BIAS OF SOCIAL SCIENTISTS 2

Bias of Social Scientists

Political leaders often cite findings of research work conducted by social scientists and
other researchers when debating various public policies. The reason why they cite such findings
is because of the assumption that the findings are objective. This, however, may not be the case
as social scientists often have a bias towards liberal policies which, according to them, lead to
positive policy outcomes.
In the case of gun control policy, it is likely that a social scientist will produce liberal-
leaning results when assigned to do research on the subject by politicians. Two common policy
positions on gun control are those that seek to make it easy for people to acquire and carry guns
around and those that seek to restrict gun acquisition. The latter policies are often favored by
liberals. Therefore, a social scientist researching on the issue is likely to produce findings that
recommend ban of assault rifles, conducting of stricter background checks on gun buyers,
increasing places where gun carrying is restricted, and, on the extreme, banning of guns to large
sections of the population.
These recommendations fit the liberal values of many social scientists. The research is
also likely to be published quickly because they fit into the world outlook of the publishers.
Additionally, these recommendations, when made into policy, are likely to lead to significant
reduction in deaths resulting from mass shootings – the main problem that gun control policies
are supposed to address. Thus, researchers are likely to come up with such findings because of
the likelihood of them having a positive impact.
The research results of the social scientist are, therefore, unlikely to be objective. They
will reflect their political views, desired outcomes, and hopes for career advancement.