FAQs

  1. Finding and accessing case studies and interviews
  2. Feedback and suggestions
  3. ISS case study updates
  4. Getting involved with ISS
  5. Additional information
  6. Use of ISS materials (see Terms & Conditions)

 

1. Finding and accessing case studies and interviews:

How can I search for a case study or interview about a particular country?

From any page on ISS’s website, click on “countries” and then select the country you are interested in. You will be directed to a page containing links to all ISS publications and interviews from that country.

How can I search for a case study or interview about a particular reform area or topic?

There are several ways of searching for ISS materials relevant to your interests.

Click on either “publications” or “interviews.” From there, you can use the options in the right side bar to filter your publications and interviews by focus area, type, topic, country.

Alternatively, from any page on ISS’s website, click on “focus areas.” From there, you will see a list of ISS focus areas (e.g., civil service, city management, elections) and escaping traps (e.g., building a reform team and staff, containing patronage pressures, etc.). Once you’ve selected a focus area or trap, you will be directed to all ISS publications and interviews on that topic.

Finally, if you prefer to enter your own search terms, you can use the “search full site” function in the upper left corner of every website page. You can also search publications or interviews by clicking on “publications” or “interviews” and then entering your search below the left sidebar filter.

What regions and countries does ISS cover?

ISS has conducted research in Africa, Asia, Europe, Central Asia, the Americas, and the Middle East. Click on “countries” for more information.

What reform areas and topics does ISS cover?

ISS research covers reforms in civil service, elections, policing, centers of government, decentralization, and more. 

The governance traps ISS studies include building a reform team and staff, containing patronage pressures, getting the news out and managing expectations, balancing the central and local, reducing the divisive effects of competition, reconciling economic policy and institution-building goals, and eliminating markets for public office.

Please click on “focus areas" for more information. 

The program interviewed me but my interview recording and transcript do not appear. Why? 
ISS does not make all interviews publicly available and does not develop transcripts of each interview. If you would like a copy of your recording and/or transcript, please e-mail [email protected].

ISS interviewed colleagues for a case study but the case study does not appear on the site. Where is it?

We do not publish all cases conducted by our research specialists, although we draw on the full range of cases when we prepare analytical studies or strategy notes. If we feel we were not able to obtain sufficient depth and breadth in the interviews conducted, even though some interviews were very helpful, we may decline to post the case. We may also withhold a case so as not to place people who offered helpful observations at risk.

I am having technical problems accessing content (MP3s and PDFs).

There are multiple ways to access PDF and MP3 files.  If you are experiencing problems accessing the content in the browser, we encourage you to download the file.  Choose one of the following options: Right click on the "download" link and choose to either download to save the file or open with an application available on your computer.  To download applications to use the file, see below:

For PDFs: Adobe Acrobat Reader

For MP3s: Windows Media PlayerQuick TimeiTunes

If you experience further problems accessing files, please Contact Us.

 

2. Feedback and suggestions:

I think your analysis is wrong. How may I suggest a correction?

We anticipate that not everyone will agree with every fact presented or with the analysis offered. Please send comments and corrections to the Associate Director. We do not guarantee that our work will reflect all comments. We make every effort to fact check and corroborate all information provided.

How may I suggest a topic, question, or case the program should pursue?

Please send suggestions to [email protected].

The program interviewed me. How can I correct a biographical note the program has posted about me or ask for another change in my information?

We make every effort to respect your wishes and apologize if corrections are necessary. Please contact our editorial staff.

 

3. ISS case study updates:

Does ISS go back and update cases so readers know what happened after the reforms were implemented?

ISS does not have an official updating policy, and updates publications on a case-by-case basis. Examples of ways ISS has updated its cases:

  • Update built into case: In the case study on Papua New Guinea decentralization, the research was conducted long after the case timeline (1972-1985). The case’s results and reflections sections cover at least some of the time period following the reforms.
  • Update built into case, plus a short epilogue on protagonist: In the three Palermo cases, the research was conducted long after the case timeline (1993-2000), so the results and reflections covered what happened after the reforms. However, because the protagonist of the case ran for elected office multiple times in the 2000s and was reelected as Palermo’s mayor in 2012—a fact that would not have necessarily fit into results or reflections—ISS felt it was important to put that information in an epilogue.
  • Update through extended epilogue: The Philippines textbook case’s timeline ended in 2005. In 2013, ISS decided to return to the Philippines to learn more about what happened after the reforms. To increase the likelihood that readers of the case would see the update, ISS included the multiple-page update in an extended epilogue, now published as part of the original case.
  • Update through second case: In the ISS cases with a “part 2” (e.g., Jordan identity document processingIndonesia's anti-corruption commissionLithuania center of government), the update is built in as a second case study. In such cases, the researcher identified two distinct periods of time and wrote case studies around each. These cases may be further updated at a later point.
 

4. Getting involved with ISS:

Are there any post-doc positions or visiting scholar positions available?

Regrettably, our current financial plan and space limitations do not enable us to accommodate post-docs or visiting scholars at this time.

Does the program offer internship opportunities?

We host a lively undergraduate internship program for Princeton University students. The program offers several compensated positions during the term as well as during the summer. Interns carry out a variety of research tasks, check facts, and review the accuracy of transcripts. They are full participants in staff activities. The program announces internship competitions at several points during the year. Alternatively, please send a cv and cover letter to the Associate Director.  Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate students from other universities in most instances.

 

Are there jobs available with this program?

Any open positions with this program will appear on this website and on the Princeton University Jobs site. Applications must be conveyed via the university's website, although you are welcome to send a c.v. directly to us to supplement your main application. We fill open positions with people who have past experience in one or more of the locations in which we work, comfort in interview settings, very strong writing and analytical ability, some knowledge of our subject matter and strong language skills.

  

5. Additional information:

Does the program provide advice or consulting services?

The program offers an idea bank. The analysis we are able to offer is contained in the policy briefs on this website and in our other publications. Our information is a collective resource, available to all at no charge, subject to the terms of use.  We welcome conversations about how ISS can collaborate on your project. Please contact our Associate Director.

Can you connect me with experts in this area?

The program does not currently sponsor a network of its own and it does not share its listserv. However, we try to post links to professional networks in each subject area. Please click on the focus area of interest to you and navigate to the networks heading at the bottom of the page. Join our listserv to receive monthly updates on ISS research and publications.

Do you offer courses, degrees, or other opportunities for study?

ISS is not a degree-granting program and does not offer courses, although the director and others may offer classes through the program's sponsoring organizations, the Princeton School of Public & International Affairs and the Princeton University Department of Politics.