Publication Type
Journal Article
Version
acceptedVersion
Publication Date
7-2018
Abstract
Systematic reviews of research methods in the public administration field have assessed the progress of research practice and offered relevant recommendations to further develop research quality. But most recent reviews examine quantitative studies, and the few assessments of qualitative scholarship tend to focus on specific dimensions. This article calls attention to the overall practice of qualitative research in the field of public administration. The authors analyzed 129 qualitative studies published during a five-year period (2010–14) in the six top public administration journals, combining bibliometric and qualitative analyses. Three findings are drawn from the analysis. First, qualitative work represents a very small percentage of the journal articles published in the field. Second, qualitative research practice uses a small range of methodologies, mainly case studies. Finally, there is inconsistency in reporting methodological decisions. The article discusses the implications of these findings and offers recommendations to ensure methodological rigor while considering the integrity of the logic of inquiry and reporting standards of qualitative research practice.
Keywords
Public administration, qualitative research, research methods, research quality
Discipline
Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration
Research Areas
Political Science
Publication
Public Administration Review
Volume
78
Issue
4
First Page
593
Last Page
605
ISSN
0033-3352
Identifier
10.1111/puar.12837
Publisher
Wiley
Citation
OSPINA, Sonia M., ESTEVE, Marc, & LEE, Seulki.(2018). Assessing qualitative studies in public administration research. Public Administration Review, 78(4), 593-605.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/3519
Copyright Owner and License
Authors
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Additional URL
https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.12837