SOC221H5 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Scientific Community, Social Impact Assessment, Environmental Impact Statement
Document Summary
Use findings from social research to reduce crime, improve public health, sell products or understand aspects of their lives. Research is a means of finding answers to questions. Social research: process in which a researcher combines a set of principles, outlooks, and ideas with a collection of specific practices, techniques, and strategies to produce knowledge. Based on what other people have told you, personal knowledge, media or common sense. Social research as process for producing knowledge; it is more structured, organized and a systematic process as opposed to its alternatives. Knowledge from alternatives often correct but knowledge from research more likely to be true and have fewer errors. Wisdom of authorities (quick, simple and cheap) Benefitting from experiences and work of authority figures. Easy to overestimate expertise of other people. Authorities may not agree and all authorities may not be equally dependable. Authorities may speak on fields they know little about or they can just be wrong
