Unpublished policy trials, the risk of false discoveries and the persistence of authority-based policy

Jonathan Mendel (Lead / Corresponding author)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

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Abstract

The use of trials in the policy process is often presented as a move towards evidence-based policy and away from authority-, ideology- or faith-based policy. However, this paper will draw on two UK examples of unpublished policy trials in order to argue that – when policy is based on such research – it should not usually be described as evidence-based. Instead, the paper will argue that policies based on such unpublished trials are, at best, authority-based.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)323-334
Number of pages12
JournalEvidence & Policy
Volume14
Issue number2
Early online date31 Oct 2016
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 31 May 2018

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persistence
faith
evidence
ideology

Keywords

  • Evidence-based policy
  • Evidence-informed policy
  • RCTs
  • Trials

Cite this

Mendel, Jonathan. / Unpublished policy trials, the risk of false discoveries and the persistence of authority-based policy. In: Evidence & Policy. 2018 ; Vol. 14, No. 2. pp. 323-334.
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Mendel, J 2018, 'Unpublished policy trials, the risk of false discoveries and the persistence of authority-based policy', Evidence & Policy, vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 323-334. https://doi.org/10.1332/174426416X14779397727921

Unpublished policy trials, the risk of false discoveries and the persistence of authority-based policy. / Mendel, Jonathan (Lead / Corresponding author).

In: Evidence & Policy, Vol. 14, No. 2, 31.05.2018, p. 323-334.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

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Mendel J. Unpublished policy trials, the risk of false discoveries and the persistence of authority-based policy. Evidence & Policy. 2018 May 31;14(2):323-334. https://doi.org/10.1332/174426416X14779397727921

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