Pragmatism as a Philosophy of Science: A Tool for Public Administration
Document Type: Article
Reprinted from Research in Public Administration, Editor: Jay D. white, Vol. 4, Patricia M. Shields, "Pragmatism as a Philosophy of Science: A Tool for Public Administration", Pages 195-225, c1998 (ISBN: 1-55938-888-9) with permission from Elsevier. .
Abstract
This chapter demonstrates how pragmatism as a philosophy of science is used in a Public Administration Research Methods Class. This class is designed to get students ready to write an empirical capstone project. Three elements of the course are developed--finding a topic, developing a research question, and choosing a conceptual framework. The notebook method, a tool to find a topic and develop the research question, is presented. Conceptual frameworks are classified into five types and linked with the research purpose, question, modes of research, and statistics. Both the notebook method and the classification of conceptual frameworks are discussed in light of their pragmatic roots. Specifically, they are linked to the ideas of Charles Sanders Peirce and John Dewey.
Recommended Citation
Shields, Patricia M., "Pragmatism as a Philosophy of Science: A Tool for Public Administration" (1998). Faculty Publications-Political Science. Paper 33.
http://ecommons.txstate.edu/polsfacp/33
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