Research and Policy Making in Local Authority Social Services

Booth, Timothy A.

doi:10.1111/j.1467-9299.1979.tb00361.x

Cited by 5 publications

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“…While not replacing politics (as Campbell & Earlebacher, 1970, almost seemed to imply), &dquo;it can, over time, facilitate better political decisions&dquo; (Williams & Evans, 1969, p. 131). This interpretation of the Head Start controversy accords most closely with a political model of the linkage between research and policy (e.g., see Booth, 1979).…”

Section: Case Studiesmentioning

confidence: 69%

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Researching Policy Research

Booth

1990

Knowledge

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This article addresses the problems of exploring the use of research in the policy process. Measuring the impact or outcomes of policy research raises complex methodological and conceptual issues. How the task is approached and what measures are used depend, for example, on how the nature of the policy-making process is conceived, on what functions research is presumed to play in the making of policy, and on the way in which the relationship between research and policy is presented. Drawing on the wider literature in this field, this article describes and illustrates the three main methods that have been used for studying research use in the policy arena—impact studies, insider accounts, and case studies—and examines their strengths and weaknesses.Measuring the impact or outcomes of policy research raises complex methodological and conceptual issues, such as how the nature of policy-making is conceived, what functions research is presumed to play in the making of policy, and the way in which the relationship between research and policy is presented. Drawing on the literature focusing on the use of research in the policy process, this article describes and illustrates three main methods that have been used for studying research use. These three methods are impact studies, insider accounts, and case studies. Each is examined for its strengths and weaknesses. Impact StudiesImpact studies, as the term is used here, are those which seek to measure the outcomes of research in terms of its direct effects on policy or decisions. Although they often differ in the details of their approach or execution, these at University of Manchester Library on April 13, 2015 scx.sagepub.com Downloaded from

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Section: Case Studiesmentioning

confidence: 69%

“…As sociological adviser to the SEJPT, Pahl's experience taught himanticipating the findings of Patton et al (1977)-the importance of the &dquo;personal factor&dquo; in determining the impact of research and, echoing Deakin (1982) and Booth (1979), the importance of approaching research for policy as a political activity.…”

Section: Insider Accountsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Researching Policy Research

Booth

1990

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“…Yet it is riddled with difficulties in practice. On one hand, it presupposes something close to a customer-contractor relationship between researchers and policymakers which cannot properly be applied in the field of social policy (Booth, 1979).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social Indicators and the Mondale Initiative

Booth

1992

Knowledge

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The legislative highpoint of the social indicators movement in the United States was marked by U.S. Senator Walter F. Mondale's persistent attempts over the period of 1967 to 1973 to enact proposals for the establishment of a Council of Social Advisers and the development of a national system of social reporting. Mondale argued that, by providing an independent accounting of the social state of the nation, a system of social indicators would greatly improve congressional scrutiny in the field of social policy, much as economic indicators were believed to do in the field of economic policy. This bold effort to build a constituency of the future around social scientists is now largely forgotten, but its history illuminates the uneasy relationship between social science and government. This article presents a detailed account of the Mondale Initiative and draws out some lessons still relevant today.

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“…The needs and rights of people with learning difficulties have to be balanced against the moral scruples of staff, the concerns of parents and relatives, the sensitivities of local politicians, the views of the wider public and the requirements of the law. The easiest way of resolving these tensions is by vagueness and ambiguity (Booth, 1979). It is not surprising, therefore, to find policy statements that are long on words but short on guidance.…”

Section: The Guidelines Assessedmentioning

confidence: 99%

Practice in Sexuality

Booth¹,

Booth²

1992

Journal of the British Institute of Mental Handicap (APEX)

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Many social services departments, health authorities and voluntary organisations have been producing policy statements and guidelines for staff on sexuality and people with learning difficulties. This article examines the reasons for this development and looks at what this growing literature tells us about thinking in this field. In particular, it reviews the problems involved in drafting such guidelines, the common shortcomings of existing statements and the lessons for others contemplating drawing up similar documents.

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Research and Policy Making in Local Authority Social Services

Cited by 5 publications

References 0 publications

Researching Policy Research

Researching Policy Research

Social Indicators and the Mondale Initiative

Practice in Sexuality

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