A Multimethod Analysis of Knowledge Use in Social Policy

Abstract

Several large-scale studies focusing on the use and non-use of social science research have reported findings supporting the view that knowledge is socially constructed and based on the knower's experience and interpretation of events. However, the methods on which these findings are based are incongruent with the constructivist perspective the researchers espouse. The results of the multimethod approach demonstrate that it has greater explanatory power, as evidenced by the increased coefficient of determination (R²) when traditional and constructivist methods are combined.