The workshop is the first in a series of meetings within the project \;The \;Trinity \;of \;Policy-Making: Evidence\, \;Causation \;and \;Argumentation (https://evidencecausationargumentation.wordpress.com).
\nEvidence plays a crucial role in science\; with the development of evidence-based decision-making\, nowadays also in public decisions and policy-making\, the trend is towards using evidence-based methods to assess policy-making in sectors like health\, education\, or the economy. For instance\, choices on school programs may be made on the basis of evidence from randomized control trials\, as well as choices on how to invest in development programs in third-world countries. Researchers use various methods for gathering evidence\, ranging from formal ones like models\, controlled experiments\, or simulations\, to less formal ones like historical analysis\, or case studies. In the majority of cases expert judgment is one of the most significant components of the process of gathering and amalgamating evidence.
\nExperts\, that is\, those who are considered the most competent and knowledgeable in their fields of expertise\, thus enter the evidence process at all levels\; from the choice of methods\, to the gathering of the evidence itself\, to the amalgamation of evidence coming from different sources. Often times experts are themselves sources of evidence\, through their experience and personal knowledge\; for instance in the case of economists participating in several monetary policy committees around the world\, in the use of the Delphi method for the health sector\, or in the teams of scientists working on the IPCC reports on climate change.
\nPhilosophers of science\, methodologists\, and epistemologists have long discussed the concept of evidence\; this workshop will focus on whether the current concepts and accounts of evidence are adequate for capturing the subjective\, reason-based and argumentative component of evidence-based science and policy-making.
\nSpeakers
\nCasey Helgeson (London School of Economics)
Barbara Osimani (Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy\, LMU)
Eleonora Montuschi (Ca&rsquo\; Foscari University of Venice and London School of Economics)
Judith Favereau (TINT\, Helsinki)
Clé\;o Chassonnery-Zaï\;gouche (Centre d&rsquo\;é\;tudes interdisciplinaires Walras Pareto\, University of Lausanne)
Julian Reiss (Durham University)
Carlo Martini (TINT\, University of Helsinki)
Rani Lill Anjum (Norwegian University of Life Sciences)
Frank Zenker (Lund University and University of Konstanz)
Stephen Mumford (University of Nottingham)