The problem with this approach was that it made me less likely to get access to those clients who had had trouble with their business or their loans. To counter this dynamic, I made it clear to potential participants that I did not work for the programs and that I would maintain the confi- dentiality of all information with which I was entrusted. Some borrowers, albeit few, were angry with programs and did not want anything further to do with them. They perceived talking to me as doing a favor for the program. Given the existence of this kind of dynamic, this research is probably slightly biased toward those borrowers who were relatively satisfied with their microenterprise experience.
All research is political.
All research is based on the biases and assump- tions of the researcher. Biases are not sins to be atoned for but rather pieces of baggage, inherited or acquired. Unlike baggage, however, biases cannot be left at the gate. And because they must necessarily be brought 9. Depending on the program, obviously, it was sometimes impossible to vary the sub- jects along one trait or another.