Assessing and Communicating Social Science Information in Family and Child Judicial Settings: Standards for Judges and Allied Professionals

Family Court Review, Vol. 45, p. 22, 2007

Posted: 19 May 2011

See all articles by Robert F. Kelly

Robert F. Kelly

Le Moyne College

Sarah H. Ramsey

Syracuse University - College of Law

Date Written: 2007

Abstract

Social science is increasingly important in judicial decision making and family law development. This increased use means that judges, lawyers, mental health professionals, and social scientists must assess the quality of social science information and communicate it in a multidisciplinary environment. This article provides tools for improving multidisciplinary communication by identifying logical, methodological, and community standards for assessment and communication that are fundamental both to the scientific method and to the inquiries the Daubert decision instructs judges to make in their gatekeeper evaluations of scientific information. Employing a common set of standards can result in a significant improvement in the quality of the social science knowledge used in judicial settings.

Keywords: social science, Daubert, scientific method, family, child, judical decision-making

Suggested Citation

Kelly, Robert F. and Ramsey, Sarah H., Assessing and Communicating Social Science Information in Family and Child Judicial Settings: Standards for Judges and Allied Professionals (2007). Family Court Review, Vol. 45, p. 22, 2007, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1845517

Robert F. Kelly (Contact Author)

Le Moyne College ( email )

Syracuse, NY 13214
United States
315-445-4100 (Phone)

Sarah H. Ramsey

Syracuse University - College of Law ( email )

Syracuse, NY 13244-1030
United States
410-226-5345 (Phone)

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Abstract Views
590
PlumX Metrics