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Working Together: |
Advances in the social sciences have emerged through a variety of research methods: field-based research, laboratory and field experiments, and agent-based models. However, which research method or approach is best suited to a particular inquiry is frequently debated and discussed. Working Together examines how different methods have promoted various theoretical developments related to collective action and the commons, and demonstrates the importance of cross-fertilization involving multiple-methods research across traditional boundaries. The authors look at why cross-fertilization is difficult to achieve, and they show ways to overcome these challenges through collaboration. The authors provide numerous examples of collaborative, multiple-methods research related to collective action and the commons. They examine the pros and cons of case studies, meta-analyses, large-N field research, experiments and modeling, and empirically grounded agent-based models, and they consider how these methods contribute to research on collective action for the management of natural resources. Using their findings, the authors outline a revised theory of collective action that includes three elements: individual decision making, microsituational conditions, and features of the broader social-ecological context. Acknowledging the academic incentives that influence and constrain how research is conducted, Working Together reworks the theory of collective action and offers practical solutions for researchers and students across a spectrum of disciplines. Amy R. Poteete is assistant professor of political science at Concordia University in Montreal. Marco A. Janssen is assistant professor in the School of Human Evolution and Social Change at Arizona State University. Elinor Ostrom is professor at Indiana University, Bloomington, and Arizona State University, Tempe, and the cowinner of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences. "This remarkable book ties multiple complex themes into a balanced whole. Well-argued, it emphasizes the science in social science and illustrates that carefully designed research questions, tested and extended through the use of multiple methods, lead to the culmination of knowledge."--Edella Schlager, University of Arizona "This excellent book is superior to other works, and the most effective I have read. It provides a learned guide for integrating various tools in developing rigorous research designs. The boo''s accessibility and sheer breadth allow readers to think of applications for their own research."--Jim Granato, University of Houston Another Princeton book by Elinor Ostrom: Subject Areas: | |||||
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