Methods in democratic network governance

Methodological questions about how to study democratic network governance have so far received little research attention. This book aims to remedy this by addressing some important methodological questions in relation to case studies of the multilevel network governance of employment policy in Britain, France and Denmark.

Author Notes

SUSANA BORRÁS Associate Professor, Department of Social Sciences, Roskilde University, DenmarkBODIL DAMGAARD Assistant Professor, Danish National Institute of Social Research, DenmarkANDERS ESMARK Assistant Professor, Department of Social Sciences, Roskilde University, DenmarkALLAN DREYER HANSEN Associate Professor, Department of Social Science, Roskilde University, DenmarkHANS-PETER OLSEN PhD Candidate, Department of Intercultural Communication and Management, Copenhagen Business School, DenmarkIBEN ØRUM RASMUSSEN PhD Candidate, Department of Social Science, Roskilde University, DenmarkEVA SØRENSEN Professor, Department of Social Sciences, Roskilde University, DenmarkJACOB TORFING Professor, Department of Social Sciences, Roskilde University, DenmarkPETER TRIANTAFILLOU Assistant Professor, Department of Social Science, Roskilde University, Denmark

Jacob TorfingPeter Bogason and Mette ZolnerJacob TorfingJacob TorfingJacob TorfingAnders Esmark and Peter TriantafillouMette Zolner and Iben Orum Rasmussen and Allan Dreyer HansenEva Sorensen and Jacob TorfingBodil Damgaard and Eva SorensenSusana Borras and Hans-Peter OlsenPeter Bogason and Mette Zolner

List of Figures	p. viii
List of Tables	p. ix
List of Boxes	p. x
Foreword	p. xi
Notes on the Contributors	p. xii
List of Abbreviations	p. xiii
1 Methods for Network Governance Research: an Introduction	p. 1
1.1 Why a book on methodology?	p. 1
1.2 What is network governance?	p. 3
1.3 Empirical research on network governance	p. 6
1.4 Methodology	p. 9
1.5 Structure of the book	p. 16
Notes	p. 20
2 A Comparative and Multi-level Analysis of Governance Networks: a Pilot Study of Employment Policy	p. 21
2.1 Selection of scope, policy area, countries and sites	p. 23
2.2 Research strategy: output-based backward mapping	p. 28
2.3 Multiple methods	p. 32
2.4 Managing collective research processes and data collection	p. 34
2.5 Lessons learned from the pilot study	p. 38
3 Empirical Findings: Seven Network Stories	p. 41
3.1 The transnational governance network	p. 43
3.2 The Danish national governance network	p. 47
3.3 The English national governance network	p. 52
3.4 The French national governance network	p. 55
3.5 The local governance network in Koge	p. 59
3.6 The local governance network in Birmingham	p. 63
3.7 The local governance network in Grenoble	p. 67
3.8 Summing up	p. 71
4 Comparative Analysis Based on Expert Reports	p. 74
4.1 Introduction	p. 74
4.2 Comparative studies based on expert reports	p. 76
4.3 A critical assessment of the use of expert reports	p. 79
4.4 How should expert reports be analysed?	p. 84
4.5 Assessing and analysing expert reports	p. 85
4.6 Lessons learned	p. 97
5 Document Analysis of Network Topography and Network Programmes	p. 99
5.1 Introduction	p. 99
5.2 Different ways of reading documents	p. 100
5.3 Documents lost and found	p. 104
5.4 Analysing network topography	p. 107
5.5 Analysing network programmes	p. 116
5.6 Conclusions	p. 122
6 Qualitative Interviews: Studying Network Narratives	p. 125
6.1 Introduction	p. 125
6.2 Qualitative interviews in relation to the study of network governance	p. 127
6.3 Selecting respondents	p. 132
6.4 Conducting interviews	p. 136
6.5 Analysing policy actors' narratives on labour market governance	p. 141
6.6 Conclusion	p. 145
Notes	p. 147
7 Studying Local Network Exclusion through Observation and Diaries	p. 148
7.1 Introduction	p. 148
7.2 Observation studies and diary writing	p. 150
7.3 Undertaking observation and diary studies in Koge, Birmingham and Grenoble	p. 156
7.4 The data material and how it was analysed	p. 160
7.5 Analysing observations and diaries: some tentative research results	p. 165
7.6 Concluding remarks on the use of observation and diaries in network studies	p. 177
8 Interactive Focus Group Interviewing in Studies of Network Governance	p. 179
8.1 Introduction	p. 179
8.2 Interactive focus group interviewing and network governance	p. 181
8.3 Practical application	p. 187
8.4 Analysing network governance through focus group interviews	p. 194
8.5 Lessons from interactive focus group interviewing in studies of governance networks	p. 204
9 Combining Qualitative and Quantitative Methods for the Analysis of Network Governance: Promises, Problems, Pay-offs and Potentials	p. 207
9.1 The promises of method-mixing for the analysis of network governance	p. 207
9.2 Experiences from the pilot study: the problems	p. 209
9.3 Experiences from the pilot study: the pay-offs	p. 214
9.4 Potentials: lessons learned and future directions	p. 221
Notes	p. 223
10 Conclusion	p. 224
10.1 Questions and answers	p. 224
10.2 Challenges in the research process	p. 227
10.3 Final points	p. 229
References	p. 233
Index	p. 239

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