A Systematic Literature Review of the Relationships Between Policy Analysis and Information Technologies: Understanding and Integrating Multiple Conceptualizations

Part 3: Policy Modeling and Policy InformaticsInternational audienceResearchers and practitioners are increasingly aware of changes in the environment, broadly defined, that affect the policy process and the current capabilities for policy analysis. Examples of these changes are emergent information technologies, big and interconnected data, and the availability of computational power to perform analysis at a very disaggregate level. These and other forces have the potential to significantly change multiple stages of the policy process, from design to implementation and evaluation. The emergence of this phenomenon has led to the use of a variety of labels to define it. Potentially, a variety of labels might contribute to some conceptual confusion, but most importantly to concept stretching. This article aims to provide a conceptual space by identifying the attributes that compose the phenomenon. Based on a systematic literature review, this paper identifies the terms that have been used to refer to this phenomenon and analyzes their associated attributes. Based on Gerring & Barrosi’s Min-Max strategy of concept formation, we propose two sets of attributes to define the phenomenon

The scholarship of teaching and learning in public administration: an agenda for future research

Two essential questions for those leading the field of public administration are: What do we teach our students, and how do we train them? As scholars, we pay significant attention to our research, often to the detriment of recognizing the potential for merging our research with teaching through the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). However, given our students’ leadership positions, SoTL-related work is vital to their success. In this article, we have come together to reflect on the state of SoTL’s work in public administration. Through this reflection, we explore the windows of opportunity for research that we see emerging. Included among these opportunities is the need for research on how we can best serve students in and out of the classroom, as well as research the most effective way of managing our programs. We also see the need for research into faculty development, instructional design, and the return on investment for a public administration degree. Lastly, we argue for improved recognition of the value and contribution of SoTL-related work in tenure and promotion standards