Conducting Content Analysis of Documents in Network Research: A Review of Recent Scholarship <s> Data and Methods <s> Using results from a survey of editors and board members from 39 public administration journals as well the impact factor scores created by ISI Thompson this research develops an integrated assessment of journal quality using both objective and subjective measurement tools. The findings suggest that relying on one ranking approach misses out on several important issues regarding journal quality. In addition, when evaluating outlets for publishing in public administration, there often exists a bias against journals not published in the United States. Finally, the highest-ranked generalist journals are also publishing work that is also applicable to scholars working in various subfields. <s> BIB001 </s> Conducting Content Analysis of Documents in Network Research: A Review of Recent Scholarship <s> Data and Methods <s> The wide use of networks warrants a closer examination of network research in public administration. This article focuses on the methodological issues of network research and examines how social network analysis has been used and can be used to advance network research in public administration. Through a content analysis of 81 network articles, we found that the topics examined through network analysis have become more diverse in recent years. Yet relatively few articles have examined the intersection of policy networks, governance networks, and collaborative networks. The field needs more mixed-methods research designs and more research on the substructures of networks and multilevel networks. <s> BIB002
The selection of journals and the search for relevant network articles was a collaborative effort. To identify the network articles that used content analysis of documents and focused on management problems or policy issues, we searched 39 public administration journals (For a detailed description of the selection of the journals and the search process, see BIB002 . We adopted the list of 39 public administration journals based on BIB001 and  comprehensive rankings of public administration journals. The journals we selected publish articles on broad topics in public administration or public policy, as well as those on the subfields of public administration, including public budgeting and finance, public personnel administration, and public organization studies  . The list of the 39 journals is presented in Appendix A. In four steps we identified relevant network research articles that analyze substantive management, policy, and governance issues and excluded those that used networks only as a metaphor. First, we searched the titles, abstracts, and keywords of publications in all the 39 journals published from 1997 to 2012, using words "networks," "network analysis," "collaboration," and "collaborative." In this first step we found 1,279 articles in relevant journals. Second, we read the abstracts of the 1,279 articles to identify those articles that focused on networks. The list was narrowed down to 677 articles focusing on networks, excluding articles that discussed the broader themes of collaborative governance and collaboration. Third, we identified those articles that used SNA as part of their methodology. This step yielded a total of 136 articles. The last step was to identify those articles that discussed networks related to the contexts of public administration and public policy. We reviewed the articles carefully to ensure that each article had used SNA as part of its methods and discussed topics that were relevant to the public organizational or policy context. Through the systematic search, we identified a total of 76 articles that used SNA in their methods BIB002 . To select network articles for further analysis in this article, I read all the 76 articles to identity articles in which the researchers used documents and content analysis in their data collections and analyses. I found 18 articles out of the 76 articles. To be included in this study, documents had to have been used to generate primarily network data. The articles that used documents to generate a list of participants for their primary data collection, such as interviews and surveys, were excluded. Articles that analyzed documents to produce supplementary organizational attributes data were also excluded. Table 1 lists the journals and the number of network articles that used documents and content analysis to collect primarily network data. The Journal of Public Research and Theory has three articles, followed by Administration & Society, the American Review of Public Administration, and the Journal of Urban Affairs, each with two articles. I read each of the 18 articles carefully and coded through an open coding process in combination with pre-established coding themes  . I examined the types of documents considered in each article, the kinds of network data that researchers drew from the documents, and the analysis of the network data that researchers conducted. I conducted open coding to identify the research topics and the types of documents covered in each article by examining research questions, methods, and key findings. During the open coding process, I paid special attention to the title, abstract, and introduction of each article to identify its research focus. As I read the articles, I created tentative labels that summarized what the research was mainly about. For instance, Article A may have focused on economic development issues, while Article B may have examined emergency management. A diverse range of research foci emerged as the coding process continued. I read the data collection sections of each article to identify the data source and the type of Table 1 List of Journals and the number of network articles Journals Number of network articles that used documents and content analysis