Advanced Policy Analysis Research Methods

Catalog description

This course examines how policy research methods are applied to the study of contemporary social issues. The course is intended for students with a basic knowledge of regression, and will be especially useful for students with practical experience in a policy setting who want to learn about advanced research methods. The course begins by exploring policy analysis frameworks, and the contexts of social policy and social policy research. The remainder of the course explores a variety of common approaches to the conduct of social policy research by looking at the types of questions social policy analysts most frequently ask, and the types of answers that they are most often able to provide. The policy analysis approaches we will examine include: needs assessment methodologies (e.g. the “epidemiology” of social problems); analyses of client-level service utilization patterns (e.g. creating “typologies”); modeling trends in demand for services over time (e.g. forecasting); locational and other spatial factors associated with need, service use, and resource allocation decisions (e.g. block grant formula funding); machine learning (e.g. predictive analytics); the roles of qualitative research methods in policy research; comparative research on social welfare policy; performance management applications of administrative data; and longitudinal, multisectoral research using integrated administrative data systems. The application of these various methods is illustrated with studies of mental health, homelessness, criminal justice, child welfare, housing and segregation, welfare reform, income inequality and social service planning. Students participate as discussants of weekly readings, and as presenters of an assigned paper.