he lines of research in the social field are very diverse and their approaches very much varied. A neuralgic issue that was highlighted in the discussion tables was that the treatment of many topics should be focused on effective access to rights; to the concept of gaps between population groups and between regions, to the crosscutting nature of issues and phenomena, such as the case of discrimination. There, the relevance of the impact of social policies in general, and in particular regarding student learning, effective access to quality health services, and especially its effectiveness in terms of concrete results, was highlighted. Regarding sources of information, the fact that international agreements oblige Mexico to provide vital information was highlighted.

Effective access to rights is considered key since public services are not a handout from the government. A family must effectively receive drinking water service, not just have a device that measures it. As a further example, in the health service the actual and effective access to these services, the department must take into account the distance and time it takes get to a clinic, in addition to having an adequate medical service and the appropriate medicine supply.

On the other hand, at Signos Vitales we recognize that the study of inequality in Mexico is a fundamental topic in practically all areas. Therefore, one way of measuring it beyond the Gini coefficient is through gaps or existing differences between population groups, gender, regions, and socioeconomic levels. That, is what we consider, a clearer way of describing the phenomenon of inequality.

Of course, general indicators must also be constructed to measure the development of the entire country. In education, for example, “Vital Signs” such as coverage, learning and permanence, or in the case of health, life expectancy, morbidity and main causes of death are addressed. Again, a treatment of the differences between population groups, gender, etc. is relevant. Thus, issues related to equity, inclusion and interculturality could be addressed, which will be taken up from methodologies developed and tested in previous years.

Finally, the institutional architecture and the functioning of the educational, health, childcare and other systems are also relevant, along with indicators of the treatment and development of migrant groups, elderly people, etc.