Discrepancies among building blocks for the conceptualisation of polycentricity and/or inconsistencies among methodological choices for the operationalisation of polycentricity across studies can compromise the comparability and even the credibility of empirical results, posing significant challenges to advance polycentricity research. To address them, we propose a comprehensive roadmap that maps out options in key analytical stages in analyses of polycentricity and offer guidance on making informed and consistent choices on that basis. We also demonstrate the usefulness of the roadmap by facilitating a transparent and structured workflow to unravel conceptual ramifications and scrutinise consistencies of methodological choices through a case study of polycentricity in China.