Working Paper: NBER ID: w13272
Authors: Glenn Ellison
Abstract: Over the past decade there has been a decline in the fraction of papers in top economics journals written by economists from the highest-ranked economics departments. This paper documents this fact and uses additional data on publications and citations to assess various potential explanations. Several observations are consistent with the hypothesis that the Internet improves the ability of high-profile authors to disseminate their research without going through the traditional peer-review process.
Keywords: peer review; economics publishing; internet dissemination
JEL Codes: A14; I23; O30
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Necessity of peer review has diminished for high-status authors (A14) | Decrease in publications in top journals (A14) |
| Growth of revisions at economics journals (A14) | Highly productive researchers abandon some projects (D29) |
| Field journals may have declined in quality (L15) | Decrease in attractiveness for publication (A14) |
| Impact of the internet on dissemination (L86) | Decline in peer-reviewed publications by top economists (A14) |