The limitations of quantitative social science for informing public policy

Authors:
John Jerrim University College London, UK

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Robert de Vries University of Kent, UK

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Article Category:
Discussion
Copyright:
© Policy Press 2017
Online Publication Date:
01 Jan 2017
Pages:
117–133
Publisher:
Policy Press
Volume/Issue:
Volume 13: Issue 1
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1332/174426415X14431000856662
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Quantitative social science (QSS) has the potential to make an important contribution to public policy. However it also has a number of limitations. The aim of this paper is to explain these limitations to a non-specialist audience and to identify a number of ways in which QSS research could be improved to better inform public policy.

John Jerrim University College London, UK

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and
Robert de Vries University of Kent, UK

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j.jerrim@ioe.ac.uk
r.devries@kent.ac.uk

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