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"Research Methods for Public Administrators introduces students to the methodological tools public administrators and policy analysts use to conduct research in the twenty-first century. Full of engaging examples and step-by-step instructions to illustrate common research methods and techniques, this book provides future administrators with an unshakeable foundation in model building, research design, and statistical applications. New to the Seventh Edition: Additional / expanded material on qualitative research; big data; metadata; literature reviews; and causal inference New material on experiments and experimental research. New examples / case studies including those dealing with public policy. Expanded material on using computers for data management"--

Practical Research Methods for Nonprofit and Public Administrators, Second Edition, covers basic principles of research design, data collection, data analysis, reporting and ethical principles of research. The discussion describes the skills as they would be used in practice in a not-for-profit or public administration environment. The book gives pragmatic instructions for designing research to ensure that results will be accurate and administrators can have confidence in them. It covers techniques to assure that researchers are measuring what they intend to measure and in a way that will be useful and manageable. Sampling methods to find out about larger populations are discussed as are survey, interview, and focus group data collection procedures. The book describes how Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are used to obtain information on the locations of service needs and providers and to draw maps showing these. Participatory research methods including community needs assessments and asset mapping are discussed. The book includes chapters on statistical analysis, visual displays of data, reporting of results and evaluation of programs. The use of computer programs for analyzing data is detailed and illustrated by examples. The appropriate software for analysis and mapping is discussed. A chapter updates the ethics and government requirements for research. Each chapter includes examples and exercises to enhance learning. The book is intended for administrators in not-for-profit and public administration organizations, providing practical skills that can be used in many situations. It is also intended for use as a text in academic programs in administration and management.