2012 Public Policy Yearbook: Evolving Scholarship in Public Policy

Abstract

The Public Policy Yearbook is now in its fourth iteration and continues to serve as a useful tool for examining recent changes in public policy scholarship over the past several years. The Yearbook itself has changed considerably over time: in addition to providing a detailed international listing of policy scholars with contact information, fields of specialization, research references, 1 and individual scholars’ statements of current and future research interests, the September 2011 Yearbook made its debut online as a versatile web-tool. The Yearbook’s content is now accessible, in searchable form, via the Internet—providing links to scholars’ bios, articles, abstracts, and review articles. Individuals can now search for a scholar’s profile according to name, geographic location, institution, or research interests. The online Yearbook also includes retrospective research reviews for specific theoretical and substantive policy subfields. These peer-reviewed articles summarize the most recent developments (primarily over the past two years) in scholarship in specific policy subfields. The online Yearbook allows for in-text citations to be activated, taking readers directly to scholars’ bios and provides listings of additional scholars with similar research interests. By providing a snapshot of scholarship in particular domains, the Yearbook provides a quick and accessible reference to the current state of scholarship on all aspects of public policy, as well as indications of future research directions. This allows public policy scholars to gain visibility and it facilitates networking within the policy research community. The contents of the latest edition are summarized below.