Abstract

CARDOZO BRUM, Myriam Irma. Evidence: concepts and their use in evaluating public policies and programs. Iztapalapa. Rev. cienc. soc. humanid. [online]. 2021, vol.42, n.90, pp.205-232.  Epub Jan 31, 2021. ISSN 2007-9176.  https://doi.org/10.28928/ri/902021/aot3/cardozobrumm.

The concept of evidence, like other similar ones such as truth, certainty, or reason, are widely used, but poorly defined. The objective of this work is to clarify them and to propose new ones from alternative approaches, less known and less analyzed in Latin America. The method used is the exposition and analysis of historical, theoretical and empirical documents, which we present in the following structure: 1) a review of its philosophical evolution in the West under different streams of thought, 2) an analysis of the current role of evidence in Latin American public policies, and 3) a study specially focused on the use of evidence in evaluation of public policies, highlighting its communicational use. It is concluded that, at present, the ´evidence´ tends to be identified with the product of stochastic models and statistical tests. But in the communicative processes of policies, it has become a powerful symbol of persuasion, which characterizes a strongly positivist discourse. This is accompanied by another set of terms, considered valuable, with which it is identified, such as objectivity, rigor, scientific, robustness, experimentation and standardization, among others.

Keywords : truth; certainty; probability; argumentation; communication.

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