Open Research Data in Economics

Abstract

Just a few decades ago, particularly in the 1970s and 1980s, empirical work in economics lacked credibility: modifications to functional form, sample size or controls could change the findings and conclusions. Edward Leamer (1983) criticised the fragility of econometric results, saying that to draw inferences from data described in econometric texts, it was necessary “to make whimsical assumptions”. For a long time nobody trusted the results of econometric papers. Since then, better research designs, experiments or good quasi-experiments has lead to a credibility revolution in economics (Angrist and Pischke 2010) and “taking the “con” out of econometrics”. Leamer’s judgement of