Main trends of research in the social and human ... - unesdoc - Unesco

590 Pierre de Bie
ments and commercial concerns. Here again, contributions to theory are not
to be ruled out in principle, but the requirements of management and informed
action may often in practice be an obstacle to the exploitation of the data for
theoretical purposes.
Clearly, then, we are not justified in deducing from the nature of the ‘host’
institution the nature of all research conducted under its auspices. As if to
make the problem more complex, the parameters of problem-focused research
may not be sufficiently clear; frequently basic, so-called theoretical, research
leads to useful applications quite independently of the intentions of the research
worker, while applied research may open up new avenues for basic research:
political economy and demography provide several examples of this. I3
A well-conducted functional analysis might prove most useful in a study of
the relationship between the three types of research; it would be enough to
describe their characteristics in a stage by stage analysis according to the func-
tions they fulfil, making a careful distinction between the different meanings of
the word ‘function’ - the aim consciously pursued, the results secured, the
subjective or social motivations, the role of research workers and of research,
etc.
U. A n analysis based on consciously pursued aims is particularly important
because research investigations are frequently defined in terms of their aims.
Johan Galtung distinguishes between ‘pure’ sciences and ‘oriented’ or ‘fo-
cused‘ sciences on the basis of this sole criterion: ‘Both kinds of sciences are
games whereby problems are explored according to certain rules.. . They differ
in how the scientist is directed towards this activity, in other words in the nature
of the problem that spurs him to his work. In the pure sciences the problem is
defined by the research process itself.. . In the oriented or focused sciences the
problem is not derived from the research process itself, but from some autotelic
value like control of nature, health, welfare, legality, peace, etc.’I4
From an analysis based solely on consciously pursued aims, the distinction
between free basic research and problem-focused research becomes immediately
clear; that between problem-focused research and applied research is not
apparent.
Let us represent the three types of research by the symbols BR, P-fR and
AR, and the aims by the symbols (tu) (theoretical aim) and (up) (aim: solution
to a social problem). We then have the following associations or ‘constellations’ :
BR (tu), P-fR (up), AR (up). But a closer analysis of problem-focused research
and applied research shows that, although in both cases the investigator is
concerned with a social problem, its nature may vary considerably. I have
already emphasized this difference in defining applied research. We must
therefore adopt differentiated symbols: P-fR (up’) and AR (up”).
b. To analyse the results secured objectively by research, we may use the sym-
bols (tr) and (pr) to distinguish between theoretical results and practical results.
Here the associations which first come to mind are: BR (tr), P-fR (pr), AR
(pr), but also P-fR (tr). From the point of view of results, problem-focused