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Catching up or falling behind? Promising changes and persistent patterns across cohorts of economics PhDs in German-speaking countries from 1991 to 2008

Author

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  • Ali Sina Önder

    (University of Bayreuth)

  • Sascha Schweitzer

    (University of Bayreuth)

Abstract

We investigate economics PhDs minted at German, Austrian, and Swiss universities from 1991 to 2008. We find that cohort sizes increased overall, and the share of PhDs who publish in a peer-reviewed journal within 6 years after graduation increased from 18% in 1991 to 46% in 2008. Publishing rates are heterogeneous across departments. Younger cohorts publish slightly more compared to older cohorts, but these publications are not significantly better in terms of quality. Publication productivity is highly skewed within and between departments. A key difference between PhDs of the German-speaking area and North America lies in their patterns of collaboration.

Suggested Citation

  • Ali Sina Önder & Sascha Schweitzer, 2017. "Catching up or falling behind? Promising changes and persistent patterns across cohorts of economics PhDs in German-speaking countries from 1991 to 2008," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 110(3), pages 1297-1331, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:110:y:2017:i:3:d:10.1007_s11192-016-2222-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-016-2222-9
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    Cited by:

    1. Önder Ali Sina & Yilmazkuday Hakan, 2020. "Thirty-Five Years of Peer-Reviewed Publishing by North American Economics PhDs: Quantity, Quality, and Beyond," Open Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 3(1), pages 70-85, January.
    2. Abhishek Nagaraj & Fernando Stipanicic & Matteo Tranchero, 2024. "The Importance of Confidential Microdata for Economic Research," NBER Chapters, in: Data Privacy Protection and the Conduct of Applied Research: Methods, Approaches and their Consequences, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Andrés García-Suaza & Jesús Otero & Rainer Winkelmann, 2020. "Predicting early career productivity of PhD economists: Does advisor-match matter?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 122(1), pages 429-449, January.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Research productivity; Graduate education; Economists of the German-speaking area;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • A11 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Role of Economics; Role of Economists
    • A14 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Sociology of Economics
    • A23 - General Economics and Teaching - - Economic Education and Teaching of Economics - - - Graduate
    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions

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