The analysis of planning processes: some methodological considerations

Some of the methodological problems that have arisen in the course of recent research in planning processes are considered with a view to providing would-be researchers with some general guidelines to help them in designing research strategies. With this essentially practical objective in mind, these problems are grouped into four broad categories for discussion purposes. These concern the question of general theoretical perspectives, the need for more precise statements regarding the nature of planning processes, the implications that follow from the adoption of a case study approach, and the need to devise a simple classification scheme which can be used to identify priority areas for future research, respectively.