The Research Relationship: Practice and Politics in Social Policy Research

Originally published in 1987, it seemed likely that by the end of that decade, if current trends continued, the majority of social researchers would be working under contract to government and other agencies which commissioned policy-relevant investigations. This shift towards contracted and commissioned research threw into heightened relief the importance of greater understanding of the often problematic relationship between researchers on the one hand, and funding agencies and policy-making bodies on the other.

This book was directed at both social scientists who were or would in the future be involved in social policy research, and at administrators, planners and policy makers who often had responsibility for funding such research and who were also its potential users. The authors provide accounts of research in a wide variety of settings, conducted on behalf of a diverse range of sponsors, in order to confront, describe and try to understand the tensions which develop between the two sides of the policy research relationship. While there is, of course, no suggestion here that there are tailor-made solutions that can eradicate difficulties, the feeling is expressed that improvements in the research relationship are possible and highly desirable. The primary objective of the book was to provide an impetus for greater understanding and collaboration that could lead to such improvements.