IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/anname/v589y2003i1p170-189.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Using Random Allocation to Evaluate Social Interventions: Three Recent U.K. Examples

Author

Listed:
  • Ann Oakley
  • Vicki Strange
  • Tami Toroyan
  • Meg Wiggins
  • Ian Roberts
  • Judith Stephenson

Abstract

Although widely accepted in medicine and health services research, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are often viewed with hostility by social scientists, who cite a variety of reasons as to why this approach to evaluation cannot be used to research social interventions. This article discusses the three central themes in these debates, which are those of science, ethics , and feasibility . The article uses three recent U.K. trials of social interventions (day care for preschool children, social support for disadvantaged families, and peer-led sex education for young people) to consider issues relating to the use of random allocation for social intervention evaluation and to suggest some practical strategies for the successful implementation of “social†RCTs. The article argues that the criteria of science, ethics, and feasibility can and should apply to social intervention trials in just the same way as they do to clinical trials.

Suggested Citation

  • Ann Oakley & Vicki Strange & Tami Toroyan & Meg Wiggins & Ian Roberts & Judith Stephenson, 2003. "Using Random Allocation to Evaluate Social Interventions: Three Recent U.K. Examples," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 589(1), pages 170-189, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:anname:v:589:y:2003:i:1:p:170-189
    DOI: 10.1177/0002716203254765
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0002716203254765
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/0002716203254765?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Zoritch, B. & Roberts, I. & Oakley, A., 1998. "The health and welfare effects of day-care: A systematic review of randomised controlled trials," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 47(3), pages 317-327, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Nakahara, Shinji & Poudel, Krishna C. & Lopchan, Milan & Poudel, Om Raj & Poudel-Tandukar, Kalpana & Ichikawa, Masao, 2010. "Differential effects of out-of-home day care in improving child nutrition and augmenting maternal income among those with and without childcare support: A prospective before-after comparison study in ," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 97(1), pages 16-25, September.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:anname:v:589:y:2003:i:1:p:170-189. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.