Non-Government Research Organizations: A Comparative Study on the Social Developmental Role of the IBON Foundation and the Social Weather Stations (SWS)

Abstract

In the Philippines where socio-economic and political ills are retarding the growth of the country, investigations and critical research that are geared towards development are inevitable. Social research plays a vital role in the collection of useful information about the various events occurring in society and their dissemination to the common people so that the latter may develop the capacity to effectively hold decision-makers responsible and accountable for what they do. In addition, social research is significant in the concrete depiction of the objective conditions in which the large majority of the population lives. This essay then is a study on the social developmental role of the non-government research organizations, namely the IBON Foundation (Databank and Research Center) and the Social Weather Stations (SWS) through the provision of a comprehensive research and information services to the public on socio-economic economic and political issues. With the use of the data obtained from both the documents and the accomplished questionnaires reflecting the selected respondents' perceptions, this essay is also an attempt to assess, evaluate, and compare the performance of these non-government research organizations with a main focus on their research undertakings and outputs.