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![Page 1: 1 Doing Policy Research UA702: Research Methods for Urban & Public Policy Danilo Yanich Center for Community Research & Service School of Public Policy.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062321/56649dba5503460f94aab759/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
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Doing Policy Research
UA702: Research Methods for Urban & Public Policy
Danilo Yanich
Center for Community Research & ServiceSchool of Public Policy & AdministrationUniversity of DelawareNewark, DE 19716
File: 800\2004\Mtg15\DoingPolicyResearch
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Definition of policy research
• A mixture of science, craftlore, and art (Peter Rossi)
– science is the body of theory, concepts, and methodological principles
– craftlore, the set of workable techniques, rules of thumb, and standard operating procedures
– art, the pace, style, and the manner in which one works
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Definition of policy research, p.2
• The process of conducting research on, or analysis of, a fundamental social problem…
• …in order to provide policymakers with pragmatic, action-oriented recommendations for alleviating the problem
• Although there are several types of research processes to alleviate social problems, policy research is…
– unique in focusing on…– action-oriented recommendation to…– fundamental social problems
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Defining characteristics of policy research
• Originates in the world of action
• Results are destined for the world of action
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Properties of the world of action
• Time constraints
• Language and concepts are different from those of discipline
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Properties of the world of action, p.2
• Interest, control of resources, conflict
– Set of parties who control resources in an on-going system that involves conflict
– Researcher is outside of system...but...
– Research problem comes from the system...and...
– Research results are injected back into the system...
– Results in adding to the resources of certain parties & diminishing those of others...
– In short, a political system---power structure will change based on the research results
– While research results will have been arrived at by a procedure that is neutral to these interests, their results are not neutral in their impact on the world of action
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Properties of the world of action, p.3
• Economy vs redundancy
– Discipline research---uses theory to substitute as economy of information---makes predictions
– Action world---economy of information is unimportant
– What is important is the usefulness of the research results for policy purposes...
• A criterion which often dictates redundancy
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Context of the Policy Arena
• Research findings are only one of many inputs to policy decision
• Policy is not made, it accumulates...
– Policy research must be able to provide the empirical evidence to support the series of successive approximations that constitute policy
• Process of making policies is as complex as the social problem itself
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Characteristics of policy research studies
• Are multidimensional in focus...as is social problem
• Use empirico-inductive research orientation...
– Not traditional scientific hypothesis-testing approach
• Focus on malleable variables...
– Those attributes of problem amenable to intervention by policy.
• Responsive to study users
• Explicitly incorporate values
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Principles governing policy research---given character of world of action
• Decision and action will be taken within a certain time, so…
– Results must be offered then, not later...so…
– Partial accurate information at the time of action is better than complete information after the time for action has passed
– Implications for research design
• Must be fitted to time sequencing of social actions
• Must provide partial results at various points
• Must have steady accumulation of research results that can aid decisions, rather than a single research result at the end
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Principles governing policy research, p.2
• Value of the research is based on…
– the high probability of giving approximately right guides to action…
– rather than correspondence to good theory
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Principles governing policy research, p.3
• Different classes of variables
– Discipline has independent and dependant variables
– Policy research:
• outcomes of policy…intended or not
• policy variables…amenable to social control
• situational variables…play part in causal structure and must be controlled in analysis, but not subject to policy control
– Therefore, it is necessary to treat differently policy variables which are subject to manipulation and situational variables which are not
– Important because must give information on variables which provide a handle for action
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Principles governing policy research, p.4
• Canons of scientific method and values implied in those canons govern
the execution of the research
– Values of world of action govern the formulation of policy research problems
– Transmission of results back to world of action can be governed be either set of values.
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Stages of Policy Research
1. Negotiation Stage: Period from initial discussion with client to the beginning of analysisProduct: Signed contract & blueprint for research
2. Analysis Stage: Period between beginning of research tasks & preparation of final reportProduct: Final report
3--Communication Stage: Begins when final report is presented & ends when the action the research was to inform is takenProduct: Active dissemination
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Policy Research, Stage 1, Negotiation
• Questions– What must be accomplished?
– Context of problem?
– Who came to whom?...critical question
• If you went to client, you are seller of skills...method, specialized knowledge, experience, analysis
• Difficult position because it suggests a lack of same capacities on part of client...
– I try to pitch toward the value of objective outside source of information
• Point: must make skills that you have relevant to concerns of client
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Policy Research, Stage 1, p.2
• If client came to you, questions of relevance also apply
– Must be careful...not skeptical...of agendas
• May want policy research to confirm already held position/strategy
• May want policy research to be change agent for change that is already thought out...needs hammer, better yet, screwdriver
• May want appearance of activity by using research as a substitute...use it reluctantly because must do something. NOTE: Woody Hays notion of the value of the pass...OR...
• May really want unbiased information...often couch the request that way, but the way the question is asked would skew the results
– REMEMBER, underlying this notion is the concept of interested parties who control resources to one extent or another...Results will likely change the balance
– Must say what research can and cannot do
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Policy Research, Stage 1, p.3
• Research Issue and Research Question
– Getting to agree on these matters should take place over several meetings & discussions...with preliminary proposals
– Result of these discussions (in which information flows in both directions) is…
• A research question (in scientific definition of term) which, when examined, will yield information that world of action can use
• Research issue is negotiable, research question is not
• Separation of policy outcome, policy control and situational variables should be basis for discussion between client and researcher
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Policy Research, Stage 1, p.4
• Research question must be one that is relevant to client’s information needs and…
– It must meet the rigors of the scientific method
• Contract that is signed must specify what is expected of both parties...
– From client, access to data, other support
– From researcher, set of deliverables and schedule
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Policy Research, Stage 2, Analysis
• Communication begun in 1st stage must continue so that any changes in the work that conditions warrant do not surprise client
• Canons of scientific method must govern research
– That is why implied difference between basic and applied research in terms of method is bogus...research is research with same rigor, same grounding in theory
– POINT: Any change in method must first satisfy scientific rigor...if can not...then no change...
• And must explain to client...if discussions good during first stage, no problem, if not, big problem
• Partial reports on progress should continue throughout 2nd stage
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Policy Research, Stage 3, Communication
• Communication carried through first two stages pays off here
• Speaking truth to power is a process...must advocate for positions to which the research brought us...
• Not advocate a particular course of action...but advocate for the relevance of the results
• Too often, we drop off the final report on decision-maker’s desk and walk away feeling that the merit of the information is not only pre-eminent, but also self-evident
– Many reports on back shelves of decision-makers’ offices which attest to the inaccuracy of that position
– “Social-sciencese” is not the language of the world of action
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Policy Research, Stage 3, p.2
• Many valid sources of information to decision makers beyond research results
– All of which have advocates...so, too, should policy research
– Can not argue that advocacy is political and therefore, would sully our objective reputation...
– Do not advocate that policy research results should be the only info. that dec-mkrs see, but it must be seen as part of many others...
– That does not violate the objectivity of the research...
– The world of action is POLITICAL in the best sense of the word...reconciling differences
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Policy Research, Stage 3, p.3
• This speaking-truth-to-power process does not occur in a political vacuum...
– If we are to be successful, to be heard, we must engage the world of action when that engagement is critical to the use of policy research to solve problems
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Guidelines for communicatingpolicy research results to policy makers
• Communicate throughout the study...two way communication...may use pilot project
• Communicate to different users
• Effective presentation creates the basis for good communication.
• Oral communication is usually more effective than written