The public's problem with public health research

Public health research is divided into factions which are often engaged in bitter theoretical and methodological disputes, especially when issues of funding are discussed. From the perspective of a user of health services, these rivalries are an obstacle to public health. This paper explores three approaches to understanding the foundations of these differences. The first is a discussion of disciplinary sub-cultures, the second a brief discussion of a philosophy of knowledge and the third a social perspective on paradigms. The unifying theme is the idea of disciplinary sub-cultures.