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Citation Patterns in Economics and Beyond

Author

Listed:
  • Matthias Aistleitner

    (Johannes Kepler University)

  • Jakob Kapeller

    (Johannes Kepler University)

  • Stefan Steinerberger

    (Yale University, Department of Mathematics)

Abstract

In this paper we comparatively explore three claims concerning the disciplinary character of economics by means of citation analysis. The three claims under study are: (1) economics exhibits strong forms of institutional stratification and, as a byproduct, a rather pronounced internal hierarchy, (2) economists strongly conform to institutional incentives and (3) modern mainstream economics is a largely self-referential intellectual project mostly inaccessible to disciplinary or paradigmatic outsiders. The validity of these claims is assessed by means of an interdisciplinary comparison of citation patterns aiming to identify peculiar characteristics of economic discourse. In doing so, we emphasize that citation data can always be interpreted in different ways, thereby focusing on the contrast between a `cognitive` and an `evaluative` approach towards citation data.

Suggested Citation

  • Matthias Aistleitner & Jakob Kapeller & Stefan Steinerberger, 2018. "Citation Patterns in Economics and Beyond," Working Papers Series 85, Institute for New Economic Thinking.
    • Handle: RePEc:thk:wpaper:85
    DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.3306272
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    Cited by:

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    2. Syed Hasan & Robert Breunig, 2021. "Article length and citation outcomes," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(9), pages 7583-7608, September.
    3. Ernest Aigner, 2021. "Global dynamics and country-level development in academic economics: An explorative cognitive-bibliometric study," SRE-Disc sre-disc-2021_07, Institute for Multilevel Governance and Development, Department of Socioeconomics, Vienna University of Economics and Business.

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    Keywords

    citation patterns; economics; interdisciplinary; scientometrics; sociology of economics;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • A10 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - General
    • A12 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Relation of Economics to Other Disciplines
    • A14 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Sociology of Economics

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