The Production of Knowledge
Enhancing Progress in Social Science

A wide-ranging discussion of factors that impede the cumulation of knowledge in the social sciences, with suggested solutions.

Colin Elman (Edited by), John Gerring (Edited by), James Mahoney (Edited by)

9781108486774, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 19 March 2020

566 pages, 11 b/w illus. 20 tables
25.2 x 17.8 x 3.5 cm, 1.13 kg

Many of society's biggest challenges and greatest opportunities depend on understanding social behavior. With such challenges in mind, contributors to this volume describe a systemic approach to social science knowledge production that is simultaneously level-headed and visionary. The book not only develops diverse and dynamic conceptions of what researchers can “know”, but also offers cogent advice about what institutions can do to increase the value of such knowledge. The stakes inherent in understanding human behavior are high. The service that social science can provide to society is great. For those who seek to contribute to society by energizing and advancing social science research, this book is a vital reference. Arthur Lupia, Hal R Varian Collegiate Professor, University of Michigan

Whilst a great deal of progress has been made in recent decades, concerns persist about the course of the social sciences. Progress in these disciplines is hard to assess and core scientific goals such as discovery, transparency, reproducibility, and cumulation remain frustratingly out of reach. Despite having technical acumen and an array tools at their disposal, today's social scientists may be only slightly better equipped to vanquish error and construct an edifice of truth than their forbears – who conducted analyses with slide rules and wrote up results with typewriters. This volume considers the challenges facing the social sciences, as well as possible solutions. In doing so, we adopt a systemic view of the subject matter. What are the rules and norms governing behavior in the social sciences? What kinds of research, and which sorts of researcher, succeed and fail under the current system? In what ways does this incentive structure serve, or subvert, the goal of scientific progress?

1. Introduction John Gerring, James Mahoney and Colin Elman
Part I. Discovery: 2. Exploratory Research Richard Swedberg
3. Research Cycles Evan Lieberman
Part II. Publishing: 4. Peer Review Tim Liao
5. Length Limits John Gerring and Lee Cojocaru
Part III. Transparency and Reproducibility: 6. Transparency and Reproducibility: Conceptualizing the Problem Garret Christensen and Edward Miguel
7. Transparency and Reproducibility: Potential Solutions Garret Christensen and Edward Miguel
8. Making Research Data Accessible Diana Kapiszewski, Sebastian Karcher
9. Pre-registration and Results-Free Review in Observational and Qualitative Research Alan M. Jacobs
Part IV. Appraisal: 10. Replication for Quantitative Research Jeremy Freese and David Peterson
11. Measurement Replication in Qualitative and Quantitative Studies Dan Reiter
12. Reliability of Inference: Analogs of Replication in Qualitative Research Tasha Fairfield and Andrew Charman
13. Coordinating Reappraisals John Gerring
14. Comprehensive Appraisal John Gerring
15. Impact Metrics John Gerring, Sebastian Karcher and Brendan Apfeld
Part V. Diversity: 16. Gender Diversity Dawn Teele
17. Ideological Diversity Neil Gross and Christopher Robertson
VI. Conclusion: 18. Proposals John Gerring, James Mahoney and Colin Elman

Subject Areas: Society & social sciences [J], Research methods: general [GPS], Decision theory: general [GPQ], Data analysis: general [GPH], Information theory [GPF]