SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH FOR ACTION AGENCIES: SOME GUIDES AND HAZARDS.

There is a large potential demand for research of a sociological character for use in connection with decision making by action agencies (including those which reach or attempt to reach rural people), but relatively few individuals are employed as professional sociologists by federal or state agencies. If qualified sociologists do not meet this demand, others, perhaps less well qualified, will no doubt do so. Much of the research conducted by rural sociologists is potentially of interest to some action agency, but it appears that investigators frequently design their studies without consulting the agency to learn its problems. When this happens, the study may not be focused on the problems to which the agency is sensitive and the findings may be largely disregarded. No systematic studies have yet been made to find a scientific solution to the problem of how best to increase the use of sociological research in connection with decisions affecting agency policy, procedures, or organizational structure.