ABSTRACT
Previous chapters in this book have emphasized that policy research is
situational. It is different from research conducted in universities or in
the laboratory partly because the policy analyst must respond to his or
her environment in a variety of ways. As has been pointed out in previous
discussions, the questions a policy analyst must address emerge from the
concerns and problems of policy makers. The analyst must identify and
clarify these problems so they can be the basis for focused research. Simi
larly, the methods of data collection available to the policy analyst are de
termined to a great extent through the budget resources that the client is
willing to make available and by the availability of information in the en
vironment. A program with good records, for example, presents a differ
ent research context than does one with incomplete or inaccurate
records. Finally, the conclusions and findings that will be useful for a par
ticular piece of policy research depend to a great extent on the ability and
willingness of policy makers and policy implementers to act upon recom
mendations. Coming up with useful findings depends as much on in
sightful assessment of the ability to use the findings as it does on skills in
analyzing the data themselves, without interpretation.
