH TAKES PLACE OUTSIDE ACADEMIC SETTINGS. POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS FOR THIS PATTERN INCLUDE THE INABILITY OF UNIVERSITY RESEARCHERS TO PRODUCE WORK ON THE SCALE AND UNDER THE TIME PRESSURES DEMANDED BY GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. THE RELATIVE LACK OF QUALITY IN APPLIED AS OPPOSED TO BASIC SOCIAL RESEARCH IS DUE BOTH TO POOR PROCUREMENT PRACTICES AND TO THE LOWER PRESTIGE OF APPLIED RESEARCH. INDICATIONS OF A TREND TOWARD IMPROVEMENT IN THE FIELD OF APPLIED SOCIAL RESEARCH ARE NOTED. A LIST OF REFERENCES IS INCLUDED. (LKM)