ABSTRACT
The application of sociology and anthropology is one of three important orientations of social research and has never been properly developed. The authors make a plea for the formalization of existing knowledge to stimulate theoretical questions preliminary to intervention. They present an outline for a praxeological approach, which is situated between basic and applied research. It includes theoretical, methodological and action branches. It is directed towards (1) the thematic application of theory, (2) the study of intervention strategies and (3) the study of the research process in relation to the use of results. Within this praxeological approach applied research is emphasized. In this context, the authors present short characterizations of four types of research: thematic-, policy-, action- and evaluation-oriented. They defend the point of view that the dichotomy between basic research and applied research is inadequate to cover the whole range of social scientific methodology.
