The Living Lab as a Methodology for Public Administration Research: a Systematic Literature Review of its Applications in the Social Sciences

Abstract

Living labs have become a promising methodology for public administration research to design and study public innovations. Surprisingly, public administration research has paid scant attention to living labs to date. An obvious obstacle to the application of a living lab approach in public administration is unclarities about the value, validity and application of this methodology. This study systematically reviews current applications of living labs in social sciences and links this to opportunities for public administration research. It presents a set of guidelines for the use of living labs in public administration research and reflects upon the value of this specific methodology.