INTRODUCTION
Socialr esearchis all arounclu s. Educatorsg, o\,-
ernment officials, business managers, hutntrrt
service providers, and health care professionals
regularlyu ses ocialr esearchm ethodsa nclf indings.
P eopleu ses ocialr esearchto raisec hildren,
reducec rime, irnprclvep ublic health,s ellp roducts,
c lrj ust understando ne’sl il-e.R eportso f researcha
ppearo n brclaclcasnte $,sp rograms,i t.t
popuiar magazinesi,n nen,spapersa,n d on the
lnternet.
Researchfi ndings can aftbctp eople’sd aily
livesa nd public policies.F or example,I recentll’
heard a debater egrrrclirrag U.S.l ederaig overnment
program to off-ert eenagerss exuala bstinence
counseling. A high-level government
official argued for sucl-rc ounselinga ncls tror”rgl,v
opposed offering teens birth control inforiration.
An indepenclent health administrator
noted that therei s no scientiflce vidences hou,-
ing that abstinence-onlyc ounselingr vorks.I ie
said that 80 percent oftcens arc already sexually
activeb ythe ageo f 18,t hereforei t is essentiatlo
provide birth control information.