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All Outputs (229)

Disagreement about Evidence-Based Policy (2024)
Book Chapter
Cowen, N., & Cartwright, N. (in press). Disagreement about Evidence-Based Policy. In M. Baghramian, J. A. Carter, & R. Cosker-Rowland (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Disagreement. Routledge

Objectivity and Intellectual Humility in Scientific Research: They’re Harder Than You Think (2023)
Journal Article
Cartwright, N., & Ray, F. (2023). Objectivity and Intellectual Humility in Scientific Research: They’re Harder Than You Think. European Review, 31(4), 367-381. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1062798723000091

We begin from the assumption that where scientific research will predictably be used to affect things of moral significance in the world, you have a special duty, a duty of care, to ‘get it right’. This, we argue, requires a special kind of objectivi... Read More about Objectivity and Intellectual Humility in Scientific Research: They’re Harder Than You Think.

How Should Evidence Inform Education Policy? (2022)
Book Chapter
Joyce, K. E., & Cartwright, N. (2022). How Should Evidence Inform Education Policy?. In R. Curren (Ed.), Handbook of Philosophy of Education. Taylor and Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003172246-9

This chapter explores how evidence from various sources can support education policy decisions. Although policy arguments include some normative premises, we focus on the evidence needed to support their descriptive premises, homing in on predictions... Read More about How Should Evidence Inform Education Policy?.

How to Learn about Causes in the Single Case (2022)
Book Chapter
Cartwright, N. (2022). How to Learn about Causes in the Single Case. In J. Widner, M. Woolcock, & D. Ortega Nieto (Eds.), . Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108688253.003

RCTs have gained considerable prominence as a ‘gold standard’ for establishing whether a given policy intervention has a causal effect, but what do these experiments actually tell us and how useful is this information for policy-makers? Cartwright dr... Read More about How to Learn about Causes in the Single Case.

Rigour versus the need for evidential diversity (2021)
Journal Article
Cartwright, N. (2021). Rigour versus the need for evidential diversity. Synthese, 199(5-6), 13095-13119. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-021-03368-1

This paper defends the need for evidential diversity and the mix of methods that that can in train require. The focus is on causal claims, especially ‘singular’ claims about the effects of causes in a specific setting—either what will happen or what... Read More about Rigour versus the need for evidential diversity.

Mechanisms, laws and explanation (2020)
Journal Article
Cartwright, N., Pemberton, J., & Wieten, S. (2020). Mechanisms, laws and explanation. European Journal for Philosophy of Science, 10(3), Article 25. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13194-020-00284-y

Mechanisms are now taken widely in philosophy of science to provide one of modern science’s basic explanatory devices. This has raised lively debate concerning the relationship between mechanisms, laws and explanation. This paper focuses on cases whe... Read More about Mechanisms, laws and explanation.

Middle-range theory: Without it what could anyone do? (2020)
Journal Article
Cartwright, N. (2020). Middle-range theory: Without it what could anyone do?. THEORIA. An International Journal for Theory, History and Foundations of Science, 35(3), 269-323. https://doi.org/10.1387/theoria.21479

Philosophers of science have had little to say about 'middle-range theory' although much of what is done in science and of what drives its successes falls under that label. These lectures aim to spark an interest in the topic and to lay groundwork fo... Read More about Middle-range theory: Without it what could anyone do?.

Why Big Theories are Here to Stay (2019)
Presentation / Conference
Cartwright, N. (2019, November). Why Big Theories are Here to Stay. Presented at «The Theoretical University» in the Data Age. Have the great theories become obsolete?, Bielefield University

Bridging the Gap between Research and Practice: Predicting What Will Work Locally (2019)
Journal Article
Cartwright, N., & Joyce, K. (2020). Bridging the Gap between Research and Practice: Predicting What Will Work Locally. American Educational Research Journal, 57(3), 1045-1082. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831219866687

This essay addresses the gap between what works in research and what works in practice. Currently, research in evidence-based education policy and practice focuses on RCTs. These can support causal ascriptions (‘It worked’) but provide little basis f... Read More about Bridging the Gap between Research and Practice: Predicting What Will Work Locally.

What is meant by ‘rigour’ in evidence-based educational policy and what’s so good about it. (2019)
Journal Article
Cartwright, N. (2019). What is meant by ‘rigour’ in evidence-based educational policy and what’s so good about it. Educational Research and Evaluation, https://doi.org/10.1080/13803611.2019.1617990

Across the evidence-based policy and practice (EBPP) community, including education, randomised controlled trials (RCTS) rank as the most “rigorous” evidence for causal conclusions. This paper argues that that is misleading. Only narrow conclusions a... Read More about What is meant by ‘rigour’ in evidence-based educational policy and what’s so good about it..