Enkele opmerkingen bij het rapport 'Sociaal-wetenschappelijk onderzoek en beleid'

Samenvatting

The task of the Commission on Social Research was to report on the relevance of social science research to policy making. It is regretted that there were no psychologists on the Commission & that economics was not considered one of the social sciences. The Commission recommended that more attention be paid to research results in making policy decisions. In this respect, important work has been done by the Center for Research on the Utilization of Scientific Knowledge at the U of Michigan. They have reached the conclusion that extensive personal contacts between scientists & policymakers was essential. Unfortunately, the Commission's recommendation that all research reports be published could only hamper free discussion between scientists & policymakers. The Commission recommendation to enlarge research groups to about fifty members is criticized as being potentially wasteful. Moreover, it might influence research styles in ways that would in turn influence the kind of results reached. It is doubted that the recommendation that less work-intensive methods of teaching be adopted will lead to more research in the Us. It is suggested that the granting of sabbatical leaves might be a more efficient way of promoting research among academic personnel. A. Orianne.