The Possibility of Citizens' Research

• Published in: Japanese Sociological Review Vol. 53; no. 4; pp. 566 - 578
• Main Author: MIYAUCHI, Taisuke
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: The Japan Sociological Society 2003
• Subjects: Fieldwork; Laypersons; methodology; participatory research; Research Ethics; Research Methodology; Researcher Subject Relations; Sociological Research; voluntary sector
• ISSN: 0021-5414; 1884-2755
• DOI: 10.4057/jsr.53.4_566

One of the central arguments about fieldwork is the problem of the relation between the investigator and the subject. Not constrained to the sphere of ethics, this problem extends even to that of the methodological and the epistemological. This paper presents “citizens' research” as a way to find socially meaningful practice from fieldwork, which is essentially polysemous. “Citizens' research” is also necessary in volunteer activities. Citizens' research is not a simplified version of professional research but in itself possesses original features and meanings. From ordinary people's perspective, it selects and combines various types of methodology with the objective to identify problems and find concrete solutions, whereas professional research is based on strict methodology and aims to contribute to a specific discipline. This paper also discusses what kind of social institution and mechanism should be created to make citizens' research become a socially powerful tool.