Which Peers Matter? The Relative Impacts of Collaborators, Colleagues, and Competitors

George Borjas and Kirk Doran

No 20026, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: Many economists believe knowledge production generates positive spillovers among knowledge producers. The available evidence, however, is mixed. We argue that spillovers can exist along three dimensions (idea, geographic, and collaboration space). To isolate the key channel through which knowledge spills over, we use a unique data set to examine the impact of a large post-1992 exodus of Soviet mathematicians on the output of the non-émigrés. Although the data reveal strong competitive effects in idea space, there is evidence of knowledge spillovers in collaboration space, when high-quality researchers directly engage with other researchers in the joint production of new knowledge.

JEL-codes: D83 J24 O31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014-03
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ger, nep-lma and nep-ure
Note: LS
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

Published as George J. Borjas & Kirk B. Doran, 2015. "Which Peers Matter? The Relative Impacts of Collaborators, Colleagues, and Competitors," Review of Economics and Statistics, vol 97(5), pages 1104-1117.

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Working Paper: Which Peers Matter? The Relative Impacts of Collaborators, Colleagues, and Competitors (2013)
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