Economists crave quanta. Accordingly, there are multiple studies for
ranking departments and journals.

      A couple of years ago an author, who had authored multiple such
studies, included a new variable in a new study published in the American
Economics Review.  The new variable was included because of an off hand
comment by a reader or an earlier study:  the Mission of the university
employing the author of the study.  That new variable had statistically
significant explanatory power.  It even explained variations in that
author's own prior research, which had been conducted while employed by
different universities.

      It would appear that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Michael

Professor Michael J. O'Hara, J.D., Ph.D.
Finance, Banking, & Law Department
College of Business Administration
Roskens Hall 502
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Omaha  NE  68182
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(402) 554 - 2823 voice  fax (402) 554 - 2680
http://cba.unomaha.edu/faculty/mohara/web/ohara.htm