How to Verify Evidence: A Typology of Practices and Its Implications for Studying Their Efficiency

The article presents possible grounds for the typology of practices in the Child welfare field. Authors discuss the limitations of the idea about the hierarchy of methodologies in the context of studying social technology efficiency and note that it is the type of practice that determines the research design and the strategy of verifying its evidence. The following grounds for the typology of practices are identified and described: 1) stage of the “life cycle” of practice; 2) objective of practice in relation to the social risk dynamics; 3) strategy due to the uncertainty about cause-effect and control over outcomes; 4) level of practice implementation. It is shown how the research methodology can be chosen and evidence can be evaluated depending on the practice development stage, practice objectives, practice strategies and practice implementation level. It is concluded that evidence-based practice requires constant interaction between science and practice, and it is necessary to develop and adjust the research tools so that they are sensitive to the peculiarities of practice.

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