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Chapter 3.5 - Reflections

from Part 3 - Case Study of the Implementation of Signs of Safety in M, a UK Agency Providing a Child Protection Service

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 April 2026

Nancy Cartwright
Affiliation:
University of Durham
Eileen Munro
Affiliation:
London School of Economics and Political Science
John Pemberton
Affiliation:
London School of Economics and Political Science
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Summary

Exploring the use of our methods has highlighted the importance of defining the boundaries of the system being studied and attending to features of underlying systems that afford causal processes. We note that our limited application of our methods cannot confirm that all the implementation actions were necessary, though our examination of L shows how this might be shown by broader study. We note that, while our methods may seem daunting, they’re no more detailed than statistical methods used in quantitative research and have practical advantages in supplying more detailed qualitative evaluations. They may also be used for ex ante appraisal. We stress the importance of understanding mechanisms in practical research and note that actual research involves back-and-forth between evidence and theories of change, even though we detail the former first in our evaluation. We note the value of such evaluations in combatting problems such as, relevantly, costly failed reforms.

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  • Reflections
  • Nancy Cartwright, University of Durham, Eileen Munro, London School of Economics and Political Science, John Pemberton, London School of Economics and Political Science
  • Book: Causal Processes and their Warrant
  • Online publication: 30 April 2026
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009408332.022
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  • Reflections
  • Nancy Cartwright, University of Durham, Eileen Munro, London School of Economics and Political Science, John Pemberton, London School of Economics and Political Science
  • Book: Causal Processes and their Warrant
  • Online publication: 30 April 2026
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009408332.022
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Reflections
  • Nancy Cartwright, University of Durham, Eileen Munro, London School of Economics and Political Science, John Pemberton, London School of Economics and Political Science
  • Book: Causal Processes and their Warrant
  • Online publication: 30 April 2026
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009408332.022
Available formats
×