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The Ulysses Principle: A Criterial Framework for Reducing Bias When Enlisting the Work of Historians

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  • Jørgen Møller
  • Svend-Erik Skaaning

Abstract

The historical turn in social science has prompted scholars to engage with the work of historians on a large scale. Here, social scientists face two standard problems of selection bias: confirmation bias and convenience sampling. So far, the record of dealing with these problems has been poor, and little has been done to specify how social scientists can sift a broader body of historiography. We present a criterial framework that describes how social scientists can mitigate bias when using historical studies. We term the idea behind this framework the Ulysses Principle because it can be understood as a way of avoiding the siren call of confirmation bias when using historical sources as the primary evidentiary base. The framework includes considerations about conceptual consistency, the theoretical vantage points of historical sources, and updated evidence. The three criteria and the trade-offs between them are illustrated using two recent examples from comparative historical analyses.

Suggested Citation

  • Jørgen Møller & Svend-Erik Skaaning, 2021. "The Ulysses Principle: A Criterial Framework for Reducing Bias When Enlisting the Work of Historians," Sociological Methods & Research, , vol. 50(1), pages 103-134, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:sae:somere:v:50:y:2021:i:1:p:103-134
    DOI: 10.1177/0049124118769107
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Dunning, Thad, 2004. "Conditioning the Effects of Aid: Cold War Politics, Donor Credibility, and Democracy in Africa," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 58(2), pages 409-423, April.
    4. Lange, Matthew, 2009. "Lineages of Despotism and Development," University of Chicago Press Economics Books, University of Chicago Press, number 9780226470702, April.
    5. Blaydes, Lisa & Chaney, Eric, 2013. "The Feudal Revolution and Europe's Rise: Political Divergence of the Christian West and the Muslim World before 1500 CE," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 107(1), pages 16-34, February.
    6. Lange, Matthew, 2009. "Lineages of Despotism and Development," University of Chicago Press Economics Books, University of Chicago Press, number 9780226470689, December.
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