Value Free and Ethically Neutral Empirical Research
The concern for conducting value free research is based on the notion that ideology or individual experience can bias opinions, methods and findings. Also at issue, is the potential bias in where and how to obtain appropriate data for analysis.
Empirical research is characterized by its focus on "what is" and "why," as observed through actual or objective observations.
The "what is" component is captured by descriptive research.
The "why" component is developed in explanatory research.
Empirical research typically does not address whether what is should be that way, or whether observable reality is good or bad.
The work of determining whether an object or event is good or bad for society is left to normative thinkers focused on how things ought to be.
The normative implications of research findings fall heaviest on public policy makers and administrators.
The job of a researcher is to keep norms, or the values of what should happen, separate from the analysis of what is being studied, even if the researcher is only "wearing the hat" of a researcher and will soon switch back to a decision maker's role.
While this course is focused on empirical research, there is often a normative orientation to the questions we ask as political scientists as well as normative implications of our findings.
Values are very important at initial stages of research where the researcher must draw upon their insights, observations and even their sense of what ought to be when selecting topics or how those topics ought to be framed in their larger contexts.
An example will help illustrate the proper boundaries for empirical research.
Considering my own research on American Indian justice in South Dakota, one might fairly engage in research of the state's criminal justice system because they feel that American Indians should not receive different sentence lengths than Whites for the same crimes.
This is a normative concern that motivates the research.
However, it is essential that the researcher not select data sources, time periods, jurisdictional contexts, or any other frame for the research that might bias the outcomes of the study.
In short, the research needs to be conducted in a manner that insures that the research's values, interests or initial expectations will not bias the results of the study.
If researchers allow their values to bias research outcomes, we would not call this research normative because of the weight of the researcher's normative values. We just call it bad research because it has little or no scientific value and, as such, can not reliably contribute to the decision making processes that follow the research.
A second example: Grinding my ax on California ballot issue research.
Large state vs. small state concerns date back to the forming of our union. The tension is present in contemporary ballot issue research, where the large "N" of CA measures makes it compelling for researchers to study CA and attempt to generalize from that experience. But does SD, ND, MT ballot issue politics resemble CA's process? More importantly, am I willing to report either finding after conducting value free empirical research?
Clearly I have a personal and professional interest in refuting the CA-centered model. Can this interest be contained in the interests of good science?
We can also distinguish types of empirical research by their overall contributions. Generally speaking, research can be applied or theoretical.
Applied Research = direct application to real-world.
Basic or Pure Research = better understanding of the world we live in that may or may not have immediate applications for society, institutions or individuals.
Regardless of whether the research is empirical or normative, applied or theoretical, there are two essential norms to quality research.
All systematic research ought to be transmissible and generalizable to maximize its contribution to the scientific community as a whole.
However, it is possible that case study research contributes a great deal even though it is not generalizable. We will discuss this point more when considering specific research designs later in the course.
Additionally, quality research is informed by research and observations that have come before.
Quality research assesses and synthesizes existing knowlede in the form of a literature review.
Literature reviews are essential to track the intellectual developments within a field of study. Also, they establish, critique and, where necessary, revise methodological approaches to an area of study as well as the appropriate/valid data to use to advance knowledge in the field.
The literature review is present at the beginning and ending of most quality research reports. It frames initial questions and, in the recommendations and conclusions sections of a report, presents a point of departure for future research agendas.
Further, it is an essential tool for practitioners interested in becoming subject matter experts.
