Tertium Research is an independent research and publishing company owned and operated by Chris Sampson.
I’m always keen to hear from people working on interesting and worthwhile problems. If you’re looking for a collaborator on a project, or just want to talk through an idea, get in touch. I’d love to hear what you’re working on.
Email me at chris@tertium-research.com
About
I’m a health economist, and Tertium Research is how I do my work independently. The work is varied, but it usually involves developing and interpreting evidence to help people and organisations make better decisions about health and health care.
That might mean collecting data, building a model, developing a new methodology, writing recommendations for policymakers, or something in between.
How I work is more important to me than what I produce. I’m careful about interpreting evidence. I’m sceptical, especially of the status quo. I’m honest about my own uncertainty and transparent about how I reach conclusions, but willing to stick my neck out for what I believe to be right.
That’s what independence means to me.
A note on the name
Tertium non datur — ‘no third is given’ — is the logical principle that a statement is either true or false, with no middle ground. Tertium Research is an act of rebellion against that. So much of the interesting work in health economics — and where I often find myself — is in the excluded middle: the messy, uncertain, in-between that doesn’t reduce to a simple yes or no, that isn’t black or white. It’s the third possibility that classical logic says isn’t there. And it’s usually where I want to be.
Or, for a more rocking version of this explanation, see Propagandhi.