Exploring the meaning of science and defining rigor in the social sciences

This special issue of Behavioral Disorders seeks to elucidate, rather than debate, the meaning of science and to define, rather than defend, the notion of rigor in the social sciences addressing the quality of life for students with emotional or behavioral disorders. The goal is to foster a deeper understanding of the meaning of science and the definition of what constitutes legitimate knowledge for the social sciences, with reference to special education and the field of behavioral disorders in particular. This prologue describes the conceptual framework that guides this special issue and provides a brief overview of each contributing researcher's article.