CONTRACT SHOP EPISTEMOLOGY - CREDIBILITY AND PROBLEM CONSTRUCTION IN APPLIED SOCIAL-SCIENCE

The use of social scientific expertise in forming state policies alter s the social structure of scientific fields in a way that has importan t cognitive consequences. In particular; it leads to a competition bet ween holders of traditional forms of academic recognition, and those w ho are distinguished by their administrative capacity and links to sta te personnel. Controversies over the authoritative measurement of the effects of state social policies reflect a social struggle between hol ders of these two kinds of capital or 'credibility.' Based on a case s tudy of evaluation of federal job training programmes in the USA, this paper shows that researchers in academic departments and in non-acade mic 'contract-shops' compete to impose different definitions of resear ch problems and objects of study These definitions, in turn, favour th eir interests in accumulating different forms of credibility Academic economists favour a rationalist approach using formal models, while co ntract shop researchers promote a case-based empiricism and social exp eriments.