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Outputs (15)

Single Case Causes: What is Evidence and Why (2016)
Book Chapter
Cartwright, N. (2016). Single Case Causes: What is Evidence and Why. In H. Chao, & J. Reiss (Eds.), Philosophy of science in practice : Nancy Cartwright and the nature of scientific reasoning (11-24). Springer Verlag. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-45532-7_2

How do we establish singular causal claims? It seems we do this all the time, from courtrooms to cloud chambers. Nevertheless, there is a strong lobby in the evidence-based medicine and policy movements that argues that we cannot make reliable causal... Read More about Single Case Causes: What is Evidence and Why.

The limitations of randomised controlled trials (2016)
Digital Artefact
Deaton, A., & Cartwright, N. (2016). The limitations of randomised controlled trials. [VOX, CEPR Policy Portal]

In recent years, the use of randomised controlled trials has spread from labour market and welfare programme evaluation to other areas of economics, and to other social sciences, perhaps most prominently in development and health economics. This colu... Read More about The limitations of randomised controlled trials.

Understanding and misunderstanding randomized controlled trials (2016)
Preprint / Working Paper
Deaton, A., & Cartwright, N. (2016). Understanding and misunderstanding randomized controlled trials

RCTs would be more useful if there were more realistic expectations of them and if their pitfalls were better recognized. For example, and contrary to many claims in the applied literature, randomization does not equalize everything but the treatment... Read More about Understanding and misunderstanding randomized controlled trials.

A Theory of Measurement (2016)
Preprint / Working Paper
Cartwright, N., Bradburn, N. M., & Fuller, J. (2016). A Theory of Measurement

This paper discusses basic issues about the nature of measurement for concepts in the social sciences and medicine, introducing a three-stage theory of measurement. In science and policy investigations we study quantities and qualities (or quality/qu... Read More about A Theory of Measurement.

Economics as Science (2016)
Book Chapter
Cartwright, N., & Davis, J. (2016). Economics as Science. In R. Skidelsky, & N. Craig (Eds.), Who runs the economy? The role of power in economics (43-55). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-58017-7_4

The plan for this talk is to discuss, first, the question ‘What is science?’ I’m going to explain that the second question, ‘Does economics fit the bill?’, is hard to answer since we have no good answer to the first question. Then I shall turn to the... Read More about Economics as Science.

Where is the Rigor When You Need It? (2016)
Journal Article
Cartwright, N. (2016). Where is the Rigor When You Need It?. Foundations and trends in accounting, 10(2-4), 106-124. https://doi.org/10.1561/1400000045

When it comes to causal conclusions, rigor matters. To this end we impose high standards for how studies from which we draw causal conclusions are conducted. For instance, we are widely urged to prefer randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or instrumen... Read More about Where is the Rigor When You Need It?.

Deliberating Policy: Where morals and methods mix (2016)
Book Chapter
Cartwright, N., & Marcellesi, A. (2016). Deliberating Policy: Where morals and methods mix. In M. Couch, & J. Pfeifer (Eds.), The philosophy of Philip Kitcher (229-252). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof%3Aoso/9780199381357.003.0010

Nancy Cartwright and Alexandre Marcellesi argue that policy decisions ought to be based on (1) whether the policy will be effective and (2) whether it is morally, politically, socially, and culturally acceptable. Greater weight, though, is often give... Read More about Deliberating Policy: Where morals and methods mix.

The Dethronement of Laws in Science (2016)
Book Chapter
Cartwright, N. (2016). The Dethronement of Laws in Science. In N. Cartwright, & K. Ward (Eds.), Rethinking order : after the laws of nature (25-52). Bloomsbury Academic

Loose Talk Kills: What’s Worrying about Unity of Method (2016)
Journal Article
Cartwright, N. (2016). Loose Talk Kills: What’s Worrying about Unity of Method. Philosophy of Science, 83(5), 768-778. https://doi.org/10.1086/687862

There is danger in stressing commonalities among methods because the differences matter in fixing the meaning of our claims. Different methods can, and often do, test the same claim. But it takes a strong network of theory and empirical results to en... Read More about Loose Talk Kills: What’s Worrying about Unity of Method.

Contingency and the order of nature (2016)
Journal Article
Cartwright, N. (2016). Contingency and the order of nature. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, 58, 56-63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.shpsc.2015.12.008

Many profess faith in the universal rule of deterministic law. I urge remaining agnostic, putting into nature only what we need to account for what we know to be the case: order where, and to the extent that, we see it. Powers and mechanisms can do t... Read More about Contingency and the order of nature.

Understanding and misunderstanding randomized controlled trials (2016)
Preprint / Working Paper
Cartwright, N., & Deaton, A. (2016). Understanding and misunderstanding randomized controlled trials

What allows research evidence to contribute to successful social policy and improve practice in public services? The establishment of the What Works Network, a group of evidence ‘clearing houses’, that summarise academic research evidence for practit... Read More about Understanding and misunderstanding randomized controlled trials.