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Social Science Information and Public Policy Making (Hardcover)
Loot Price: R2,609
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Social Science Information and Public Policy Making (Hardcover)
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A survey of federal officials reveals the belief that government
should make the fullest possible use of social science
information-and yet most of the information developed by social
scientists winds up in specialized libraries or data banks, where
it remains unused. Why don't public officials make greater use of
the information social scientists develop? What can social
scientists do to ensure that their findings are used? To answer
these and related questions, Robert Rich reports the results of a
unique experiment designed to facilitate the use of research data
by public officials in federal agencies. Rich interviewed both
researchers and users of research data over the two-year life of a
Continous National Survey (CNS) experiment to discover the extent
to which the CNS mechanism was successful and to record the levels
and types of use that officials made of the data provided. Rich
reveals that factors such as the timeliness, cost, and relevance of
data do not guarantee that information will be used. He examines
patterns in the actual use of survey data by agency officials and
explores key organizational factors, such as the compatibility of
information with various bureaucratic interests. He discusses the
preoccupation of public officials with bureaucratic issues
regarding the ownership and control of information, identifies the
incentives that prompt bureaucrats to pass along new information
and the government officials' difficulties in developing policies
and programs for meeting national needs. Rich notes that studies of
knowledge inquiry systems, found in the research literature of many
social science disciplines have been dominated by a "rationalistic
bias." This "bias" is expressed in terms of the belief that the act
of acquiring information will automatically lead to its use, in
turn, automatically leading to improved policy or decisions. He
contends that empirical studies of how information is actually used
do not support the assumptions of rational choice theory. The new
chapter also discusses types of information, knowledge, and use;
prospects for the development of learning organizations in
government; and the politics of expertise. This book will be of
interest to social scientists and public policy makers. Robert F.
Rich is professor of law and political science at the University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is also professor in the Institute
of Government and Public Affairs, and was the director of that
Institute from 1986-1997. He is the founding editor of Knowledge:
Creation, Diffusion, Utilization (now Science Communication).
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