The Production of Knowledge
The Production of Knowledge
John Gerring, University of Texas, Austin
James Mahoney, Northwestern University, Illinois
Whilst a great deal of progress has been made in recent decades, concerns persist about the course of the social sciences. Progress in these disciplines is hard to assess and core scientific goals such as discovery, transparency, reproducibility, and cumulation remain frustratingly out of reach. Despite having technical acumen and an array tools at their disposal, today's social scientists may be only slightly better equipped to vanquish error and construct an edifice of truth than their forbears – who conducted analyses with slide rules and wrote up results with typewriters. This volume considers the challenges facing the social sciences, as well as possible solutions. In doing so, we adopt a systemic view of the subject matter. What are the rules and norms governing behavior in the social sciences? What kinds of research, and which sorts of researcher, succeed and fail under the current system? In what ways does this incentive structure serve, or subvert, the goal of scientific progress?
- Comprehensively examines elements of the production of knowledge that inhibit the cumulation of knowledge
- Covers a range of social science disciplines, including economics, political science, psychology, sociology, and related fields
- Written in a fluid and accessible manner for a broad academic audience
Reviews & endorsements
Social science is simultaneously more successful and more troubled than ever before. This welcome collection of essays, on different aspects of the social structure of social science, is helpful for understanding what's gone wrong and how we can do better. Andrew Gelman, Professor of Statistics and Political Science, Columbia University
Many of society's biggest challenges and greatest opportunities depend on understanding social behavior. With such challenges in mind, contributors to this volume describe a systemic approach to social science knowledge production that is simultaneously level-headed and visionary. The book not only develops diverse and dynamic conceptions of what researchers can “know”, but also offers cogent advice about what institutions can do to increase the value of such knowledge. The stakes inherent in understanding human behavior are high. The service that social science can provide to society is great. For those who seek to contribute to society by energizing and advancing social science research, this book is a vital reference. Arthur Lupia, Hal R Varian Collegiate Professor, University of Michigan
Product details
March 2020Paperback
9781108708289
566 pages
246 × 174 × 30 mm
1.01kg
11 b/w illus. 20 tables
Available
Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction John Gerring, James Mahoney and Colin Elman
- Part I. Discovery:
- 2. Exploratory Research Richard Swedberg
- 3. Research Cycles Evan Lieberman
- Part II. Publishing:
- 4. Peer Review Tim Liao
- 5. Length Limits John Gerring and Lee Cojocaru
- Part III. Transparency and Reproducibility:
- 6. Transparency and Reproducibility: Conceptualizing the Problem Garret Christensen and Edward Miguel
- 7. Transparency and Reproducibility: Potential Solutions Garret Christensen and Edward Miguel
- 8. Making Research Data Accessible Diana Kapiszewski, Sebastian Karcher
- 9. Pre-registration and Results-Free Review in Observational and Qualitative Research Alan M. Jacobs
- Part IV. Appraisal:
- 10. Replication for Quantitative Research Jeremy Freese and David Peterson
- 11. Measurement Replication in Qualitative and Quantitative Studies Dan Reiter
- 12. Reliability of Inference: Analogs of Replication in Qualitative Research Tasha Fairfield and Andrew Charman
- 13. Coordinating Reappraisals John Gerring
- 14. Comprehensive Appraisal John Gerring
- 15. Impact Metrics John Gerring, Sebastian Karcher and Brendan Apfeld
- Part V. Diversity:
- 16. Gender Diversity Dawn Teele
- 17. Ideological Diversity Neil Gross and Christopher Robertson
- VI. Conclusion:
- 18. Proposals John Gerring, James Mahoney and Colin Elman
