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Humanities and the arts
- General philosophy of science
- Philosophy of social science
My project is a philosophical investigation into the practice and the virtues of Evidence-Based Policy (EBP). A survey of current literature on EBP reveals two features that motivate my project: (1) the practice of EBP is more discussed from the perspective of evidence producers than evidence users, and; (2) the virtues of EBP are not much discussed by philosophers of science; they are usually taken for granted. In view of these features, the overall aim of my project is as follows: (a) developing a philosophical characterisation of the practice of EBP from the perspective of evidence users; and (b) initiating a more serious discussion in philosophy of science on the virtues of EBP. My project is important to philosophy of science because it addresses a fundamental and complicated issue, i.e., the realisation of the practical significance of scientific knowledge. My project can also be beneficial for philosophers of science working on topics that are relevant for my project, e.g. causation and mechanisms. Finally, the results of my research could affect political practice because the more we know about EBP and its challenges the better we can implement it.