TY  - JOUR
AB  - Realism is emerging as a paradigm for research and explanation in the natural and social sciences. A realist framework is elaborated and applied to the four possible situations that may generate the observations of randomised, controlled trials. It is demonstrated that by using two realist concepts “mechanism” and “context” a number of misinterpretations of such trials from within the dominant empiricist paradigm may be rectified. Evidence based medicine should adopt realism to temper a misleading empiricism, this will involve relegating statistical arguments to their proper subsidiary place and adopting an adequate theory of causation.
VL  - 18
IS  - 2
SN  - 1477-7266
DO  - 10.1108/14777260410538861
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1108/14777260410538861
AU  - Connelly Jim
PY  - 2004
Y1  - 2004/01/01
TI  - Realism in evidence based medicine: interpreting the randomised controlled trial
T2  - Journal of Health Organization and Management
PB  - Emerald Group Publishing Limited
SP  - 70
EP  - 81
Y2  - 2024/04/25
ER  -