The action research paper requires students to: 1) assess and evaluate multiple sources of information in order to analyze public policy problems and propose evidence-based solutions; 2) apply procedural knowledge to unpack complex problems into constituent parts, identify reliable problem-solving methods, and accurately apply problem-solving methods; and 3) apply conceptual knowledge to identify assumptions, make logical inferences, identify defective logical inferences, and reach reasonable conclusions.
This paper should be a deeply thoughtful analysis of a public policy and/or public administration conundrum, problem, enduring theme, debate, or quandary in the field. The papers literature review should demonstrate your knowledge and broad understanding of the scholarship on the topic as well as the assumptions associated with it. The papers problem identification should demonstrate a command of the topic being analyzed. The papers recommended solutions should be both data-driven and grounded in the literature. The conclusions should be appropriate, reasonable, and be a logical outflow of the papers research.
