Methodologies for studying think tanks webinar series Marcos Gonzalez Hernando PhD Candidate Department of Sociology, University of Cambridge mjg221@cam.ac.uk
How to study them A. Institutional diversity and variety of business models – Return to the problem of definition B. Instability and heteronomy – Capacity to change C. Dimensions – Elite actors, experts, lobbyists, etc. D. Outputs – policy reports, parliamentary interventions, indicators, blogs, media appearances, etc.
Diachronic Case Study Methodology • •
Give up representativity for depth
Comparative method – in this case, sharing the same context • •
Sensitivity to dynamic processes.
Possibility of using different sources of data •
Risk: Overlooking networks
Unit of analysis •
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Focus on interventions: Policy reports (funder, policy area and research method).
Coding and data analysis: Policy recommendation, style and tropes – I use grounded theory, but not the only option. •
Possibility of using more methods – e.g. content analysis, visual methods.
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Or sources – e.g. Charity Commission reports, press coverage, books, blog posts.
Risk: Overlooking internal heterogeneity – Distinguishing ‘core’ and ‘dependent’ interventions.
Elite Interviews • •
‘Bridging gaps’ between interventions
Expert interviewing methods: Specificity of sampling, preparation, practicalities. Narrative approach: Moments and changes
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Possible pitfalls: Access, self-presentation
Advantages and Shortcomings Depth of results / Specificity of findings
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Dynamic perspective / Ex-post facto •
Multi-dimensional / Biases?
What does it ultimately provide? A narrative of narratives