Abstract
This chapter discusses asking the right policy questions. It points out how the nature of those questions and answers are shaped by the policy context. With the most appropriate methodological tools, policy analysts should be prepared to address follow-up questions. These include “what” and “how” questions. The chapter discusses how academic researchers have to simultaneously use rigorous methods and provide results of their research that is of use to policymakers and the general public.
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Notes
- 1.
For more discussion on this, see Toutkoushian, R. K., & Paulsen, M. B. (2016). Economics of Higher Education: Background, Concepts, and Applications (first ed. 2016 edition). Springer.
- 2.
The issue of college affordability has increasingly received attention at the state and national level. For example, see Miller, G., Alexander, F. K., Carruthers, G., Cooper, M. A., Douglas, J. H., Fitzgerald, B. K., Gregoire, C., & McKeon, H. P. “Buck.” (2020). A New Course for Higher Education. Bipartisan Policy Center. https://bipartisanpolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/WEB_BPC_Higher_Education_Report_RV8.pdf.
- 3.
OLS regression is discussed in Chap. 7.
- 4.
Fixed-effects regression is presented in Chap. 7.
- 5.
Random-effects regression is explained in Chap. 7.
- 6.
DiD regression is discussed in Chap. 7.
References
Birnbaum, R. (2000). Policy Scholars Are from Venus; Policy Makers Are from Mars. The Review of Higher Education, 23(2), 119–132.
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). Sage Publications.
Kingdon, J. W. (2011). Agendas, Alternatives, and Public Policies. Netherlands: Longman.
Ness, E. C. (2010). The role of information in the policy process: Implications for the Examination of Research Utilization in Higher Education Policy. In J. C. Smart (Ed.), Higher education: Handbook of theory and research (Vol. 25, pp. 1–49). Springer.
Zinth, K., & Smith, M. (2012). Tuition-Setting Authority for Public Colleges and Universities (p. 10). Education Commission of the States.
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Titus, M. (2021). Asking the Right Policy Questions. In: Higher Education Policy Analysis Using Quantitative Techniques . Quantitative Methods in the Humanities and Social Sciences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-60831-6_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-60831-6_2
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