情人眼裡出西施－衛生政策分析中的規範研究之本質與準則

Eyes of Beholder-the Nature and Rules of Normative Research in Health Policy Analysis

紀駿輝(Chun-Huei Chi)

《台灣公共衛生雜誌》 20卷4期 (2001/08) Pp. 249-258

https://doi.org/10.6288/TJPH2001-20-04-01

摘要

衛生政策研究在公共衛生界已成為一重要研究課題，並影響衛生政策的制訂。問題是，有不少的衛生政策研究，其方法或過程中央雜著實證與規範研究。當衛生政策分析是建立在含有主觀假設的規範研究時，其結論是無法去證實或推翻的。但是多數讀者，甚至於部分學者，均易誤以為這些研究為客觀的科學研究。本文旨在探討如何於衛生政策研究中區分實證研究與規研究，並特別著重在探討如何執行規範研究。在釐清規範議題及研究的本質後，本文嘗試建立一套規範研究的準則。在這準則中最重要的，為作者應該在論文的一開始，就公開且清楚的表明自己的規範性假設。在應用上，本文討論到如何規範性議題從事「類實證研究」，以及在衛生政策及衛生經濟學上如何進行規範研究。本文除了探討規範研究的原則供研究人員參考外，亦提供決策者判斷及解讀規範研究結果的方法。

關鍵字

規範研究 ； 實證研究 ； 政策分析 ； 衛生經濟學

並列摘要

Public health policy analyses often incorporate normative research that was based on subjective assumptions. Its conclusion, as a result, often cannot be proved or rejected on the empirical ground. Unfortunately, many readers, even some researchers, are having difficulty in distinguishing between positive and normative analysis. This article tries to clarify the nature of normative research, provides guidance on how to differentiate normative from positive research, and to establish a norm for normative research. Among those norms for normative research, the most important one is that the researcher should state his or her normative assumptions explicitly upfront. Further, this article proposes an approach to conduct ”quasi-positive research” on normative research questions, and its application in health policy analysis and health economics research. Finally, this article also attempts to help policy makers understand how to read and interpret normative research.

並列關鍵字

normative research ； positive research ； policy analysis ； health economics.