🔬 RAND Research Methods Analysis

Comprehensive Analysis of Research Methodologies Across RAND Corporation

📄 Research Report 🔬 Methods 🤖 AI 📊 Cross-Analyses 🔍 Dashboard 🕸️ Networks

3,154

Research Methods
Total Applications

96.1%

Documents with
Identifiable Methods

1.4

Average Methods
per Document

909

Literature Review
Most Common Method

🎯 Core Research Methods ?This section shows the most frequently used research methods across all RAND publications from 2020-2025. Methods were extracted using AI analysis of document content.

Top 10 Research Methods ?Most frequently used research methods across all RAND documents 2020-2025. Literature Review and Statistical Analysis dominate RAND's methodological approach.

Method Categories ?Distribution of research methods by major category. Shows how RAND's methodological approaches break down into qualitative analysis, data collection, literature analysis, and specialized techniques.

Research Method ?Methods identified through AI analysis of full document text. Numbers represent frequency of use across 2,230 documents. Documents % of Total Category Description
Literature Review 909 40.8% Literature Analysis Systematic examination of existing research
Statistical Analysis 688 30.9% Data Collection Application of statistical techniques to data
Interviews 391 17.5% Qualitative Analysis Structured conversations with experts/stakeholders
Comparative Analysis 307 13.8% Other Systematic comparison across cases or policies
Surveys 195 8.7% Data Collection Structured data collection from populations
Case Study Analysis 188 8.4% Qualitative Analysis In-depth examination of specific examples
Data Analysis 177 7.9% Data Collection General analytical processing of datasets
Document Analysis 172 7.7% Qualitative Analysis Systematic review of written materials
Simulation 145 6.5% Simulation & Modeling Computer-based modeling and simulation studies
Cost Analysis 112 5.0% Economic Analysis Analysis of costs and economic impacts

📈 Method Evolution Over Time ?Shows how research method usage has changed from 2020-2025, including trends in traditional vs. emerging computational methods.

Method Usage Trends (2020-2025) ?How the usage of major research methods has changed over time. Shows consistency in core methods with some growth in newer approaches.

Method Categories ?Alternative view of method categories by frequency. Complements the previous chart to show the relative distribution of methodological approaches at RAND.

👥 Method Expertise & Specialization ?Identifies leading experts for each research method based on frequency of use in their publications. Shows which researchers specialize in specific methodological approaches.

Leading Method Experts ?Researchers who use specific methods most frequently in their work. Identifies methodological expertise and specialization at RAND.

Top Methods Usage ?Simple ranking of the most used research methods by document count. Reinforces the dominance of literature-based and statistical approaches.

Method Top Expert Usage Count % of Method Expertise Level
Literature Review Stephanie Brooks Holliday 45 5.0% Leading Expert
Statistical Analysis Terry L. Schell 38 5.5% Leading Expert
Interviews Melissa Kay Diliberti 32 8.2% Domain Expert
Surveys Elizabeth D. Steiner 28 14.4% Domain Expert
Case Study Analysis Heather L. Schwartz 25 13.3% Domain Expert