Introduction: A Comparative Network Analysis of Knowledge Use in Nordic Education Policies.- What is in a Reference? Theoretically Understanding the Uses of Evidence in Education Policy.- Exploring the Architecture of Policy Knowledge: A Methodological Note.- Policy Borrowing and Evidence in Danish Education Policy Preparation. The Case of the Danish Public School Reform of 2013.- Evidence and Expert Power in Finnish Education Policy Making: The 2010‒2016 National Core Curriculum Reform.- The Irregular Formation of State Policy Documents in the Icelandic Field of Education 2013‒2017.- Structuring School Reform Policy With Evidence: The Inter-Mediational Role of Knowledge Sources and Arguments.- The Complexity of Context in Legitimating National School Reforms: The Case of Sweden.- 

1.      Evidence-based Policymaking in Nordic Countries: Different Settings, Different Practices?.- How Much is Policy Advice Changed and Lost in Political Translation?.- The OECD and the Field of Knowledge Brokers in Danish, Finnish, and Icelandic Education Policy.- Regional Policy Spaces, Knowledge Networks and the “Nordic Other”.- On Evidence, Impact, and Layers in Education Policy Processes.- Evidence-Based Policy Making and Educational Reform in Nordic Europe: Main contributions of the POLNET Study.- Conclusion: Toward a Renewed Understanding of Evidence-Based Policy in Education.

This open access book explores how policy makers draw on national, regional and international expertise in issuing school reform within five Nordic countries. In an era of international comparison, policy makers are expected to review best practices, learn from experiences from elsewhere, and apply international standards propelled by international organizations. Do they do so?  What counts, for them, as evidence and expertise? The chapters draw methodologically on bibliometric data, network analysis, document analysis and expert interviews. They show compellingly how governments use “evidence” strategically and selectively for agenda setting and policy decisions. This book will be of interest and value to scholars of education policy, specifically within the Nordic region, and international and comparative education.

“This is a highly important book on a topic of remarkable and growing significance. It brings together the work of a dynamic research team, whose writing and influence in the analysis of evidence-based policy in education cannot be over-stated. Well-theorised and featuring a plethora of empirical analyses from a range of Nordic policy actors and contexts, this book is thoroughly recommended for students and scholars interested in the field of education policy and governance in Europe and globally.” (Sotiria Grek, Professor in European and Global Education Governance) 

“Evidence and Expertise in Nordic Education Policies: A Comparative Network Analysis from the Nordic Region is an important book that uses a rich combination of bibliographic network analysis, interviews and document analysis to describe how policies are developed and legitimised in five Nordic nations. Besides the fascinating empirical insights, the methodological approach is a significant contribution that will inspire application in a range of policy studies internationally. Highly recommended!” (Radhika Gorur, Associate Professor, Deakin University, Australia)

“This book sheds rigorous and in-depth light on the sources of knowledge mobilised in the development of educational policies in five Nordic countries. The book impresses with its solid theoretical grounding and an innovative empirical method: quantitative network analyses of national policy document 'references'. The POLNET research is inspiring because it takes a new look at the contemporary challenges of globalisation and the pluralisation of expertise.” (Christian Maroy, Professor, University of Louvain and Montreal)

This book is open access, which means that you have free and unlimited access Shows how governments cope with the pressure to use data and evidence for their policy decisions Is methodologically sophisticated in combining bibliometric network analysis, document analysis and expert interviews Brings together a group of prominent scholars on the much debated issue of evidence-based policy

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