SOUND ARGUMENTS AND POWER IN EVALUATION RESEARCH AND POLICY-MAKING - A MEASURING INSTRUMENT AND ITS APPLICATION

This article proposes a measuring instrument that can establish to wha t extent either sound arguments or power are to be found in scientific and political discussions. By way of illustrating this measuring inst rument, an account is given of a research project that investigated th e relation between the quality of evaluation research and the quality of discussion in policy-making processes in which this evaluation rese arch was used.