Articles are too often cited, by authors and by referees, as making the exact opposite of the argument they actually advanced. Long books are noted, with a wave of the rhetorical hand but without the mundane encumbrance of specific page or even chapter references; and highly relevant literatures, even in leading political science journals, are frequently ignored.
From Notes from the Editors, in the current issue of APSR.
Another excellent line:
[we] note a pattern accurately described by one co-editor: increasing engagement across sub-disciplines, sustained fratricide within them.
I would say the problems apply equally to economists. The reading is certainly no better and, as a colleague of mine said last year, “development economists eat their own young”.
@cblatts If you want more interdisciplinary reading, join us, Chris: http://t.co/Lhi6lrGA
This is an astonishing indictment by APSR of academic social science publishing http://t.co/ycp8gas4
“[we] note a pattern… increasing engagement across sub-disciplines, sustained fratricide within them.” via @cblatts http://t.co/VHXU46tQ
I don’t find it astonishing at all. I’ve heard stories of thesis papers with references that the author had never read and that no one bothers to check.
Just look at the amount of citations an average paper gives. To read what authors are claiming to read for thier work frequently means reading astronomical amounts.
agreed. “@cblatts: How badly and how little social scientists read (Parting thoughts from the APSR editors) http://t.co/GcWzTyOK”
Desabafo dos editores da American Political Science Rewiew: coleguinhas lêem e citam mal. http://t.co/aWgykLGO
@cblatts Currently drafting a paper relating to this very problem, especially regarding quantitative pieces.
Preemptive citation; why not do it? MT @cblatts: How badly & how little social scientists read (from the APSR editors) http://t.co/VhN9t16E
This is lol funny, but also smh funny – How badly and how little social scientists read http://t.co/lg6eW5J0
How badly and how little social scientists read (Parting thoughts from the APSR editors) – http://t.co/ldJjH2Hu
“How badly and how little social scientists read (Parting thoughts from the APSR editors) http://t.co/CZadIIa0” Ooohhh !!! Pas en France !!!
Où l’on apprend qu’on ne lirait ni assez ni assez bien en science politique notamment ! Tsssss… http://t.co/CZadIIa0 #ohwait