Backstory: How Research Papers in Economics Get Made

Nov 18 2024 25 ep. 26 mins 4
Backstory: How Research Papers in Economics Get Made Podcast artwork

Tune into the Backstory Podcast with hosts Riccardo Di Cato, Aakash Bhalothia, and Santiago Cantillo for a deep dive into the behind-the-scenes process of economic research. Each episode unpacks the hidden journey from a paper's conception to its publication, sharing the challenges and triumphs scholars face along the way. Conceptualized by Paul Niehaus and brought to life by UCSD grad students, Backstory gives voice to the stories that academia often leaves untold.

  Science
RSS feed Share
Copy RSS


Subscribe on Podcast Addict


Backstory: Steven Brownstone on Labor Market Effects of Agricultural Mechanization

Nov 18 2024 29 mins  
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

Backstory: Ellora Derenoncourt on Historical Incarceration Penalty in the US

Sep 16 2024 20 mins  
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.hathi

Backstory: Susanna Berkouwer on Cooking, Health, and Daily Exposure to Pollution

Aug 19 2024 26 mins  
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 d

Backstory: Erin Kelley on Value of Long Run Forecasts in Developing-Country Agriculture

Jul 22 2024 31 mins  
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! H

Backstory: Jared Rubin on Enlightenment Ideals and Belief in Progress Before the Industrial Revolution

Jul 03 2024 26 mins  
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 rese

Backstory: Edward Miguel and Paul Niehaus on the General Equilibrium Effects of Cash Transfers

Jun 04 2024 30 mins  
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 d

Backstory: Salma Mousa on Players, Performance, and Prejudice Against Minorities

May 23 2024 24 mins  
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

Backstory: Duncan Thomas on Long-term Impacts of Exposure to a Natural Disaster

May 17 2024 26 mins  
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."

Backstory: Francesco Amodio on Labor Market Power, Self-employment, and Development

May 06 2024 27 mins  
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

Girija Borker on Perceived Risk of Street Harassment and Educational Choices of Women

Apr 23 2024 24 mins  
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 st