Research Methods in Public Administration and Public Management: An Introduction, Second Edition
By Sandra van Thiel
Contents:
List of figures ix List of tables x List of boxes xi Preface xiii 1 Research in Public Administration 1 1.1 The unique features of research in Public Administration 1 1.2 Research in Public Administration and policy 5 1.3 Aim and outline of the rest of the book 10 2 The research problem 12 2.1 Choosing and formulating a research problem 12 2.2 The research aim 15 2.3 The research question 17 3 Theoretical framework 24 3.1 The empirical cycle 24 3.2 What is theory? 28 3.3 Philosophies of science 30 3.4 The role of theory in Public Administration research 36 4 Operationalization 43 4.1 Operationalization in three steps 43 4.2 Sampling 45 4.3 Reliability and validity 48 4.4 Validity and reliability: sources of interference 51 5 Research design 54 5.1 The different elements of the research design 54 5.2 Choosing a research strategy, method and technique 57 6 The experiment 61 6.1 The classic experiment 61 6.2 Experimental Public Administration research 64 6.3 Simulations and gaming 66
6.4 Field and policy experiments 68 6.5 Reliability and validity in experiments 70 6.6 Observation 71 7 The survey 75 7.1 The survey: characteristics and types 75 7.2 The written questionnaire 76 7.3 The reliability and validity of questionnaires 83 8 The case study 87 8.1 Case study research 87 8.2 The selection of cases 90 8.3 The reliability and validity of case studies 92 8.4 The interview 94 9 Desk research 103 9.1 Using or re-using existing data 103 9.2 Three methods for gathering and analysing existing data 109 10 Analysing quantitative data 120 10.1 Quantitative data 120 10.2 Collecting and ordering the data 121 10.3 Analysis 128 10.4 Descriptive statistics 128 10.5 Inferential statistics 130 10.6 Reliability and validity when analysing quantitative data 137 11 Analysing qualitative data 140 11.1 Qualitative data 140 11.2 Collecting and ordering the data 143 11.3 Analysing the data 145 11.4 The reliability and validity of qualitative data analysis 152 12 Reporting results 154 12.1 Audiences 154 12.2 Reporting formats 157 12.3 The purpose of reporting research results 160 12.4 Writing down the results 161 12.5 Prescription 165 Glossary 170 Bibliography 185
Figures:
3.1 Schematic outline of the empirical cycle 25 6.1 Schematic outline of the classic experiment 62 10.1 Normal distribution 126 10.2 Example of a scattergram 133 11.1 Example of a taxonomic scheme of codes 149
Tables:
2.1 Research aims 15 2.2 Research questions 18 3.1 Philosophies of science in Public Administration research 35 4.1 Sampling 46 5.1 Characteristics of the four main research strategies 58 5.2 Characteristics of diverse research methods 59 10.1 Example of a code book 123 10.2 Example of a data matrix 124 10.3 Example of a cross-tabulation 129
Boxes:
Examples of prevalent topics in Public Administration and Public Management research 2 1.2 Reconstruction of programme theories 6 1.3 Evaluation and evidence-based policymaking 8 2.1 Action research 16 2.2 Example: formulating sub-questions 20 2.3 Hypotheses 22 3.1 Falsification and verification 26 3.2 The regulative cycle 28 3.3 Example: schematic representations of theoretical model 30 3.4 Examples of the use of theory in Public Administration research 37 3.5 Literature skills 39 4.1 Scales of measurement 44 4.2 Validating or standardizing measurement instruments 50 4.3 Triangulation 52 5.1 The time dimension in research 56 6.1 Exogenous variables and intervening variables 63 6.2 Examples of experimental BPA studies 65 6.3 Designing a simulation game 66 6.4 Examples of policy experiments 68 6.5 Classic example of observation study 72 7.1 Examples of research with questionnaires 77 7.2 Scales 80 8.1 Examples of case study research in Public Administration 88 8.2 Choices involved in designing a case study 92 8.3 The interview manual 96 8.4 The Delphi method 98 9.1 Example: existing data sources for research on healthcare 104 9.2 International databases for research in Public Administration and Public Management 106
3 Types of textual analysis 110 9.4 Examples of the application of content analysis in Public Administration 112 9.5 Examples of secondary analysis in Public Administration 114 9.6 Examples of meta-analysis in Public Administration and Public Management research 115 9.7 Protocols for systematic literature reviews 116 10.1 Reporting on results 131 10.2 Examples of studies in Public Administration and Public Management using quantitative data 136 11.1 Forms of qualitative research 141 11.2 Examples of research in Public Administration and Public Management with qualitative data 142 11.3 Coding an interview: example 146 11.4 Fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) 151 12.1 Research Data Management (RDM) 157 12.2 Selection of international, refereed journals in Public Administration and Public Management (in alphabetical order) 159 12.3 Guidelines for writing a press release 159 12.4 Format for reporting research results 163 12.5 Inconvenient truths 167.