Wait a minute Alex, I am not sure that journal organization has little to do with the professional organization in the university. Change the nature of the way resarch is published and presented and the research game will change within the academy. Journals are like the arbiter of the rules that govern academic discourse ---- if you change the idea of what a good question is, or more importantly even for this conversation, what a good answer is, then the academic game will change accordingly.
I admit to selection bias, but I am not sure we can avoid it on this topic. BTW, I hope nobody views my comments as whining about the profession, because they are not meant to be in that vein. It is just that I think much of what goes on in the profession as so-called research is intellectual masturbation. That is fine in itself but the opportunity cost is a more relevant economics engage in social intercourse. Those of us who want to make this argument are failing to persuade our colleagues of the benefits of this and as a result have nobody to blaim but ourselves. Peter J. Boettke, Deputy Director James M. Buchanan Center for Political Economy Department of Economics, MSN 3G4 George Mason University Fairfax, VA 22030 PHONE: 703-993-1149 FAX: 703-993-1133 EMAIL: [EMAIL PROTECTED] HOMEPAGE: http://www.gmu.edu/departments/economics/pboettke ----- Original Message ----- From: "Alex Tabarrok" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, June 21, 2002 12:50 PM Subject: Re: Not such a fantastically entertaining paper > Pete writes "We go through an entire process of being cultured to the > ways of the > profession called graduate school and especially the process of writing > a > dissertation and getting a job. Then you get more of that as an > assistant > professor -- especially if you are at a top 20 research university. You > learn to value certain journals and types of arguments and dismiss other > types of arguments and evidence as "not serious". If you resist you are > thrown out, if you try to assimilate and fail you are thrown out." > > > Yes, this is correct - this is why journal organization form has very > little to do with the substantive issues that you and I care about. > This seems obvious to me. > > The examples you give of good editors are biased because self-selected! > > Alex > -- > Dr. Alexander Tabarrok > Vice President and Director of Research > The Independent Institute > 100 Swan Way > Oakland, CA, 94621-1428 > Tel. 510-632-1366, FAX: 510-568-6040 > Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >
