Taking Network Analysis Seriously: Methodological Improvements for Governance Network Scholarship

Abstract

Networks are recognized as an important lens for studying governance. However, in the public policy and management literature, networks are both a theoretical concept and methodological approach - making it difficult to figure out where theory ends and methodology begins. This article first addresses why network analysis - as both concept and method - is important for the study of governance systems, as the epistemology of a network-analytic approach mirrors prominent theories of complex institutional systems. Second, it seeks to clarify the roles of network analysis in governance research. Distinguishing between different modes of analysis serves to highlight different types of network research designs and explains why network analysis is not just reflexively defined by its focus on networks. Third, it argues that researchers should strive for a more holistic conception of network analysis. Actors, relationships, rules, and resources interact in complex ways to determine outcomes in complex institutional systems. By focusing on more than just actors and their interactions, public policy and management scholars can use network analysis more effectively.