Defining the breadline. Is there a Northern Ireland consensus?

Mike Tomlinson Measures of poverty typically combine low income with indicators of deprivation – items and activities that people lack because they cannot afford them. Which deprivation indicators are the important ones for defining poverty is a matter of debate. The seminar will present findings from a population-wide survey of Northern Ireland asking people’s opinion … Read more

What counts as ‘evidence’? The complexities of providing evidence to inform public policy

Sally Shortall Evidence-based policy implicitly assumes a linear relationship between research evidence and policy formation. The reality is much more complex. There are power struggles between different groups presenting different interpretations of the world, political ideology is a key driver of policy making, resources are finite, and policies must be palatable with the electorate. This … Read more