Client-Sponsored Applied Sociology: Educating the Client

Abstract

Because much of the research conducted by applied sociologists is frequently at the request of a client, agreement between client and researcher on the methods used to acquire the data is imperative. Clients' lack of methodological and statistical sophistication can lead to diverging opinions on how the project should be conducted. Researcher acquiescence to client demands can have disastrous effects on data quality and the project's completion. This paper uses a recently completed research project as a case study to illustrate (1) the divergence between clients' desires and their needs that may arise and (2) how sociologists can address this divergence.