35 3 Data analytics Ifan Shepherd and Gary Hearne Introduction This chapter sets out to illustrate the dictum that there is (almost) nothing new under the sun. More specifically, its goal is to make the unfamiliar familiar within the field of data analytics. The need for such a treatment can be gauged from the plethora of terms currently vying for attention in the contemporary data analysis landscape, which can be puzzling even for seasoned researchers. These terms include: data mining, data science, data analytics, machine learning, deep learning, neural
7 Analytical strategy ONE analytical strategy As already indicated, partnerships represent a strange phenomenon; they relate to many different heterogeneous, and often even opposing, expectations. It is therefore not sufficient to interview just a few people who claim to be part of a partnership and to follow them over a period of time. It is also not enough to study a few partnership agreements and to draw conclusions based on them. Or to line up a number of variables and to conduct a partnership survey in order to see which variable responds under which
This exciting and innovative book fills a gap in the growing area of discourse analysis within the social sciences. It provides the analytical tools with which students and their teachers can understand the complex and often conflicting discourses across a range of social science disciplines.
Examining the theories of Foucault, Koselleck, Laclau and Luhmann, the book:
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focuses on the political and social aspects of their writing;
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discusses and combines their theories to suggest new analytical strategies for understanding society;
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combines theory with practical illustrations.
A best seller in Denmark, this English edition is vital reading for anyone with an interest in discourse analysis. It will also be invaluable to anyone looking at the analytical works of Foucault, Koselleck, Laclau and Luhmann. Students will find the clear exposition of the theories and strategies supported by an easy-to-digest, easy-to-read layout, which includes summaries and boxed examples highlighting the relevance of analytical strategies to social and policy research.
Introduction This chapter outlines the analytical framework that guides this book. It rests on research on international cooperation and develops a multidimensional concept of (non-)cooperation. The chapter further details the areas in which the book provides new theoretical insights to research on international cooperation and highlights the book’s contribution to the study of cooperation and non-cooperation in international politics. Finally, the chapter concludes with a section discussing the key concepts for the subsequent analysis and orients the
PART I Analytical Framework and Regional Context
87 6 De-professionalism: an analytical framework Introduction A central concern of this chapter is to consider some of the evidence for an evolving process of de-professionalisation, and to pose the question as to whether the direction and substantive nature of this process may have been emboldened by austerity. In Chapters 1–3 it has been suggested that de-professionalisation lies at the heart of the United Kingdom (UK) austerity agenda, symbolised by profound cuts to public services in the form of efficiencies, pay cuts, rationing, and reducing staff
91 5 The seven proposed analytical dimensions Having considered the portfolio of resources at the disposal of the identified actors of a public policy and the ‘resource-based’ definition, it is time to move on to the actual in-depth analysis of these key resources that can be observed at work in the actor games. The criteria for the selection of the seven analytical dimensions proposed here are based on the aim of providing an empirical explanation of the essential aspects of the exchange of resources between the actors under consideration, in accordance
35 TWO Analytical techniques in Belgian policy analysis Ellen Fobé, Bart De Peuter, Maxime Petit Jean and Valérie Pattyn Policy analysis has long been recognised as a core function of modern bureaucracies (Lasswell, 1971; Meltsner, 1976; Brans et al, 2012). It consists of providing analytical support to government to make intelligent choices for solving societal problems (Colebatch, 2006). Policy analysis is not static, nor is the content of the civil servant’s toolbox. The emergence and development in the use of specific analytical techniques (or
369 EIGHTEEN From policy analysis to policy analytics Justin Longo and Kathleen McNutt Introduction Public policy decisions that are based on rigorous analysis and the best available evidence should better address public problems than policy based on anecdote, belief, or inaccurate or partial data (Quade, 1975). The Policy Sciences (Lerner & Lasswell, 1951) stands as a starting point for the modern policy analysis movement, offering an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to the study of public problems and the development of rational solutions based on
