About the project
The debate about EBP has been going on for some years, but has recently picked up in volume and intensity. By and large the debate seems to be bifurcated into a for and against situation. I want to do two things: to nuance the views about EBP, and to bring new elements into the debate. First, I think that the nature and function of evidence in general is largely misunderstood by both adherents and critics, thus warranting a closer look at the concept of evidence itself. Second, I shall inquire into the role of evidence in practical reasoning towards a decision; for this purpose I shall employ Toulmin's model of argumentation. Furthermore, I shall look into the fate of randomness in an EBP kind of practice, and discuss how EBP relates to goal-directed theory, means-end reasoning and instrumental rationality.