Introduction

Abstract

The term ‘evidence-based policymaking’ (EBPM) is in common currency in traditional mass media and social media. Yet, it is a vague, aspirational term, rather than a good description of the policy process. This chapter injects some clarity into the debate by examining how to define EBPM in a more useful way, demonstrating the importance of the policy process to the role of evidence, and identifying the crucial role of policy theory to our understanding of that process.