In person icon Trials, Mishaps and Successes in Innovating in Policy Research

Abstract

Using novel tools and approaches in researching public policy can bring new insights, inspire and sometimes lead to unexpected outcomes and mishaps. Some of these are funny, some of them are tragic, but many are, to use one of the drearier phrases in the dictionary of toxic positivity, learning opportunities. We conceived a panel motivated by the recognition that we as public policy analysts would benefit from sharing the trials and successes of using novel approaches to conducting and communicating research more openly. Originally inspired by the "Data Mishaps Night" of the Data Science community, this panel wants to bring the joys of failing forward in applying new approaches for public policy analysis into the light of day and celebrate the researchers who overcome their mishaps. We want to offer a potentially cathartic and definitely enlightening look at lessons learned. All paper submissions in this panel have taken a risk and innovated in order to research the policy process, from using novel computational approaches, automating analyses that were previously conceived beyond automation, or failing spectacularly in trying to communicate outcomes of a research project. Our panel will invite authors of all four papers to a roundtable-styled discussion. We will learn more about the innovative nature of their papers, and also discuss some of the challenges the authors faced along the way, things that might have gone wrong, and how we all can learn from this.

Title	Details
Multi-Agent LLM Simulation of Stakeholder Interactions in Complex Policy Decision-Making: Evidence from Dutch Infrastructure Projects	View Paper Details
Spending All Our Money on a Dashboard - And No One Ever Looks at it	View Paper Details
Public Acceptance of Paternalistic Policies	View Paper Details
Towards an Automated Approach to Identify Policy Frames: A Comparative Analysis of Climate Change Adaptation Policy Documents in Five Dutch Municipalities	View Paper Details