From Disciplinary Depth to Interdisciplinary Breadth: The Case of Public Administration

This article examines the evolution and academic status of Public Administration (PA) as a field of study. Using bibliometric analysis of 66 PA journals from 2008–2018, the authors trace PA's development through three phases: 1) an early developmental period drawing from multiple disciplines (late nineteenth century to 1950s), 2) a more inward-focused disciplinary period establishing theoretical identity (1950s-1990s), and 3) a mature interdisciplinary phase with increased connections to other fields (2000s onward).