Accountability in Social Research: Issues and Debates - Hardcover

Romm, Norma

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0306465647 ISBN 13: 9780306465642

Publisher: Springer, 2001

Synopsis

In this book I have concentrated on drawing attention to various conceptions of accountability that might be brought to bear in judging the practice of social research. Much of the book is organized around making explicit the assumptions that influence what counts as “proper” research in society, including assumptions about how social inquirers might be held accountable. My focus is on reviewing discourses around the practice of “professional” inquiry, with a view to reconsidering the way in which people create expectations for accountable social inquiry. My focus hereon is related to my concern that the manner in which judgments about researchers’ accountability are made, is not without social consequences for our way of living in society. I have approached the issues by beginning with a discussion of tenets of the position called “positivism” (so named by certain proponents), and by considering the view on accountability that is implied by adherence to these tenets. Briefly expressed, positivist argumentation suggests that researchers are required to “do science” in a manner that warrants their being considered, indeed, scientists. I use my discussion of accountability as seen within positivist argumentation to explicate ways in which alternative positions have arisen as ways of treating accountability issues. Through my way of comparing the various positions, I hope to provide some indication of the complexity ofethical and accountability issues in social inquiry.

About this title

Review

`...[T]his is a sophisticated and challenging book which addresses one of the key issues surrounding social research, and as such it would be essential reading for any serious researcher desiring to question the assumptions underpinning their activities...There are few sources which combine the theoretical and the practical so succinctly and to such good effect.'
Lorraine Warren, Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 19:6 (2002)

Synopsis

This book considers issues relating to accountability in social research by juxtaposing seven ways of approaching the issues and by moving toward the development of a particular approach to the earning of trust on the part of researchers. A conception of the practice and assessment of discursive accountability is presented as an option for consideration. The book grapples with the issue of accountability in social research by considering the extent to which and ways in which it is addressed in a number of different positions regarding the practice of social science. The focus of the book is on reviewing discourses around the practice of 'professional' inquiry, with a view to highlighting differing arguments around the question of what it might mean to assess researchers' accountabilities.The book is structured around considering in detail various views on accountability in relation to one another. A comprehensive comparison of arguments is presented in the first two chapters of the book.

The debate that is set up in the first two chapters forms the background to the elaboration and development (in Chapter 3) of constructivist argumentation in relation to the question of how accounts as set forth by researchers should be treated (by colleagues, participants, and other audiences). The continuing debate about the status to be afforded to constructions developed by researchers is tackled in this chapter. Constructivist thinking is then extended toward what is named in the book a 'trusting constructivist' position. This position focuses on ways in which trust earning and trust awarding in the context of social inquiry can proceed without researchers having to justify themselves as striving to gain access to knowledge as representation of reality.Through the development of the trusting constructivist position, the book explores ways of creating trust through processes of social discourse. An assessment of actual research projects in view of the debates set up in earlier chapters then takes place.

Through these assessments readers can relate the details of the arguments developed in earlier chapters to their implications for judging the practice of (accountable) social inquiry.

Edition details

• Publisher: Springer
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0306465647
• ISBN 13: 9780306465642
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 330