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Proxy failures in practice: Examples from the sociology of science

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 May 2024

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

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.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press

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References

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