Designing and conducting comparative, policy-engaged regional research: methodological insights for early career researchers

This article examines how comparative, policy-engaged research in urban and regional contexts can be designed and conducted by early career researchers (ECRs). Research that engages with and informs regional policy is increasingly in demand, particularly among policymakers seeking to develop new policy frameworks and learn from attempts at policy experimentation elsewhere. Yet designing and undertaking analytically rigorous comparative research projects that are of practical and policy relevance presents distinct challenges, particularly for ECRs and those new to such research. Drawing on comparative research on inclusive innovation across four cities, the article offers a reflexive synthesis of lessons from conducting policy-engaged comparative regional research in practice. It shows how established qualitative methods, including desk research, field visits, interviews and facilitated workshops, can be combined and adapted within an iterative research process that supports dialogue, trust-building and context-sensitive comparison across diverse urban settings. The article provides practical methodological guidance on navigating issues of access, legitimacy, stakeholder engagement and comparative learning. It highlights the value of provisional analytical framing, sustained engagement with policy actors and light-touch diagnostic tools that support structured reflection and collective sense-making. In doing so, the article contributes a practice-oriented account of how comparative, policy-engaged research is undertaken and offers practical lessons for ECRs working in complex, multi-actor policy environments.