Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP6935
Authors: Dan Bendavid
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 Codes: A1; H83; I23
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Higher academic ranks (professors) (Y40) | Higher citation counts (A14) |
| Promotion criteria discrepancies (M51) | Brain drain phenomenon (F22) |
| Decline in average citations per faculty member (A14) | May not indicate drop in research quality (D29) |
| Retirement of senior economists with high citation counts (J26) | Decline in average citations per faculty member (A14) |