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WINTER 2012 - National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and ...

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Topical categories.<br />

As shown in Table 6, ARPs written on topics in human resources <strong>and</strong>/<br />

or social services accounted for 15% <strong>of</strong> all ARPS (44 out <strong>of</strong> 290). Average<br />

downloads for these ARPs were the highest by far—656.3. Program evaluation<br />

topics were the most frequently occurring, at 32%, yet placed third in average<br />

downloads (471.5).<br />

Table 6.<br />

Average Downloads by Topic<br />

Topical Categories* % <strong>of</strong> 290<br />

ARPs<br />

% <strong>of</strong> 136,072<br />

Downloads† Mean Median SD<br />

Policy making/ analysis 19.7% 21.6% 516.2 445.0 377.4<br />

Management/administration 17.2% 16.8% 456.1 398.0 392.3<br />

HR/Social services 15.2% 21.2% 656.3 527.0 485.2<br />

Program evaluation 32.4% 32.6% 471.5 329.5 435.5<br />

Technology applications 5.5% 5.3% 451.3 405.0 251.7<br />

Urban economics 7.2% 6.1% 395.1 279.0 303.8<br />

Other 6.2% 5.4% 407.4 372.0 237.3<br />

Totals 469.2 395.0 367.8<br />

* Use <strong>of</strong> more than one is possible.<br />

† Downloads as <strong>of</strong> August 18, 2009<br />

** Too few downloads for meaningful averages<br />

Sharing Student Research with the World<br />

Research method.<br />

As illustrated in Table 7, nearly 45% <strong>of</strong> ARPs employed a survey, making<br />

it the most frequently used research method. The average downloads for ARPs<br />

using surveys (451.7) had the lowest <strong>of</strong> download average (451.7). ARPs using<br />

focus groups <strong>and</strong> interviews as research methods had the top two highest<br />

download averages(531.5 <strong>and</strong> 519.1 full-text downloads, respectively). When<br />

downloads were disaggregated by research purpose, “gauging” research purpose<br />

was the one most <strong>of</strong>ten pursued, at 31%; but this purpose is second in average<br />

downloads (506.8). The highest download averages were recorded for the<br />

explanation/prediction research purpose (527.3). The relative importance <strong>of</strong><br />

these highest download averages may be diminished, however, by the number <strong>of</strong><br />

ARPs within in each group. There were nearly twice as many gauging ARPs (89)<br />

as those with an explanation/prediction purpose (48).<br />

Journal <strong>of</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Affairs</strong> Education 171

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