[okfn-discuss] why data and process in academic publishing matters

Sat Apr 20 17:24:42 UTC 2013

> To the extent that the study resulted in suboptimal policies, the period
> during which these wrong policies prevailed would have been shorter.

Which, surely, is "not very much, really"?

As you go on to say: "economics data is most often used to justify
predetermined ideological positions"

Yes, there are certainly people who used this study to (quite loudly)
back up their existing positions, but I think it's stretching things
to think that the study actually changed policy. If this study had had
a different outcome it would either have been ignored, or used by
people to back up whichever ideas it happened to now coincide with —
just as people are already doing with the rebuttal.

The battle lines in this area of economic theory were drawn long
before 2010, and are likely to continue for quite some time.

Tony