Theories for research in Public Administration

Abstract

Theory underpins social science endeavours by providing the philosophical assumptions on the following aspects: aspects that constitute social reality (ontology); is accepted as valid evidence of that reality (epistemology); the means to investigate the context (methodology); and the manner in which evidence is gathered (methods). Both positivists and interpretivists generally concur that theory occupies a central role in scientific inquiry into the social world. In disciplines of applied social science such as Public Administration, research generally fosters the transition from theory to practice. In this respect, theory underlies the designs, methods, and findings of the research process. The purpose of this article was to identify and categorise theories for the analysis of key domains in Public Administration as a field of study. A further aim entailed contributing to the discourse on scientific rigour of Public Administration research in general, and postgraduate studies in particular. For these purposes, desktop research and an extensive literature survey were utilised.