Editorial: Less heat, more light
| Pages | 3-3 |
| Published date | 12 April 2008 |
| Date | 12 April 2008 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/17466660200800007 |
| Author | Nick Axford,Michael Little |
| Subject Matter | Education,Health & social care,Sociology |
3
Journal of Children’s Services
Volume 3 Issue 2 September 2008
© Pavilion Journals (Brighton) Ltd
1Dartington Social
Research Unit, UK
2Dartington Social
Research Unit, UK,
and Chaplin Hall
Center for Children,
University of
Chicago, US
The first part of this two-part special edition on
randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in children's
services focused on explaining the nature and
purpose of RCTs and the challenges in
implementing them.
This second part starts by considering lessons
learned from varied experiences of actually doing
RCTs. In doing so it hopefully shows how some of
the aforementioned challenges can be overcome. It
then sets out some of the main issues concerning
getting RCTs into the mainstream. It examines how
the practice of experimentation in real-world
service settings can be fostered, and how services
that are found to be effective can be taken to scale
rather than remaining as one-off pilot or
demonstration projects. As the number of proven
models proliferates, this area of prevention science
is becoming increasingly important.
We are conscious that all of the articles in this
special edition have taken a generally positive view
of RCTs and their potential usefulness in children's
services. They have been also been reflective and,
at times, critical. This reflects our own stance: to
paraphrase Judith Gueron in her article in Part one
(p15), we are believers but not, we hope, blind
ones. However, we are conscious that there are a
range of views on this subject and would welcome
articles for possible publication that take perhaps a
different perspective or, alternatively, that nuance
some of the conclusions reached by authors here.
As is often the case with these debates, we
continue to need less heat and more light, and we
hope that future editions of this journal will help
shed some light in this area by building consensus
where possible and better understanding of
difference where necessary.
Editorial: Less heat, more light
Nick Axford1and Michael Little2
Call for papers
The editors strongly welcome contributions that fit within the broad scope of the Journal. Articles should fit
into one of the eight categories listed in the contributor guidelines. If you would like to discuss an idea for
an article, please contact the editors at journal@dartington.org.uk.
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