Reviews the trends in sociology since the 1930s. Identifies the still unresolved problems in the field including (1) redundancy resulting from difficulty in retrieving results of prior relevant research and lack of communication; (2) undue focus on trivial issues; (3) decline in microsociology; and (4) lack of a unifying theoretical paradigm. (NL)

Sensitive topics raise issues of ethics, politics, and legal aspects of research. There is concern for participants' rights and groups who may be affected by research. Notes that some argue research funding tends to serve the interests of the powerful by excluding support for research on issues detrimental to their interests. (NL)

Discusses a subdiscipline of history, Quantitative Social Scientific History (QUASSH), which encompasses economic, political, and social histories. Suggests that devotees of this subdiscipline neglect mainstream historical skills and the work of other historians to the detriment of their own work. (Author/KC)

Provides an introduction to the theme of this issue, the limits of educational research methodology. Advocates a combination of research methodologies and identifies three approaches to educational research. Includes sections on the nature of research and common research problems. (JDH)

Describes dilemmatic view of research process in which research is regarded as dilemmas to be lived with rather than problems to be solved. From this perspective, the proper starting place to discuss methodology is to lay out a series of choices, describe choices in terms of mutually incompatible goals involved, and discuss research strategies.…

Maintains that the need for gathering sensitive information frequently arises in planning and implementing organizational surveys. Describes methods of designing the instrument format and the mode of data collection. Provides a description and process summary of the Randomized Response Technique (RRT). (CFR)

Reviews various social science models of man designed to explain the issue of limits to growth for human societies. Presents arguments often advanced by proponents of pessimistic and optimistic schools of thought regarding whether society will be successfully able to deal with the limits to growth controversy. (Author/DB)

The author argues that much of the evidence utilized by sociologists is of questionable validity; that the relationships between major independent and dependent variables are generally quite weak; and that even if valid measures and strong relationships existed, the problems of interpretation are extremely formidable. (Author/MB)

Discusses major methodological advances of the past 20 years within social anthropology. The advances fall into three broad areas: comparative studies and large-scale multicultural and holocultural investigations; cognitive anthropology, encompassing formal analysis and decision processes; and studies of intracultural diversity. (Author/KC)

The articles in this issue discuss the emotional experience, including shame, guilt, exaltation, how it feels to be criminally victimized, how people experience nuclear weapons, emotional links with the environment, psychological closeness, ways of being alone, emerging from depression, and collective emotion. (RM)

Discusses a field experience program in which a sociologist worked for three years as an applied social scientist in a health care setting in Cali, Colombia. Information is presented on research activities, change agents, research methodology, and evaluation of the experience. (Author/DB)

Asserts that conducting an organizational survey efficiently and effectively requires detailed planning. Provides an outline of the general steps common to organizational surveys but cautions that the process cannot be covered fully in a brief article. Presents a five-phase process and discusses common problems and pitfalls. (CFR)

Describes three classes of measurement techniques: (1) interviewing methods; (2) record retrieval procedures; and (3) observation methods. Discusses primary reasons for measurement error. Concludes that, although measurement error can be defined and controlled for, there are other design factors that also must be considered. (CFR)

Social scientists need to cultivate awareness of values, their own and those embedded in research activities, and be responsive to the value system they encounter when doing organizational research. Discusses the sharing of ethical responsibility with organization members, elements of self-awareness and self-management, relationship management,…

Presents a selective review of the research and theory on the experience, expression, and communication of emotion. Suggests that the research is affected by cultural context and cultural differences. Maintains that contradictions can be resolved by considering the intrapersonal, interpersonal, social, and intergroup aspects of emotions. (CFR)