Formal Approaches to Applied Social Research.
Abstract
Two papers on formal approaches to applied social research deal with research undertaken to guide and inform policy-making. One paper concentrates on the meaning of systems analysis as a possible methodology for applied research. The author gives two substantive examples, one of linear programming for resource allocation in a liberal arts college, the other of Lowry's urban simulation model applied to ways of meeting air pollution standards without disrupting housing and employment in a large city. Systems analysis as a whole is seen to have the advantages of being able to deal with complex processes and of evaluating alternative decision processes. It focuses on policy objectives before any study is designed, but has the disadvantages of being expensive, highly dependent on a well-concevied theoretical model, and apt to focus on overall goals rather than subsystem conflicts. Three further systems analysis models are described: differential equation models, econometric procedures, and stochastic processes.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1974
- Accession Number
- ADA006297
Entities
People
- Norman P. Hummon
- Patrick Doreian
Organizations
- Columbia University