Improving the credibility of empirical legal research: practical suggestions for researchers, journals, and law schools

Jason Chin, Alexander Carl DeHaven, Tobias Heycke, Alex O. Holcombe, David Thomas Mellor, Justin Pickett, Crystal Nicole Steltenpohl, Simine Vazire and Kathryn Zeiler
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Jason Chin: University of Sydney
Alexander Carl DeHaven: Center for Open Science
Tobias Heycke: GESIS - Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences
David Thomas Mellor: Center for Open Science
Crystal Nicole Steltenpohl: University of Southern Indiana

No 952gh, LawRxiv from Center for Open Science

Abstract: Fields closely related to empirical legal research are enhancing their methods to improve the credibility of their findings. This includes making data, analysis code, and other materials openly available, and preregistering studies. Empirical legal research appears to be lagging behind other fields. This may be due, in part, to a lack of meta-research and guidance on empirical legal studies. The authors seek to fill that gap by evaluating some indicators of credibility in empirical legal research, including a review of guidelines at legal journals. They then provide both general recommendations for researchers, and more specific recommendations aimed at three commonly used empirical legal methods: case law analysis, surveys, and qualitative studies. They end with suggestions for policies and incentive systems that may be implemented by journals and law schools.

Date: 2020-09-24
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ppm
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:osf:lawarx:952gh

DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/952gh

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