De invloed der organisatievorm op de aard van het sociaal onderzoek

Samenvatting

Attention is called to a development (1) in which the institutional investigations preponderate over the individual ones, (2) in which client oriented research is getting the upper hand as against research instigated at one's own initiative, and (3) in which the needs of management play a greater part than scientific interest. 25 years ago the social researcher could bring something new, but there were disadvantages: no interested circle of colleagues, no financial supporters, practically no institutes with ready basic material. Much has been changed in recent years: (1) in the Netherlands more than 100 institutes have arisen with a joint staff of about 250-300 persons. (2) Besides the industries and Universities, the government has appeared as an important, one could even say the most important initiator of social research. (3) Gov. as well as private persons can seldom afford pure scientific research. Advantages of the signalled development are: social research remains closely related with real social problems; institutional investigations, being extensive, allow the construction of sound basic material; all kinds of research fields are opened which remain closed for the private scientist. Some possible disadvantages are; a rather one-sided development of social research; not sufficient time and money for exp's concerning the development of new research methods; too much attention to the normal, the traditional; no scope for adventure. As improvements, we can see: stimulation of team-work among individual research workers; ample support of graduates; the creation of institutes having the necessary instruments and specialists, who could work with freedom to exp. The Universities, which at the present moment do not have the disposal of the means, should be first in line to accommodate such institutes. M.O.L. Klein.