Analysis of the content area – democracy – and the object of study – values – enable a diagnosis-analysis-synthesis approach tohuman behaviour, primarily by means of textual criticism. Some of the studied articles are classified as demagogically symbolmanipulative items for highlighting the writer’s competence. Other articles are democratically actionable for developing research and education. It seems as if social science research often forms into mere talk for the Academy, but sometimes research also provides useful pieces of advice for the practitioner. A crucial divide runs between is-pragmatic and should-idealist approaches to knowledge. Successful articles portray actionable knowledgen and striving articles illustrate textual knowledge.