Peer Effects in Science: Evidence from the Dismissal of Scientists in Nazi Germany

Fabian Waldinger

Munich Reprints in Economics from University of Munich, Department of Economics

Abstract: This paper analyses peer effects among university scientists. Specifically, it investigates whether the quality and the number of peers affect the productivity of researchers in physics, chemistry, and mathematics. The usual endogeneity problems related to estimating peer effects are addressed by using the dismissal of scientists by the Nazi government in 1933 as a source of exogenous variation in the peer group of scientists staying in Germany. To investigate localized peer effects, I construct a new panel data set covering the universe of scientists at the German universities from 1925 to 1938 from historical sources. I find no evidence for peer effects at the local level. Even very high-quality scientists do not affect the productivity of their local peers.

Keywords: Academics; Jewish scientists; Nazi Germany; Peer effects; Scientific productivity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I20 I23 I28 J15 J24 N34 N44 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (234)

Published in Review of Economic Studies 2 79(2012): pp. 838-861

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Related works:
Journal Article: Peer Effects in Science: Evidence from the Dismissal of Scientists in Nazi Germany (2012)
Working Paper: Peer effects in science: evidence from the dismissal of scientists in Nazi Germany (2012)
Working Paper: Peer Effects in Science - Evidence from the Dismissal of Scientists in Nazi Germany (2009)
Working Paper: Peer effects in science: evidence from the dismissal of scientists in Nazi Germany (2009)
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