英文摘要 |
From a methodological point of view, when examining the overall research output and trends of a growing academic discipline, the effects of time should be taken into consideration, for otherwise analysis is reduced to crosssectional, comparative static analysis of differences in research topics and methods. On the other hand, if time effects were the only variables taken into account, analysis would also, inevitably, squander vast information that is contained in various contextual variables affecting research production. The fundamental proposition of this paper is that the choice of research topic and method is strongly influenced by contextual and other environmental factors. Using graduate theses in Taiwan public administration as data, this study seeks to investigate not only the dynamic interaction of time-environment effects, but also those contextual factors that shape Taiwanese students’ selection of research topics and methods.
Our research includes both micro-level variables (i.e., research topic and method) and macro level variables, such as background of students’ thesis advisors, location and historical background of graduate programs and institutes. By taking a multilevel perspective, this study demonstrates that the number of graduate theses in public administration does not necessarily increase proportionally over time; rather it is subject to the growth and decline of research topics and methods. Moreover, thesis output is also influenced by structural changes in the contextual variables, and does not entirely hinge on students’ personal research interests. We conclude that the introduction of multi-level analysis does not only provide a deeper understanding of the sources of variation in long-term research trends, but also can determine the impact –both size and direction– of macro- and micro-level variables on graduate thesis production in Taiwan’s public administration. |