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6 Int'l J. Jurisprudence Fam. 67 (2015)
Violations of Fairness in Social Science Research: The Case of Same-Sex Marriage and Parenting

handle is hein.journals/ijjf6 and id is 75 raw text is: VIOLATIONS OF FAIRNESS IN SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH: THE CASE OF SAME-SEX MARRIAGE AND PARENTING by Walter R. Schumm1 and Duane W Crawford ABSTRACT Progressives and conservatives agree upon the importance of procedural fairness. Accordingly, this article examines the quality of social science research in the area of same-sex parenting. A variety of research principles have been violated on a regular basis, yet research results have often been accepted at face value by both professional social science organizations and judicial authorities. Examples are presented of how basic so-called facts, such as how many children are being raised by same-sex parents, have been extraordinarily incorrect; how nonrandom, convenience samples have been accepted, even though random, national samples have existed for many years; how sample designs have been corrupted; and how erroneous statistical analyses have been conducted. It appears that in many cases the role of politics has overridden scientific common sense and standard methodological protocols, damaging the credibility of social scientists, the field of social science, and the integrity of many social science professional organizations. The acceptance of such inferior research, both in general and in terms of specific journal article results, as long as it appeared to support politically correct objectives, suggests the use of an approach to science whereby the ends justify the means, an approach that may ultimately undermine public trust in social science and in judicial decisions that are based on such faulty research. 1 Professor of Family Studies, Kansas State University (B.S., Physics, College of William & Mary, 1972; M.S., Family and Child Development, Kansas State University, 1976; Ph.D., Family Studies, Purdue University, 1979). The author received summer salary support in grants to Kansas State University from the Witherspoon Institute, Princeton, New Jersey, in 2014 and 2015; the Witherspoon Institute had no influence on the content of this report other than this acknowledgment. 2 Professor of Family Studies, Kansas State University (B.A., Psychology, B.A. Anthro- pology, Wichita State University, 1977; M.A., Anthropology, Wichita State University, 1982; Ph.D., Individual and Family Development, The Pennsylvania State University, 1988).

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