Techniques for Public Impact Research: Designing and Conducting Research that is Useful to Public-Serving Organizations

Session Submission Type: Roundtable

Abstract

Many public policy and management scholars pursue public impact research (PIR) that is useful to public-serving organizations. Often, this work is done in partnership with public-serving organizations and leads to non-academic products, such as training manuals, videos, reports, or policy briefs. Unfortunately, this type of scholarship is not always supported or rewarded, particularly in academic institutions. In this moment of decreased public trust in institutions of higher education, universities are recognizing that public impact research can contribute to the public good and clarify the societal impacts of research, possibly increasing public trust.

For scholars interested in conducting public impact research, particularly in academic settings, this roundtable will highlight key techniques and challenges to designing and conducting research that is useful to public-serving organizations. Our 4 participants are experienced public impact researchers who are diverse across gender, race, career stage, US region, and discipline.  J. Michael Collins is a Professor at the University of Wisconsin La Follette School of Public Affairs. His work focuses on household economic and financial security, including the role of public policy in influencing credit and savings.  Professor Collins often partners with state agencies and other organizations to use administrative data to understand household financial issues, poverty, inequality, and to evaluate policies and programs. Rajeev Darolia is a Professor of public policy and economics at the University of Kentucky who studies education and workforce policy. He has consistently partnered with the state higher education, workforce, and data agencies in Kentucky and elsewhere to analyze costs and benefits of educational credentials and pathways, financial aid policies, and other policies and programs of interest to partners.  Heather Hill is a Professor at the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy & Governance who studies poverty & social policy.  She developed a multi-year research partnership with the Washington State Employment Security Department to study the state's Paid Family and Medical Leave program with an emphasis on answering publicly- and agency-generated research questions.  Stephanie Casey Pierce is an Assistant Professor of Public Policy & Administration in the Political Science Department at the University of Tennessee. Her work centers on housing instability—evictions, foreclosures, and homelessness—and how housing instability contributes to and stems from economic inequality. Stephanie often partners with state and local government agencies and nonprofit organizations to design and evaluate policies and programs.  

Our moderator, Stephanie Moulton, is a Professor and Acting Dean for the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University. Moulton's research examines the causes and consequences of wealth inequality and household financial distress, with a focus on dynamics related to homeownership, mortgages, and consumer debt. She frequently works in partnership with government, nonprofit organizations, and private lenders to design, evaluate and improve public policies and programs. Moulton is the co-founder of the new Public Impact Research Network (https://pir.network/), a consortium of 14 public universities investing in building capacity and shifting the institutional landscape for public impact research.

Policy Area

• Methods and Tools of Analysis

Moderator

• Stephanie Moulton, The Ohio State University

Organizer

• Heather D Hill, University of Washington

Speakers

• J. Michael Collins, University of Wisconsin-Madison

• Rajeev Darolia, University of Kentucky

• Stephanie Casey Pierce, University of Tennessee (Knoxville)