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on Sociology of Economics |
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Issue of 2007‒09‒02
five papers chosen by Jonas Holmström Swedish School of Economics and Business Administration |
| By: | Jeong-Yoo Kim (Kyun Hee University); Insik Min (Kyun Hee University); Christian Zimmermann (University of Connecticut) |
| Abstract: | In this paper, we study the citation decision of a scientific author. By citing a related work, authors can make their arguments more persuasive. We call this the correlation effect. But if authors cite other work, they may give the impression that they think the cited work is more competent than theirs. We call this the reputation effect. These two effects may be the main sources of citation bias. We empirically show that there exists citation bias in Economics by using data from RePEc. We also report how the citation bias differs across regions (U.S., Europe and Asia). |
| Keywords: | citation bias, correlation effect, reputation effect, signal, strategy, RePEc |
| JEL: | D81 |
| Date: | 2007–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:uct:uconnp:2007-31&r=sog |
| By: | David Colander |
| Abstract: | This paper argues that Robbins’ famous definition of economics was of “economic science” which he saw as only a narrow branch of the field of economics. Moreover, it was descriptive, not prescriptive, and was simply a statement that that was what economists were then doing in the science of economics. His prescriptive message was that policy belonged in the “political economy” branch of economics, and that the science of economics should avoid value judgments, but that political economy should include value judgments. That prescriptive message has been lost. |
| Date: | 2007–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mdl:mdlpap:0706&r=sog |
| By: | Todd R. Stinebrickner; Ralph Stinebrickner |
| Abstract: | Despite the large amount of attention that has been paid recently to understanding the determinants of educational outcomes, knowledge of the causal effect of the most fundamental input in the education production function - students' study time and effort - has remained virtually non-existent. In this paper, we examine the causal effect of studying on grade performance using an Instrumental Variable estimator. Our approach takes advantage of a unique natural experiment and is possible because we have collected unique longitudinal data that provides detailed information about all aspects of this experiment. Important for understanding the potential impact of a wide array of education policies, the results suggest that human capital accumulation is far from predetermined at the time of college entrance. |
| JEL: | I2 J22 J24 |
| Date: | 2007–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:13341&r=sog |
| By: | Junfu Zhang (Clark University and IZA) |
| Abstract: | Academic entrepreneurship has become an increasingly important channel through which universities contribute to economic development. This paper studies academic entrepreneurs using a comprehensive venture capital database. I find that about two-thirds of the academic entrepreneurs locate their businesses in the same state as their universities. National academy membership and number of faculty awards, measures of a university’s research quality, are the most significant variables in explaining the number of academic entrepreneurs from a university. In contrast, the abundance of venture capital near the university has no significant effect on academic entrepreneurship. |
| Keywords: | academic entrepreneur, university spin-off, venture capital |
| JEL: | M13 |
| Date: | 2007–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp2992&r=sog |
| By: | David Colander; Hugo Nopo Key Words: Latin American economics, global economics, political economy, graduate training, Latin America, applied economics |
| Abstract: | This paper provides some background for considering the future of these two traditions by looking at global Latin American graduate economic programs. It reports the findings of a survey of Latin American global economics programs and discusses the debate between global economics and traditional economics, arguing that there is a role for both, with global economics concentrating on the science of economics, and traditional economics concentrating on the applied policy "political economy" branch of economics--which is much broader than the applied policy training that graduate students get in global economics. |
| Date: | 2007–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mdl:mdlpap:0705&r=sog |