Public administration, Research, Public management 

Routledge masters in public management 

Research in Public Administration and Public Management has distinctive features that influence the choices and application of research methods. The standard methodologies for researching from the social sciences can be difficult to follow in the complex world of the public sector. In a dynamic political context, the focus lies on solving societal problems whilst also using methodological principles to do scientifically sound research.

The second edition of Research Methods in Public Administration and Public Management represents a comprehensive guide to undertaking and using research in Public Management and Administration. It is succinct but covers a wide variety of research strategies, including action research, experiments, case studies, desk research, systematic literature reviews and more. It pays attention to issues of design, sampling, research ethics and data management. This textbook does explain the role of theory, but also offers many international examples and practical exercises. It takes the reader through the journey of research, starting with the problem definition, choice of theory, research design options and tools to achieve impactful research.

New and revised material includes, but is not limited to:

A closer look at popular methods like the experiment and the systematic literature review;
A deeper examination of research ethics and data management;
New examples from a wide range of countries;
Updated ‘Further Reading’ material and additional useful websites.
This exciting new edition will be a core reading for students at all levels and practitioners researching public management and administration. 

CONTENTS:
1 Research in Public Administration
1.1 The unique features of research in Public Administration
1.2 Research in Public Administration and policy
1.3 Aim and outline of the rest of the book

2 The research problem
2.1 Choosing and formulating a research problem
2.2 The research aim
2.3 The research question

3 Theoretical framework
3.1 The empirical cycle
3.2 What is theory?
3.3 Philosophies of science
3.4 The role of theory in Public Administration research

4 Operationalization
4.1 Operationalization in three steps
4.2 Sampling
4.3 Reliability and validity
4.4 Validity and reliability: sources of interference

5 Research design
5.1 The different elements of the research design
5.2 Choosing a research strategy, method and technique

6 The experiment
6.1 The classic experiment
6.2 Experimental Public Administration research
6.3 Simulations and gaming
6.4 Field and policy experiments
6.5 Reliability and validity in experiments
6.6 Observation

7 The survey
7.1 The survey: characteristics and types
7.2 The written questionnaire
7.3 The reliability and validity of questionnaires

8 The case study
8.1 Case study research
8.2 The selection of cases
8.3 The reliability and validity of case studies
8.4 The interview

9 Desk research
9.1 Using or re-using existing data
9.2 Three methods for gathering and analysing existing data

10 Analysing quantitative data
10.1 Quantitative data
10.2 Collecting and ordering the data
10.3 Analysis
10.4 Descriptive statistics
10.5 Inferential statistics
10.6 Reliability and validity when analysing quantitative data

11 Analysing qualitative data
11.1 Qualitative data
11.2 Collecting and ordering of data
11.3 Analysing the data
11.4 The reliability and validity when analysing qualitative data

12 Reporting results
12.1 Audiences
12.2 Reporting formats
12.3 The purpose of reporting research results
12.4 Writing down the results
12.5 Prescription 

Note: Include bibliographical references and index.