Bibliometrics

PMR — pp. 1-33 2026-03-30 Original Experiments in public administration research: contributions, challenges, and the road ahead Ricardo C. Gomes, Gustavo M. Tavares, Gustavo Mirapalheta Abstract Experiments are essential for testing theory and evaluating policy interventions as they uniquely enable causal inference. This study provides a primer on experimental and quasi-experimental methods and reviews their use in public administration research by analysing 1,143 articles through bibliometric and regression techniques. It focuses on laboratory, field, survey-based, and quasi/natural experiments. The findings reveal rapid growth in experimental research, particularly survey-based experiments, which now dominate the field. Key theoretical clusters, themes, and references are identified, and statistical analyses investigate the link between experiment type and citation counts. The study concludes with recommendations for advancing experimental research in public administration.