Researching trust in public governance: methodological considerations and approaches

Emily A. Morrison and Mark N.K. Saunders

Chapter 9 in Handbook on Trust in Public Governance, 2025, pp 136-151 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: In this chapter, we examine the methodological considerations and approaches for researching trust in public governance, including the researcher, the researched, our framing of trust, and common methods. We start by highlighting the importance of researcher reflexivity and how assumptions and biases about research affect how we design and conduct our studies, analyse and interpret data, present findings, draw conclusions, and offer recommendations. Following a call for greater methodological transparency, we highlight key findings on the nature of trust and distrust from across the social sciences. Next, we discuss the use of quantitative, qualitative, mixed, and multi-methods. Rather than favouring one research design or method over others, we offer methodological considerations and insights to support more informed method selection decisions in light of their inherent limitations and implications. We conclude by offering a series of questions to inform the inquiry process on trust in public governance.

Keywords: Trust; Distrust; Quantitative methods; Qualitative methods; Mixed methods; Reflexivity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
ISBN: 9781802201390
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