Scientists love statistics; whether the outcome of a randomised controlled trial or the spread of a disease through a population, researchers seek results backed-up by figures. Policymakers love statistics too; it is easy to justify spending X amount of money when it can be shown that it has benefited Y number of people. While quantitative justifications are logically understandable, what about their qualitative side? Is an intervention beneficial when it cannot be measured by numbers? Those were the questions at the heart of “The Creative Brain”, a round-table discussion at the Edinburgh International Cultural Summit, a biennial ministerial forum established in 2012 by the British Council, the Edinburgh International Festival, the Scottish Parliament, and the UK Government to bring together artists and policymakers.
Original Article: [In Context] Valuing qualitative alongside quantitative research