Dear colleagues, apologies for cross posting:
=========
Call for Abstracts for a Special Issue of American Behavioral Scientist (1.311 Impact Factor) on
QUALITATIVE APPROACHES TO POLICY ANALYSIS & RESEARCH
Editors: Monica Reid Kerrigan, Rowan University, and Ane Turner Johnson, Rowan University
Abstracts Due: December 1, 2017 • Full Manuscript Due: May 1, 2018
The purpose of this special issue is to provide policy researchers with innovative approaches to
inquiry while detailing how to engage with these approaches in order to be practically useful to
both the novice and experienced researcher. To that end, we seek a series of articles addressing
new approaches or previously un-interrogated approaches to policy research, broken down into
the core inquiry processes of data collection, data analysis, data transformation, as well as a
broader examination of theoretical frameworks, paradigmatic issues, and collaborative
approaches relevant to qualitative public policy research. By attending, comprehensively, to the
descriptions of how these innovative approaches are applied to one or two cases, this issue will
serve as a resource to researchers seeking new approaches to meet the complex needs of public
policy research. We argue that although quantitative research now dominates public policy, there
is a need not only for qualitative approaches but also a need to rigorously detail such approaches
for broader use. The intention is not to replace quantitative methods; rather, it is to expand the
toolbox of available techniques. We are seeking contributions from a range of fields and
disciplines that address the following: qualitative approaches to data collection for policy
research; data transformation in policy research; theoretical frameworks in qualitative policy
analysis; paradigmatic issues in qualitative policy analysis; and collaborative approaches to
qualitative policy research.
Manuscripts are expected to be between 5000-8000 words (excluding the reference list) and in a
format suitable for publication as a journal article. In contrast to a typical empirical article, these
manuscripts will emphasize a thorough discussion of the innovative research design and its
application to public policy analysis and research. Akin to a case, the application will illustrate to
researchers how the qualitative design is used and the outcomes. Particular emphasis should be
given to examples of innovative features in the articles, particularly as each relates to the policy
analysis and research knowledge-base.
Information about Abstract Submission
Prospective authors are invited to submit a brief abstract (250-300 words) by December 1, 2017
to the issue editors at qualitativepolicyanalysis@gmail.com. The abstract should (a) summarize
the method that will be considered and its appropriateness to policy analysis, (b) identify 1-2
empirical examples that will serve as application cases, and (c) address the innovativeness of the
approach. Prospective contributors will hear from us by January 15, 2018.
