The Rehabilitation Detectives is based on extensive participant observation of vocational counsellors and their clients. Higgins uses the metaphor "detective" since rehabilitation workers are seen as sleuths and managers, trying to maintain a balance between multiple forces at work in the social services. These counsellors make the system work and "look good" while serving the public. A succesful counsellor gathers, organizes, and uses information in order to change those "vocationally handicapped due to disabilities" into agency clients, much as a good detective does when solving a crime. Higgins believes his research is applicable to all social and human service professionals.