ABSTRACT
Social and behavioral science research is both similar to and different from everyday inquiry. Research differs from everyday inquiry because it incorporates information from prior studies and is systematic. In contrast, social and behavioral science researchers often will devote considerable resources to obtain appropriate samples of subjects because they recognize that the people they encounter in their everyday lives may be unrepresentative samples of the populations of interest. Researchers also consider personal experiences because research reflects everyday life and interests. However, they also give attention to all components of the research process and how they fit together to provide new findings derived in a systematic way. For example, researchers must locate respondents who are able to provide appropriate data to examine the topic of the study-appropriate data are defined by past research and applicable theoretical framework(s). Forty-one of the comparison group families were selected through a sample from obstetricians throughout California.
