Evidence-Based Policymaking and Public Management. Emerging empirical approaches

Abstract

This article demonstrates how emerging data sources and analytical tools can be applied to better understand evidence-based policymaking and its relationship to public sector capabilities. By analysing policy documents and their citations, we show how these methods can explore uses of evidence in policy processes, highlight gaps in knowledge integration, and evaluate the balance between local and international research inputs. Using New Zealand environmental policy as a case study, we show how these tools may be applied to complex policy areas, with broader implications for public sector decision making.