Fernando Hoces de la Guardia
UC Berkeley
Co-Authors: Sean Grant, Edward Miguel
A Framework for Open Policy Analysis
While the evidence-based policy movement has gained traction over the last two decades, several concerns about the credibility of empirical research have been identified in scientific disciplines that use research methods and practices that are commonplace in policy analysis. As a solution, we argue that policy analysis should adopt the transparent, open, and reproducible research practices espoused in related disciplines. We review the main developments in open science from the perspective of policy analysis and propose a framework for “open” policy analysis and how to achieve it. We demonstrate this framework with a case study based on a recent policy analysis behind a proposal for a wealth tax in the US. We describe the expected benefits of this framework, its likely barriers to adoption, and conclude specific recommendation for a open policy analysis agenda.