nep-sog New Economics Papers
on Sociology of Economics
Issue of 2009‒02‒28
four papers chosen by
Jonas Holmström
Swedish School of Economics and Business Administration

  1. Ranking Israel's Economists By Ben-David, Dan
  2. Comparing the Early Research Performance of PhD Graduates in Labour Economics in Europe and the USA By Cardoso, Ana Rute; Guimaraes, Paulo; Zimmermann, Klaus F
  3. After They Graduate: An Overview of the Iowa State University Alumni Survey By Jolly, Robert W.; Yu, Li; Orazem, Peter
  4. The Elite Brain Drain By Hunter, Rosalind S.; Oswald, Andrew J.; Charlton, Bruce G.

  1. By: Ben-David, Dan
    Abstract: One of the more important measures of a scholar’s research impact is the number of times that the scholar’s work is cited by other researchers as a source of knowledge. This paper conducts a first of its kind examination on Israel’s academic economists and economics departments, ranking them according to the number of citations on their work. It also provides a vista into one of the primary reasons given by junior Israeli economists for an unparalleled brain drain from the country - discrepancies between research impact and promotion. The type of examination carried out in this paper can now be easily replicated in other fields and in other countries utilizing freely-available citations data and compilation software that have been made readily accessible in recent years.
    Keywords: academic economists; Israel; rankings
    JEL: A1 H83 I23
    Date: 2008–08
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:6935&r=sog
  2. By: Cardoso, Ana Rute; Guimaraes, Paulo; Zimmermann, Klaus F
    Abstract: This paper analyzes the early research performance of PhD graduates in labor economics, addressing the following questions: Are there major productivity differences between graduates from American and European institutions? If so, how relevant is the quality of the training received (i.e. ranking of institution and supervisor) and the research environment in the subsequent job placement institution? The population under study consists of labor economics PhD graduates who received their degree in the years 2000 to 2005 in Europe or the USA. Research productivity is evaluated alternatively as the number of publications or the quality-adjusted number of publications of an individual. When restricting the analysis to the number of publications, results suggest a higher productivity by graduates from European universities than from USA universities, but this difference vanishes when accounting for the quality of the publication. The results also indicate that graduates placed at American institutions, in particular top ones, are likely to publish more quality-adjusted articles than their European counterparts. This may be because, when hired, they already have several good acceptances or because of more focused research efforts and clearer career incentives.
    Keywords: graduate programs; research productivity
    JEL: A10 A11 A14 A23 J44
    Date: 2009–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:7129&r=sog
  3. By: Jolly, Robert W.; Yu, Li; Orazem, Peter
    Abstract: This report provides a descriptive overview of the Iowa State University Alumni Survey. In late 2007, 25,000 Iowa State University alumni who received bachelor's degree between 1982 and 2006 were surveyed to obtain information on their career paths, employment status, further education, entrepreneurial activities, community engagement and current income. The on-line and written survey resulted in approximately 5,500 valid returns.
    Keywords: human capital, career path, bachelor's degree recipients, land-grant university, entrepreneurship, personal income, community engagement.
    Date: 2009–02–17
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:isu:genres:13031&r=sog
  4. By: Hunter, Rosalind S. (University of Warwick); Oswald, Andrew J. (University of Warwick); Charlton, Bruce G. (Newcastle University)
    Abstract: We collect data on the movement and productivity of elite scientists. Their mobility is remarkable: nearly half of the world's most-cited physicists work outside their country of birth. We show they migrate systematically towards nations with large R&D spending. Our study cannot adjudicate on whether migration improves scientists' productivity, but we find that movers and stayers have identical h-index citations scores. Immigrants in the UK and US now win Nobel Prizes proportionately less often than earlier. US residents' h-indexes are relatively high. We describe a framework where a key role is played by low mobility costs in the modern world.
    Keywords: brain drain, science, mobility, citations
    JEL: O3 J6
    Date: 2009–02
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp4005&r=sog

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