| Abstract: | This paper discusses the development of quantitative methods by social scientists at the University of Chicago in the 1920s. Chicago sociology, in particular, is frequently characterized by its emphasis upon using field research and personal documents to elicit the actor's definition of the situation. The important developments in quantitative methods in sociology, political science, and psychology at the time are discussed with reference to Ernest Burgess, William F. Ogburn, L. L. Thurstone, Samuel Stouffer, and others. In addition, the contribution made by the institutionalization of social research in the Local Community Research Committee is examined. |
