Best Practice Recommendations for Replicating Experiments in Public Administration

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Walker, Richard M.; Brewer, Gene A.; Lee, M. Jin; Petrovsky, Nicolai; van Witteloostuijn, Arjen
• 署名单位: City University of Hong Kong; University System of Georgia; University of Georgia; University of Kentucky; Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION RESEARCH AND THEORY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1053-1858
• DOI: 10.1093/jopart/muy047
• 发表日期: 2019
• 页码: 609-626
• 关键词: expectancy-disconfirmation theory; measurement equivalence; management; replicability; PSYCHOLOGY; KNOWLEDGE; science; MODEL

摘要

Replication is an important mechanism through which broad lessons for theory and practice can be drawn in the applied interdisciplinary social science field of public administration. We suggest a common replication framework for public administration that is illustrated by experimental work in the field. Drawing on knowledge from other disciplines, together with our experience in replicating several experiments on topics such as decision making, organizational rules, and government-citizen relationships, we provide an overview of the replication process. We then distill this knowledge into seven decision points that offer a clear set of best practices on how to design and implement replications in public administration. We conclude by arguing that replication should be part of the normal scientific process in public administration to help to build valid middle-range theories and provide valuable lessons to practice.