Gone Fishing: The Creation of the Comparative Agendas Project Master Codebook

Shaun Bevan

doi:10.1093/oso/9780198835332.003.0002

Gone Fishing: The Creation of the Comparative Agendas Project Master Codebook

Shaun Bevan

School of Social and Political Science

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

Abstract

Every data-gathering effort is a story, often a horror story from the perspective
of those that created it. This chapter presents a historical tale of the creation
and logic behind the Comparative Agendas Project (CAP) Master Codebook. The
CAP is in reality a network of many projects aimed at classifying political
agendas according to the policies they address. However, with no central
administration or common source of funding the original coding framework
experienced noticeable drift based on the context of each project. To harmonize
the data across projects resulted in the creation of a common Master Codebook
that was only possible with the support of the CAP community. This chapter
further discusses the limitations of the CAP data. Ultimately the master coded
CAP data presents a common way of understanding policy attention and
provides the framework for more detailed work in and outside the CAP
community.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Comparative Policy Agendas
Subtitle of host publication	Theory, Tools, Data
Editors	Frank Baumgartner, Christian Breunig, Emiliano Grossman
Place of Publication	Oxford, United Kingdom
Publisher	Oxford University Press
Chapter	2
Pages	17-34
ISBN (Print)	9780198835332
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198835332.003.0002
Publication status	Published - 22 Mar 2019

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

Master Codebook
data harmonization
comparative analyses
coding
validity
Comparative Agendas Project

Access to Document

10.1093/oso/9780198835332.003.0002

ShaunBevan GoneFishing_WithUnpublishedAppend_190514Accepted author manuscript, 479 KB

1 Active

CAP: Comparative Agendas Project
Bevan, S. (Project Partner), Baumgartner, F. R. (Principal Investigator), Jones, B. (Principal Investigator), Walgrave , S. (Principal Investigator) & Green-Pedersen, C. (Principal Investigator)
1/01/93 → …
Project: Research Collaboration with external organisation

18 Article
3 Chapter
1 Book
1 Other report
More
- 1 Chapter (peer-reviewed)
- 1 Paper

Agenda-setting studies in public policy: Origins, development, and new possibilities for coding in the age of AI
Baumgartner, F., Bevan, S. & Sebők, M., 26 Feb 2026, In: Communication and Change. 2, p. 1-19 19 p., 1.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Open Access
File
Do different parties respond to different problems? A comparative study of parliamentary questions across multiple countries
Bevan, S., Borghetto, E. & Seeberg, H., 2024, In: Journal of European Public Policy. 31, 7, p. 1856-1878 23 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Open Access
File
How to create a Data Management Plan for an online research project
Bevan, S., 12 Jul 2022, SAGE Research Methods: Doing Research Online. Miltner, K. (ed.). CQ Press, (SAGE Research Methods: Doing Research Online).
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (peer-reviewed) › peer-review

1 Participation in conference
1 Hosting of external visitor (non-academic)
1 Other

Michelle Hegarty
Bevan, S. (Host)
16 Jun 2017
Activity: Hosting a visitor types › Hosting of external visitor (non-academic)
Comparative Agendas Project (CAP) 10th Anniversary Conference
Bevan, S. (Organiser)
15 Jun 2017 → 17 Jun 2017
Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in conference
Comparative Agendas Project Conference Reception
Bevan, S. (Host)
15 Jun 2017
Activity: Other activity types › Other

Cite this

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title = "Gone Fishing: The Creation of the Comparative Agendas Project Master Codebook",

abstract = "Every data-gathering effort is a story, often a horror story from the perspective of those that created it. This chapter presents a historical tale of the creation and logic behind the Comparative Agendas Project (CAP) Master Codebook. The CAP is in reality a network of many projects aimed at classifying political agendas according to the policies they address. However, with no central administration or common source of funding the original coding framework experienced noticeable drift based on the context of each project. To harmonize the data across projects resulted in the creation of a common Master Codebook that was only possible with the support of the CAP community. This chapter further discusses the limitations of the CAP data. Ultimately the master coded CAP data presents a common way of understanding policy attention and provides the framework for more detailed work in and outside the CAP community.",

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AB - Every data-gathering effort is a story, often a horror story from the perspective of those that created it. This chapter presents a historical tale of the creation and logic behind the Comparative Agendas Project (CAP) Master Codebook. The CAP is in reality a network of many projects aimed at classifying political agendas according to the policies they address. However, with no central administration or common source of funding the original coding framework experienced noticeable drift based on the context of each project. To harmonize the data across projects resulted in the creation of a common Master Codebook that was only possible with the support of the CAP community. This chapter further discusses the limitations of the CAP data. Ultimately the master coded CAP data presents a common way of understanding policy attention and provides the framework for more detailed work in and outside the CAP community.

KW - Master Codebook

KW - data harmonization

KW - comparative analyses

KW - coding

KW - validity

KW - Comparative Agendas Project

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M3 - Chapter

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ER -

Gone Fishing: The Creation of the Comparative Agendas Project Master Codebook

Abstract

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Projects

CAP: Comparative Agendas Project

Research output

Agenda-setting studies in public policy: Origins, development, and new possibilities for coding in the age of AI

Do different parties respond to different problems? A comparative study of parliamentary questions across multiple countries

How to create a Data Management Plan for an online research project

Activities

Michelle Hegarty

Comparative Agendas Project (CAP) 10th Anniversary Conference

Comparative Agendas Project Conference Reception

Cite this