> The only people who are arguing "more research is needed" are social science professors and their PhD candidates. > Dunno if I’ll ever see a double-blinded r

> The only people who are arguing "more research is needed" are social science professors and their PhD candidates. > Dunno if I’ll ever see a double-blinded randomized trial on volunteering though. Social scientists generally don't do these kinds of studies. A more typical research question might be something like "what forms of volunteering do italian grandpas take part in, and what are the perceived benefits do these efforts for themselves and the communities they serve?" This would be addressed through open-ended semi-structured interviews through various sampling methods, but probably a snowball sampling strategy. The research goes in the directions that the subjects lead it in, with effort being made to tie up loose ends as part of a theory-building process. Basically a structured and evidence-based attempt to come up with a coherent explanation.