Predict to Explain - PTE
A fundamental divide persists between Social Science, which prioritizes explanation and causal understanding, and Data Science, which emphasizes prediction and forecasting. Separately, each approach is limited. However, what if the strengths of the explanatory and predictive approaches could be combined?
The mission of Predict to Explain is to develop a framework that combines the explanatory strengths of Social Science with the predictive capabilities of Data Science. This improves how evidence is generated and evaluated, in turn used to improved theory development and explaining future outcomes.
In this way, Predict to Explain strengthens both scientific insight and real-world decision-making.
Team
Dr Chiara Binelli, PTE Program Director
Dr Matthew Loveless, PTE Senior Researcher
Amélie Benková, PTE Junior Researcher
What we do
Predict to Explain
Combining prediction with explanation can be used to develop
better theories of human behavior and one of the primary goals of Social Science research, the very ability to explain reality.
We propose a framework that embeds prediction into research design and empirical analysis to increase explanatory power and strengthen theory robustness.
Goals
- Identify and bridge the complementary research approaches of Social Science and Data Science.
- Evaluate and expand the scientific, explanatory quality of Social Science research.
- Develop and promote a combined framework for theory-development: Predict to Explain
- Explore the approach in the study of key questions in Social Science.
- Update core methodological thinking and implementation in the social sciences.
Target Audience
- Applied Social Science and Data Science researchers.
- Social Science and Data Science students.
- Researchers and professional practitioners in the fields of policy analysis, forecasting, decision-making, and socially oriented applications.
Your contribution supports:
- Research into cutting-edge methodological advances at the frontier of applied Social Science
- Collaborative research and real-world application to answer prediction and explanatory questions
- Improving our ability to understand society and to offer practical guidance for addressing real-world challenges.
- Improved capacity to respond to rapid social and political change
- Better forecasts that generalize across contexts and policy scenarios
Recent Blog Post
Welcome to the Predict to Explain blog
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