Social network analysis and public policy: what’s new?

ABSTRACT

As a mature paradigm of network analysis, social network analysis (SNA) is suitable for exploring complicated and interactive relationships in policy research and is of great significance to the innovation and development of public policy research. In this paper, 45 typical articles published in high-ranking journals in the field of public administration were analysed using co-word analysis and qualitative analysis. The application of SNA in public policy studies, including research methods, analytic tools, and basic concepts of network analysis, were systematically reviewed. UCINET software was used to visualize the knowledge network of research topics. The main research topics were classified into five categories: agenda setting, policy network, advocacy coalition, policy learning and diffusion, policy implementation. Finally, this article suggests that network analysis in public administration should be thoroughly re-examined; in particular, scholars should consider the benefits of SNA for public policy research. In the application of SNA to public policy research, it is necessary to broaden the study perspective and scope, further strengthen interdisciplinary theoretical interaction and theoretical innovation, and take advantage of big data and other new technological tools that can develop giant network analysis for public policy.

KEYWORDS:

• Public policy
• social network analysis
• study topics
• literature review
• future research

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (71804056), Humanities and Social Sciences Research Project of the Ministry of Education of China(18YJC630250), and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (#2018M642033)

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation [2018M642033]; National Natural Science Foundation of China [71804056]; Humanities and Social Sciences Research Project of the Ministry of Education of China [18YJC630250].

Notes on contributors

Wei Zhang

Wei Zhang is currently a professor at the School of Public Administration, Sichuan University. He was an associate professor at school of Public Administration, Central China Normal University. He received his PhD from Harbin Institute of Technology in 2014. His research interests include technological innovation and knowledge management, green governance and public Policy. He published more than 60 academic papers in many high-level journals, such as IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, Academy of Management Learning & Education, Journal of Information Science, Land Use Policy, Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, Entrepreneurship Research Journal, Creativity Research Journal, Creativity and Innovation Management, Research In Transportation Business & Management, etc..

Mingyang Zhang

Mingyang  Zhang is a master student majoring in Public Administration at school of Public Administration, Central China Normal University. His research interests include innovation and entrepreneurship management, green governance and Public Policy. At present, he has published 5 academic papers in SCI/SSCI journals such as Journal of Cleaner Production and Science of the Total Environment.

Ling Yuan

Ling Yuan is a doctoral candidate majoring in Public Administration at school of Public Administration, Sichuan University. Her research interest is grassroots governance and public policy. At present, she has published many academic papers in high-level journals such as Journal of Chinese Political Science.

Fengchun Fan

Fengchun Fan is a professor at the School of Public Administration, Sichuan University. He is the academic and technical leader of Sichuan Province, the chief expert of sichuan Province think tank of “Social Governance and Public Policy”, and the chief expert of major special projects of National Social Science Foundation of China. He has published more than 20 books, including China's Experience towards Social Equity (People's Publishing House), Research on The Collaborative Governance Mechanism of Multiple Subjects in Rural Public Service (People's Publishing House), and Research on The Quality Measurement Standards of County-level Government Social Governance. He has also published more than 80 papers in core journals such as Management World, Guangming Daily and Chinese Administration.