ABSTRACT
This chapter demonstrates the type of relationship which develops between the researcher and the research on the one hand and the social, political and economic context on the other, the way the context influences the research, and that both the fact that the research is being conducted and the interim findings feed back into and change the context in a reflexive way. Sociologists have noted the distance between pure and applied research. In making a plea for the development of praxeology, Nas, Prins and Shadid seek to move towards a theory of intervention which acknowledges the role of the social scientist as an agent of change. Certainly, policy-relevant sociological research in the United States, which has tended to be more theoretically based, has had more impact on policy than the more descriptive policy research conducted in Britai - although whether this correlation is the effect of research perspectives or historical accident is not clear.
