Backstory: How Research Papers in Economics Get Made (UC San Diego)

Join Riccardo as he talks with Jared Rubin about the backstory of his paper, "Enlightenment Ideals and Belief in Progress in the Run-up to the Industrial Revolution: A Textual Analysis." The discussion explores various topics, including the innovative tools used for textual analysis of numerous archival books, the inspiration behind his research, and advice for young researchers. Truly inspiring! Don't miss out. Here’s a link to the working paper, co-authored with Ali Almelhem, Murat Iyigun, and Austin Kennedy: [https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/esi_working_papers/393/]

In this episode of backstory, host Aakash Bhalothia interviews development economists Edward Miguel and Paul Niehaus about their Frisch award-winning paper, "General Equilibrium Effects of Cash Transfers: Experimental Evidence from Kenya." They discuss the paper's groundbreaking findings on the macroeconomic impacts of cash transfers in rural Kenya. The conversation delves into how the authors started working together, designing long-term experiments, and the broader motivations behind Ted and Paul's research. The paper is co-authored with Dennis Egger, Johannes Haushofer, and Michael Walker. Here is the link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.3982/ECTA17945

In this episode, Salma Mousa, Assistant Professor of Political Science at UCLA, discusses her paper "Players, Performance, and Prejudice: Are Minorities Punished More Harshly for Having a Bad Day?" with Riccardo. Tune in for insights into the development of this paper and Salma's broader research agenda, including her perspective on the research process as a political scientist. The paper is coauthored with Ala Alrababah, William Marble, and Alexandra Siegel. You can find an abstract on Salma's website: https://www.salmamousa.com/working-papers.

Santiago talks to Vincent Pons, Associate Professor at Harvard Business School, about his paper: 'Keep your Enemies Closer: Strategic Platform Adjustments during U.S. and French Elections'. Vincent shares his thoughts on deciding to make upfront investments in data collection, how his political curiosity took him to be a national field coordinator for a presidential campaign and how he has used that experience in his research.

In this episode, Santiago sits down with Teresa Molina, Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and current visitor at UCSD. They delve into her paper, 'An Examination of Intergenerational Mobility in the Philippines.' The discussion highlights the paper's origins, the crucial role of having the right collaborators, and the valuable contributions of motivated undergraduate students. They also explore the evolution of a research agenda from graduate school through the early years as an assistant professor. The episode concludes with invaluable advice for graduate students. Tune in to hear more!

Ellora Derenoncourt talks with Santiago about her research on the impact of past incarceration status on labor market outcomes in the US. Ellora shares how her interest in inequality and the ladder of opportunities led her to focus on the criminal justice system as an underlying mechanism.

Ellora also shared her "one-stop shop" to look for archival data: https://www.hathitrust.org/. It's a consortium of libraries that recollects and digitizes data and great place to start looking for new data.

Ellora is an Assistant Professor of Economics at Princeton. The coauthors of the project are Desmond Ang (Harvard), Kyle Hancock (Princeton), and Jing Wu (Princeton).

In this episode, Riccardo speaks with Francesco Amodio, Associate Professor of Economics at McGill University, about his paper titled "Labor Market Power, Self-employment, and Development." We explore the process of generating ideas for projects and identification strategies. Additionally, we discuss structural modeling and what initially sparked Francesco's interest in labor markets within developing countries. Here is a link to the paper, co-authored with Pamela Medina and Monica Morlacco: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1c1Rv6vTKz0g6FEZ19VsK8fa_fSrF-niT/view

In this episode, we're joined by Garima Sharma, currently a post-doctoral fellow at Princeton University and soon-to-be Assistant Professor at Northwestern. She discusses her paper, Monopsony and Gender, which served as her job market paper. Dive in to explore not only the backstory of her paper but also insights on balancing modeling with empirics, selecting the right tools for structural modeling, and the distinction between a single research paper and a broader research agenda

In this episode, Associate Professor Pauline Rossi from Ecole Polytechnique-CREST discusses her paper, "Drivers of Fertility: Experimental Evidence from Burkina Faso." She shares practical insights from conducting field research, including managing the challenges of data collection and responding to unexpected hurdles. We also explore the process behind developing research ideas and Rossi's journey to becoming an economist.

In this episode, Michela Giorcelli, Associate Professor of Economics at UCLA, discusses her paper, “The Effects of Business School Education on Manager Career Outcomes,” with Maddison. Tune in to learn about the development of this paper and the story behind how Michela collected unique historical data for this project and several of her other projects.

In this episode, Aakash talks to Girija Borker, an Economist at DIME, World Bank. They discuss her paper titled "Safety First: Perceived Risk of Street Harassment and Educational Choices of Women". Dive in to learn how Girija went about identifying important problems related to gender, and her perspectives on learning the best tools to answer questions, risk mitigation strategies, and motivation for research. 

In this episode we spoke with Ernest Liu, Assistant Professor at the Bendheim Center for Finance at Princeton's Department of Economics. He discussed the backstory of his research on "Innovation Networks and R&D Allocation", how he got the idea for his job market paper, and the challenges he overcame during his research journey.

In this episode we spoke to Gustavo Bobonis, a Professor of Economics at the University of Toronto, and discussed his paper titled Norms of Corruption in Politicians’ Malfeasance. Professor Bobonis speaks about his inspiration for the paper, how he studied the cultural incentives that can drive or diminish political corruption, and his draw to the field of political economy.

In this episode, Aakash speaks to Francis Annan (UC Berkeley) about his paper titled "Randomized Entry", exploring how the entry of financial services firms impacts local economies. Francis shares the backstory of his collaboration with key industry stakeholders, his innovative approach to measuring economic outcomes, and insights on working with firms in challenging contexts.

The working paper can be found here: https://www.nber.org/papers/w33134

In this episode, Duncan Thomas shared insights from his paper on the aftermath of large-scale disasters. Duncan and Aakash discussed the significance of collecting high-quality data, highlighting the importance of teamwork and collaboration. The paper is titled: " Longer-term impacts of exposure to a large-scale natural disaster on health, cognition and well-being."

Join us in conversation with Bryce Steinberg, Assistant Professor of Economics at Brown University, as we delve into her paper, "Family Planning, Now and Later: Infertility Fear and Contraception Take-Up." This discussion offers a comprehensive look into the fieldwork process from start to finish. Along the way, we uncover intriguing research questions that surfaced during the study and share anecdotes that provide a unique glimpse into the world of field research.

Steven Brownstone, a job market candidate at UC San Diego, discusses his job market paper, “Labor Market Effects of Agricultural Mechanization: Experimental Evidence from India” with Maddison. Steven shares the insights he gained through developing his job market paper and running an RCT in India. Steven dives into the specifics about what goes into organizing an RCT and doing field work as a PhD student. He also tells us about his experience of working to integrate empirical work with economic models.

In this episode, Santiago sits down with Gedeon Lim, Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Hong Kong, to explore his research on migration, ethnic diversity, and nation-building. They delve into his paper "Ethnic Proximity and Politics: Evidence from Colonial Resettlement in Malaysia", which examines the long-term political impacts of a British colonial resettlement program in Malaysia. Gedeon shares the personal and professional journey behind this study, highlighting how historical events shape contemporary voting behavior. The discussion also covers the challenges of archival research, the importance of fieldwork, and the nuances of conducting research in one's native region.
This project is co-authored with Chun Chee Kok. You can find the Working Paper here: https://gedeon89.github.io/gedeonlim.com/mypolitics-KL.pdf?dl=0

In this episode, Aakash talks to Erin Kelley about her project titled “Long-Range Forecasts as Climate Adaptation: Experimental Evidence from Developing-Country Agriculture." Erin shares some fascinating insights about developing and maintaining relationships in research, different types of field projects, and a great idea for testing early ideas: pitch it to your parents! Here is the link to the working paper, co-authored with Fiona Burlig, Amir Jina, Gregory V. Lane & Harshil Sahai: https://www.nber.org/papers/w32173

In this episode of the UCSD Backstory Podcast, we sit down with Lelys Dinarte-Diaz, an esteemed Economist from the World Bank's Development Research Group. Lelys shares the inspiration behind her paper, 'Violent Discipline and Parental Behavior: Short- and Medium-term Effects of Virtual Parenting Support to Caregivers.' Among other things, we explore the intricacies of collaboration, the art of crafting policy-relevant research, and the unique challenges faced when conducting fieldwork in conflict-affected zones. Tune in for a deep dive into the world of development economics and the stories that shape impactful research.

Join Maddison as she speaks with Susanna Berkouwer, Assistant Professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.  In this episode, they discuss Susanna's paper with Joshua Dean, "Cooking, Health, and Daily Exposure to Transient Air Pollution Peaks" in Kenya.  Tune in to hear how Susanna started this project as a grad student and how it evolved into two different papers, including their job market paper.  Susanna shares insight into their experimental design, the development of their research questions in this area, and the formation of their ongoing coauthorship collaboration. Here is the link to the working paper: https://sberkouwer.github.io/BerkouwerDean_Health.pdf

Join Riccardo as he talks to Kelsey Jack, Associate Professor at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, about the backstory of her paper, "Dodging Day Zero: Drought, Adaptation, and Inequality in Cape Town," which she coauthored with Alexander Abajian, Cassandra Cole, Kyle C. Meng, and Martine Visser.

The working paper can be found here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/dbtb0k1v9ausmqhcipbry/day_zero-submitted-version.pdf?rlkey=lgdq1ng1kvvs32dhq7phrzlmy&e=2&dl=0

In this episode, join Riccardo as he engages with Doug Gollin, a Professor at Tufts University, discussing his paper “High-Frequency Human Mobility in Three African Countries”. This conversation uncovers the intricacies of approaching data-driven projects, maximizing the potential of research ideas, and the complexities involved in managing large datasets. Doug also shares valuable insights on the critical considerations necessary when preparing to share findings with academic audiences. Here is the link to the working paper: https://economics.ucr.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/11-30-2020-Gollin.pdf

Join Santiago as he delves into conversation with Martin Mattsson from the National University of Singapore about his working paper titled "Formalizing Dispute Resolution: Effects of Village Courts in Bangladesh". Martin tells us the backstory of a large-scale RCT covering 6 million people, the value of trust in overcoming challenges when dealing with multiple government branches, and some of the experiences that prepared him to conduct such an intervention. He also shares his perspective on how to start research projects and ensure their relevance for policy. You can find the working paper here: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4740074

Pascaline Dupas talks about her paper titled Colonial Origins of Fertility Behaviors: Evidence on the Role of Forced Labor Migration in Burkina Faso. Riccardo and Pascaline discuss the background of her paper and her advice for graduate students in economics.

Aakash and Riccardo speak with Seema Jayachandran about her paper titled "Reshaping gender attitudes in India through schools: An 8-year follow-up study." Join in on their discussion to learn more about the origins of the paper, insights gained from it, and advice for graduate students.

In this episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with Diana Martinez, a job market candidate at UC San Diego. Diana shares the backstory of her job market paper, "How Does Immigration Affect Incumbent Students? The Case of the Venezuelan Migration to Peru." She provides valuable insights into the process of developing a paper during a Ph.D. program, detailing the highs and lows, as well as the challenges of acquiring the necessary data to answer her research question. Don't miss out on this informative conversation!

In this episode Santiago talks with Gani Aldashev, professor of Economics at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, about the backstory of his paper, "Relationships in the Wild: How Institutions Affect the Governance of Firms", that discusses how the “best practices” for firm governance vary according to the strength of political institutions [Working paper = https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/7k1j3z5p8qfiq803lxeri/Aldashev-Rantakari-Zanarone-Dec-24.pdf?rlkey=4wvs9qeorvdk2djd8pybeqiwa&e=1&dl=0].

Gani shares how the idea came from both reflecting on firms’ performance in his own context growing up as well as noting how two different literatures had built up without talking to each other: firm governance theories that abstract from political institutions and political economy models that ignore the role of firms.

Gani also shares with us some advice on how to start building a model. Here is a list of articles he finds useful for junior researchers on starting to work on a model and building a research agenda:

Hal Varian: How to Build an Economic Model in Your Spare Time on JSTOR https://www.jstor.org/stable/25604102

Paul Krugman: how to be a crazy economist in Foundations of research in economics : how do economists do economics?  https://archive.org/details/foundationsofres0000unse_s4e8/page/n9/mode/2up

David M. Kreps: Introduction (First chapter) Game Theory and Economic Modelling  https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=qMoTDAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=kreps+economics&ots=odo3ZepfLt&sig=c8n4--DGhTDoL6cM0x7qINXwYSw#v=onepage&q=kreps%20economics&f=false

Join Maddison as she speaks with Gaurav Khanna, Associate Professor of Economics at UC San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy. In this episode, Gaurav discusses his paper, “The IT Boom and Other Unintended Consequences of Chasing the American Dream,” coauthored with Nicolas Morales. Gaurav shares the backstory behind this paper, which started when he was in grad school. In this episode, we also learn how Gaurav and his coauthor integrate micro and macro methods in this paper, and his advice to grad students working on similar types of projects.

Join us as we talk to Diego Comin, a distinguished scholar specializing in macroeconomics and technology. He delved into the origins and insights of his paper, “TECHnological Factor Productivity,” co-authored with Xavier Cirera and Marcio Cruz from the World Bank

In this episode, Aakash speaks with David McKenzie about how he identifies research problems across his various agendas. David also discusses the differences between working as a researcher at the World Bank versus in academia, and shares the private and external benefits of creating public goods. Tune in to learn more!

In this episode we have a conversation with Jeff Weaver, an Assistant Professor at the University of Southern California, about his paper titled Polity Size and Local Government Performance: evidence from India. The interview has very useful advice on identification strategies motivated by a question, forming teams, picking research projects, and some other great perspectives from Jeff.