FRHD 3070 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Social Impact Assessment, Institute Of Historical Research, Focus Group
Document Summary
To learn something about the social world, carefully document guesses, hunches or beliefs about it. Researchers combine theories or ideas with facts. Social research: a 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. Most of what people know about the social world is not based on doing social research. Learn from experiences, media and other people. Knowledge based on research is more likely to be correct with fewer errors. Research does mot always product perfect knowledge. Social research is a process for producing knowledge. It is more structured and organized than these alternatives. When you accept something as true because a person of authority said it, you are relying on authority for knowledge. Too much reliance on authorities is dangerous for democratic societies. Tradition is the authority of the past. Accept things as true because that"s how it"s always been.