Summary
Contents
Subject index
Bringing together leading theorists, researchers and policy makers with expertise in using realist methods, this book is a definitive guide to putting realist methodologies into practice. Not just an overview of the field, this book looks to extend current debates and apply realist methods to new and practical challenges in social research. Featuring practical, worked examples of how to turn theory into evidence, it empowers readers not just to understand realist methods, but to use them. It will help readers: – Negotiate the complexity of relational systems – Understand the importance and relevance of cumulative theory – Address concerns over data sources and quality – Be flexible and creative in realist approaches – Produce useful evidence for policy. Sophisticated and globally minded, this book is the perfect addition to the ongoing development and application of realist methods across evaluation, synthesis, and social research.
Understanding Mechanisms in Realist Evaluation and Research
Understanding Mechanisms in Realist Evaluation and Research
What This Chapter is About
This chapter revisits three interrelated issues in realist philosophy and realist social science: the nature of mechanisms, the nature of open systems and the relationships between contexts and mechanisms in open systems. It explains why mechanisms are ‘invisible’ and the implications for doing realist research. It argues that – like all things realist – the ‘reasoning and resources’ construct of programme mechanisms (Pawson and Tilley, 1997) only ‘works’ in some contexts and that other constructs may be necessary for understanding whether and how some types, or aspects, of policies and programmes work. The chapter examines for what tasks and types of evaluation research Pawson and Tilley’s ...
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