Unnecessary polarization between research traditions (basic vs. applied, experimental vs. correlational, and laboratory vs. field research) has resulted in extreme, nonproductive conflict between experimental rigor and policy relevance. The analogue model (described) grounds experimental studies in social problems without losing the unique…

Suspicion and hostility of the ghetto population is cited as the reason for low return on research surveys. It is argued that survey research should be more closely articulated in goals and methods with the population being studied--a strategy called intervention research." (DM)

Discusses the use of social science knowledge about environmental stressors in the making of public policy. (EF)

The computer's social effects have long been debated under the influence of unrealistic perceptions and value judgments. Experience has disproved early prophecies about the computer's impact on privacy, education, and employment. Today, a new set of criteria for determining the role of computers in social contexts is needed. (KH)

The complex problem of discovering effective procedures for translating social science research into social policy and social action is examined through the history of the surgeon general's research program on television and social behavior. (Author)

It is concluded, on the basis of this study, that respondents who are poor and/or of racial or ethnic minority backgrounds require unconventional rules of survey procedure. (Author/AM)

Field research in the gay world is shaped by two factors: the secrecy of many gay groups, and the stigmatization both of gays and of researchers who study them. Some relevant strategies and tactics of field research are discussed. (Author/AM)

It is possible to devise ingenious means for adapting basic methodological techniques to meet exigencies of the research situation while still meeting the requirements for the collection of valid data. (Author/AM)

Reviews recent proposals for procedural reforms to protect child victims of crime in their role as witnesses. Focuses on the Supreme Court's decision in Globe Newspaper Co. v. Superior Court. Argues that making the present system more responsive to the needs of child witnesses is more important than attempting major procedural changes. (Author/KH)

A practicing white investigator reports on his experiences in conducting research in black communities; the adequacy of traditional academic training for the conduct of research in black communities is questioned. (Author/JM)

To investigate the quality of response to the personal interview, a survey was undertaken among Mexican-American migrant parents and children. Results demonstrate that the personal interview does not gather complete response. (Author/AM)

After discussing the economic and social pressures which may impinge upon parental judgment in the experimental setting, the article reviews several divergent opinions on the ethics of child research. (Author)

This paper should not be interpreted as stating that T.V. violence can not cause aggression; rather, it argues that no such link has been demonstrated to date. Further, it questions the applicability of laboratory experimentation for this policy related issue. (Author/AM)

According to this acceptance speech delivered by the recipient of the 1987 Kurt Lewin Award, social psychological contributions should be placed within an interdisciplinary framework and an institutional structure in order to make it more relevant for public policy. Recommendations for doing this are offered. (BJV)

Today's white researchers are perhaps counterproductive in black communities not because they are white, but because they are poorly trained: equally if not more important are the values which the researcher acquires as a result of his professional training. (Author/JM)