Critical realism for health and illness research-A practical introduction

Pricilla Alderson’s ‘Critical realism for health and illness research—a practical introduction’ is an introduction to the use of critical realism, often perceived as complex and theoretically opaque, in research on health and illness.

From the outset, Alderson makes it clear that the book aimed to give researchers the tools required to produce evidence and data that can inform policy. It also aimed to help the public make decisions regarding questions on health and illness, situating the book as an important tool in the context of complex public health contexts such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The author suggests that critical realism can offer a way to bridge the gap between positivist and interpretivist approaches to health research, aiming to show how it can be used as a tool to consider research methods, as well as the wider implications of research results. Alderson considers the text to be relevant to a wide range of audiences—from researchers to health practitioners, and health and social care service users.

The text is based on Roy Bhaskar’s reading group for doctoral students at UCL, which Alderson convened after his death. In contrast to Bhaskar’s philosophical approach to the topic (as the founder of critical realism theory), Alderson’s tone is fundamentally more practical. This is evident when examining both the writing style and structure of the book, which very much reads like a handbook for students. This however does not mean simplifying or shying away from complex debates on concepts and theories. The book excels in making critical realism less opaque by demonstrating, using examples from a range of research studies, how it can be applied to research in practice.