Strengthening Public Administration Research: Identifying Boundaries and Horizons

Abstract

Since the early days of the field, public administration research has been a work in progress. Many authors have struggled to find the proper role of research in the field. Interest in the topic intensified over the last couple of decades, as a perception developed that the quality and usefulness of work had fallen decidedly behind other academic disciplines. While a rich literature has developed debating the merits of public administration research, the resulting product does not provide a clear direction for reform-minded researchers to follow. In this article, we seek to organize this material in ways that will make it more useful. Our analysis identifies hard and soft barriers preventing progress and examines three dilemmas facing public administration researchers: theoretical versus conceptual research, academically sophisticated methods versus widely accessible methods, and an academic versus a practitioner focus. Through our discussion of these dilemmas, we seek to clarify the issues facing researchers and help them make more informed choices.

Acknowledgments

We want to thank Michele Clendening and Chad Gorman for their research assistance on this project. Their help is very much appreciated.

Notes

9. Kraemer; Perry, op cit.

10. Perry; Kraemer, op cit.

12. McCurdy; Cleary

14. Brewer; Douglas; Facer; O’Toole, op cit.

16. Perry; Kraemer, op cit.

17. Houston; Delevan, op cit.

18. Perry; Kraemer, op cit.

19. Houston; Delevan, op cit.

22. Ibid.

23. Houston; Delevan, op cit.

27. Ibid.

28. McCurdy; Cleary, op cit.

29. McCurdy; Cleary, op cit.

30. Perry; Kraemer, op cit.

32. Ibid.

33. Gill; Meier, op cit.

34. Box, op cit.

35. Adams, G.B.; White, J.D.Dissertation Research in Public Administration and Cognate Fields: An Assessment of Methods and Quality. Public Administration Review 1994, 54 (6) 565–576; Adams, G.B.; White, J.D. The Public Administration Doctorate: A Degree in Search of a Purpose. Journal of Public Administration Education 1995 1 (1) 67–76; White, J.D. On the Growth of Knowledge in Public Administration. Public Administration Review 1986, 46 (1) 15.

38. McCurdy; Cleary, op cit.

39. Houston; Delevan. Public Administration Research: An Assessment of Journal Publications, op cit.

41. Ibid.

42. Englehart, op cit.

43. McSwite, op cit.

44. Cunningham; Weschler.

48. Gill; Meier.

49. Streib, G.; Slotkin, B. J.; Rivera, M.

50. Stallings; Ferris, Perry; Kraemer.

51. Gill; Meier.

54. McCurdy; Cleary.