2020/12/08 by Mattia Casula, Nandhini Rangarajan, Patricia Shields +1 · 5 citations
Decision Sciences · Health Professions · Social Sciences · #Evaluation and Performance Assessment #Health Policy Implementation Science #Public Policy and Administration Research
paper · pdf · doi:10.1007/s11135-020-01072-9
Abstract While hypotheses frame explanatory studies and provide guidance for measurement and statistical tests, deductive, exploratory research does not have a framing device like the hypothesis. To this purpose, this article examines the landscape of deductive, exploratory research and offers the working hypothesis as a flexible, useful framework that can guide and bring coherence across the steps in the research process. The working hypothesis conceptual framework is introduced, placed in a philosophical context, defined, and applied to public administration and comparative public policy. Doing so, this article explains: the philosophical underpinning of exploratory, deductive research; how the working hypothesis informs the methodologies and evidence collection of deductive, explorative research; the nature of micro-conceptual frameworks for deductive exploratory research; and, how the working hypothesis informs data analysis when exploratory research is deductive.