THE ESSAYS AND COMMENTARY WERE FIRST PRESENTED AT THE APRIL 1977 CONFERENCE HELD BY THE COUNCIL FOR APPLIED SOCIAL RESEARCH IN WASHINGTON, D.C. INTRODUCTORY ESSAYS EXAMINE POLICIES FOR MANAGING APPLIED SOCIAL RESEARCH, THE DIRECTION AND RELEVANCE OF SUCH RESEARCH, AND THE SPECIFIC PROBLEMS OF MEASURING ITS COSTS AND VALUING ITS OUTPUTS. THEN RESEARCHERS FROM VARIOUS SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH AREAS--HEALTH, EDUCATION, CRIMINAL JUSTICE, AND NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT--EXCHANGE VIEWS AND EXPERIENCES CONCERNING THE FEASIBILITY OF PERFORMING COST-BENEFIT ANALYSES IN THEIR RESPECTIVE AREAS. IN CONCLUDING CHAPTERS, THE DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION PRESENTS HIS VIEWS ON THE PROBLEM OF INCREASING RESEARCH CAPABILITIES IN APPLIED RESEARCH IN EDUCATION VERSUS WANING CONFIDENCE. THE DIRECTOR OF THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE PROVIDES FIRST-HAND INFORMATION ON THE IMPROVED, EXPANDED ROLE OF THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE IN THE OVERALL DEVELOPMENT OF THE FEDERAL BUDGET, EXAMINES ITS EFFECTIVENESS, AND SUGGESTS FURTHER STEPS TO IMPROVE THE BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS. SPECIFIC ISSUES ADDRESSED THROUGHOUT THE TEXT ARE QUESTIONS CONCERNING HOW RESEARCH SHOULD BE MANAGED ARE EXPLORED (WITH THE OBSERVATION MADE THAT MANAGING RESEARCH REQUIRES GREAT SUBJECT KNOWLEDGE ON THE PART OF THE PROJECT MANAGER) AND PROBLEMS RESULTING FROM THE APPLICATION OF SOCIAL RESEARCH METHODS TO PUBLIC POLICY. AN ACCOUNT OF HOW A BENEFIT-COST ANALYSIS IS DONE EXAMINES SOME OF THE PROBLEMS AND INNOVATIONS THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN THE LATE 1970'S. OTHER TOPICS CONSIDERED ARE THE TYPES OF ACTIVITIES THAT ARE CLASSIFIED UNDER THE HEADING 'APPLIED SOCIAL RESEARCH,' HOW THESE ACTIVITIES WILL BE DISTRIBUTED AMONG GOVERNMENT AGENCIES IN THE 1980'S, HOW FUNDS FOR EXTRAMURAL RESEARCH WILL BE AWARDED, AND WHAT TYPES OF STUDIES WILL BE FUNDED AND PERFORMED UNDER FEDERAL SPONSORSHIP. REFERENCES AND AN INDEX ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--PRG)