Coronavirus Politics

Short impact summary

Coronavirus Politics has contributed significantly to interdisciplinary discourse on the political and health dimensions of the COVID-19 pandemic, evidenced by its moderate citation count and presence in diverse academic and public platforms, reflecting its role in shaping comparative health policy scholarship and informing ongoing research translation.

Full narrative

Coronavirus Politics stands as a timely and important scholarly intervention at the intersection of political science and public health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Published in 2021 by University of Michigan Press, the volume brings together a diverse array of political and health scientists who collectively analyze the complex policy decisions and public health responses shaping the global experience of COVID-19. Its multidisciplinary approach situates it comfortably within biomedicine’s socio-political dimensions, addressing health governance, public administration, and psychological interventions through a comparative politics lens.

Quantitatively, the book has accrued a modest but steady number of citations since publication, indicating its uptake within academic discourse, particularly among scholars interested in political determinants of health and health policy. The presence of over 150 citations suggests it has gained traction in both political science and health policy fields. Furthermore, event data reveals notable engagement outside traditional academic channels, especially through extensive referencing on Wikipedia, which indicates that the book’s content has fed into public-facing knowledge resources widely accessed by students, educators, and general audiences seeking reliable information on pandemic politics. This dual academic and public visibility reinforces its role not only as a research resource but also as an influential explanatory text during an ongoing global crisis.

Despite the lack of open educational resource listings or longitudinal download data, the book's availability via the Fulcrum platform ensures accessibility to a broad academic audience. The open access status, as confirmed by its listing in DOAB, further enhances its potential for dissemination and impact, supporting research translation and wider scholarly communication. The composition of over 30 expert contributors and the book’s global comparative coverage strengthen its methodological rigour and relevance for diverse geographic and policy contexts, an important attribute given the pandemic’s heterogeneous impacts and responses worldwide.

Qualitatively, the book’s thematic and country case study format allows researchers and policy analysts to engage with nuanced explanations rather than mere documentation of events. This approach aligns well with contemporary needs for sophisticated analysis of health governance and social policy interactions during health emergencies. By integrating political science frameworks with public health realities, it provides a foundation for future studies aiming to evaluate the effectiveness of intervention strategies and governmental responses amid health crises.

Looking forward, Coronavirus Politics is poised to influence emerging research on pandemic preparedness and the politics of health emergencies. As the field increasingly acknowledges the politicization of health crises and the critical role of governance, this volume’s integrative lens offers a template for interdisciplinary inquiry and comparative policy analysis. Its citation trajectory, coupled with its impact on public knowledge platforms, suggests continued relevance both for academic researchers and practitioners involved in managing global health threats. However, the absence of clear longitudinal usage data like download figures tempers full assessment of its reach, signifying that sustained monitoring will be necessary to gauge ongoing influence within the biomedicine domain.