Hostname: page-component-6766d58669-mzsfj Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-05-15T16:16:28.043Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Proxy failures in practice: Examples from the sociology of science

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 May 2024

Jakob Kapeller Open the ORCID record for Jakob Kapeller [Opens in a new window] ,
Stephan Pühringer Open the ORCID record for Stephan Pühringer [Opens in a new window] ,
Johanna Rath Open the ORCID record for Johanna Rath [Opens in a new window]  and
Matthias Aistleitner Open the ORCID record for Matthias Aistleitner [Opens in a new window]
Jakob Kapeller*
Affiliation:
Institute for Socio-Economics, University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany https://www.uni-due.de/soziooekonomie/institut_en Institute for Comprehensive Analysis of the Economy (ICAE), Johannes Kepler University, Linz, Austria. stephan.puehringer@jku.at johanna.rath@jku.at matthias.aistleitner@jku.at https://www.jku.at/en/institute-for-comprehensive-analysis-of-the-economy/
Stephan Pühringer
Affiliation:
Institute for Comprehensive Analysis of the Economy (ICAE), Johannes Kepler University, Linz, Austria. stephan.puehringer@jku.at johanna.rath@jku.at matthias.aistleitner@jku.at https://www.jku.at/en/institute-for-comprehensive-analysis-of-the-economy/
Johanna Rath
Affiliation:
Institute for Comprehensive Analysis of the Economy (ICAE), Johannes Kepler University, Linz, Austria. stephan.puehringer@jku.at johanna.rath@jku.at matthias.aistleitner@jku.at https://www.jku.at/en/institute-for-comprehensive-analysis-of-the-economy/
Matthias Aistleitner
Affiliation:
Institute for Comprehensive Analysis of the Economy (ICAE), Johannes Kepler University, Linz, Austria. stephan.puehringer@jku.at johanna.rath@jku.at matthias.aistleitner@jku.at https://www.jku.at/en/institute-for-comprehensive-analysis-of-the-economy/
*
Corresponding author: Jakob Kapeller; Email: jakob.kapeller@uni-due.de
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Following John et al., we provide examples of failing proxies that might help to contextualize the role of proxy failures in applied research. We focus on examples from the sociology of science and illustrate how the notion of proxy failure can sharpen applied analysis, if used in a way that does not obscure other dysfunctional effects of proxies.

Information

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 47 , 2024 , e76
Check for updates
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Aistleitner, M., Kapeller, J., & Steinerberger, S. (2018). The power of scientometrics and the development of economics. Journal of Economic Issues, 52, 816–834. doi:10.1080/00213624.2018.1498721CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Biagioli, M. (2016). Watch out for cheats in citation game. Nature News, 535, 201. doi:10.1038/535201aCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Braganza, O. (2022). Proxyeconomics, a theory and model of proxy-based competition and cultural evolution. Royal Society Open Science, 9, 211030. doi:10.1098/RSOS.211030CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pistor, K. (2022, February 28). From shock therapy to Putin's war. Retrieved from https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/1990s-shock-therapy-set-stage-for-russian-authoritarianism-by-katharina-pistor-2022-02Google Scholar
Pühringer, S., Rath, J., & Griesebner, T. (2021). The political economy of academic publishing: On the commodification of a public good. PLoS ONE, 16(6), e0253226. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0253226CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sterman, J. D., & Wittenberg, J. (1999). Path dependence, competition, and succession in the dynamics of scientific revolution. Organization Science, 10, 322–341. doi:10.1287/orsc.10.3.322CrossRefGoogle Scholar