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Evidence-based Policy: In Search of a Method
Abstract
Evaluation research is tortured by time constraints. The policy cycle revolves quicker than the research cycle, with the result that `real time' evaluations often have little influence on policy making. As a result, the quest for evidence-based policy has turned increasingly to systematic reviews of the results of previous inquiries in the relevant policy domain. However, this shifting of the temporal frame for evaluation is in itself no guarantee of success. Evidence, whether new or old, never speaks for itself. Accordingly, there is debate about the best strategy of marshalling bygone research results into the policy process. This article joins the imbroglio by examining the logic of the two main strategies of systematic review: `meta-analysis' and `narrative review'. Whilst they are often presented as diametrically opposed perspectives, this article argues that they share common limitations in their understanding of how to provide a template for impending policy decisions. This review provides the background for Part II of the article (to be published in the next issue, Evaluation 8[3]), which considers the merits of a new model for evidence-based policy, namely `realist synthesis'.
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“Our charting approach was akin to a 'narrative review' (Pawson 2002: 171)”
From Scoping studies: towards a methodological framework (2005) · cites this paper as Pawson 2002: 171
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“2 | METHODS 2.1 | Study design We undertook a realist scoping review which allowed a complementary combination of the broad focus of a scoping review (Arksey & O'Malley, 2005) and the rich data synthesis of a realist review (Pawson, 2002; Wong, Greenhalgh, et al., 2013).”
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“Since everyone interacts individually with the technology but not isolated from the context, understanding the context is essential 30,31 .”
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“Pawson [9] discussed various ways to incorporate research results into the policy-making process.”
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“dations of evidence-based policy and practice (McKnight & Morgan, 2020; Pawson, 2002), particularly its experimentally grounded approaches (e.”
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“It does not combine specific circumstances and lacks context (Pawson, 2002) ([56]).”
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Methodological, Theoretical, Infrastructural, and Design Issues in Conducting Good Outcome Studies
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“The principles of program theories as developed by Pawson are helpful here (Pawson, 2002, 2006) and are central to developing outcome studies.”
BackgroundResponsible food marketing and standardisation: an exploratory study
Cairns, G., de Andrade, M., & Landon, J. (2016) · British Food Journal · doi:10.1108/bfj-10-2015-0368 · Cited by 11
ÉVALUER UNE INTERVENTION COMPLEXE: ENJEUX CONCEPTUELS, MÉTHODOLOGIQUES, ET OPÉRATIONNELS
Contandriopoulos, A., Rey, L., Brousselle, A., & Champagne, F. (2011) · PubMed · Cited by 11
A scoping review of knowledge syntheses in the field of evaluation across four decades of practice
Lawarée, J., Jacob, S., & Ouimet, M. (2019) · Evaluation and Program Planning · doi:10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2019.101761 · Cited by 12
Day, C., Briskman, J., Crawford, M., Foote, L., Harris, L., Boadu, J., McCrone, P., McMurran, M., Michelson, D., Moran, P., et al. (2020) · Health Technology Assessment · doi:10.3310/hta24140 · Cited by 11
Perspectives on prevention, assessment, and rehabilitation of low back pain in WORK
Ravenek, M. J., Bryson-Campbell, M., Shaw, L. E., & Hughes, I. D. (2010) · Work · doi:10.3233/wor-2010-0990 · Cited by 11
“Summary tables were created using a ‘descriptive-analytical’ narrative [63] to capture information important for comparison across studies included in this review, including the author, year, and place of publication, the classification of the article according WORK’s primary foci, and the…”
Early multiple intervention: a view from On Track
Hine, J. (2005) · Children & Society · doi:10.1002/chi.871 · Cited by 11
Interprofessional education: reviewing the evidence
Ireland, J., Gibb, S., & West, B. (2008) · British Journal of Midwifery · doi:10.12968/bjom.2008.16.7.30462 · Cited by 11
Evidence-Based Public Health Policy
Lin, V. K.-W. (2008) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-012373960-5.00234-3 · Cited by 11
Girard, A., Doucet, A., Lambert, M., Ouadfel, S., Caron, G., & Hudon, C. (2024) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2024-084883 · Cited by 11
Evidence reviews in energy and climate policy
Warren, P. (2018) · Evidence & Policy · doi:10.1332/174426418x15193815413516 · Cited by 10
“Examples include the impacts of energy systems on marine ecosystems (Papathanasopoulou et al., 2016), the barriers to energy services in the poorest countries (Watson et al., 2012) and bioenergy research (e.g. Muench and Guenther, 2013; Gurwick et al., 2013; Rehfuess et al., 2014).”
BackgroundLearning about professional growth through listening to teachers
Taylor, P. (2015) · Professional Development in Education · doi:10.1080/19415257.2015.1030035 · Cited by 10
“Pawson (2002) has warned that where quantifiable effects are averaged in meta-studies, ‘melded mechanisms’ can overlook comparability between studies, ‘oversimplified outcomes’ from repeated averaging can hide interesting variation, and ‘concealed contexts’ of individual studies can result from…”
BackgroundGhanem, C., Lawson, T. R., Pankofer, S., Maragkos, M., & Kollar, I. (2017) · Journal of Evidence-Informed Social Work · doi:10.1080/23761407.2017.1298074 · Cited by 10
Manzi, F., Marchant, T., Hanson, C., Schellenberg, J., Mkumbo, E., Mlaguzi, M., & Tancred, T. (2020) · Health Policy and Planning · doi:10.1093/heapol/czaa128 · Cited by 11
“These can be explored at the individual, interpersonal, institutional and infrastructural levels (Pawson, 2002).”
BackgroundA design science-based case study of retail chain delivery operations and its implications
Su, S.-L. I., Fan, X., & Shou, Y. (2020) · International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management · doi:10.1108/ijpdlm-11-2019-0352 · Cited by 10
Sin, C. H., & Fong, J. (2010) · Children s Geographies · doi:10.1080/14733280903500174 · Cited by 10
“The realpolitik surrounding these can often complicate the relationship between evidence and policy/practice (Pawson 2002 ).”
BackgroundThe conflict between oral health and patient autonomy in dentistry: a scoping review
Kovács, S. D., Irawan, A. S., Zörgő, S., & Kovács, J. (2024) · BMC Medical Ethics · doi:10.1186/s12910-024-01156-3 · Cited by 12
An unhealthy glow? A review of melanotan use and associated clinical outcomes
Brennan, R., Wells, J. G., & Hout, M. C. V. (2014) · Performance Enhancement & Health · doi:10.1016/j.peh.2015.06.001 · Cited by 9
Metadata
- Authors
- Pawson, R.
- Affiliations
- Queen Mary University of London (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Pawson, Ray
- ORCID
- Pawson, Ray
- Venue
- Evaluation
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2002-04
- Volume
- 8
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 157-181
- ISSN
- 1356-3890 (ISSN-L)
- 1461-7153
- OpenAlex
- W2073020593
- Semantic Scholar
- 0a46f8e2fe3872100f441ff87ecd471f3fcf7e09
- Cited by
- 403
- References
- 26
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 25 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 28 · 2020: 20 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 21 · 2014: 30 · 2013: 18 · 2012: 22
- FWCI
- 17.56
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Evaluation (publishedVersion)
- OpenGrey (Institut de l'Information Scientifique et Technique) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Public Administration › Evaluation and Performance Assessment
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Statistics, Probability and Uncertainty › Meta-analysis and systematic reviews
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health Policy Implementation Science
- Keywords
- evidence-based policy, systematic reviews, meta-analysis, realist synthesis, policy cycle, science-policy interface, policy decision-making
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