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Outputs (47)

Causation in complex systems where human agency is in play (2023)
Journal Article
Byrne, D. (2023). Causation in complex systems where human agency is in play. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, https://doi.org/10.1080/13645579.2023.2173845

Conventional approaches to causation in the social sciences draw on approaches in the Philosophy of Science in which a causal force acts on cases and generates change in the form of events. This relies on just one of the Aristotelian conceptions of c... Read More about Causation in complex systems where human agency is in play.

Understanding Class in the Post-Industrial Era - Thoughts on Modes of Investigation (2020)
Journal Article
Byrne, D. S. (2020). Understanding Class in the Post-Industrial Era - Thoughts on Modes of Investigation. Frontiers in Sociology, 5, Article 39. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2020.00039

The essential character of social science is that is founded around an interaction between theoretical framings and empirical investigation. Class is one of the most salient framing concepts of the discipline, always central even if somewhat pushed i... Read More about Understanding Class in the Post-Industrial Era - Thoughts on Modes of Investigation.

The Statistics of Devolution (2019)
Book Chapter
Byrne, D. (2019). The Statistics of Devolution. In J. Evans, S. Ruane, & H. Southall (Eds.), Data in Society: Challenging Statistics in an Age of Globalisation (133-144). Policy Press

Researching Large Scale Complex Interventions (2018)
Book Chapter
Byrne, D. (2018). Researching Large Scale Complex Interventions. In N. Emmel, J. Greenhalgh, A. Manzano, M. Monaghan, & S. Dalkin (Eds.), Doing Realist Research. SAGE Publications

Explanation and Empirical Social Research (2016)
Book Chapter
Byrne, D. (2016). Explanation and Empirical Social Research. In L. McKie, & L. Ryan (Eds.), An End to the Crisis of Empirical Sociology. Routledge

Energy Systems and Energy Related Practices (2016)
Book Chapter
Byrne, D. (2016). Energy Systems and Energy Related Practices. In N. LaBanca (Ed.), Complex Systems and Social Practices in Energy Transitions (305-320). Springer Verlag

Evaluating Complex Social Interventions in a Complex World (2013)
Journal Article
Byrne, D. (2013). Evaluating Complex Social Interventions in a Complex World. Evaluation, 19(3), 217-228. https://doi.org/10.1177/1356389013495617

The social world is complex and emergent. Inquiry, directed towards establishing universal empirical regularities (i.e. nomothetic inquiry), cannot establish causality in such a world. We can never assign a causal effect to any intervention without a... Read More about Evaluating Complex Social Interventions in a Complex World.

Cluster Analysis (2012)
Book
Byrne, D., & Uprichard, E. (Eds.). (2012). Cluster Analysis. SAGE Publications

Useful Complex Causality (2012)
Book Chapter
Byrne, D., & Uprichard, E. (2012). Useful Complex Causality. In H. Kincaid (Ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Social Science

What is an effect? Coming at Causality Backwards. (2011)
Book Chapter
Byrne, D. (2011). What is an effect? Coming at Causality Backwards. In M. Williams, & W. Vogt (Eds.), The SAGE Handbook of Innovation in Social Research Methods (80-94). SAGE Publications

A Qualitative Comparative Analysis of Factors Associated with Narrowing Health Inequalities in England. (2011)
Journal Article
Blackman, T., Wistow, J., & Byrne, D. (2011). A Qualitative Comparative Analysis of Factors Associated with Narrowing Health Inequalities in England. Social Science & Medicine, 72(12), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.04.003

This study explores why progress with tackling health inequalities has varied among a group of local authority areas in England that were set targets to narrow important health outcomes compared to national averages. It focuses on premature deaths fr... Read More about A Qualitative Comparative Analysis of Factors Associated with Narrowing Health Inequalities in England..

Towards a new understanding of how local action can effectively address health inequalities. Report for the National Institute for Health Research Service Delivery and Organisation programme. (2011)
Report
Blackman, T., Wistow, J., & Byrne, D. (2011). Towards a new understanding of how local action can effectively address health inequalities. Report for the National Institute for Health Research Service Delivery and Organisation programme. National Institute for Health Research

Targets for narrowing health inequalities in England were adopted in 2001, with NHS Primary Care Trusts in ‘Spearhead’ local authority areas expected to narrow inequalities by 2010. Spearheads are the 20% of local authority areas with the poorest hea... Read More about Towards a new understanding of how local action can effectively address health inequalities. Report for the National Institute for Health Research Service Delivery and Organisation programme..

Comparison, Diversity and Complexity (2010)
Book Chapter
Byrne, D. (2010). Comparison, Diversity and Complexity. In P. Cilliers, & R. Preiser (Eds.), Complexity, Difference and Identity (61-78). Springer Verlag

Using Cluster Analysis, Qualitative Comparative Analysis and NVivo in Relation to the Establishment of Causal Configurations with Pre-existing Large N Datasets: Machining Hermeneutics (2009)
Book Chapter
Byrne, D. (2009). Using Cluster Analysis, Qualitative Comparative Analysis and NVivo in Relation to the Establishment of Causal Configurations with Pre-existing Large N Datasets: Machining Hermeneutics. In D. Byrne, & C. Ragin (Eds.), The SAGE Handbook of Case-Based Methods (260-268). SAGE Publications

SPSS as an inscription device: From causality to description (2008)
Journal Article
Uprichard, E., Burrows, R., & Byrne, D. (2008). SPSS as an inscription device: From causality to description. Sociological Review, 56(4), 606-622. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-954x.2008.00807.x

This paper examines the development of SPSS from 1968 to 2008, and the manner in which it has been used in teaching and research in British Sociology. We do this in order to reveal some of the changes that have taken place in statistical reasoning as... Read More about SPSS as an inscription device: From causality to description.

Conceptual & statistical problems in exploring the relationship among volume, outcome & context in relation to the organisation of secondary & tertiary health provision: An issue of causal inference in non-experimental research (2008)
Journal Article
Byrne, D., & Yang, K. (2008). Conceptual & statistical problems in exploring the relationship among volume, outcome & context in relation to the organisation of secondary & tertiary health provision: An issue of causal inference in non-experimental research. Radical statistics, 96, 1-14

Representing Complex Places: A Narrative Approach (2006)
Journal Article
Uprichard, E., & Byrne, D. (2006). Representing Complex Places: A Narrative Approach. Environment and Planning A, 38(4), 665-676. https://doi.org/10.1068/a37333

The authors argue that narratives—the plural being very important—are crucial for the representation of complex urban spaces. They do this by drawing on first-hand empirical examples from a previous examination of people’s understanding of ‘postindus... Read More about Representing Complex Places: A Narrative Approach.

Complexity, Configuration and Cases (2005)
Journal Article
Byrne, D. (2005). Complexity, Configuration and Cases. Theory, Culture and Society, 22(5), 95-111. https://doi.org/10.1177/0263276405057194

How can we make complexity work as part of a programme of engaged social science? This article attempts to answer that question by arguing that one way to do this is through a reconstruction of a central tool of a distinctively social science – the c... Read More about Complexity, Configuration and Cases.

Social Exclusion. (2005)
Book
Byrne, D. (2005). Social Exclusion. (2nd.). Open University Press

Evidence based? What constitutes valid evidence? (2004)
Book Chapter
Byrne, D. (2004). Evidence based? What constitutes valid evidence?. In A. Gray, & S. Harrison (Eds.), Governing medicine : theory and practice (81-92). Open University Press

Platonic Forehand versus Aristotelian Smash - the use of computers as macroscopes in knowing the social world (2002)
Journal Article
Byrne, D. (2002). Platonic Forehand versus Aristotelian Smash - the use of computers as macroscopes in knowing the social world. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 5(1), 61-69. https://doi.org/10.1080/13645570110098082

This paper draws on Desrosie `res, Hayles and Tukey in arguing for an exploratory approach to the use of numerical taxonomy and related approaches in quantitative social research. It asserts that rather than trying to develop algorithm (either in the... Read More about Platonic Forehand versus Aristotelian Smash - the use of computers as macroscopes in knowing the social world.

Interpreting Quantitative Data (2002)
Book
Byrne, D. (2002). Interpreting Quantitative Data. SAGE Publications

How do quantitative methods help us to acquire knowledge of the real world? What are the `do's' and `don'ts' of effective quantitative research? This refreshing and accessible book provides students with a novel and useful resource for doing quantita... Read More about Interpreting Quantitative Data.